The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-08

men of war, the u s. ships Massachusetts,. Shu-
orlc, and revenue cutter from Puget Sound.
company OF American soldiers, to the number of
forty or fifty, had taken possession of the Island
and quite boldly indicated their intention to keep
it, as will be seen by the following ORDER which
was posted in various places about the Island
MILITARY POST, San JUAN LELAND,
w. 7. July 9th, 1859.
EOrders No. /.
l. In compliance with orders and instructions
from the General Commanding, a Military Post will
be established on this island on whatever site the
Commanding Officer may select.
Ii. All the inhabitants of the island are reouested
to report at once to the Commanding Officer, in
case of any incursion of the Northern lndians-so
that he may take such steps as he may deem ne
cessary to prevent any future recurrence OF the
same.
ILL., This being United States Territory, no
laws, other than those of the United States, nor
Courts, except such are held by virtue of said
laws will be recognized. By order,
1t will be observed, from the tone of this order
that ii ignores the treaty and boundary Commits
sion, and admits of no compromise; il, therefore,
i proves to have had no higher authority than
made, it will afford another example of the reck
less manner in which Elbustering American It'll
zens Jeopardize the peace and compromise the
honor of their country.
From the first, it appears that tho British desired
to avoid collision, their ability, at anv mo-
moment to take the island, can scarcely be doubted
1t was their wish to gain joint military occupa-
tion Of the island with troops, until orders
should be received from the heads of the two Gov
ernments. proposition to that effect having
been made was rejected; but it is believed will vet
be acceded to. 1t is unnecessary to repeat that
it such concession is made, after what has passed,
it will be a dastardly compromise of the country's
honor.
Affairs have rested in this plight, with little
change during the past week. A small company
Or two from Fort Bellingham have been added 10
the American forces, and number of Americans
have gone from this place and Washington Terri
tory, with the avowed intention of settling at San
Juan. British vessel of war brought down some
sappers and miners from Frazer River few days
since and renewed the request to land their forces
but were refused. They had not landed at the last
accounts, and matters remained in statH quo.
On Wednesday, Governor Douglass issued a pro-
test against the occupation of San Juan I,land by
the Americans, and declared the island to belong
10 H,r NJ; jesty, Queen Victoria His Excellency
also sent The enclosed message to the Vancouver
Legislative Assembly yesterday in which it is de-
clared that the British forces will be landed on the
island II such be their intention, collision seems
The disputed island lies northwesterly from the
entrance to Puget Sound and the main land of
Washington Territory, in the vicinity of Port
Townsend-the broad, beautiful Strait of Fuca
being between. Sailing from the Sound TO Vic
toria across the Fuca, San Juan appears to be a
part of Vancouver's Island and the disputed chan
mel cannot be distinguished until you have come
down opposite its mouth or junction with the
Strait.
Notwithstanding the treaty, and the loud talk
that IS made about the commanding Importance of
san Juan to the Americans, it naturally belongs to
the British, and is Of infinitely greater value to
them than to the United States The channel in dis
pute is the gate to the Gulf of Georgia, Fraser
River and British Columba-mosty British water
and British possessions. If this channel is, by the
treaty, determined to be the boundary line it only
gives us a small island of small value, with no ad-
vantages, as We own nothing north of it; while to
them it is the door way to all their possessions
There is no reason, however, why the United
States should not have the Island, if by any right
it belongs to her; but if John Bull goes to war for
this laud it will be because it is of great value to
him. and if Jonathan backs out as he usually does,
it will be because it is not of much value to him.
and his master, king Cotton and lord Democracy
tell him it is not in the right direction to be worth
ightirg for.
Considerable i'll feeling appears to have arisen
among the people at Victoria in consequence of this
movement of General Harvey The Victoria Ga
zette, having assumed position upon the subject
which is deemed there to be an american view,"
IS as. allied severely by several English writers in
the COloRist.
The Pioneer and Democrat commends the action
Of General Harvey in taking possession of San Juan
Island.
