States and Russia of Dec. 18, 1832, citizens of the United States enjoyed on the Russian coasts the same privileges of commerce as were secured by treaty to British subjects.

Questions between Great Britain and Russia, growing out of the ukase of 1821, were adjusted by a convention between those powers, signed at St. Petersburg Feb. 28 16, 1825. In regard to the rights of navigation and fishing, and of landing on the coasts, its provisions were substantially the same as those of the convention between Russia and the United States. It also defined the boundary between the British and the Russian possessions. As to commerce, it secured, for the space of ten years, the enjoyment of substantially the same privileges as were contained in the convention with the United States. These privileges were renewed by Art. XII. of the treaty between Great Britain and Russia of January 11, 1843.

"All the territory and dominion" possessed by His Majesty the Emperor of Russia "on the continent of America and Treaty of cession. the adjacent islands" were transferred to the United States, in consideration of the sum of $7,200,000, by the treaty signed at Washington March 30, 1867.

66

The treaty was communicated to Congress on the 6th of July, 1867, with a request for necessary legislation." The steps taken in the actual transfer of the ceded territory are set forth in the President's message of January 27, 1868. A copy of the treaty of cession, and of the correspondence relating to it, and other correspondence, with 'Information in Relation to Russian America,' including Mr. Sumner's speech, was communicated to the House on the 17th of February, 1868. The subject of the appropriation to carry out this treaty was discussed at length in the House." The act was at last

passed on the 27th of July."

Davis's Notes, United States Treaty Vol. (1776–1887), 1380; House Report
37, 40 Cong. 2 sess.; 15 Stats. 198.

In H. Ex. Doc. 177, 40 Cong. 2 sess., p. 12, there is a dispatch to Mr. Seward
from Mr. Cassius M. Clay, then minister to Russia, May 10, 1867, saying:
"I congratulate you upon this brilliant achievement which adds so vast
a territory to our Union; .. My attention was first called to this
matter in 1863, when I came over the Atlantic with the Hon. Robert J.
Walker..
He told me that the Emperor Nicholas was willing to
give us Russian America if we would close up our coast possessions to
54° 40'. But the slave interest, fearing this new accession of 'free soil,'
yielded the point and let England into the great ocean."

aS. Ex. Doc. 17, 40 Cong. 1 sess.

bH. Ex. Doc. 125, 40 Cong. 2 sess.

This document contains the report of Gen.

Rousseau, who was sent as agent to receive the transfer of the territory, together with

the schedules and agreements of the commissioners relating to such transfer.

C H. Ex. Doc. 177, 40 Cong. 2 sess., parts 1 and 2,

d Cong. Globe, 40 Cong., 2 sess,

At page 46 of the same document there is an article, reprinted from the New York Herald of April 29, 1867, in which it is stated that in 1854, during the Crimean war, the Russian Government, through Baron Stoeckl, formally proposed the sale of the whole of Russian America to the United States.

For a review of the proceedings in Congress on the passage of the act of July 27, 1868, see Magoon's Reports, 151.

For recommendations as to the government of the territory, see President McKinley's first and third annual messages, Dec. 6, 1897, and Dec. 5, 1899.

"My serious thoughts about acquiring Russian America were effectively reinforced by the letter which you wrote me in regard to the fisheries of that region in January, 1866."

Mr. Seward, Sec. of State, to Mr. Joseph L. McDonald, Steilacoom, Pierce
City, Washington Territory, Aug. 26, 1867, 78 MS. Dom. Let. 29.
"In your letter of the 26th ultimo you say that you have seen it stated in a
Sitka paper that 'the seven million that we were supposed to have paid
for Alaska was really given to Russia to pay the expenses of her friendly
naval demonstration made during the Civil War to counteract the supposed
hostile intention of England and France; that Russia's amour propre for-
bade her to receive and receipt for the money as paid for the above
services, but she ceded to us Alaska, which she no longer wanted, and it
was made to appear that Alaska was bought and sold.' You desire to be
informed of the correctness of the statements as you expect to deliver a
lecture on the subject of Alaska. In reply, I have to say that no con-
firmation of these statements is found on record in this Department.
Alaska was duly paid for and the receipt of the stipulated payment
acknowledged by Russia." (Mr. Rives, Assist. Sec. of State, to Mr.
Higbee, Jan. 5, 1889, 171 MS. Dom. Let. 244.)

