Page:Alaskan boundary tribunal (IA alaskanboundaryt01unit).pdf/101

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ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
91

those clauses whieh be says it was ‘utterly impossible to accept” he puts, as first. the following:

1, Liberty to Enytish snbjects to lunt, to fish, and to trade with the natives of the counter, perpetually, on the whole of that part of the coast which consti- tates the subject of the di-cassion, aud which extends from 09° of north kutitnde to 54° dive

He then speaks of Russia as having eranted these very rights to the United States for ten vears, and of the impossibility of diserimi- nating in fuvor of Great Britain, by grunting them to ber perpeti- ally. Tle shows plainly that by costs he meant the whole extent of the coust where Russia's rights have been disputed, He says:

We have been willing to 2appoee that, in spite of a formal taking yHissession, a@ Jong occupation of the principal points, and a peaceful exploitation of the sources of revenue aml wealth preswutel by the countries in qmestion, Tussia’s right= of sovereignty to the fifty-timt degree of north latitude ivight he the =uh- ject of a dtoubt, We have, consequentiy, contined then to the H? HY, and, to prevent any new dixpute from arising on this point, we hayv pernittel one of the powers with which we were in litigation to share for ten years, on the whole extent of the coast where our rights had been clispitel, the profits of hunting, fishing, and trading with the natives. We offer the same advantaves to England, but to grit them forever would be to obtain the recognition of our rizht= of sovereignty only to abetndon the exercise of them, Tt weukl be con-

senting to possess hereafter only in name what we now possess in’ fact. t Tle further stevs:

Rus-ia's rights of sovereignty over the northwest coast, heginning at 58° of north latitade, have been disputed. Hence, between that degree ate the porailel which would form our sonthern boundary, we hastenet to offer <peeial advan- taues to the powers with which we were in «dispute. We grinted to the Ameri- eans for ten years the right to fish, to hant, aml to trade with the natives of the country, and we will make the same concession in fiver af the suliject= of His Britannic Majesty, lat it niet be well wniderstowl that this concession will only comprise the space inclosed between latitnde 50° and the southern bound. ary of onr territory, to wit: latitude 54° 40°, for to the north of the tity-ninth degree His Imperial Majesty’s right: of sovereignty have never been qaestioned, hot «uly in ne official docnment, but in none of the articles which the English

and American newspapers have published on this sabject.¢

  • * hh = * * *

Onr commterdraft carries our boundary from the fifty-tirst degree of north bati- tule to 54° 4. Te leaves to the establishment< which the English oothnpuanies

ole, C. App, 201. et. S.C. App., 202-202,

68S, CL App., 202,