horized
to make a similar offer to those made in 1818 and 1826. Thus stood the
question when the negotiation was shortly afterwards transferred to
Washington, and on the 23d of August, 1844, was formally opened under
the direction of my immediate predecessor. Like all the previous
negotiations, it was based upon principles of "compromise," and the
avowed purpose of the parties was "to treat of the respective claims of
the two countries to the Oregon Territory with the view to establish a
permanent boundary between them westward of the Rocky Mountains to the
Pacific Ocean."

Accordingly, on the 26th of August, 1844, the British plenipotentiary
offered to divide the Oregon Territory by the forty-ninth parallel of
north latitude from the Rocky Mountains to the point of its intersection
with the northeasternmost branch of the Columbia River, and thence down
that river to the sea, leaving the free navigation of the river to be
enjoyed in common by both parties, the country south of this line to
belong to the United States and that north of it to Great Britain. At
the same time he proposed in addition to yield to the United States a
detached territory north of the Columbia extending along the Pacific and
the Straits of Fuca from Bulfinchs Harbor, inclusive, to Hoods Canal,
and to make free to the United States any port or ports south of
latitude 49 deg. which they might desire, either on the mainland or on
Quadra and Vancouvers Island. With the exception of the free ports, this
was the same offer which had been made by the British and rejected by
the American Government in the negotiation of 1826. This proposition was
properly rejected by the American plenipotentiary on the day it was
submitted. This was the only proposition of compromise offered by the
British plenipotentiary. The proposition on the part of Great Britain
having been rejected, the British plenipotentiary requested that a
proposal should be made by the United States for "an equitable
adjustment of the question." When I came into office I found this to be
the state of the negotiation. Though entertaining the settled conviction
that the British pretensions of title could not be maintained to any
portion of the Oregon Territory upon any principle of public law
recognized by nations, yet in deference to what had been done by my
predecessors, and especially in consideration that propositions of
compromise had been thrice made by two preceding Administrations to
ad