The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-30
Pioneer and Historical.
Annual Address by w. H. Gray.
NUMBER III.

oldIcilleuI III tIduodCttoHo oCCuiliIS db
Washington, January 21, 1877, to
show the early relation existing between
the Hudson Bay Company and the
Jesuits. Ii is contained in the San
Francisco Chronicle of January 81,
1877, and is as follows.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81, 1877,
House Bill $50, for the relief of the
Mission at St. James in Washington
Territory, was again considered in the
House on Friday and discussed at col
siderable length. The original bill set
forth in the preamble certain alleged
facts as to the law of Congress granting
lands to Missions among the Indians in
Oregon Territory, the occupancy of the
lands in question by the Mission of St.
james, ETC., and the bill required the
Secretary of the interior to, within two
months, issue patent to the mission for
GAO acres at Fort Vancouver, Washing
ton Territory. Mr.. Jacobs, MIR. Holman
and others opposed the bill in its origi-
nal form. The following document,
from j. ID. Cameron, Secretary of War,
was sent, by Mr.. Jacobs, to the Clerks
desk to be read.
Sir: In reply to your letter of the 18th inst,
in regard to the Fort Vancouver mill
tary reservation, in Washington Territory, and
the st. James Catholic Nilsson claim, have
the honor to inform you that the reservation
is still occupied as military station, and is, at
present, the military headquarters of the Twen-
ty-first Infantry, and companies d, f, H and l
OF said regiment are stationd there.
The reservation was intended for six compa-
MES, and embraces $40 acres, fronting 1000
yards on the Columbia river, and extending
back about mile and half. 1t is regarded as
one of the most important military posts on
the Pacific coast, and was valued by the late
General Candy at not less than sl'oOo4oOo. y
inclose copy of the opinion of Assistant
Attorney General w. II. Smith, dated January
29, 1872, on the claim to certain lands in Wash
ington Territory by the Roman Catholic Mis-
sion of Saint James, copy of the letter of the
Attorney-General approving said opinion, and
copy of the letter of the Secretary of the In
terror to the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, directing him to carry into effect the
views set forth in the opinion
The possessOry rights of the Hudson Bay
Company covered all the land at Fort Nancou-
yer and vicinity claimed by the mission, and
hence theSaintmes JaMission could not have
ing Mission under the act OF 18th August, 1913,
as the possessOry rights were secured by treaty,
and only waived in case of the the Unined
States Military Reservation.
Lord Lyons in his letter inclosed in letter of
the Secretary of State TO the Secretary of War,
dated MAY 18th, 1859. says: THE unfounded
character of this claim appears from docu-
ments, copies of which have been laid before
Her Maiestv's Government =
Her Majesty's Government is confident that
of NIT n-i,-
no countenance 10 this unreasonable preten-
sion on the part of the Roman Catholic Mis-
SION
On the 23rd day of May, 1858, Peter Skeen
Ogden, on the part of the Hudson Bay Com
pany, notified the Survayor-Generalsof Oregon
that no such mission as the Saint James Mis-
sion ever existed at Fort Vancouver; that the
Catholic Church there was sustained in part
by the Hudson Bay Company for their ser
wants. Its clergy have resided here at the
suferance only, and by the permission Of the
company, have always been paid by the CON-
pany 500 per annum."
The Hudson Bay Company's title and pos
sessory rights were adjudicted by the British
and American Joint Commission under the
Act of September 27 1860 no claim could at
tach to land selected for a military post or
within one mile thereof. Your attention is
invited to the decision of the Supreme Court
in the case of LOundsdale ct. al. VS.. Parish (21
Howard 300 Congress passed no law in any
wise affecting the title to land in Oregon till
September p, 1860"
Mr., Buckner advocated the bill. Sew
eral official documents on the subject
were read. The bill was finally amen
ded and passed, in the following form
ayes l29, nays 65, not voting So:
Be it enacted, that II is hereby made the
duty OF the Secretary ofthe Interior, within two
oft fia 81.
patent TO be Issued for the claim Of the Saint
James Mission of Washington Territory. In
accordance with the aforesaid plat Of survey.
dated in December. 1861 or Tor such part of
said land a. the Secretary Of the Interior NAV
nnd that the society is edtitled TO, upon a re-
view OF all the facts that have been or shall be
submitted 10 him in connection with the said
grant; or the said society may institute a suit
In the District Court OF the United States for
the Territory Of Washington against the United
States and all other persons concerned to de-
termine It's night in said land; and jurisdiction
IS conferred on said Court for fall determine
ton thereof
Luttrell and Piper voted aye, Page
voted no; Lane, Wiggenton and Wood !
burn did not vote.
From the intelligence and general
observation of our American people it
might reasonably be inferred that Jesu
ticial intrigue and Roman superstition
could not prevail to undermine and de-
stroy our God given privileges. But
from the evidence we have before us.
a majority of our National Representa-
tives, have yielded their manhood, and
voted to sustain a VIGOROUSLY false
claim OF the Jesuits to a valuable prop