Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-11-19

The San Juan Dispute.

I
whole region, has handed us the following con
else statesmen of the basis of our cam
l. The treaty provides that the boundar,
shall run 'westward along the said forty nintl
| parallel of north latitude to the middle of tn,
channel which separates the continent from
| Vancouver's Island, and thence southerl,
through the middle of the said channel anc
of Fuca's straits, to the Pacific ocean,
glance at the map will show that the Canal De
Haro (near Nancouyer's lsland) is the natural
| channel and outlet vessel coming through
| the centre of the Gulf of Georgia, from above
the 49th parallel, desiring to go to the Pacific
| ocean, would move through the Canal De Haro
as going at once southerly to Vancouvers Is.
land. There is more reason for our claiming
Saturna island, west of the Canal De lIaro
than for the British to claim the Archipelago
De Haro, as good ship channel exists west OF
said island.
2. 1t is the widest shortest and deepestch
mel. The main body of water runs through it.
Examine the large Coast Survey Map, publish
ed in 1854, of those waters, with all the sound
ings, and you will notice in the Canal De lIaro,
80 fathoms and no bottom, 10 and no bottom
$50 and no bottom throughout the whole OF
it, Whereas, in the Straits of Rosario. near
Lummi island, you will see n and 10 fathoms.
No such soundings are found on the other
channel. The general width of the former is
nearly twice that of the latter, and it is short
err by at least II miles. We notice that Cap
tain Alden of the navy, on this chart, acknow-
lodges that large share OF these soundings in
the Canal De Haro are derived from those of
Captain Wilkes of the United States navy,
made on his exploring expedition in 1912 and
ls43, some three years before the treaty was
negotiated. We give the date, as some wise
acre, in London paper, alleges that the Canal
DE Haro had never been navigated by anything
larger than a canoe Mt the date of the treaty.
3. The boundary by the Rosario straits would
be roundabout, unnatural, crcscentic, as if II
sweep had been purposely made to hug the con-
tinent and rake everything into John Bulls
lap.
A. Under the laws of nations the Islands are
the natural appendage of the continent, and
not of Vancouyer's island. This idea is acted
upon by the British Parliament in its recent
legislation. 1t provides that the colony of
Vancouyers Island can, by the consent Of its
legislature, be merged in the colony of British
Columbia,
g. The laws of Oregon Territory, before
Washington Territory waseorganized, were ex-
tended over these islands as "lsland County
and before the Hudson Bay Company had any
sheep pastures on San Juan Island. Not until
1852 did that company make their settlement
on said Island. 1t is believed that the whole
claim is an after-thought of the Hudson BAY
Company.
6. Hon Louis McClanc, our minister to En-
gland, wrote to the Secretary of State on the
18th of May, 1886, one month before the treaty
was signed in Washington city, that ''the basis
of settlement of the boundary could be made
on the 49th parallel to the sea, and thence
through the Canal De IIaro TO the Straits OF
Fuca, to the ocean,
Z. The understanding of the Senate which
ratified the treaty was to the same effect. The
speeches OF Mr.. Benton and of Mr.. Cass, and
of Others, mention explicitly the Canal De Haro
as the boundary.
8. 1t was the general understanding through
out the whole country that only Vancouver's
Island was yielded to Great Britain.
With great reluctance did the Government
and the people come down from "a deg 40
min. to the 40th parallel.
The following extract of a letter from an
officer of the army gives further information OF
considerable interest in the same connection
"The archipelago of islands exhibited on the
chart and claimed by the United States, par
ticularly that of San Juan, which visited with
the General on the LIST of July last, is very de-
srable, not only for its excellent and safe har-
Dor, but its fine farms and abundance of wood
and water. As the London Times once said, il
is the Cronstadt' of the waters on the Sound.
And in fact the whole of Pugets Sound, from
the 49th parallel, north latitude up to Olym-
pin, is the finest body of water in the world
For ships of every size and draught of water,
good anchorage and excellent narbors can be
found in every part of the sound. 1t also CON
tains the finest forests of timber. Large ships
from England and France are here every year
for spars to supply their navy and merchant
men; and for seven months in the year | will
venture to say it cannot be surpassed for its
clmate.n