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About Oregon spectator. (Oregon City, O.T. [i.e. Or.]) 1846-1855 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1847)
yi&tar''" IVPVIMWPViiHIVF j xmmm mTWTWr&TtrFi E.TIK V f"x , X? W .' "WmS :.'. ,,t'Mf!?ammmmmmmmmmmm1 7 -r . BjajssHr TT 'i53f1l?8lBiBssssssssssl w.- ' . - ' -i- -M , iju c V7 ... rmrn ggfameg isj gsggammpammggMSmmmmM opinion rouru SPEECH OP MR. HRNTON. On me RtUJieathn e ike Ortgm Dr'eatfy D THX BIKATX, MCUTtION.JVliKill.'4fi Theflrst article of tho trcatyacf it k tne main one, andaimoHt tho whole treaty it in ins very wonu which l myseir would havn used 'if the two Government had left It to me to draw the boundary line between uiem. ine line eetaousnea oy that article the prolongation of the boundary on the eaat sMe of the' Rooky Mountain fbllpws the parallel of 40 decreea to the tea. wkh a allfht deffeotion through the Strain of Tm so avow MMfna aouia eoaypjvancou yer'a Wand. All thk la right In my rony-aiae is toe una or runt,, ami o ! convenience, between the two powers, o ferod.by ue since the time of Mr. Jefferson, and wonderfully adopted to the natural divl--atone, of the country and the actual posses ions of (he (wo partiee. It parte tho two etreams of waters (thoeo of tho Columbia and of Prater's rirer) ae naturally and com modiously on the west of tho mountains, an it pafts" on the east of the samo mountains the two systems of waters which belong on ono hand to tho Gulf of Mexico, on the oth er to Hudson's Bay; and on both sidesof the mountains it conforms to thb actual discover ies and settlements of both parties. There is not upon the face of tho earth so long a line, and so straight, and so adapted to the rights of this parties and the features of the country.- Prom the Lake of the Woods to tho Pacific Ocean is twenty degrees of Ion gitude, (fifty miles to the decree in that lati tudo.l and throughout that long distance the line follows tho highlands which divide great rivers and their basins, cutting off nothing but the heads of rivers of little conscqucnco, and these excisions .most wonderfully bal ancod. It is a marvclouslv proper, line, and docs great honor to the discretion, or illus trates the good fbrtuno of the French and British commissaries , under the treaty of Utreoht, by whom it wait so long ago eetab lianad. Mr. Jefferson tiered this line, in Its whole extent, in ISO; Mr. Monroe made the same ofer in 181 G, and again in 1824. Mr. Adanjeoffcrcditln 1896; Mr. Tyler in 1842, and Mr. Polk in 1645. For forty years save one, this line has been offered by our Government to the British Government ; and by all exoepf the last, as a lino of right, adapted to the actual possession of tho par ties and to the natural divisions of the coun try. Since thirty years I have been accus tomed to study the question of this line, and during all that time I have been in favor of l 40. As often as I had occasion to express my opinions about it and these occasions commenced with the treaty or uhent in 1810 1 nave declared uniformly in favor of tnat line but always as a basis, never as an in- flexible demarcation, yielding to no acci dents of land or water. I never talked the iwoseaaeoY7yTfanraTid-acre up to 49, or war; Tanew the straits ofxruca, and that these Straits formed a natural-boundary for jis, and also divided the continent from the and the fertile from the desolate re- knew that the continental coast and oHabitable country terminated on the south shoro of those Straits, and that the VP"M,r V . , ' 'mOrs'' fiU lb oMwh iMwt't waul) lr il inSBfaT'-'lsslilViiiif i I'fTaTnhaP '$$$ ltBBBsl'JJBBBlVU. ' l.lBW. '.JBBBBBBV aTiBm.afjaw"f f mM f "mWamBtSL. - km - A, .mw - - I PllmmmmWlmmVm"ffammmW"',W,,1t'.J IP""""?""" !