ORIGIN OF THE MOVEMENT.
correspondent of the Victoria Gazette, who
IS at San Juan, gives the following interesting par
VI INT iilON vi luC anu
English forces:
In order to ascertain the first movement that led
to the present position of things, applied to Mr..
Hubbs, the United States Deputy Collector on the
island for the last three years or thereabouts who
kindly furnished with such data as he had in his
possession.
He has exercised the functions of a deputy col
ector on the island for near three years. and dur
ing that time has made regular quarterly returns
of all the imports and exports to and from the island
to his government DnrinO his residence tho
island there have been quite a number of murders
there and in the immediate vicinity, an
account of some of which published in the
Gazette last September, and the American residents
on the island deemed it proper for their safety to
ask the protection of their government. Pending
their action the island visited by Gen. Harneg
the American commander-n-chief of the Pacific
division, who. in furtherance Of orders of his gov
examined the island preparatory to max
ing permanent location of portion of his COM
mand at that point Shortly after his departure,
in order to hasten, if possible, the protection they
desired, the American residents met on the llth Of
July last, and prepared petition to Gen Harney,
which was soon after sent to him
The petition set forth several abuses which Amer
ican citizens were obliged to suffer- and requested
protection OF Gen. Harney.
Before, however, the petition could reach Gene
raj Harney, he had in accordance with orders from
his government despatched a force for the purpose
and also to make a regular station for portion of
the troops of his command.
PROTEST OF GOVERNOR DOUGLASS.
On Wednesday the annexed protest against the
of San Juan issued and publicly
posted at the door Of the Treasury. We presume
it is done mere matter of form, like the order
of Captain Pickett, for the documents on neither
side can be of much value The treaty, and that
alone, is the only document which can authorize
the exercise Of exclusive sovereignty If that can
not be interpreted amicaby, and negotiation fails
no other alternative remains but to resort to war.
The latter, however, we think extremely improba-
BILE whilst cotton rules in Washington and calico at
Manchester. The northeastern boundary assumed
a far more threatening aspect than anything which
has occurred at San Juan:
BY James Douglass, Companion of the Most Hon
orable Order of the Bath, Governor and Com
mander Chief in and over the Colony of Van
couver Island and its dependencies, Vice Admiral
of the same, DC, &c.
The sovereignty of the island of San Juan and of
the whole of the Harro Archipelago has always
been undeviatingly claimed to be in the crown of
Great Britain. Therefore |, James Douglass do
hereby formally and solemnly protest against the
of the said island any part of the said
archipelago by any persons whatsoever, for on
behalf of any her Power, hereby protesting and
declaring that the sovereignty thereof by right now
is and always hath been in her Majesty Queen Vic
toria and her predecessors, Kings of Great
Britain.
Given under my hand and seal, at Victoria, Van
couver Island, this I'd day of August, in the wear
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty
nine, ard the twenty-thrd of her Maiestv's reign.
[sEAL.l JAMES DOUGLASS.
HIS MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE
Governor Douglass has addressed message to
the Legislature of Vancouver Island, in which he
savs:-
Having received no intimation from any quarter
that the government of the United States ever
templated taking military possession ofany part Of
the disputed territory while the boundary line re-
manned unsettled, am forced to believe that the
late unwarrantable and dscourteous act so contra
ry to the usages of civilized nations has originated
in error, and been undertaken without the authori-
ty of that government.
That impression is corrobOrated by letter Ia
copy of which is herewith enclosed) from the Hon.
W. L. Marcy, Secretary for the United States,
dated Washington, July IT, 1855, to her Maiesty's
Minister at Washington, which contains instruc-
tons from the President of The United States to the
Governor OF Washington Territory, and displays,
in the cearest manner, the conciliatory and mode
rate views entertained by his government on the
subject of the disputed territory.
Though the right of Great Britain to all the
islands situated to the westward of "Vancouver''
or Rosario Straits is, to minds clearly estab-
ished bv the first article of the treaty of 1896 and
though those islands have, since the foundation of
this colony, been considered as dependency of
Vancouver Island, it is well known to you, gentle
men, that out of respect to the construction that has
been put upon the treaty by the government of the