Page:Alaskan boundary tribunal (IA alaskanboundaryt01unit).pdf/85

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ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
75

the jxet: upon the continent belouging te the Hilson Bay Coiyany, the embouchores of stteh river a might afferd an outlet for our for trade tito the Pavilic, and the two hanks of the Mackenzie River; that, in the belief that such Were our respective objects, T would propiee as our boundary a line drawn through Chathaiut Straits to the heal of Lyn Canal, thenee northwest to the 140th slegree of longitude west of Greenwich, and then along that ileuree of longitude to the Polar Sea.

Ue shows that he communicated to the Russian representative this understinding that, the wishes anil interests of Russia were to secure herself in respect of the ‘shores of the northwest cout of North America.” He stated some of the objects very clearly, bet he made no reference to the trade with the Indians inhabiting the coast, which was expressly and exclusively reserved in the Ukase. It was made manifest then, and in the outeome of the treaty, that bix preposition by no mews seeped to Russian, her fisheries wpon the istinds and shoves upon the vorthwest coust of Ainerien, and that it wes by no tesns sufficient to protect the trade. whieh was one of the main objeets she lid in view.

CERTAINTY Wis DESIRED IN THE TREATY AND THE PREVENTION OF INT PIS IGREEARLE DISCUSSION IN THE RUTCRE,

Tt wis apparent throughout thar both parties were desirous that the controversy should be delinitely settled and that the boundary should be tixed with certainty. Tha letter of Sir Charles Bagot to Mr. George Canning August Uh Ls2e. hie says:

T have soggestel to hin [Count Nesselrule) that this setthment inay per- haps be best made by eeuvention. ad T lniwe declared onr readiness ty accede to one framed either upon the principle of joint emcapaney or demarcation of lknmelary as the Russion Government quay itself! prefer, intimating, however, that in our view, the latter ig by fir the tinet convendant, Count No-selnale niwehately and withent hesitation deelared hineelf to be entirely of that Opinion, anh le assed ine that the vhief net the culy object of the Lmperial Government, Was tu be upea some certainty in this vespect.

Connt Lieven wrote to Count Nesselvode that Ma, Canning. when he weve him a copy of the dispatch aeeompanying the ratitieution of the convention, and called his attention to the insistenve of the English government that the Tine should be fixed hy a distance limit, and not merely by the mountain evest, assured hint that tt

  1. U CO. App. Ee SC. 8.0. App., 126-127,