Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/188

 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPER

178

McLane's reply reporting the conversation with Lord Aberdeen; and the formal notes relating to the propositions for arbitration. 10

McLane, meantime, had been

active in

London, although reported the British disapproval of Pakenham's rejection of Folk's offer, a disapproval, he said, which all classes expected to have weight with the always acting informally.

11

He

American government in disposing it to a favorable reception of further overtures which might be made for resuming negotiations. This had been indicated in Parliament 12 as well as in official circles outside.

the British

On

the basis of this disposition of that the last American

Government McLane urged

proposition be taken as the starting point for a final adjustment, allowing joint occupancy and free navigation of the

Columbia for a period of from seven to ten years longer. Better terms than these, he thought, were not to be obtained. To this suggestion Buchanan was directed, after a full Cabinet 13 to reply to McLane that the President would condiscussion, sent, though reluctantly, to present to the Senate for advice a 49 degrees to proposition on the lines indicated by McLane the sea and then the straits, but the matter of free ports must be omitted if the tip of Vancouver's Island were yielded,

although they might stand

if

49 degrees without deviation were

adopted.

-

,

^^TJ

"There is one point on which it is necessary to guard, whether the first or the second proposition should be submitted by the British government. The Strait of Fuca is an arm of the sea, and under public law all nations would possess the same right to navigate it, throughout its whole length, as they now have to the navigation of the British Channel. Still, to prevent further difficulties, this ought to be clearly and distinctly understood."

These

indications, sufficiently plain to us in studying the Polk was going to submit a compro-

period at a later date, that

XV, 332. For war preparations see Chap. XI McLane to Buchanan, 3 Feb., Sen. Doc. No. 489.

10 Globe, it

below,

t

12 3 Hansard, 83; 9 seq. 13 Polk, Diary, I, 244-5. VI, 377-83.

Buchanan

to

McLane, 26

Feb.,

Works of Buchanan,