The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-28
The san Juan boundary.


The san Juan Boundary.
This vexing question has ut last been
decided by Emperor WILLIAM, of Ger.
many, to whom the claims OF Great Brit.
ain and the United States were referred
by Article XXXlV OF the Treaty Of
Washington. The dispatch received at
the Department Of State at Washington,
from Minister BANCROFT, is satisfactory
and positive 1t was limited that the
Crown Princess Of Prussia, the eldest
daughter OF Queen VICTORIA, was using
her influence with the Emperor in favor Of
England, hutlt appears that she was una.
bic to sway him in his final decision.
lie had referred the question for cxHmi.
nation to three Of the ablcst iurists OF Ger.
many, men thoroughly acquainted with
international law, and they having invrs.
tisAtcd the whole subject, gave him their
written opinions. From these opinions
the Emperor, after due dclibcration, has
decided in favor Of the United States not.
w!thstanding the efforts Of Ambassador
ODo RUSSELL toprevcnt lin from giving
judgment in our behalf. Minister BAN.
CROFT in his telegram, says that the En-.
pcror does not enter into any elaborate
exposition Of the decision, but without di
vcrging in the least from the point pre-.
scented Tor arbitration, DEGREES that the
claim Of the United States Of America is
most in accordance with the true intcrprc.
Ation o! the Treaty Of June Il, 1876
Tie New York Herald, commenting on
the probability that Emperor WILLIAM
would decide lAvorably for the United
States, On Wednesday stated some facts
which will be Of interest to many OF our
readers who are not familiar with the san
Juan boundary questions. We quote the
following paragraphs.
BY the Ashburton Treaty OF 1916 the
iJr;y.ninth parallel was agreed upon us the
line ni division between the two countries,
nUtit was found that if carried out 10 the
Pacific ocean this line would cut of from
EnGiAud an important portion Of NauCOu.
We ; Island. BY a concession on our part
It WAS detected, after striking the Gull Of
Georgia, sufficiently to leave the whole 0!
NaGCuuver'S Island within British iuris.
diciun. Hence We Claimthat the allcmp;
ui England 10 GeileCt the line still more,
until ii draws into her net all the islands
lying between NancOuvcr's and our main
land, is as ungraCinGs ms it is absurd But
apart from this, the words OF the Treaty
Of 1916 and the geographical position are
COnCluslvcly in our favor In the article
bearing upon the matter the boundary
Iluc is made 10 continue westward along
the forty. ninth parallel ufnUrth latitude TO
tie middle Oithc channel which separates
the Continent from NanCOuvcr's Island,
aud thence sOutherly through the middle
ut said channel of FuCa Straits To the
Pacific ocean" The Canal dc Haro is
admittedly, the main channel between the
Gull Of Georgia and the Strait Of dc
FuCa. But the British CHIN that in lSiG,
when tie treaty was made, the vessels Of
the Bay Company were accustomed to
pass through ROsaltO Strait, and not
through the Canal de IlarO; hence they
insist that Rosario Strait was alluded To
rs the channel Apart from the fact
that this claim is disputed, the British
plea will not stand the test Of argument.
The words ul IL treaty are not Carclcssly
chosen. The main channel between the
Continent and NanCOuyCr's Island n
lS12 must have been the main channel il
1876. Ii any other than the main chan
mel, although one in general use, had
been contemplated by the treaty Of 1916
il would have been designated by the
name it bore or specifically described.
The text Of the treaty "the channel which
separates the Continent from VanCouvCr's
Island" is conclusive proof that the
main channel was alluded to, and it that
is the Canal dc IlGrO today il was the
Canal DC llarO on the day the Ashburion
treaty was signed.
We claim that between these two lines
alone the Canal dc Ilgro and the Rosario
Straits, the Emperor William must decide
As he has virtually rendered his decision
N 'nYor OF the former, lhe English gov,
rFHmch', through Mr. oIo Russell ana
thc London 1'wr,, seems TO have raised
Tie gWDlble mat the Emperor was not,
confined 70 those lines, but cG!a have
CHOSEN some middle Or compromise
channel y glLCc At tue map wI!!i,IUS.I
lmic the Gisintrrcslclnc.5 an! m4gnau.
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