The pretonsions of the United States. as stated by Mr. Middleton to Sir C. Bagot are reported in the latter's letter to Mr, Canning. Oct. 17/29, 1823,[1] to be that the United States bad succeeded to all claims which Spain had to the vorthwest coast, and that as Russia had disclaimed all intention of interfering with Spanish claims south of 61). any elaimt of the coust Iving between 42° and 6L° onwht In strictness to he made between the United States and Great Britain alone:” but that the United States was ready to acknowledge that no country had sny absolute and exclusive elainn to those coasts, and only intended to claim, as the heirs of the Spanish claims. that the United States had the hest preteusions as between Russia, Great Britain and itself.
An argument bused on this elaim was advanced by Sir C. Bagot, to show that Russia had recognized the superior elaim of the United States to the whole coast; bet this argument reaeted ond was turned against Groat Britain later in the negotiations. when the United States withdrew below 54 40° in favor of Russia under their trenty.
Pending the resumption of the negotiations ufter the preliminary proposals of Sir C. Bayot and M. Poletica, the position of the United States had Jeen more clearly detined und had given the territorial question “a new and complicated character.”[2] The Monree doctrine had been announced and bad furnished Great Britain “a conclusive reason for our not imixine ourselves in the negotiations” between Russia and the United States. The treaty of ISts. which was still in foree, made it Unnecessary for Great Britain to settle the boundary question at once with the United States, and an independent negotiation with Russia on the terri- torial question was therefore determined wpon.
Such was the situation when Russia's proposnl of the line throngh Porthind Channel was first offered. Count Nesselrode. in reporting the negotiation to Count Lieven, said of this proposal that—
Th order not to ent Prince of Wales Island, which, aceording to this arrangement, would remain te Ressia, we proposal to curey the southern frontier of our domains to latitude 54° 4V and te tuaike it abut npen the eontinent at Portland Croal, of which the opening inte the ovean is at the same latitude as Prince of Wales Island.[3]
