LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE
364
The unsatisfactory situation of the Hudson's Bay Company was emphasized when in 1850 a vessel, the Albion, was seized and condemned by the revenue officers of the United States on the^ charge of violating the revenue laws. Although the Federal Government restored the seized property such a thing was likely to happen at any time, as Sir John Pelly pointed out to Secretary of State Webster, when he called attention an offer the Company had made the year before. 32 At that
to
time Sir John had offered to sell all the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company for $700,000 and all the farms and property for The Company had been more impressed $150,000 more.
with the lessened value of the Columbia
its
rights since free navigation of necessity of paying
was accompanied by the
all goods brought in for trading purposes this added cost cut further into the profits which had already begun to decrease by the time of the treaty. Nevertheless Congress was unwilling to take the matter
duty upon
seriously,
although the lands claimed by the British
Com-
panies were constantly being "squatted" upon by Americans who refused to recognize any prior rights. In December, 1855, President Pierce called attention to the situation and recom-
mended a "cession of the rights "readiest means of terminating all
of both companies" as the questions," a cession which
It he believed could be obtained upon reasonable terms. 33 was not, however, until 1863 that a treaty 34 was concluded by which a commission with an umpire was to investigate all claims and fix the purchase price. In 1869 the commissioners
awarded Puget's
to the Hudson's Bay Company $450,000 and to the Sound Agricultural Company, $200,000, and thus
ended the long controversy. If securing large appropriations from the Federal treasury forms the basis of a successful career as a representative of a State or territory, then the first Delegate from Oregon deserves to be ranked high in the regard of that State. Not 32 See Note 30 above. The same recommendation was 33 Richardson, Messages, V, 333. following year. and Treaties Conventions, 1871, 402-4. 34
made
the
