303 G. BRITAIN DENIES THE CLAIM OF THE U. STATES. [1818. 



what grounds the territory was considered as part of the British 

 dominions, the minister did not attempt to show. 



Mr. Bagot at the same time communicated the circumstances to 

 his government, and they became the subjects of discussion between 

 Lord Castlereagh, the British secretary for foreign affairs, and Mr. 

 Rush, the American plenipotentiary at London. Lord Castlereagh 

 proposed that the question respecting the claim to the post on the 

 Columbia should be referred to commissioners, as many other dis- 

 puted points had been, agreeably to the treaty of Ghent ; to which 

 Mr. Rush objected, for the simple reasons — that the spot was in the 

 possession of the Americans before the war; that it fell, by bel- 

 ligerent capture, into the hands of the British during the war ; and 

 that, " under a treaty which stipulated the mutual restitution of all 

 places reduced by the arms of either party, the right of the United 

 States to immediate and full repossession could not be impugned." 

 The British secretary, upon this, admitted the right of the Ameri- 

 cans to be reinstated, and to be the party in possession, while 

 treating on the title ; though he regretted that the government of 

 the United States should have employed means to obtain restitution 

 which might lead to difficulties. Mr. Rush had no apprehensions 

 of that kind ; and it was finally agreed that the post should be 

 restored to the Americans, and that the question of the title to the 

 territory should be discussed in the negotiation as to limits and 

 other matters, which was soon to be commenced. Lord Bathurst, 

 the British secretary for the colonies, accordingly sent to the agents 

 of the North- West Company at the mouth of the Columbia a 

 despatch, directing them to afford due facilities for the reoccupation 

 of the post at that point by the Americans ; and an order to the 

 same effect was also sent from the Admiralty to the commander of 

 the British naval forces in the Pacific. 



The Ontario passed around Cape Horn into the Pacific, and 

 arrived, in February, 1818, at Valparaiso, where it was agreed 

 between the commissioners that Captain Biddle should proceed to 

 the Columbia, and receive possession of Astoria for the United 

 States, Mr. Prevost remaining in Chili for the purpose of transact- 

 ing some business with the government of that country, which had 

 also been intrusted to him. Captain Biddle accordingly sailed to 

 the Columbia, and, on the 9th of August, he took temporary pos- 

 session of the country on that river, in the name of the United 

 States, after which he returned to the South Pacific. 



In the mean time, Commodore Bowles, the commander of the 



