boundary line "which extends from the source of the river St. Croix directly north to the abovementioned northwest angle of Nova Scotia, thence along the said highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; thence by a line due west on said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy," had not yet been surreyed, it was provided that for these several purposes two commissioners should be appointed, one by His Britannic Majesty and one by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, who should be sworn impartially to examine and decide upon the matters submitted to them according to such evidence as should be laid before them on the part of His Britannic Majesty and of the United States respectively. It was further provided that the commissioners should meet at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and that they should have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they should think fit; that they should have "power to ascertain and determine the points above mentioned, in conformity with the provisions of the said treaty of peace" of 1783, and should "cause the boundary aforesaid, from the source of the river St. Croix to the river Iroquois or Cataraquy, to be surveyed and marked according to the said provisions;" and that they should "make a map of the said boundary, and annex to it a declaration under their hands and seals, certifying it to be the true map of the said boundary, and particularizing the latitude and longitude of the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, of the northwesternmost head of Connecticut River, and of such other points of the said boundary as they may deem proper." This map and declaration the contracting parties agreed to consider "as finally and conclusively fixing the said boundary." But, in the event of the commissioners differing, it was provided that they should make, jointly or separately, a report or reports to their governments, stating in detail the points of difference and the grounds on which their respective opinions had been formed; and the contracting parties agreed to refer the report or reports to some friendly sovereign or state for final decision. It should be observed that the "point of the highlands" designated as the "northwest angle of Nova Scotia," and the point designated as the north Appointment of westernmost head of Connecticut River, were treated as matters to be "ascertained and determined,” while the establishment of the rest of the line was treated as a mere matter of surveying. As commissioner on the part of Great Britain George III. on September 4, 1815, appointed Thomas Barclay, who was by the same commission constituted the representative of Great Britain also under Article IV. relating to the islands. On the part of the United States President Madison appointed as commissioner under Article V. Cornelius P. Van Ness. His commission, issued by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, bears date April 3, 1816. Mr. Van Ness, who was a native of New York, was at the time of his appointment a citizen of the State of Vermont, of which he subsequently became chief justice and governor. During the administrations of Jackson he was minister to Spain, where he concluded the convention of February 17, 1834, for the settlement of claims. Meeting of Commissioners. As the commissioners under Article V., like those under Article IV., were required to hold their first meeting at St. Andrews, Mr. Barclay, who was a commissioner under both articles, arranged for the assembling of both commissions at the same time. He met the United States commissioners, Messrs. Holmes and Van Ness, at Portland, in Maine, from whence they sailed September 17, 1816.2 Arriving at St. Andrews on the 22d, they held their first meeting on the following day. The commissioners under Article V. were sworn by Mr. Justice Mackay in the same form as the commissioners under Article IV.3 Choice of a Secretary. British Agents. The commissioners under Article V. chose Henry H. Orne, a citizen of the United States, as their secretary, at an annual salary of £500.* As agent on the part of Great Britain Ward Chipman appeared, and exhibited as his authority a letter in the same form as that which he produced as agent under Article IV. The difficulty was settled in the same way, by the subsequent production of a commission issued by George III. on the 24th of January, 1817, appointing Ward Chipman and Ward Chipman, jr., to act, 1 Supra, p. 48. 2S. Ex. Doc. 97, 20 Cong. 2 sess. 3 Supra, p. 52. 4 MSS. Dept. of State. jointly or separately, as British agents. At the first session of the commissioners no agent appeared on the part of the United States. Adjournment of Commissioners. On the 24th of September 1816 the commissioners after a two days' session adjourned. Not only had the surveyors not arrived, but the season was too far advanced to begin surveying for the year; and as the first work required of the commission was to have explorations and surveys made of the practically unknown wilderness through which the line was to run, and as it was the opinion of the best-informed persons that, owing to the snows remaining in the woods and the streams being surcharged with water, the field operations could not be begun till the following summer, the commissioners adjourned to meet in Boston on the 4th of June, when the surveyors were directed to attend and receive such instructions and orders as might be thought necessary.2 The British foreign office, taking an even Difficult Nature of more simple view of the matter than the Questions to be De- negotiators at Ghent, pronounced the estab cided. lishment of the whole of the northeastern boundary "a mere operation of survey," in regard to which it was not necessary to give the British commissioner any "specific instructions.” 