THE NORTHWESTERN BOUNDARY- LINE. 223 



boundary between onr territory and the possessions 

 of Great Britain on this continent." 



In recent debates in the House of Lords, the Earl 

 of Lauderdale criticised the Treaty of Washington 

 in severe terms, partly on the assumption that the 

 United States have in reserve new claims respecting 

 the northwestern boundary-line. He is mistaken. 

 Nothing remains but questions of hydrography for 

 Commissioners to determine, w^hich there is no diffi- 

 culty in doing ; and arrangements have already been 

 made by the two Governments for the appointment 

 and organization of the requisite Commission. 



In conclusion, let me say that Great Britain has no 

 cause to recrret the adverse conclusion of this contro- 

 versy. The conditions of the Treaty of 1846 involved 

 positive concession on the part of the L'nited States, 

 if not as to the general line, yet in giving up the 

 w^hole of the Island of Vancouver without any com- 

 pensation. We certainly did not mean at the same 

 time to give up the important island of San Juan, and 

 various other islands intervening between that and 

 the main-land, which would have been the effect of 

 admitting the Straits of Kosario as the water-bound- 

 ary. We knew that prior to and during the negotia- 

 tions the Canal de Haro was expressly mentioned 

 and always understood as the true channel, corre- 

 sponding to the desire of the British Government to 

 secure Vancouver's Island. 



To Great Britain it can be of no possible conse- 

 quence which of the lines of boundary should be es- 

 tablished. What possessions remain to her on the 



