, 1860-03-09

TREATIES TOUCHING THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Tire treaty Of 1919 between the United
States and Spain-known as the Florida
treaty-stipulated that the 42d parallel,
from the Rocky Mountains to the South
Sea, Pacific OCEAN, should constitute the
southern limit of the United States, west
Of those Mountains. By the treaty be-
tween the United States and Mexico, after
the latter had thrown off the authority Of
Spain, the same line Of separation was es-
tablished.
The convention Of 1924 between the
United States and Russia, stipulated that
tbe Russi ms should make no settlement on
the west coast Of North America, or the
islands south Of $40 40, and the United
States should establish none north Of that
line.
Between Great Britain and Russia, it
was agreed by the convention Of 1926, that
the British should occupy no place on the
islands or coasts north of $40 40, and the
Russians were to make no settlements
south Of that latitude.
Thus the country lying north of the AID
parallel Of latitude, and south of $40 40,
was claimed respectively by the United
States and Great Britain. BY the provis-
ional compromise of 1918, and extended
and continued in 1927, it was agreed that
any territory in that section Of America
claimed by either, should be equally free
and open for navigation, trade and settle
ment to the citizens or subjects Of both, it
being competent for either Of the contract
ing parties TO abrogate the arrangement,
after giving twelve months notice TO the
gbcr
FINAL cEssIoN 10 THE UNITED STATES.
Final negotiations on the subject Of these
conflicting claims resulted in the Oregon
treaty of June 10, 1886. BY this treaty,
the 49th parallel Of north latitude, to the
middle Of the channel which separates the
continent from Vancouver's Island, thence
southerly through the middle Of said chan
mel and Of Fuca Straits to the Pacific
Ocean, was established as the dividing line
between the American and British possess
ions on the Pacific.
ORGANIZATION OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
The country thus embraced between the
42d aud 49lh parallels Of north latitude,
aud extending from the Pacific Ocean east
ward to the summit Of the Rocky Noun
tains, constituted what has so long been
known as the Territory Of Oregon.
But by an act of Congress approved
March I'd, 1858, that portion of the above
named Territory Of Oregon, lying north Of
the middle Of the main channel Of the Co
lumbia river as far east as the point where
the 46th degree Of north latitude crosses
said river, and along said 46th parallel to
the summit of the Rocky Mountains,
thence north to the boundary line between
Great Britain aud the United States
following that line to the Pacific Ocean,
was constituted and organized into the
Territory of Washington.
ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES EXTENDED.
Recently, by the act of Congress for the
admission Of Oregon as o State, approved
Feb. IA, 1859, and in establishing the
boundaries thereof, some fifty thousand
square miles of that Territory were incor-
porated into and made part Of the Terri
tory Of Washington. From the point
named in the original boundary-where
the 46 b parallel crosses the Columbia river
near Fort Walla, the southern line now
runs east on that parallel only until it
strikes the middle Of the main channel of
the Snake river, thence up the main chan
mel Of said river to the mouth Of the Owyhee
river, near Fort Boise, thence due south to
the 42d parallel Of north latitude, thence
east along said AID parallel to the summit
OF the Wind river and Rocky mountains
thence north along the summit Of those
mountains to the boundary line between
Great Britain and the United States, and
following that line westward to the Ocean.
Extending, then, from the Pacific Ocean
eastward to the western boundary line Of
the Territory Of Nebraska, and from the
British Possessions on the north to Utah
on the South-including within her limits
the South Pass-the Territory of Wash
ington now embraces an area nearly four
times that Of the great State Of New York.
GRAND DIVISIONS.
The Cascade Mountains, traversing the
Territory from north TO south at an aver
age distance Of about one hundred miles