The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3089, 13 January 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1873.

The principal political topic now agitating Great Britain, is the award to the United States of the island of San Juan ; a not very inviting bit of territory in the channel that separates laueouver s Is-, laud from the main land. Most of us know that there is such a place as Vancouver’s Island ; for, from time to tune, reports of gold mining there have reached us, aud very likely the younger portion of our community will be able to refer to it on the map, and to say that it is separated from the Continent of America by Queen Charlotte’s Sound, and to the southward by the Strait of Juan do luea. It is necessary, also, to state that in this Channel of Juan de Fuca is the Island of San Juan, about which all this noise is made. It is not even pretended it is worth much as a commercial centre ; it is never likely to be worth anything to any country, excepting for one purpose it is considered a good base of operations against British Columbia, should war at any time take place between Great Britain and the United States. This island of San Jnau dispute attracted very little attention in England, although it appears it was reform! to the Emperor William of Germany to say whether it belonged to Great Britain or jh° American Republic. How this dispute arose was something in this wise ; Between the tfith degree of north latitude and Behring’s Straits there was a vast tract of country, formerly known as the North-Western Territory. It jay to the west of the Chippcwyan or Rocky Mountains. It is ; a country of great beauty, ami, so far as ; temperature is concerned, much milder : than the Eastern side of the continent. The interior was, or is, the abode of the Flat-heads, the Snake Indians or Shohonees, aud other tribes, and the country abounded with buffaloes, deer, black and grizzly bears, a species of antelope, the ashata or big horn, the beaver, the sea aud river otter, the musk rat, fox. and wolf. Wo mention these wild animals because t)jo countries we speak of were claimed

by three Powci’8 —the United States of America, the British, and the Russians. The chief value of the territory U> each of these countries was the procuring of furs, in which many Americans were engaged, although they had no permanent settlements in the country, dhe British occupants were the employes ot the Hudson s Bay Company, between whom and the Americans there were frequent feuds that culminated in a dispute between Great Britain and the United States respecting boundaries. This quarrel was forced upon Great Britain by President Polk at a time when the great battle of the abolition of the corn duties was being agitated, and although at one time the affair looked very threatening, it was terminated by treaty in the year 184b. when the 49th degree of North latitude was agreed upon as the boundary line between the British and United States’ territories. So far at seemed satisfactory, and none troubled their heads more about the matter until lately. The terms of the treaty were that the boundary line should extend— Along the 40th parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel and of the Strait of Fuca to the Pacific Ocean.

We dare say both Lord Aberdeen, who acted on behalf of Great Britain, and President Polk, thought very little about bases of operations in case of war, and so Great Britain continued to occupy the island of San Juan, which happens to be on the American side of the middle of thc ehannel. But now that the geography of this part of the world is better understood, it appears that this imaginary middle of the channel cannot be navigated. Here is the description given of it in the Mail: It was then that Lord Aberdeen proposed the compromise, which was immediately accepted—to drive the existing boundary, the 49th parallel of latitude, westward to the middle of the Channel separating the continent from Vancouver’s Island, and then southerly, through the middle of the same channel and of b'uca Straits, to the Pacific Ocean. The compromise looks simple, and yet it is only necessary to refer to a map to see that it involves a considerable difficulty. As the proposed boundary proceeds southwards it comes to a point where three islands occupy the middle of the channel between Vancouver’s Island and the Continent. How is it to be carried after this point? Is it to proceed between the continent and the island nearest it, or between Vancouver’s Island and the island nearest it, or is it to he continued halfway between the continent and Vancouver’s Island, however oddly the line thus drawn may divide the intermediate islands? “Through the middle of the said channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s Island” are the words of the Treaty ; and no words could less explain their own meaning. Noi* Can we find in an examination of the locality any decisive reason for preferring one interpretation above another. All the channels into which the main channel is divided by the intermediate islands present forbidding difficulties of navigation. That between Vancouver’s and >San .Juan is somewhat the broadest, but twice or thrice in its course it is broken by reefs, and a dangerous tideway runs through it. That nearest the mainland is free from reefs, but it has a tideway scarcely less dangerous, and an ugly black rock crops up in the middle of it. Tlie other passages are too narrow and intricate to be pursued with safety, and the choice really lay between a boundary running halfway between Vancouver’s Island and the mainland, without regard to the islets it might intersect, and the subsidiary channels next the mainland on the one side or Vancouver’s Island on the other.

Very possibly bud Lord Aberdeen mid the American Government, in the year 181(3, known as much as wc do in these days of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, more definite arrangements would have been come to. Instead of drawing an imaginary line half way between Vancouver’s Island and Oregon, which, in our belief, seems to have been the original intention of tiic Treaty, it might have been defined which of the three channels was meant; but our conviction is that the Treaty had no reference, nor intended reference, to the actual navigation of the Strait, which was to be free to both. The terms of the award are:—

The claim of the Government of the United States, viz., that the line of boundary oetween the dominions of Her Britannic Majesty and the United States should be run through the Canal of Haro, is most in accordance with the true interpretation of the treaty concluded between the Government of Her Britanic Majesty and that of the United states of America, dated at Washington, June 15, 1846.—Given under our hand and seal, at Berlin, October 21, 1872. (Signed) William.

We quite agree with the London Times that since San Juan is only valuable in a strategic point of view, in case of war between the countries, it may fairly be counted valueless to Great Britain, as war is not likely to take place between two countries so dependent upon each other for prosperity. No doubt it is disagreeable to have the worst of an award or a law suit, and it is just possible that the Emperor William may have made a mistake, but both countries having agreed to abide by his decision, it is far more dignified quietly to accept it than to fume and fret because a few troops will have to be withdrawn from a military position, the value of which depends upon an event that may never occur.