Surely the commissioners never could have foreseen any such result. The language of this portion of the treaty is as follows:

East by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source directly north to the aforesaid highlands which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean from those which fall into the river St. Lawrence, comprehending all islands within 20 leagues of any part of the shores of the United States and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part and East Florida on the other shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, excepting such islands as now are or heretofore have been within the limits of the said Province of Nova Scotia.

Upon the whole, the committee do not entertain a doubt of the title of the United States to the whole of the disputed territory. They go further, and state that if the General Government be not both able and willing to protect the territory of each State inviolate, then it will have proved itself incapable of performing one of its first and highest duties. They feel an abiding reliance, however, in the inherent sense of justice of the British Government. As soon as that Government shall become convinced that the disputed territory belongs to the United States, which they persuade themselves will be the case at no distant day, impelled by a desire of preserving inviolate the faith of treaties, it will hasten to relinquish its pretensions. In that event, the committee entertain not a doubt but that this long-contested and dangerous question may be settled to the mutual satisfaction of both Governments.

The committee will now proceed to make a very few observations on the second question proposed for discussion, which was, Does no other and more friendly expedient remain untried of bringing this long pending controversy to a conclusion than the passage of the bill which has been referred to them by the Senate? They are most happy to be able to answer this question in the affirmative. Anxious as they are to cultivate, by every honorable means in their power, the most friendly relations with Great Britain, it affords them sincere pleasure that the existing state of the negotiations between the two countries will justify them in forbearing to recommend the adoption of any measure on the subject by the Senate at its present session. Negotiation has not yet been exhausted. Although the committee are firmly convinced that the title of the United States to the territory in dispute is clear and unquestionable; although they acknowledge that the State of Maine has just reason to complain not only of the long and vexatious delay which has been experienced in settling this question, but of the assumption of actual jurisdiction by Great Britain over a portion of her territory, under circumstances well calculated, in some instances at least, to excite her sensibility, yet, from the known justice of that power, they still entertain a confident hope that the pending negotiation may be productive of the most happy results. The important preliminaries of a convention between the two Governments for the purpose of exploring and surveying the disputed lines of the treaty boundary have already been adjusted. In this state of the question it seems to them not advisable to withdraw the subject from the Executive, to which it more properly belongs, and direct the boundaries to be surveyed, the lines to be marked, and monuments to be erected thereon, under the authority of Congress. In their opinion, therefore, the bill referred to them, "to provide for surveying the northeastern boundary line of the United States, according to the provisions of the treaty of peace of 1783," ought not to pass.

Resolved, That should Her Britannic Majesty's Government, in violation of the clear understanding between the parties, persist in carrying its avowed determination into execution, and attempt by military force to assume exclusive jurisdiction over the disputed territory, all of which they firmly believe rightfully belongs to the State of Maine, the exigency, in the opinion of the Senate, will then have occurred rendering it the imperative duty of the President, under the Constitution and laws, to call forth the militia and employ military force of the United States for the purpose of repelling such an invasion, and in this event the Senate will cordially cooperate with and sustain the President in defending the rights of the country.

Resolved, That should the British authorities refrain from attempting a military occupation of the territory in dispute and from enforcing their claim to exclusive jurisdiction over it by arms, that then, in the opinion of the Senate, the State of Maine ought, on her part, to pursue a course of similar forbearance; and should she refuse to do so, and determine to settle the controversy for herself by force, the adjustment of which is intrusted, under the Constitution, to the Federal Government, in such an event there will be no obligation imposed on that Government to sustain her by military aid.

[See pp. 579, 580, 584, 599, 609.]

July 4, 1838.

[Senate Report No. 287.]

Mr. Buchanan submitted the following report:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to which was referred the "bill to provide for surveying the northeastern boundary line of the United States according to the provisions of the treaty of peace of 1783," have had the same under consideration and now report:

[See Senate Report 502, Twenty-fifth Congress, second session, p. 584.]

On the adjustment of the northeastern boundary Mr. Buchanan reported as follows:

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the resolution as to the adjustment of the northeastern boundary, report that they have had the same under consideration, and now deem it expedient to communicate to the Senate their reasons for not making, at the present moment, a general report upon the whole subject. They feel that they will best perform this duty by placing clearly and distinctly before the Senate the existing state and condition of the pending negotiations between the Governments.

The President of the United States, in his annual message of December last, informed Congress that "for the settlement of our northeastern boundary the proposition promised by Great Britain, for a commission of exploration and survey, has been received, and a counter