& MM 4fcsmmlM4M Wff'IAmmtoVmVaffceMlvUeMeK VI UCUtt MPWU lultfi jssilMmvS8tm- , iuJBjPBK TiLE 0nf0i0ils,( ,0s, and north-west Arohipelago the thousand deso late and volcanic islands, derelict of all na tion commenced on their shoro ; and I wanted to go no farther than tho good land and continental coast- went. I was always In favor of a deflection of a line through the Straits of Fuca ; but I said nothing about it. It was a detail, and I confined myself to tho proposition of the line a a basis. I had ex pcotod the deflection to have commenced fur ther back on tho continent so as to have kept our line a littlo farther off from Fort Lancloy, at the mouth of Prater's river, al. moat in slttlit of which it now passes. If this had been asked, I for one would have been willing to grant it; but the British did not ask It, probably for tho same reason that 1 would have granted it, namely, tho 'entire wprthlessaess of the deeotato region about tho mouth or Praxer's river. The defeotion leaves out Vancouver's Is had, and I am glad of it. It is ono of the Meet worthless of the thousand worthless is lands which tho north-west archipelago pre: Ants, and la the derelict of all nntlons. The Nootka Sound quarrel between Great Britain and Spain was not for the island, but for the laault to Greet Britain in the deporta tion "and Inearaeratloa of her eubjeoU by the Vloanv af Maikw. Reparation for that la- suit, wa the point of the quarrel; and, that being obtained in a treaty or raasariussi M indemnity, both pirtiea abandoned tbe tslaad and neither has since occupied It. It it Ww I at the? ivacant and desert, and I want bom of ft. I lgr would not aooept it as a present, nor weadd the poorest ford of the iilea that ever shrad upon the western coast of Scotland. The fictitious importance lately attributed to this island, upon the disparagement of the mouth of the Columbia, has vanished upon the revelation of the tine character of mat river, rne. estuary or tne uenmiDia is now shown to be ia good port;' and, with the advantage 'flights, buoys, beacons, pi lots, and steam tow-boats, ready to become ono of the best in the world. This know), edgo of the true character of the Columbia puts an end to all pretext of necessHyto go north three hundred miles, to hunt a substi tute port in the remote and desolate ooastsof Vancouver-Island. That island is not wanted by the United States for any purpose whatever. Above all, the south end of it is not wanted to command the Straits of Fuca. It so happens that these straits are not liable to be commanded, either in fact, or in law. They are from 15 to SO miles wide rather too wide for batteries to cross their hot, and wide enough, like all other great straits of the world, to constitute a pah of the high seas, and to be incapable of appropriation by any nation. We want nothing of that strait but aa a boundary, and that the treaty gives us. Wkh theft boandary comes all flat we want in that quarter, namely, all the waters of Puget's Sound and the fertile Olympic district which borders upon them. When the lia reaches the channel which separatee Vancouver's Island from the eon lias, (wheal) k doea wfcMa aa4.ef mouth of Praxer's river,) it prooeede to the middle of the channel, and .thence, turning south, through the channel De Haro, (wrong, ly written Ark) on the maps.) to the straits of Fuca ; and then weet to the middle of that strait to the eea. This is a fair parti tion of those waters and give us every thins that wa want, namely, all the waters of Puget's Sound, Hood's Canal, Admiralty Inlet, BelliBgham'a Bay, Birch Bay, and with them the cluster of islands,Jarobably of no value, between De Hero's Channel and the continent. Neitbe'r.the Spanish discoveries, or our own discovery ana settlement of the Columbia, would have given us these waters. Their British namee indicate their discover ies, and the line of 49 give them to us., The proviso to the artiole strikes some Senators ia being unequal to the prejudice of the United Statee; W it is not so; the