In 1823, the United States and Britain were in a dispute over the boundary between upper Canada and the United States. According to the treaty of Ghent, the eastern boundaries up to Lake Superior were to be completed first. When the British commissioner awarded Barnhart's island to the United States, commission work on the border west of Lake Superior came to a halt, and the legislatures of Upper Canada along with the Hudson Bay Company refused to grant the United State free trade on the St. Lawrence.
As part of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, work began to define the Northern Boundaries of the United States with that of British Canada. According to Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty of Ghent, surveying of the St. Lawrence River was to be done from St. Regis New York to the western edge of Lake Huron first, and then move on to the area west of Lake Huron, from Lake Superior through present-day Minnesota. Britain named John Ogilvy of Montreal as their commissioner, while the U.S. named Peter Porter from New York to complete the work of Articles 6 and 7. The commissioners were to act as judges, not advocates of their respective country's wishes. Then in 1819, when John Oglevy suddenly died, Thomas Barclay whose family had deep connections with the Hudson Bay Company took the opportunity to recommend his youngest son, Anthony as the successor.
Barclay and Porter continued to work on Article 6 on friendly terms throughout 1820 and 1821. Work was slow but progressing and all that was remaining was to complete maps and formalize agreements. Meanwhile, Congress concerned over the budget was reacting negatively to the timeline of the survey commissions. So, as an incentive to complete their tasks quicker, they reduced the salaries for the government officials on the commission in half. Peter Porter was especially ticked off because his counterpart (and much younger) Anthony Barclay was still paid at the old rate. Yet, Porter stayed in his position and promised to finish the commission quickly. On June 21, 1822 at the Utica convention, Porter and Barclay had finally closed the Article 6 commission and began work with the surveyors on Article 7. Despite many signs that there would be conflict over the boundary west of Lake Superior, Peter Porter claimed "we have ever reason to believe that we shall complete the survey in the course of the [next] season". But at the end of 1822, the commissioner's failed to meet and instead sent out their surveyors independently relying on crews to coordinate their efforts as needed.
It seems that this due to a major disagreement centered around Barnhart's Island. Barnhart's Island was an island of over 2,000 fertile acres in the St. Lawrence river, in the state of New York. As part of article 6, Barclay had awarded Barnhart's Island to the United States, but the municipalities and legislature of Upper Canada argued that it should have been part of Upper Canada. Porter and Barclay had argued long and hard over Barnhart's island at the Utica convention in 1822, but Barclay decided to give up the island for sake of a peaceful settlement. Aside from being fertile land, the island also held an immense military advantage, but the main reason seems to be controlling navigation on the St. Lawrence. At the time, the Hudson Bay company enjoyed a monopoly on navigation of the St. Lawrence, and they refused to allow any other settlements on the river. It's not clear what role the Hudson Bay company played in it, but the Upper Canadian Legislature now refused to grant the United State's demand for free navigation on the St. Lawrence river.
It now becoming clear to both Congress and President James Monroe, that the boundary west of the St. Croix was progressing nearly efficiently nor satisfactorily. Reports from the last meeting of commissioner's were in complete disagreement, and now the free navigation on the St. Lawrence river was also at stake. In his 1823 State of the Union Address, Monroe was not yet ready to give up on the commissioner's work. He explained to Congress and the nation that it was not the boundaries that were most important, but the regulation of commerce. He would not forget the "the just claim of the citizens of the United States inhabiting the States and Territories bordering on the lakes and rivers which empty into the St. Lawrence [and] the navigation of that river to the ocean".
"The commissioners under the 5th article of the treaty of Ghent, having disagreed in their opinions respecting that portion of the boundary between the Territories of the United States and of Great Britain the establishment of which had been submitted to them, have made their respective reports in compliance with that article, that the same might be referred to the decision of a friendly power. It being manifest, however, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for any power to perform that office without great delay and much inconvenience to itself, a proposal has been made by this Government, and acceded to by that of Great Britain, to endeavor to establish that boundary by amicable negotiation.In 1824, President Monroe reported once again that the boundaries had not been agreed upon. There was some hope, Monroe said that the latest report received gave "good cause to presume that it will be settled in the course of the ensuing year. " I will keep my eye out as I read the words of John Quincy Adams to see if any more was said on this issue and will add an update a that time.
It appearing from long experience that no satisfactory arrangement could be formed of the commercial intercourse between the United States and the British colonies in this hemisphere by legislative acts while each party pursued its own course without agreement or concert with the other, a proposal has been made to the British Government to regulate this commerce by treaty, as it has been to arrange in like manner the just claim of the citizens of the United States inhabiting the States and Territories bordering on the lakes and rivers which empty into the St. Lawrence to the navigation of that river to the ocean. For these and other objects of high importance to the interests of both parties a negotiation has been opened with the British Government which it is hoped will have a satisfactory result.
The commissioners under the 6th and 7th articles of the treaty of Ghent having successfully closed their labors in relation to the 6th, have proceeded to the discharge of those relating to the 7th. Their progress in the extensive survey required for the performance of their duties justifies the presumption that it will be completed in the ensuing year, "settled in the course of the ensuing year". Stay tuned, I will keep my eye out as I read the words of John Quincy Adams.
"The commissioners who were appointed for the adjustment of the boundary between the territories of the United States and those of Great Britain, specified in the 5th article of the treaty of Ghent, having disagreed in their decision, and both Governments having agreed to establish that boundary by amicable negotiation between them, it is hoped that it may be satisfactorily adjusted in that mode. The boundary specified by the 6th article has been established by the decision of the commissioners. From the progress made in that provided for by the 7th, according to a report recently received, there is good cause to presume that it will be settled in the course of the ensuing year."When President John Quincy Adams, took office he noted that the commissioner's under article 7 of the Treaty of Ghent was nearly complete.
"The commissioners under the 7th article of the treaty of Ghent have so nearly completed their arduous labors that, by the report recently received from the agent on the part of the United States, there is reason to expect that the commission will be closed at their next session, appointed for May 22 of the ensuing year."http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29465
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466
Minnesota's Boundary with Canada: Its Evolution Since 1783 by William E. Lass (1980) pgs 40-44
Canada and the United States, 1815-1830 by David Richard Moore (1910) pgs. 88-95
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Hudson%27s_Bay_Company_express_canoe.jpg
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