Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-02-14
BOUNDARY LINES.
DISPUTES BETWEEN OUR GOV.
EMINENT AND ENGLAND.
How They Were Settled-Arbitra-
ton Has Invariably Been the
Means Employed to Settle These
International Disputes.

and how they have been dealt witt
and settled.
These disputes began soon after tn
United States became an independen
nation and they have arisen at var
ious times since. They have all beer
smicably settled, either by arbitration
commissioners or by treaty, excep
the pending one touching the Alask al
boundary.
The first one to spring up related tt
the st. Croix river. In the treaty o
peace of 1888, which defined the line
of separation between the United
States and British possessions to the
north, the source of the St. Croix
river was specified as an important
point on the boundary linea. A ques.
ton was soon raised az to what river
was meant by the St. Croix river, and
after warm debate it was agreed to
refer the matter to the adjudication of
three commissioners, one to be named
by the United States, one by Great
Britain and . third to be selected by
the two go named. These commits
sioners gave their decision in 1898,
holding that the Schodiac was the
river intended by the treaty. This de.
cision WAS accepted as final and salts
factory.
Then came the Passamaquoddy Bay
dispute, arising under the article OF
the treaty of peace which conceded to
the United States the islands within
twenty leagues OF the coast. The
United States claimed Grand Menan,
in the Bay Of Fundy, and the islands
in Psssamaquoddy Bay, q part of the
Bay of Fundy. These islands were
claimed by Great Britain on the
ground that when tho treaty was
signed they we're within the limits of
Nova Scotia, and hence were exempt
from cession. A prolonged and heated
diplomatic controversy ensued, and
finally, by the treaty of Client in 1914,
it was stipulated to submit the dispute
to two commissioners, and if they
failed to agree the final arbitrament
was to be made by some friendly SOW
ereign. The commissioners agreed to
award three islands in the Bay OF Pas
samaquoddy to the United States and
all the others to England. This COM
promise was accepted by both sides.
In 1914, when the Treaty of Ghen'
was signed, the northeastern boundary
was still in dispute. Two commits.
sioners were chosen to settle it, buI
after several years consideration they
failed to agree. It was then submitted
to the King OF the Netherlands as g
sole arbiter, who made an award
which the two governments subse
quently agreed to waive. After yearl
of contention and diplomatic contro
vesy the whole northeastern boundary
was finally settled by the conclusion
of the Webster-Ashburton treaty ir
1S42.
Meanwhile q dispute had arisen al
the northwestern boundary. As early
as 1918 temporary agreement hat
been entered into by convention, bu'
the opening up of the country soor
called for q definite and perma'
nent understanding. The controversy
waxed 80 warm that in 1874 it wal
made q part issue IN this country
The parallel OF 81 degrees 40 minute!
was claimed a. the northern boundary
of the United States, and fifty-four
forty or fight" became the Demo
cratic campaign cry. England con
tended for the 49th parallel. In 1S4t
the Buchanan-Pakenham treaty wal
concluded and ratified by the Senate
recognizing the boundary line as run
ming along the 49th parallel westward
to the middle Of the channel which
separates the mainland from Vancou
ver's Island and thence southeast Il
the Pacific. The commissioners ap
pointed under this treaty to locate th'
boundary line disagreed as to the in
depreciation of the treaty, and q fierc'
and protracted contention arose which
came near precipitatipg hostilities
but in 1850 joint military occupa
ton of the disputed territory wa
agreed to, and finally the whole mat
ter was settled by arbitration, pursu
ant to the Treaty OF Washington, con
cluded in 1871.
It will thus be seen that all thes
boundary disputes between Great Brit
ain and the United States, howeve
long kept up or fiercely waged, wer
finally settled amicably and to tn
credit of both countries by arbitration
or mutual agreement. The Alaskan
boundary remains to be determined
A convention providing for a surve.
of . part of the line has already beef
entered into by England and th
limited States, and similar arrange