Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 9.djvu/921

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869


TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, IN REGARD TO LIMITS WESTWARD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Tim United States of America and her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, deeming it to be desir· Rmucmmm able for the future welfare of both countries that tllie state of doubt exchanged at and uncertainty which has hitherto prevailed respecting the sovereignty {·,;’”;g:1*2;¤ J **11 and government of the territory on the northwest coast of America, ’Pmcl;mm0¤ lying westward of the Rocky or Stony Mountains, should be finally A¤g_5, ]846_ ’ terminated by an amicable compromise of the rights mutually asserted preamble_ by the two parties over the said territory, have respectively named plenipotentiaries to treat and agree concerning the terms of such settlementv-that is to say : the President of the United States of Amer- Negotiators. ica has, on his part, furnished with full powers James Buchanan, Secretary of State of the United States, and her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has, on her part, appointed the Right Honorable Richard Pakenham, a member of her Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council, and her Majesty’s Envoy · Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States; who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles : ——

Article I.

From the point on the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, where Bcundm, um the boundary laid down in existing treaties and conventions between between the _U. the United States and Great Britain terminates, the line of boundary S· “:;li°nB'f°’; between the territories of the United States and those of her Britannic gmcky 3;,,::. Majesty shall be continued westward along the said forty-ninth parallel f¤i¤¤· of north latitude to the middle of the channel which separates the Navigation or continent from Vancouver’s Island, and thence southerly through the g?,‘;°:h“§:jcB:: middle of the said channel, and of Fuca’s Straits, to the Pacific Ocean : ver'¤ Island and Provided, however, That the navigation of the whole of the said lh; ¢;,°¤;§¤°¤f» channel and straits, south of the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, §l:,,i,_,:°,,, b,,";- remain free and open to both parties. gggggen to both

Article II.

From the point at which the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude shall be found to intersect the great northern branch of the Columbia Itiver to be free River, the navigation of the said branch shall be free and open to the :2g,:P°g;° H2-ltd- Hudson’s Bay Company, and to all British subjects trading with the and Brmj maj same, to the point where the said branch meets the main stream of jects trading with the Columbia, and thence down the said main stream to the ocean, °“’“‘* ‘°“’· with free access into and through the said river or rivers, it being understood that all the usual portages along the line thus describe shall, in like manner, be tree and open. In navigating the said river or rivers, British subjects, with their goods and produce, shall be treated on the same footing as citizens of the United States; it being, Not to be cm however, always understood that nothing in this article shall be con- ¤£·¤¤g¢¤g>r¤y¤¤i Strued as preventing, or intended to prevent, the government of the I,,:,,,,' ,%:3: United States from making any regulations respecting the navigation tions g>r_naviga of the said river or rivers not inconsistent with the present treaty. *‘°“ °f'”"l ‘"°*·