The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-04
THE NORTHWEST BOUNDARY.
Both the United States and Canada
Desire "A Commission.

e.
The conference between Senator Foster
Of Washington and Secretary Hay. with
reference to The Northwest Boundary
between the State of Washington and Brit
ish Columbia. has resulted in the express
sion of desire on the part of the United
States and the Dominion OF Canada for
the appointment of commission to take
up the boundary question and re-establish
the demareations already located and add
new ones where deemed necessary
Following the precedents in similar
cases, particularly in the boundary
convention concluded with Mexico. July
%. 1882, for restoring defective or dis
placed monuments or erecting new ones.
the Secretary OF State holds that II
will be necessary to provide for an ex-
press convention for the purpose of re-
establishing the boundary in question. In
order to meet the pressing demands for
the re-establishmeut of the boundary in
the mining districts of the State of wash
ingtOn AMI British Columbia the Coast
and Geodetic Survey and the Geological
Survey will unite in making Immediate
typographical and mineralogicai recon-
noissance Of the mountainous region along
the forty ninth parallel west Of the Rocky
Mountains and VIII send out two agents
for this purpose Immediately to verify
such marks as exist in the disputed terri
tory.
1t is feared by a large number of .he
miners and mine owners who have prop
erties in the Cascade region, particularly
in the State of Washington. that grave
trouble and possibly bloodshed will result
at the opening of the season in March
if no arrangement is made whereby the
question OF the boundary may be settled
ternDOrarily at least.
The original Northwest Boundary sur
vey cost the Government approximately
$500. 900, and at that time il wes decided
by the joint commission representing the
United Sta-es and Great Britain that IL
would be inadvisable to attempt to mark
the boundary through the dense forest in
the Cascade region. 1t was believed iat
that time, and was certified at a recent
meeting of the officials of the Dominion,
that it would be generations before the
along the forty-ninth parallel. he
tween lhe Rocky Mountains and the Puget
Sound district. would be settled; but il
is admitted by both the United S.ates and
Canadian authorities that the discovery of
rich mineral deposits along nearly the
entire section OF country through which
the parallel passes has resulted in ibe
need for an Immediate definite relocation
of the boundary and the erection of ad-
ditional monuments.
officials of the Canadian Government in
innate that it was intended that part of
the work of the international commission
appointed in 1888 would be to settle the
disputed boundary question between the |
state of Washington and British Columbia !
but that, owing TO the failure OF the !
of that commission to agree on |
he Alaska boundary question. an indeG- |
lite postponement resulted. and attention |
IS called TO the fact that no future date of |
meeting has been fixed.
The Canadian Government, therefore. is |
favorable to taking up the matter inde-
)eudent of other international questions
It issue and believes that steps should he |
aiken without delay to mark clearly the
orty-nrnth parallel from the crest of the
Rocky Mountains to Puget Sound. This
'iew is concurred in by the Department
II state.