The herald., 1898-08-09
IMPORTANT WORK
CANADIAN COMMISSION WILL
HAVE MUCH TO DO
All Questions at Issue Between the
United States and Canada to Be
Definitely Settled

tiers to be considered by the joint commits
sion appointed by the United States and
Great Briatin which Is to meet In Quebec
on August q, says the Washington CORES
pondent Of the Tribune. are arrangements
for the more complete definition and mark
ing Of any part of the boundary line be
tween the United States and Canada by
land or water, where the same is now so
marked as to be a subject Of
dispute.
A considerable part Of the boundary from
the eastern end of Lake Ontario to the
western end Of the rainy lake on the north
ern frontier Of Minnesota has never been
controversies have been the result, and
especially in recent years. since the coun-
try adjacent TO the boundary has begun
to be settled and developed. For example,
citizens of the United States holding pat
ents therefrom for timber lands In northern
Minnesota have been warned against and
prvented from cutting the timber by Cana
dian authorities who contended that said
lands belonged to the Dominion govern
ment. American miners and prospectors
on the shores and islands of the Rainy
Lake regions have had their operations
interrupted and prevented on like grounds,
and American fishermen in Lake Erie
have been arrested and their vessels seized,
when. as they supposed and commended,
they were in American waters.
In the LIVth Congress the Committee
on Foreign Affairs In the House Of Rep
resentatives investigated these matters
and reported with favorable recommend
alton a joint resolution for the appoint
ment of a commission on the part of the
United States to act jointly with similar
commission on the part of Great Britain
to define and mark the boundary as con-
ventlonally determined by the treaty Of
Client and the Webster Ashburton treaty
of 1872 but no action was had on the joint
resolution.
Among the papers submitted to the com
mittee on that occasion was an exceeding
ly interesting report prepared by Assis-
tant- Secretary Adee Of the State Depart
ment.
In relation to that portion of the bound
airy which crosses Lake Erie, Mr.. Adee re-
ported:
1.-THE Client map of Lake Erie is extra
ordinarily imperfect in contour and mac
curate in dimensions as to all that part "
Ing between the entrance of the Niagara
River and Point Pellee. 1t appears from
q note thereon that the part west Of Point
Pelee and Sandusky. including all the Is.
lands, was reduced from the actual sur
vey made by order of the commissioners
and a separate chart of the lake, westward
of Point Pelee. showing the triangulations
and duly signed, is embraced In the Client
series. The same foot note further states
that the other parts of the lake Except
the entrance into the Niagara River) are
reduced from such printed maps as were
supposed to be most accurate.
That the commissioners were misled in
their estimate of the accuracy CT the
sources from which their map was COM
piled Is evident by simple measurements.
For example. In that part opposite Long
Point referred to In the committees letter
Of January 18th as probable field for dis
pute, the distance from the northwesterly
point of Pressure Isle. near Erie, Pa, to the
southern extremity Of Long Point, is
found by the scale drawn upon the map
itself to be about 37A geographical miles,
while upon the accurate modern maps re-
duced from surveys made by army corps
OF engineers and published by the hydro
graphic office, the same distance is In fact
trifle less than % miles This circun-
stance makes determination by measure
ment from either shore to the defined
boundary Of the Client map impossible,
for the distance SO measured would over
lap some. fourteen miles in The middle of
the lake. Neither Is an approximate re-
production OF the Client line upon a mod
err map feasible, owing 10 the variations
in the contours of the shores between
which 1t must be drawn. This circum .
stance alone makes the exact determine .
ton Of the chartered treaty boundary IN
Lake Erie at either end impossible. An
approximate location can be determined.
An original chart of Lake Erie like that OF
Ontario is unsigned by the commissioners.
It may, therefore, be properly said as 10
the main body Of these two lakes there
does not exist charting of the boundary
having the force of treaty
The commissioners appointed under the
treaty Of Client did not undertake or de-
fine or mark that part Of the boundary
and part of 1t has never been charted at
all. Respecting the latter. Mr.. Adee
wrote:
Westward of Isle Royale, In Lake Su-
perior, no reproduction Of the work of the
maps Of the Client commissioners has been
made. but. as above said. they only drew