should pass through the Canal de Haro, and Captain Prevost stating that it appeared that the channel called the Rosario Strait was the only one that would answer to the channel laid down in the treaty. Commissioners adjourned at 1.30 p. m. to consider over the different points advanced in favor of the respective views entertained. Fourth Meeting. Fourth meeting of the Northwest Boundary Commission at Simiahmoo Bay, Gulf of Georgia, on board Her Majesty's ship Satellite, at noon of Tuesday, 27th October, 1857. Present: Same as preceding day. Discussion as to which of the two channels, the Rosario Strait or the Canal de Haro, was the better navigable channel, Captain Prevost stating that for sailing vessels the Rosario Strait was preferred to the Canal de Haro. Discussion as to the channel of the treaty, Mr. Campbell advancing that the Canal de Haro was the channel intended, and Captain Prevost contending that the Canal de Haro would not meet the conditions of the channel of the treaty. Commission adjourned at 2 p. m. Fifth Meeting. Fifth meeting of the Joint commission for determining the Boundary line under the first article of the treaty of June 15, 1846, between the United States and Great Britain took place at the office of the United States Northwest Boundary Commission, Camp Simiahmoo, near the forty-ninth parallel, Friday, November 20, 1857, at 24 o'clock p. m. Present Archibald Campbell, esq., United States Commissioner; Lieutenant John G. Parke, United States Army, Chief Astronomer and Surveyor United States Commission; William J. Warren, Secretary United States Commission; James C. Prevost, esq., Captain Royal Navy, first British Commissioner; George Henry Richards, esq., Captain Royal Navy, second British Commissioner; William A. G. Young Secretary British Commission. Captain Prevost stated that he had received the letter from Mr. Campbell of the 18th instant, but he was not yet prepared to enter into any discussion upon it; and that the object of the present meeting was to introduce Captain Richards. The meeting adjourned at 3 o'clock p. m., Mr. Campbell leaving it to Captain Prevost to name the time of the next meeting. Sixth Meeting. Present: Same as at last meeting. A meeting was held on the 3d day of December, 1867, at the camp of the United States Northwestern Boundary Commission, Simiahmoo Bay, Gulf of Georgia, of the Joint Commission for determining the line of water boundary described in the first article of the treaty between the United States and Great Britain of the 15th of June, 1846. Captain Prevost, Her Majesty's first Commissioner, stated that he had duly received and attentively considered all Mr. Campbell's correspondence upon the subject of "the channel" through which the boundary line was to pass according to the treaty, and that he was unable to admit that the Canal de Haro, as claimed by Mr. Campbell, was a channel which would meet the requirements of the treaty, but on the contrary that he considered the channel now called the Rosario Strait was the only one which would in all points answer to the channel described in the treaty. Such being the case, and Mr. Campbell remaining firm in his opinion as to the Canal de Haro being the channel through which the boundary line should pass, Captain Prevost had proposed that the disagreeEx. Doc. 29-4 ment should be settled by mutual compromise, which proposition Mr. Campbell declining to entertain, he begged now to submit that the whole matter and correspondence connected with the same should be referred by each to his govern ment. Mr. Campbell, United States Commissioner, in reply stated that he did not concur in.the proposal as to the reference of the matter to the respective governments, but that so far as he was concerned he should report proceedings to his government, submitting at the same time all the correspondence upon the subject. Commissioners agreed to adjourn until circumstances should render their meeting again necessary. Commission adjourned. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL. Mr. Campbell to Mr. Cass. WASHINGTON, June 1, 1858. SIR: I transmit herewith a copy of a letter from Mr. Everett, and a pamphlet by William Sturgis, which I respectfully request may be filed with the documents already submitted by me in relation to the determination of the boundary channel between the continent and Vancouver's Island. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. LEWIS CASS,. Secretary of State. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Mr. Edward Everett to Mr. Campbell. BOSTON, May 29, 1858. DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 27th reached me yesterday. I lost no time in placing it in the hands of Mr. Sturgis, who is my near neighbor, and requesting of him a copy of his pamphlet for you. He has kindly placed three copies in my hands, which I forward by this day's mail. With respect to your inquiry how it became known that this pamphlet was placed in possession of the framers of the treaty of 1846, Mr. Sturgis informs me that pending the negotiation he was in confidential correspondence with his relative, Mr. Bancroft, at that time a member of Mr. Polk's cabinet, and for obvious reasons the member most likely to have influence in reference to a question of an historical character; and also with Mr. Joshua Bates, of London, the wellknown member of the house of Baring Brothers & Co. Mr. Sturgis's pamphlet and letters were communicated regularly by Mr Bates to Lord Aberdeen, then minister of foreign affairs. Mr. Sturgis has read me, within an hour, portions of this correspondence; and in one of Mr. Bates's letters it is stated that, at a recent dinner at his son-in-law's, Mr. Van de Weyer, the Belgian minister, when Lord Aberdeen and Mr. Bates were present, Lord Aberdeen informed Mr. Bates that he considered Mr. Sturgis's pamphlet a fair, practicable, and sensible view of the subject, and that it had been read by all the ministers. I will only add the suggestion that as the radical principle of the boundary is the 49th degree of latitude, and the only reason for departing from it was to give the whole of Vancouver's Island to the party acquiring the largest part of it; the deflection from the 49th degree southward should be limited to that object, and the nearest channel