proviso ia perfectly fair and equal, and so will appear Rom the slightest examination of any map whioh shows the straits of Fuca and the waters connected with that trait. Any map will, show that the straits open from the eea' and penetrate the conti nent about due east for one hundred mitee, and then branohea south and north. The branch, or rather branches, (for they are in many channels,) which go south, also extend about one hundred milee, making Puget'a Sound, Hood's Canal, Admiralty Inletand so on ; and these Waters being all narrow and inland, bocomo pur private water and aro subject to our municipal jurisdiction. So of the waters of the strait which go north. At first they open out largely, behind Van couver's Island. and make the Uulf or ucor gla ; there they contraot into narrow and in tricate channels, insomuch that the island and continent were for a long tlmp supposed to be united. These narrow waters, like Tm.).1mrm. u, nil ; SBlT- ' fcha ft tMaeiikji oommoed eUee IMTT, Ai,Sk 4. those of Puget's Sound, ceo., are private property, subject to the municipal jurisdiction of the firitieh, to whom they belons. I hold -. m r n f the proviso to do coaiormabie to tno law oi natMoe aMMir ana equal in itself, and tuny approve of it. I am in ravor oi tne nrtt antcia aa it stands, and it ia the main artiole;. and in lact aimoat tne wnoie treaty, it settiea tne great point of controversy between the two whist ofOosL.' rgress, was supposed to be pregaisBt with in erkaMewar. The llret artiele qaiets that eeatest the rwiwehilng three araaa sardines and ineidenul, mere asnsaserisa W thafmt andaVslawtdtogiTekeenveaJeaitexeeikifl: lEaoh of thee may reewire a fow' words of expiaaatioa, to avaM Marian sis' ssprnhsa skew. - ; -v... ..J., y&u...xi The first of the remaiaief artiole, b. lag the second of the treaty, is the meat me ferial of the three": it relatee te the free nav: Igation of the Columbia, and folk so for short of what the British have heretofore de manded, and of what we oaredves have beretofore offered, that it looks io, be Hke a' relinquishment of the whom nrotonahm' ' The British have heretofore dWaailiigjot merely the navigatku .of the rirer, but- fts sovereignty the sovereignty of its right bank in its. whole extent and the joint use of the stream. We offered the free navhration of the river, in perpetuity, to all the subjects of the British crown. This offer, made by Mr. Gallatin in 1826, and repeated eiace baa been, steadily refused by the British. Instead of pefpetual navigation to off British subjects, the present treaty bring down the firivuegeio a temporary use or a mere band ill of British subjects. The article k in these words: . From the point at which the 4flth oaral- lel of north ktitude shall be found ta later sect the great northern breach of tha.Cktap? wa river, tna navigation of tha'amU hraah shall be free and open to tho Hasina's Bar Casayany aad to all Bekkh.aUsam uaiwg wkmmi, Um plraaWela oraaoa meeu tne mats stream eftae Colum. bla, and tbenoe dowai the said mam atrearo to the ocean, with Jfree aoeee ktbaqd through the aaid river or rivers ; ft being un denroodtnatallthecaualpoftageeaJeagthe Ikw thus deocribed shall hi lmaaoe be free. and onen. In navicatinsr the mld.tivmr or rivers, British subjects, with their goods aad produce, shall be treated da the same tbetiiur as citiaeasof the UaMed States: it being, however, always uadsrawod that noth ing in this article shall he iouslmidaa pre venting, or intended to prevent, ah Govern ment of the United Statee from aiakkg any regulatkaa reapecting the navkjatkn ef the said river or rivers not inosaaktent with the present treaty." By the terms of thk article, the privilege of navigation k oaafwed to the Hadsssi Bay Opmpaay and to the Britkh suhjeeta trading with them; aad they are to he anbjeot to the laws aad reguktioaa whioh apply ta our own oitiaena. Mow, there