THE NORTHWESTERN BOUNDARY- LINE. 933 
boundary between our 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, which there is no diff- 
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 regret the adverse conclusion of this contro- 
versy. The conditions of the Treaty of 1846 involved 
positive concession on the part of the United States, 
if not as to the general line, yet in giving up the 
whole 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 Rosario 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 