adopted which fulfils the above conditions. I remain, dear sir, sincerely yours, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Esq. EDWARD EVERETT. Extract from Pamphlet, by Mr. William Sturgis. I deem it very desirable that the question of boundary should be speedily adjusted, and that the limits and the rights of each party be so clearly established and defined as to prevent all danger of collision hereafter. In this opinion I doub not that the distinguished statesmen, Messrs. Pakenham and Calhoun, who now have charge of the negotiation, will cordially concur; and it seems to me that each party will attain their object and justice be done to both, by adopting as the boundary a continuation of the parallel of 49° across the Rocky Mountains to tidewater, say to the middle of the "Gulf of Georgia;" thence by the northernmost navigable passage (not north of 49°) to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and down the middle of these straits to the Pacific Ocean; the navigation of the Gulf of Georgia and the Straits of Juan de Fuca to be forever free to both parties, all the islands and other territory lying south and east of this line to belong to the United States, and all north and west to Great Britain. By this arrangement we should yield to Great Britain the portion of Quadra and Vancouver's Island that lies south of latitude 49°, which, in a territorial point of view, is of too little importance to deserve a moment's consideration; and both parties would secure for a considerable extent a well-defined natural boundary, about which there could hereafter be no doubt or dispute. Will Great Britain accede to this? I think she will. : Mr. Campbell to Mr. Cass. * UNITED STATES NORTHWEST BOUNDARY COMMISSION, Camp Simiahmoo, 49th Parallel, September 25, 1858. SIR In compliance with my instructions to keep the department from time to time advised of the progress of the work intrusted to my charge, I have the honor to report, &c. The determination of the forty-ninth parallel being a purely scientific operation, it is not probable,.in the survey of the land boundary, that any question can arise between the commissioners that will cause serious interruption or delay in the demarcation of the line. * * * * * * In reference to the water boundary, however, which depends mainly upon the interpretation of the language of the treaty defining it, I had the honor on the 10th of February last to inform you that a question had arisen between Captain Prevost and myself as to "the channel" through which the boundary line is to be traced; and to lay before you a copy of a correspondence and proceedings, setting forth our respective views on the subject, and the result of our disagreement. Since that time no further progress has been made in the settlement of this question. Meantime the minute survey of the channels and islands between the continent and Vancouver's Island is progressing. On the part of the United States Commission, the hydrographic work is carried on by Commander Alden, United States navy, in charge of the Coast Survey steamer Active, and the triangulation and survey of the shore line by Mr. Lawson, assistant of the Coast Survey, in charge of the brig Fauntleroy. On the part of the British Commission, the work is prosecuted by Captain Richards, second Commissioner and Surveyor, in command of Her Majesty's surveying steamer Plumper. The settlement of the question of "the channel" involves the sovereignty of the group of islands called the Haro Archipelago, between the Canal de Haro and Rosario Straits, embraced in a space of about 400 square miles. The recent emigration to this region has attracted considerable attention to this beautiful and picturesque group of islands, and much greater interest than heretofore is now manifested in the settlement of the boundary question. The uncertainty The Oregon Question.-Substance of a lecture before the Mercantile Library Association, delivered January 22, 1845, by William Sturgis, Boston: Jordan, Swift & Wiley, 1845. ISLAND OF SAN JUAN. in regard to their sovereignty prevents them from being occupied by American settlers. The largest and most valuable of these islands are San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez; and upon each of them there is a large portion of land suitable for agricultural and grazing purposes. It is in a military and naval point of view, however, that their importance is to be mainly regarded. The late General Persifer F. Smith, who visited this section of country while in command of the Department of the Pacific, fully estimated their importance to the national defence, and, in December, 1857, presented his views on the subject to the President, in a letter now on file in the State Department, in which he says: When I had the pleasure of meeting you in Washington, I intended to speak to you on a subject of great importance connected with the boundary between the United States and the British possessions north of them on the Pacific coast. forty-ninth parallel to the sound dividing the island of Vancouver from the continent, is to The line, after having followed the run south, taking the main channel to its intersection with the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and then west through those straits to the ocean. just north of the end of the straits, commanding the entrance into the sound and opposite to At this intersection lies a group of islands, the entrance of Admiralty Inlet and Puget's Sound in our own territory. These islands form a naval harbor that may be defended against any force if they are fortified as they may be, and the nation that disposes of them thus will absolutely command not only Queen Charlotte's Sound, but all those splendid harbors in our territory on the waters of Admiralty Inlet and Puget's Sound, as well as those on the Straits of Juan de Fuca and the navigation of that inlet. These harbors are the best on the Pacific coast, for, with the timber that covers the hills bordering on them, and the coal in the adjacent territory as far south as Gray's Harbor, they possess the great advantage of a rise and fall of tide of twenty-one feet, rendering the construction and use of docks easy and cheap. I visited all these waters in 1849-'50, and on my return represented to