The Montana post., 1868-12-25

| The following is an extract from Act
ing Governor TUFTS message, treating
on the advantages of the acquisition of
the British possessions; ",r
Within the past year our govern
ment has purchased from Russia the
immense possessions of that Empire on
the north west coast. This acquisition
Is but a single advance towards the con-
summation of the doctrine. early
broached by the Fathers of the Repub-
! Tic, that the entire continent should be
ultimately brought under the jurisdic-
| tion OF our government. We may re-
! gard it as the beginning of a series of
negotiations for the absorption of the
northern and northwestern territory. so
long subject to foreign governments.
We are now sundered in our northern
possessions by the large and valuable
country belonging to Great Britain, of
which our Territory forms part of the
southern boundary. This country, like
onr own, is traversed by the Rocky
Mountain range. IL has large. fertile
and well watered valleys; rivers of
great magnitude, and climate equal in
salubrity TO that of Montana. The
mountains, for the entire length of the
range, are filled with rich veins of gold
and silver bearing quar-, and the
streams meander through placers and
gulches of surprising richness. Most
of this extensive region has been par
TALLY settled for the past halt century.
by traders and trappers in the employ
of the Hudson Bay Company. 1t is di-
vided into colonies, several of which
rival our own Territory in extent, and
in the variety and value of their re-
cnn rod ~ of
our citizens who have passed through
this country TO within the present boun-
daries of Alaska, that it is in every re-
spect the equal, and in many particu-
lars the counterpart of our own ---.r
The northwestern intersection of our
boundary line with that of British Coz
lumbia is less than 800 miles from the
waters which encircle the island of Van
couver. These waters with Puget Sound,
constitute the most commodious and for
all purposes the safest and best harbor
on the Pacific coast. Entirely protected
from the ocean, it affords safe and easy
navigation through a great extent of
country which is bountifully timbered,
and abounds in all useful minerals The
Russian treaty has completed our title
to the entire northwestern coast, with
the exception of three or four hundred
miles 1t this was Included in our own
domain, together with Vancouver, the
province OF British Columbia. and the
colonies of Saskatchewan, Swan River.
Bed River, and Rainy lake, IL would not
only encourage the early construction of
the Northern Pacific Railroad and great
ly enhance it's value, and importance in
the estimation OF all men, but il would
render IL no longer northern, but a
great, central route, with region pn
either side of it extending for hundreds
of miles, of great value aud exhaustless
resources Towns OF considerable size
and commercial. .prtension, embracing all
the advantages of our seaports, have
sprung up on the island OF Vancouver,
and along the waters which separate it
from the main land. They. only need
the enterprise aud industry Impaired by
american institutions to grow into cities
of the first ma agnitude. This country or
a portion of II, has been the subject. of
occasional treaties between & reat Bit
ain and the United States. in one of
(which, provision was made for preservJi
ing TO, the uHudson Bay Company, even
in that portion of the United States in
cluded in Montana, Idaho and. Washs
linrroi, an their customary rights of
fratic. thus securing 60 them many adj
vantages, which, by reason of the strin-