happeas ta be two Haosoa Bay Compaake, and those who do net attend to that little- met may fU into great error The first ooaapaay haa a ar petual charter, from Charlee Uw islsad, to trade with the Iadiansonall the waesrssms tying into the Bay of Httdm. Thk own pany baa noTights, ander thaa oharter, be yond the Kooky; Mountain. The eeooad company k of reoent date, and k formed ef the Hudson Bay and the old NerthweetOoni. pany united, and exiat; under a lieasjaa of 21 years, nailed by, the Crown, imdera aot of ParliamMt. It bean the nama af Hud son Bay Company; but it k so eawbaly die tinct from the chartered oompaay r Kiag Charlee, that it oan carry on no trams on the waters, of the Pacific oosaa. Thk Ikaased company was first oreatad ia lMl.aaid con tinued .by a new lioeaee for, aasamsd term of twenty-ana years in the year 184S. It is, therefore, now in the fourth year of ke pres ent exkteaoe, and haa evea4aaai. year to live. It k of thk eeooad or lieaaaed oamaa-. ny, that tea treaty apeakat ami, or iaaref ms saaeV.a aajewsl S aMsSF&sm9awlBS' S21j'"" uwaasw.wsg. SLSasB''-'' i m w j- t . . i t tv "v n i jt"t- -t ii if r -i i j" v . "inn LimalM wistmaat tMjmtt'amsmmmsmi l . w . sssspt .jv asmaaW'iai' aaaaspaa who ' aiaa if oaajifj mwmVmilsmi vPlilP-' ' k bjbj-L fLffBflw'BUv' Hajsii jtMXmaV'ammmmmBU "wml 9aTPP VW aaamwf) W9 fvw HB . wiUsha uinmj .vThj ladiin tfjsJ& ; flVJsfasaWUaAl eaW vaBAatfaaaaBaiBk' eaBiarhsBaiBSk bbbBibbbC v f-' f t that tl UUer)W'rjiaV , msisi s"sit hsai s smi "aist ssmfT i i7' i T Ismmmffmmfmmmmmmmmmmml ' WB iVJBBBnBjsTQsjmV smVfTfr9HHHHltt' ha easisBss the naansaWshJel atfr - enaatee. am thaaah aaaVjaa ? ...!- - -. , -'-fciSif.-cQBnaar. ' Uermmmma'1 IIBBBV K'K jii'iici ajaarT gWuK t '- .. a 'jr Br. " ShrjTOr? ' MMkamaaafew- Ia.faraliii lasl I TaaammMa M . .- i'i aNflmm'n all the privikfergraated by U treaty rafor to it. ThO treaty stipukte fbr.the ooaapa- ny, aa it is, under ita prcaaat Ikaaja r note it may or saay not ha, under as lkease. It stipuUtea for a oompaay whsoo aaleknes peraonew vants,'aad sons who oan,aBiavthk different from the twenty-fiv ropean and American British' MynotUngoftbeiHUMiredaad Asiatio W aai saMeees.! wad .. . . .. I ' .iZ. joyea tme eame7aa: made during aw. repeated siace :.. t. k... - .TilmsXi KfcW. Wm WtUV AUHBOT enjoy tneir pritliega, tale instance or its see. moat toft. Ifof thaoompejry tbemeehrei to ha Brllmittl with thr treapaay: iAad, oar owa oeatsiwi'amairj'tjay. than ktaoohesMsfor or the such reatrietkas; ' ., r:&-?y a ne ins or ooaaamoo wtiaa: ny carries oa k aaeehara tatioa upon the Wa ef thk II ! I ! I I 21 JtMA AkJ - - iuiuikivs ta Mmtmmmm pnav.t..v carried up the rivar ia itho mrsare orougai uowa w urn aw t two voyaces per atmwmwill WaJeast maximum of thk '1-Mt nuigs tisa xnejunaoi veeseas wmon aro in this navuration uj a'furtber it. These vcesel (and theY have lag up thai rivar aiaaa the jektuea wwn oi loioj arafamasi. aattaaaa.! enough toi ha, aarrkd ea ha-ahsjsjkaM and shallow wough'of aVaugktoaaaSI the head etreams of the river, to, thek IPiPawa in ue rnounwiaa. -t ilia pa.mvar oft! Ue barks that the privikfs of aavi granted, aad it k liaated to them; fioticu vwi; ntMW ju, ina RBfj. cariywg piaoe; oinat, waan.i made around the folk and itiaiaV - l . '1 - ' river ana ue carrying piaoee lata'wUl still be cteJTiud atrktad to tho light Umu now uuiw m uiwiul Teaseii much damaga during the sevi may oa earned on.' to a oal our rivera aad tho rivara ofaH aiv tknVvaro entered by fcraka our maporte, within praotkmhk the sea, aro se entered. -Ia tsatotoii 'WH'aatr m H -m nwn win.' "' heetik vaseek ore exeluded. hto4a takreeaeot will ha. to u. naviMtioa, like the MkakaaaLaW the Dekware aad otherat aaV .L. U. .1 .1 -l VTuTT". ummmj wm uw.Bjagf Q AN hnmuib pon. ar , vi t i,,:.i 'tsv: n - r m "V'M ,ay, "'--- Ikla ! - 'S: g". 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