242 John H. Mitchell— Oregon 
and landed in a bay, now supposed to be either the present bay 
of San Francisco or the bay of Bodega, where, as one historian 
tells us, he accepted from the savages of the far west, in the name 
of Queen Elizabeth, “‘ coronation, scepter, and sovereignty.” 
Great Britain, however, in her prolonged contest with the 
United States, placed no reliance on the acts of Drake, but based 
her claim first on the alleged discovery of the Oregon territory 
by Captain Cook in 1778 and subsequently on alleged discoveries 
by Captain Mears in 1788 and by Captain Vancouver in 1792, 
1793, and 1794. It was claimed, moreover, that Great Britain 
was the first to acquire what was termed “a beneficial interest 
in those regions by commercial intercourse.” 
Resting on these respective titles, that of Great Britain cer- 
tainly lacking in every respect all those essential elements which 
constitute a real foundation for a valid claim to sovereignty, 
these two great rival powers, Spain and Great Britain, came into 
contention over their respective claims to and in this vast terri- 
tory in 1790, resulting in what is known in history as “the 
Nootka convention.” The claim of England was then hardly 
one of sovereignty, but rather, as she asserted, “an indisputable 
right to the enjoyment of a free and uninterrupted navigation, 
commerce and fishing, and to the possession of such establish- 
~ments as they should form, with the consent of the natives of the 
country, not previously occupied by any European nations.” 
In the assertion of these alleged rights on the part of Great 
Britain and of the Spanish contention on the part of the Spanish 
crown, the conflicting and rival claims to sovereignty were 
attempted to be upheld, as one historian tells us, “by an occa- 
sional visit by vessels, temporarily trading with the natives, some 
fishing, and a few shanties.” The Spanish authorities, however, 
denying the rights asserted by Great Britain, seized and confis- 
cated her vessels and other property employed in the assertion 
of her claims to occupation, if not indeed to sovereignty. It was 
this conflict which resulted in the Nootka convention of 1790, 
That Great Britain gained nothing by the terms of that treaty 
in respect to her alleged rights, either as to sovereignty, tenancy, 
or commerce in any of the countries bordering on the Pacific 
ocean, is conceded by all historians. That her claims, both as to 
discovery and prior occupation, submitted to that convention 
were absolutely baseless as against those of Spain or any other 
power must be conceded. Even should we concede all that has 
