The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-24

accepted by the British government" 1t
became evident that negotiations would be
| renewed. Finally the British government
agreed to accept the offer we had made
| them. The treaty of June Is, 1916. fol-
! lowed. A bill to establish the territorial
government of Oregon became law Au-
| gust II, 1913.
ONE DIFFICULTY IN THE TREATY REMAINED.
| The language describes the 49th parallel
| as the dividing line until it reaches the
| middle of the channel which separates the
| continent from Vancouver island, (Which
| channel we know is the Gulf of Georgia,
| that lows from the northwest toward the
| southeast, trending toward the Straits of
| Rosario); thence down the middle of said
channel, and thence southerly through
| the middle of said channei-(here is the
difficulty, for "said channel" implies a
continuation of the Gulf of Georgia toward
| the Straits of Rosario, which runs ''south-
| erly'')-''thence southerly through the
middle of said channel and Fuca straits
to the Pacific ocean" This language
might well mislead a person on this coast
for the missing link" This, however. Is
more apparent than real for Mr.. Benton
informed the Senate that thence south
erly through the middle of sad channel"
referred 10 the middle of the Canal de
Haro, and that the islands-our Washing
ton archipelago-which at that time he
considered of little value, 1.-THE derellct of
nations, " were to be ours. 1t was deemed
unwise to continue the forty-ninth paral-
lei through Vancouver island, leaving a
very small portion of the southern ex-
tremlty for our share, and require the
| establishment of two independent juris-
dictions for the two nations. Mr.. Polk
referred the treaty. for advice and concur
renee, and the Senate being fully advised
of the conditions, requested President
IL To- ka 1F
thus delivered him from his rash engage
ment to demand "54-40 or fight!"
''What might have been" is mere specu-
lation. 1t is but reasonable, however. to
suppose that a war with England at that
particular time would have obliged the
Northern states, single handed. to en-
counter the fury of British power, because
the Southern states would and did stand
| by Texas to defend the Lone Star state
against Mexico. When the admission of
Texas into~the union of states, with her
status belli, became doubtful, we know
meetings were held in Southern towns,
proposing to unite the Southern states to
Texas if the latter was not admitted into
the Union.
ORGANIZATION OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
In 1853 congress separated the territory
| of Washington from the territorial bound
aries of Oregon. Isaac |. Stevens, q tai
ented officer of the United States engineer
corps (eminently distinguished during the
war OF secession, i'll which he poured out
his life's blood), resigned from the army
and was appointed governor. The auton-
omy of the territory was organized in 1854,
and the territorial limits claimed the
Canal de Haro for its water boundary. In
defining county limits the archipelago
was included in Whatcom county. The
assessor OF said county, in pursuance OF
his duty, visited San Juan island, and
there found and assessed large band of
chn oIasr, ,aI hxrt he. md paxr
pany. The factor In charge informed the
assessor that the island belonged to her
majesty Queen Victoria.
THE HUDSON BAY coMPANY's VIEW.
After locating the headquarters of the
Hudson Bay Company in Victoria harbor,
by the chief factor, James Douglas, owing
to the treaty, the company depended for
its annual supply of salmon-a very i'm
portant portion of their subsistence-on
their fishing station on San Juan island.
In December, 1858, they placed large
| flock of sheep on their farm on the island
| manned Bellevue from its charming loca-
tion) in charge of the employees, intending
| to occupy the farm permanently. In sum-
mcr we all know how constantly the west
erly winds favor US, and blowing through
| the Straits of Fuca naturally follow the
| water eastward TO and up northward
| through the Straits of Rosario to the Gulf
of Georgia; but the Canal de Haro lies just
| trees and highland obstruct the westerly
| breezes, cutting off the wind here and
! there and battling the sailors to a degree
! that induced the old time sailing vessels
going north to make habitually for the
| Straits of Rosario The soundings, too,
were more favorable for anchorage. To
| the Hudson Bay Company's mariners this
strait was the channel.
| As early as 1858 Lieutenant. Commander
James Alden, United States navy, COM
manding the United States surveying
steamer Active, reported to Professor
Bache, superintendent of the United
| States coast survey, Washington City,
| that the British authorities of Vancouver
island protested to claim sovereignty over
| the Haro archipelago to the middle of the
| Straits of Rosario, and that an American
citizen, r. W. Cussans, who had located
on Lopez island, thinking he was on
| United States soil, was obliged to abandon
his improvements, valued at Sl,500,
through the English officials of Vancouver
island exercising Jurisdiction over it.
When the tax collector of Whatcom
county called at San Juan island to collect
the taxes assessed on the sheep. ETC., the
Hudson Bay Company refused to pay, on
the ground that the island was British
| soil. The sheriff levied on the flock, and
sold, March Is, 1855, some thirty and odd
TO make good the. taxes and costs. The
Hudson Bay Company appealed to their
minister at Washington City for indem-
nifty and protection. This officer called
| the attention of the United States secre-
tary of state to the subject, and the own
ership of the Haro archipelago became an
international question.
HOW THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
VIEWED 1T.
The adverse claim of the British to the
archipelago now doomed in sight to our
| statesmen. William l.. Marcy, secretary
| of state under President Franklin Pierce,
| solved the problem ''in that terse, perspic-
uous and manly English for which his
| state papers are so remarkable" to be
| found in his letter to L. |. Stevens, gov
| ernor OF Washington territory, as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WAsHISGIoN CITY, July IA, 1855
| He 1.-THE PRESIDENT has instructed me to saw
( TO you that the officers OF the territory should
| abstain from all acts on the disputed grounds
/ so iar as IL can be done without implying tho
/ concession to the authority Of Great Britain of
1 an exclusive right over the premises
The title ought TO be settled before either
| party should exclude the other by force, or eX-
1 ercse complies and exclusive sovereign rights
| within the fairly disputed limits. Application
| will be made 10 tho British government to in
terpose with the local authorities on the north
| ern borders OF our territory 10 abstain from
| Ike acts OF exclusive ownership, with the
| plicit understanding that any forbearanee on
/ either side to assert the rigats, respectively,
/ shall not be construed into any concession 10
| the adverse party.
! BY coneiliatory and moderate course on
both sides II ~ sincerely hoped that all difficult