1829.] PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS. 355 



whenever the convention is abrogated, even agreeably to the man- 

 ner therein stipulated, it became, of course, the duty of each 

 government to provide in time. 



In the session of Congress following that in which the new con- 

 vention with Great Britain had been approved, the subject of the 

 occupation of the mouth of the Columbia River was again discussed ; 

 and, after a long series of debates, in which the most eminent mem- 

 bers of the House of Representatives took part, a bill was reported, 

 whereby the president was authorized to cause the territory west 

 of the Rocky Mountains to be explored, and forts and garrisons to 

 be established in any proper places, between the parallels of 42 

 degrees and 54 degrees 40 minutes ; and also to extend the juris- 

 diction of the United States over those countries, as regards citizens 

 of the Union. The adoption of these measures was urged, on the 

 ground that it was the duty of the government to make good, by 

 occupation, the right of the United States, which was pronounced 

 unquestionable, lest, by neglect, the country should fall irrevocably 

 into the possession of another power, which had unjustly contested 

 that right : and, as inducements to pursue this course, pictures most 

 flattering were presented of the soil, climate, and productions, of 

 the regions watered by the Columbia, and of the various advantages 

 which would be secured to the citizens of the Union engaged in the 

 trade of the Pacific Ocean, by the settlement of those coasts. The 

 bill was opposed, as infringing the convention recently concluded 

 with Great Britain ; in addition to which, it was contended, that, 

 were all opposition on the part of that or other powers removed, 

 and the right of the United States established and universally 

 recognized, the occupation of the countries in question in the 

 manner proposed, would be useless, from their extreme barrenness, 

 from the dangers to navigation presented by their coasts, and from 

 the difficulty of communicating with them either by sea or by land ; 

 and such occupation might be injurious, as citizens of the United 

 States would be thus induced to settle in those countries, and their 

 government would find itself bound to protect and maintain them, 

 at great expense, without a commensurate advancement of the pub- 

 lic good. In the course of the debates, several amendments were 

 proposed to the bill, but it was finally rejected on the 9th of 

 January, 1829 ; and, for many years afterwards, very little atten- 

 tion was bestowed, by any branch of the government of the 

 United States, to matters connected with the territories west of 

 the Rocky Mountains. 



