of the St. John, as the boundary, and that from its source the Eastern boundary should be the line indicated in the Proclamation of 1763, up to the point where that line intersects the Highlands separating the rivers falling into the Atlantic Ocean from those falling into the river St. Lawrence. From that point, which was to constitute the North West angle of Nova Scotia, the boundary was to follow the Highlands to the north-westernmost head of the Connecticut River, thence follow the middle of that river to Lat. 45, then run through the centre of the water communications of the great lakes to the Lake of the Woods,and from that point to the source of the Mississippi, which was then supposed to lie due west. Some deviations in the proposed line were left at the option of the English Government. "I despatch," wrote Strachey to the English Ministers, "the boundary line originally sent to you by Mr. Oswald, and two other lines proposed by the American Commissioners after my arrival at Paris. Either of these you are to choose. They are both better than the original line, as well in respect to Canada as to Nova Scotia."[1]
It was the loss of the map, with the line marked out as finally agreed upon, which led to the difficulties which were only terminated in 1842 by the Ashburton Treaty. The line drawn upon the map was the only means of affixing an exact meaning to the words used. It ought after the signature of the Final Treaty to have been worked out on the spot by special Commissioners appointed ad hoc. Owing however to the negligence of those who signed the Final Treaty, Boundary Commissioners were never named.[2]
- ↑ Strachey to Townshend, November 8th, 1782.
- ↑ The map with the line finally fixed upon is now at the British Museum in the "King's Library." (See further on this subject the note at the end of this chapter.) See Maps B and C. While insisting on a more favourable boundary for Canada than that originally proposed by Mr. Oswald, Shelburne nevertheless deliberately consented to a favourable western boundary for the United States. The refusal of the Congress and the States Legislatures to carry out their obligations in regard to the Loyalists under the
Mr. Jay. "I can safely add my testimony to the numerous proofs afforded by these Memoirs, that it was not only chiefly, but solely, through Mr. Jay's means that the negotiations of that period between England and the United States were brought to a successful conclusion." (See the "Address delivered before the New York Historical Society on the Peace Negotiations of 1782 and 1783," by Mr. John Jay, 207-208.)
