KATHARINE
328
much about bills
B.
JUDSON
the occupation of the Columbia
had been appearing regularly
Floyd's annual
he went to Mr.
Adams
The reduction of the army was under debate Congress, when a member asked if this was prudent when
about in
it.
the United States were planning a settlement on the Columbia. The bill to occupy the Columbia had been read twice. The
began that "The President of the United States be, and hereby authorized and required to occupy that portion of territory of the United States on the waters of the Columbia " River It gave lands to settlers and prescribed a government. It was H. R. 222, of January 25th, 1821. It was read twice and was to come before the Committee of the Whole
bill
he
is
.
.
.
the day after Canning's letter, that is, January 29th. He enclosed a copy, with a newspaper letter from Mr. Robinson, author of a book on Mexico.
upon Mr. Adams, though knowing Mr. Adams' character," but with conrelations had been "satisfactory and con-
Canning therefore
called
the "peculiarities of fidence, since their
fidential heretofore."
"Mr. Adams replied in the most determined and acrimonious United States did probably mean to make a new settlement on the Columbia, and that they had a perfect right to do so, the territory being their own." Being asked if this answer could be said to come from the tones, that the
Government, "he
replied,
with increased asperity,
in the af-
He
seemed determined to consider my interference respecting the Columbia as offensive and unwarranted." In the course of further conversation, he expressed "an em-
firmative.
repetition of the right the undisputed, indisputable of the United States to the territory of the Columbia right and an utter denial of any right on my part, as British Minister,
phatic
arrangements on Lord remark, Castlereagh's Canning quoted
to interfere with their eventual
that head." in a letter of
February 4th, 1818, to his predecessor, Sir Charles Bagot, that "It is always more easy to come to an arrangement on such subjects little
where the
territory in discussion
cultivated, than
is little known, or where enterprise and industry have led