the President the immense importance of the islands referred to; and afterwards, at his request, gave Governor Stevens, then about to start for Washington Territory, a written memorandum in relation to the subject. In 1855 Captain George Stoneman, of the Dragoons, and Lieutenant W. H. C. Whiting, of the Corps of Engineers, by order of General Wool, then commanding the Department of the Pacific, made a military examination of this part of the northwest coast, and in their report they express their opinion in relation to the value of these islands, as a means of defending the approaches to our territories and the inland waters, as follows: Between the Gulf of Georgia and the Straits of Fuca are two great channels, the Straits of Haro on the west and of Rosario on the east, separated by the Archipelago, a group of small islands, forming a very important feature of the sound. The title to these is in dispute between the English and American governments. There can, however, be no reasonable doubt as to the validity of our claim. The natural and direct ship channel, the treaty boundary, is the Straits of Haro. No vessel bound for the Gulf of Georgia would take the longer, narrower and more intricate passage of Rosario Straits. In considering the subject of the defence of the sound, these islands are important, and we shall again briefly recur to them. * * * It is easily seen from the maps of our western coast that the sound and the straits are the only available point which can afford an enemy the point d'appui for an attack on San Francisco, or refuge, wood, water, coal, provisions, timber and spars, for a blockade of our coast. Possessing this, an enemy has every advantage, either for prompt attack or for continued action. The strong northwest winds which prevail with the regularity of the trades for the greater part of the year make the passage of sailing ships from six to ten days, while steamers may do it in four. Vancouver's Island is naturally the key to this position, and it is greatly to be regretted that it does not belong to us. There are, however, other points which may be improved to be nearly as effective. Of these may be mentioned Port Discovery and Sequim Bay, opposite to the southern end of Vancouver; and also the Archipelago. This group consists of the islands of San Juan, Lopez, Orcas and Waldron the largest, besides several others not yet named. They are so situated that they form an admirable land-locked harbor of ample size, accessible by six narrow entrances in any wind and weather, and capable of being defended almost by small arms. As a naval station, secured by batteries, this position commands all the interior waters and the approach to the territories. A further evidence of the importance to be attached to the sovereignty of these islands will be found in the steadiness of purpose with which the British government, from the ratification of the treaty to the present time, have endeavored to secure and retain posession of them. It is true that in their communications to our government, when endeavoring to procure the adoption of Rosario Straits as the boundary channel, they have designated them as "islets of little or no value," yet, at the same time, Governor Douglas had "received the orders of Her Majesty's ministers to treat these islands as part of the British dominions." By a reference to my report of the 10th of February last, it will be seen that after a full discussion upon the relative claims of the Canal de Haro and Rosario Straits to be considered as "the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island," Captain Prevost finally proposed, by way of compromise, to run the boundary line through one of the channels between the Canal de Haro and Rosario Straits, dividing the islands so as to give San Juan to Great Britain and the other islands of the group to the United States. Being fully satisfied that the Canal de Haro was "the channel" intended by the treaty, I declined to entertain the proposal. Captain Prevost then proposed a reference of the whole matter to our respective governments. As I did not consider the circumstances such as to justify him in making such a proposal, I did not concur in it. I therefore reported the proceedings of the joint commission to the department, and Captain Prevost, upon his own responsibility referred the question to his government, and has not yet received any further instructions for his guidance on the subject. When the British government consider the evidence brought to light showing the intentions of the two governments in relation to the meaning of the language of the treaty defining the boundary line between the continent and Vancouver's Island, it is but fair to presume they will direct their commissioner to adopt the Canal de Haro as the boundary channel; and in consideration of the importance of a speedy settlement of the question, it is to be hoped that they will take early * action on the subject. There is no part of the boundary between the two countries, from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, where a demarcation of the line is more to be desired. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Commissioner Northwest Boundary Survey. Mr. Campbell to Mr. Cass. UNITED STATES NORTHWEST BOUNDARY COMMISSION, Camp Simiahmoo, December 1, 1858. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the copy of a letter from the Hon. George Bancroft, in reply to inquiries from me as to the interpretation which was placed upon the first article of the treaty of 1846, in relation to the water boundary, by the British government, at the time he was minister to London. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. LEWIS CASS, Secretary of State. Mr. George Bancroft to Mr. Campbell. NEW YORK, June 15. 1858. SIR: Your letter of May 27 has but just reached me, in consequence of my absence from home on a long journey. I was in the administration of Mr. Polk at the time when Mr. Buchanan perfected the treaty for settling the boundary of Oregon. The basis of the settlement was the parallel of 49°, with the concession to Britain of that part of Vancouver's Island which lies south of 49°. The United States held that both parties had a right to the free navigation of the waters round Vancouver's Island, and |