The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-09


that there does not appear to be any disposition
on the part of the political journals to make capital
out Of the occupation of the Island of San Juan by
General HARVEY. Indeed there is every reason to
believe, that although we have established small
military post upon the Island and Governor
DOUGLASS has protested, and war vessels have been
sailing to and fro in the hitherto peaceful waters
of Pugets Sound, and quite lively discussion has
arisen with regard to the territorial rights of the
two nations, the whole affair will be adjusted salts
factorily by diplomacy at no very disdant day.
1t is amusing, nevertheless to learn what de-
ghtful little tempest in a teapot has been agiaing
her Majesty's leges in the somewhat dull, and, by
no means, popuuus little town of Victoria, in con-
sequence of the rather summary proceedings which
have been taken by General HARVEY to assert
the claim of the UNITED STATES to the DOS
session of the Island. We are told that
the American population resident or floating in
Victoria ''waxed rampant, as Americans generally
'do on such occasions; y that the Brtishers were
correspondingly indignant, and that ''there was
"much clustering and bloviating (sic) on both
"sides." Among the English it has been made
matter of complaint that General HARVEY, in Or
dering detachment of UNITED STATES troops TO
occupy the Island, boldly asserted that San Juan
formed q part of the American territory on the Pa
cfc, and recognized neither the treaty between the
UNITED STATES and Great Britain, nor the exist
ence Of the Commission, by whose joint labors the
actual boundary line is to be defined Governor
DOUGLASS, in his Message to the Legislature of
British Columbia, claims that the right of Great
Britain, to all the islands situated to the westward
of Vancouver; or Rosario Straits, is clearly estab-
lished by the first article of the treaty of 1876 al
though, owing to the fact that the boundary line
has not yet been officially established, the Eng
fish, in Difference to the construction, which
has been put upon the treaty by the
government of tie UNITED STATES abstained from
exercising exclusive jurisdiction over any of the
islands of the Haro Archipelago The treaty al
luded to by Governor DOUGLASS establishes the
middle of the main channel as the boundary line
between the two nations, and the point in dispute
is as to whether the Strait, or what is called the
Canal de Haro, shall be recognized as the main
channel. The Strait forms the narrowest sheet of
water but is nearesl to the mainland, whilst the
Canal de H1ro has the greatest width and uni
form depth, yet vessels pass and repass as fire.
quently by the one as by the other. 1t will be
difficult question, therefore, at the best, for the
Boundary Commissioners to decide between the
two. The Island of San Juan lying about twenty
miles to the south-eastward of Victoria, and in a
north-westerly direction from the mouth of Pu-
gets Sound, it is claimed by the inhabitants
of British Columbia that it is the key to the Gulf
Of fo IF fbo Dr;t; eb
of the North West There is, however, diversity
of opinion even among the English at Victo-
ria, with respect to the validity of the
claim set up by Great Britain, although the
ultra loyal part of the population disposed to
coincide in the opinion expressed by Governor
DOUGLASS that the summary measures adopted by
General HARVEY, in taking military possession
of the Island, while the boundary line remains
unsettled, are ''unwarranted and discourteous.'
The prevailing impression, however, is that Gene
raj HARVEY has acted under instructions from the
Government at Washington, and those who know
the firm and resoute character of that officer are
well aware that neither paper protests nor the dis
play of an armed opposition are likely to produce
any effect upon him, in any matter in which his
duty as soldier is concerned. That we could
hold San Juan against any force that Great
Britain might be disposed to organize for its re-
capture there cannot be the least doubt; but that
war, as some surmise, will grow out of this move
ment on our part, it is impossible to believe
Indeed, a compromise has already been effected
to the extent of permitting joint military occu-
patton of the disputed territory until the bound
airy line shall be determined, or until diplomacy
shall settle the point at issue. This was, perhaps
the wisest course that both parties could have
pursued. 1t conflicts with the rights of neither
and will tend to the speedy adjustment of a
question, which, for the past twelve years, has
been tardily progressing towards an amicable
solution. Since the war of 1912, some of our
sharpest disputes with Great Britain have been
owing to the uncertainty that existed with respect
to frontier lines. The North Western bound
airy is the only one which now remains to be
defined by the surveyors; and when that is de-
termined, all future cause of difficulty with
regard to territorial limits will be set at rest for
ever