The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-05

is highly important The controversy that hos
been maintained for some years, between. our
government and that OF Great Britain, in rognrd
to the possession Of the Arroo islands, appears
as if it were soon to be brought to a termination
one way or the other. We are informed that
General Harvey has caused the island Of San
Juan, the principal of the group, to be occu-
pied by a company of United States troops;
while on the other hand the Governor Of Bril-
fish Columbia, Douglass has issued protest
against such occupancy, claiming the island as
belonging to the British crown, and has de-
spatched thither some armed vessels with Q
force of sappers and miners. Four United
States vessels-the Massachusetts, JEFF. Davis,
Shubrick and Active-and three British YES
sels--the Tribune, Satellite and Plumper-were
either anchored of the island or in the imme-
diate vicinity. 1t was supposed that this joint
occupancy Of the island would be maintained
until instructions could be received from the
respective governments.
The boundary line between Washington Ter
ritory and Vancouver's Island has been in con-
troversy for several years, and commissioners
were appointed not long since to arrange it.
1t seems however, that they have not been
able to do so, and we presume that these move
ments on the part both of General Harvey and
Governor Douglass were made in obedience to
instructions, and for the purpose Of bringing
the affair to an issue. The treaty of 18th
June, 1876, established the boundary as being
"along the forty -ninth parallel ofnorth latitude
to the middle of the channel which separates
the continent from Vancouver's Island, and
thence southerly through the middle of said
channel and of Fuca's Straits to the
Pacific Ocean" Well, there are two
channels separating the continent from
Vancouver's Island. One of them is to the
west Of the Arroo archipelago, and would give
these islands to us. The other is to the east,
and would give them to Great Britain. The
question is, which Of them was meant to be de-
| signated in the treaty We have always main
! tanned that it was the former, because it is
| deeper, wider and more direct. and because the
ls'ands naturally belong, not TO vancvuyer's
Island, but to the main land. The British hold
the contrary view, but would be satisfied to
compromise by giving us all but this identical
island of San Juan, which contains about
seventy square miles, is valuable for its fshe-
in military point Of view, as commanding the
straits of Fuca and the navigation of the
Georgian gulf In fact, the propriety of forth
flying it and making it second Cronstadt has
been recently discussed in England.
1t will be seen, therefore, that this contro-
yersy is by no means about an Insignificant
matter, and that it may not improbably lead to
difficulties between the two governments.
REMOVAL OF THE UP Town PlCGERrEs-
TIE WORK FINISHED UP.-Pigtown, the fra
grant, the mud invading and atmosphere cor
rupting vicinage, to which New York might
be said to be merely attached as a suburb. ia
no more, and the latter may now lay full claim
g the tile which pride rather than justice has
hitherto extended over the central portion of
the island. Until within the last few months
people living at this side Of Murray Hill could
not drive out towards the splendid neighbor-
hoods which lie beyond the Central Park with
out having their noses filed and their senses
disguised with the foul smells and sights which
they encountered on both sides of the way. To
get at the pure air which they desiderated they
had to pass through pestilential localities in
which the exhalations of stagnant pools and
the accumulated filth of innumerable piggeries
oppressed and sickened them. Whatever adj
vantage they derived in emerging from these
lever breeding thoroughfares they Of course
lost again by being compelled to re-
turn through them to the city. There
was no avoiding them by q detour of
any kind, for from river to river the entire
centre Of the island was invaded by them. To
this cause has been mainly due the rapid
transformation of neighboring villages like
Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Jersey City into
large and prosperous communities. By means
Of the ferries people found that they could get
into the country with less trouble and at less
sacrifice Of comfort than by navigating their
way through the filthy and infectious neighbor-
hoods that interposed between them and the
upper part of the island To it we owe also
the diversion of large amount Of population
that would otherwise have located itself here
and contributed to Tighten the general burden
of our city taxation. II is scarcely necessary
to add that for all this we have to blame the
system which prostitutes to political and party
uses all our important municipal Offices.
Thanks to the fortunate accident which as
M. CoDoeA icilcItouSiy expresses 1T, Tor once
dropped square peg into square hole, the
Office Of City Inspector has fallen into the hands
of man who has conscience as well as capa-
city. In few weeks Mr.. Delavan has effected
in Augeian results what years Of circumstances
on the part Of our citizens had failed to bring
about. By the magical influence Of deter
mined will, and an honest regard to his duty,
hp hna vnrif from thp rfao IF ila;
greatest plague spot that disfgured it. Yes,
Pigtown is no more; and We believe that it will
not be in the power of the rottenest of the