344 MOVEMENTS IN CONGRESS. [1824. 



tween those territories and the settled portions of the republic ; 

 to effect which object, he advised that appropriations should be 

 made for the despatch of a frigate, with engineers, to explore the 

 mouth of the Columbia and the adjacent shores. The same 

 measures were, in the following year, also recommended by Presi- 

 dent Adams, among the various plans for the advantage of the 

 United States and of the world in general, to which he requested 

 the attention of Congress, in his message, at the commencement 

 of the session. In compliance with this recommendation, a com- 

 mittee was appointed by the House of Representatives, the chairman 

 of which, Mr. Baylies, of Massachusetts, presented two reports,* 

 containing numerous details with respect to — the history of discove- 

 ry and trade in North- West America, — the geography, soil, climate, 

 productions, and inhabitants, of the portion claimed by the United 

 States, — the number and value of the furs procured there, — the 

 expenses of surveying the coasts and of forming military establish- 

 ments for its occupation, and many other matters relating to that 

 part of the world ; in consideration whereof, the committee intro- 

 duced a bill for the immediate execution of the measures proposed 

 by the president. This bill was laid on the table of the House, and 

 the subject was not again agitated in Congress until 1828. 



Meanwhile, the period of ten years, during which the countries 

 claimed by the United States or by Great Britain, west of the Rocky 

 Mountains, were, agreeably to the convention of 1818, to remain 

 free and open to the citizens or subjects of both nations, was draw- 

 ing to a close ; and a strong desire was manifested, on the part of 

 the American government, that some definitive arrangement with 

 regard to those countries should be concluded between the two 

 powers, before the expiration of the term. The British secretary 

 for foreign affairs also signified that his government was prepared 

 to enter into a new discussion of the question at issue ; and a nego- 

 tiation with these objects was accordingly commenced between 

 Mr. Gallatin, the minister plenipotentiary of the United States at 

 London, and Messrs. Addington and Huskisson, commissioners on 

 the part of Great Britain. 



Before relating the particulars of this negotiation, it should be 

 observed that the relative positions of the two parties, as to the 

 occupancy and actual possession of the countries in question, had 

 been materially changed since the conclusion of the former conven- 



* Dated severally January 16th, and May 15th, 1826. 



