NORTHWEST BOUNDARY DISPUTE. The dispute between the United States and Great Britain concerning the northwest boundary of the lnited States. By the Treaty of Ghent, concluded between the two governments, Decem ber 24, 18 1 4, provision was made for the appoint ment of two commissions to determine the north ern boundary from the Saint Lawrence River to Lake Suiwrior, and from Lake Superior to the Lake of the Woods. At the same time the American commissioners proposed the 49th parallel from the Lake of the \\ oods to the Rocky :Nlountains as a continuation of the north ern himodory between the United States and Canada. This proposition, however, was not acceptable to the British negotiators, nor was any agreement upon the subject reached at the .\lea awhile the occupation of oregon had extended the boundary dispute to the territory west of the Rocky :Mountains. Russia, which claimed part of oregon, ceded her claims of all territory south of 54° 40' N. lat. to the United States in 1824. Spain also claimed tregon on the ground of discovery. but by the treaty of 181a quitclaimed her title to land north of the 1211 parallel to the United States, leaving Great Britain and the United States as the on1y disputants. By the convention of ISIS the two governments accepted the 49th parallel as the boundary between Canada and the United States from the Lake of the Woods to the Hocks Alountains. The proposition of the Unit ed States to accept a continuation of that line to the Pacille as a suitable division of the oregon country between the two claimants was rejected by Great Britain on the ground that it would give the Columbia River to the United States. After fruitless negotiations, the Unit ed States agreed to accept au arrangement by which the two Powers were to occupy the Oregon territory jointly for a period of ten years. This was embodied in the convention of ISIS. By a convention concluded at London. August the two governments agreed to extend indefinitely the stipulation of for joint occupation. with the reservation that the con vention was subject to abrogation after Octolier 20. 1828, by either party giving twelve months' notice. During the administration of ['resident
Tyler negotiations for the permanent settlement of the dispute were carried on between Secre tary of State Calhoun and the British Minister l'aketilmin, who offered to accept the 49th paral lel as far as the Columbia River. and from thence onward the Columbia River itself. as the boundary. The Government of the United States declined to accept this proposition. as well as a proposition to submit the question to arbitra tion. The American public., moreover. was very insistent that no essential rights be waived. and the popular opposition to the making of any concession gave rise to the political watchword. "Fifty-four forty, or fight." Natters thus stood when the Presidential election of IS4I occurred. The Democratic Party, in its national platfo•nm, asserted the right of the ['oiled States to the whole of Ori.gon. and won the election partly on this issue. Notwithstanding this emphatic position of the party, the new Administration resumed the negotiations, offering substantially the same proposition as Calhoun had offered. This was refused by the British Government, whereupon negotiations were broken off, The President formally withdrew the proposal and re asserted our "rightful claim to the whole of Ore gon." pril, 1S46,Congress authorized the Presi dent at his discretion to give the notice required by the convention of 182: for its abrogation, and this was accordingly done. Finally the dispute was amicably settled by a treaty concluded in July following 11846), by which it was provided that the boundary line should be the 49th paral lel to the middle of the channel which separates Vancouver's Island from the continent, and thence southerly through the channel, and the Straits of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific. Ocean. the Ins igation of the channel and straits to remain free and open to both parties. A subsequent dispute between the two governments as to the meaning of the provisions in respect to the chan nel was referred to the German Emperor 1871 as arbitrator. Ile decided the following year in favor of the American claim. See Sac JUAN BOUNDARY DISPUTE.