of the wmmifest use of this word, there was never any substantial departure from the original drift made by Mr. Canning.
sLVALYSIS AS TO THE CSE OF THE WORD" COAST IN THE DRAFT CONVENTION SURIITTED BV UE CANNING
In the preansble he says that the desire is to proceed ‘sur le principe Cane conyenanee réciproque.” Russia had wlroudy ex- plained that this meant to it an absolute burvier. Thix exphination had been accepted hy Mr. Canning, and in his letter submitting the draft. be stated that Great Britain had consented. ‘rafter full consideration of the motives which wre alleged dw the Russian Government for adhering to their last propositions.” These motives were pot left to conjecture, but were spevitiently stated. In the counter draft by the Russinu plenipotentiaries they said:
The principal motive which constrains Rosia to insist upon sovervienty over the above indicate lisiére (trip of territory) open the mainland err firme) from Portlan) Channel to the point of iitersertion of (0 degrees latitude with the 154th slevree fongitude is that, deprived of this territory, the Russian-American Company wonld haye no means of sustaining its ustablishmenuts. which would therefore he without any enpport (point Pappni) and eonkd have wo salicigy, «
Again, in their observations on Sir C. Bagot’. amended proposal, they said:
On the other hand, the Russian Plonipotentiarics bave the honer to remind him, ance more, that without a strip of kul on the coast of the continent from Porthind Channel, the Russian Establishments ou the adjoining islands would be left ansnpperted, that they woukl be leit at the merey of those Establishments Which foreigners might form) on the mainland, sol that all settlements of this nature, from Ieing grommdled upon the prince of muti eonvenienves, would offer only dangers to one of the partics and exclusive yains to the other
It would need no argument to show that everything sought here to be enarded again=t would have resulted. if Russia had agreed that the /éxéim of coast. instead of heing coutinuous avonnd all of the waters of the seachad been a dedi of different purts of coasts divided by tnkind waters, with the sovercignty of them to the east wid north of sueh dividing lines vested in Englund. Her motives were somewhat elaborated in argument, in respect to that portion
PSs. 0, App, 182, ef ey. eves. Co agg, 18.
by
VULS Cy App., 181 @Pos CU, App, Wil, BOC. Aja, 72