3 The British commissioner, however, was better informed. While the running of a line due north from the source of the River St. Croix was, he said, " certainly a simple operation," yet it was very doubtful whether highlands such as would satisfy the treaty of 1783 would be found on running that line; nor was he, he added, less apprehensive, admitting that such highlands were found, that a difficult question would arise with respect to what stream constituted the northwesternmost head of Connecticut River. These difficulties removed, the execution of the remainder of the line would be plain and easy; but he feared that one or both of the points above mentioned would “prove insuperable to the Commissioners, and that recourse must be had to a reference, on the reports of the Commissioners, to some friendly sovereign or 1 MSS. Dept. of State. Supra, p. 53. 2 MSS. Dept. of State. 3 Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Barclay, September 14, 1815, Rives's Correspondence of Thomas Barclay, 368. State; or some amicable adjustment of the line take place between his Majesty and the United States." The forebodings of the British commissioner proved to be more than well founded, for the difficulties that arose before the boundary was adjusted comprehended even the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude. Reassembling of On the 4th of June 1817 the commissioners pursuant to their adjournment met in BosCommissioners: ton, where William C. Bradley, of Vermont, American Agent. appeared before them as agent on the part of the United States, with a commission from President Madison dated Febuary 7, 1817. After conferring for several days, the agents Commencement of on the 9th of June jointly presented to the Surveys. board a draft of instructions for the surveyors of the respective governments. This draft was, after some amendment, approved; and on the 14th of June the commissioners adjourned to meet on the 5th of the following May in New York, unless they should in the mean time fix another day and place of meeting. The American commissioner desired that the ascertainment of the boundaries should begin at the River Cataraquy on the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude. This proposition was, however, opposed by the British commissioner, who was instructed to delay the astronomical observations till a gentleman for that particular service arrived from England. It was therefore decided to begin operations at the source of the St. Croix, and for that purpose two parties of surveyors were sent out with chain bearers and axmen, one to press forward to endeavor to discover the highlands and the other to proceed by actual admeasurement.3 The former party was under the charge of Colonel Bouchette, as chief surveyor on the part of Great Britain, and Mr. Johnson, as chief surveyor on the part of the United States. missioners at Burlington. Instead of meeting at New York, the comMeeting of the Com- missioners by agreement held their next session at Burlington, Vt., on the 15th day of May 1818, it having become necessary that a meeting should be held at St. Regis on or about the 1st of June for the purpose of commencing the survey of the line 1 Mr. Barclay to Lord Castlereagh, August 12, 1816, Rives's Correspondence of Thomas Barclay, 371, 375. 2 MSS. Dept. of State. 3 Rives's Correspondence of Thomas Barclay, 379–381. between the rivers Iroquois and Connecticut.' As the Messrs. Chipman, the British agents, had not yet arrived from New Brunswick, the board adjourned to the 18th of May, when they appeared. Several days were spent in the adjustment of accounts. Meetings at Montreal and St. Regis. On the 23d day of May Mr. Orne resigned the post of secretary and Ward Chipman, jr., was made secretary pro tempore. On the 29th of May the commissioners met at Montreal, and they subsequently held several meetings at St. Regis, but the work of the commission was somewhat delayed by the late arrival of Mr. Hassler2, the chief astronomer on the part of the United States, who had been ill. Appointment of New On the 12th of June the commissioners appointed Robert Tillotson as secretary, in place of Mr. Orne, and adjourned to meet at New York on the 30th of November. Change in Secretaries. Before that day arrived it was ascertained Meetings at New that the astronomers and surveyors could not York and Boston: be ready to report, and the reassembling of the board was postponed till May 3, 1819. On that day the board met in New York; but, as the surveys were not yet completed, the commissioners after holding several sessions and issuing fresh instructions to the surveyors adjourned to meet at Boston on the first Monday in May 1820. By an agreement modifying the order of adjournment, the board next met at Boston on the 11th of May instead of on the first Monday in that month. Samuel Hale was appointed secretary in place of Mr. Tillotson, who had resigned to accept the district attorneyship of the United States for the southern district of New York, and on the 2d of June the board adjourned to meet at New York on the 23d of the following October. This meeting was subsequently postponed till the 23d of November. Completion of Surveys: Meeting in New York. On the 25th of that month the board decided that no further surveys were necessary, and ordered the agents to attend at the next meeting prepared with their arguments; and on the 27th of November the board adjourned to meet again in New MSS. Dept. of State. 2 Ferdinand R. Hassler, the first Superintendent of the Coast Survey of the United States. |