See, as to the history of the negotiations, Scidmore's Alaska, 201 et seq. This
work states (p. 314) that the Alaska Commercial Company, from 1870 to
1884, paid the United States, under its lease of the seal islands, $4,662,026,
in amounts ranging from $262,500 to $317,000 a year.

By Art. III. of the treaty of cession, the inhabitants are guaranteed the "free enjoyment" of their religion. Under this stipulation, “members of the Orthodox Greek Church in Alaska enjoy the same religious freedom as do members of other religious bodies. Equality of treatment is all that can be fairly demanded, the treaty does not bind the United States to more."

Mr. Adee, Acting Sec. of State, to Mr. Breckinridge, Nov. 3, 1894, MS. Inst.
Russia, XVII. 285; Prince Cantacuzene, Russ. min., to Mr. Gresham, Sec.
of State, April 3, 1894, MSS. Dept. of State; Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State,
to Prince Cantacuzene, April 13, 1894, MS. Notes to Russia, VIII. 46.
See, as to the admission of certain wines for the Greek churches in Alaska,
Mr. Bayard, Sec. of State, to Mr. Endicott, March 17, 1885, 154 MS. Dom.
Let. 511, inclosing copy of a note from Mr. de Struve, Russ. min., of
March 12, 1885.

H. Doc. 551-30

Mr. Sherman, Secretary of State, in a note to the Russian legation of March 11, 1897, stated that the agent of the Treasury Department on the Pribiloff Islands would be instructed to permit the duly accredited representatives of the Greek Church in Alaska to land on those islands whenever they might so desire, subject to the discontinuance of the permission whenever, in the judgment of the resident agent, such discontinuance might be necessary to the best interests of the United States Government. The captains of revenue cutters would also be instructed to grant them free transportation between Unalaska and the islands, subject to the free movement of the vessels. It was stated, however, that the Treasury Department was not prepared to give a definite answer to the request that the priests be permitted to teach the gospel in the school conducted by the North-American Commercial Company under its contract with the Treasury Department, on Saturdays and Sundays, if not on other days in the week. (Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, to Mr. de Kotzébue, March 11, 1897, For. Rel. 1897, 436. See, also, Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, to Sec. of the Treasury, Feb. 7, 1898, 225 MS. Dom. Let. 295.)

Boundaries.

Of the territory thus ceded, the easterly boundary, as established by the convention between Great Britain and Russia of Feb. 28/16, 1825, and therefrom incorporated into the treaty of cession, is (the French being the official text, of which the English is merely a translation) as follows:

III. La ligne de démarcation entre les | Possessions des Hautes Parties Contractantes sur la Côte du Continent et les Iles de l'Amérique Nord Ouest, sera tracée ainsi qu'il suit:

A partir du Point le plus méridional de l'Ile dite Prince of Wales, lequel Point se trouve sous la parallèle du 54me degré 40 minutes de latitude Nord, et entre 131me et le 133me degré de longitude Quest (Méridien de Greenwich), la dite ligne remontera au Nord le long de la passe dite Portland Channel, jusqu'au Point de la terre ferme où elle atteint le 56me degré de latitude Nord: de ce dernier point la ligne de démarcation suivra la crête des montagnes situées parallèlement à la Côte, jusqu'au point d'intersection du 141me degré de longitude Quest (même Meridien); et, finalement, du dit point d'intersection, la même ligne méridienne du 141me degré formera, dans son prolongement jusqu'à la mer Glaciale, la limite entre les Possessions Russes et Britanniques sur le Continent de l'Amérique Nord Ouest.

III. The line of demarcation between the Possessions of the High Contracting Parties upon the Coast of the Continent and the Islands of America to the NorthWest, shall be drawn in the following

manner:

Commencing from the southernmost point of the Island called Prince of Wales Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes, North Latitude, and between the 131st and 133d Degree of West Longitude (Meridian of Greenwich), the said line shall ascend to the North along the Channel called Portland Channel, as far as the Point of the Continent where it strikes the 56th Degree of North Latitude; from this last mentioned Point the line of demarcation shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast, as far as the point of intersection of the 141st Degree of West Longitude (of the same Meridian); and, finally, from the said point of intersection, the said Meridian Line of the 141st Degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean, shall form the limit between the Russian and British Possessions on the Continent of America to the North West.

IV. Il est entendu, par rapport à la ligne de démarcation déterminée dans l'Article précédent:

1. Que l'île dite Prince of Wales appartiendra toute entière à La Russie:

2. Que partout où la crête des montagnes qui s'étendent dans une direction parallèle à | la Côte depuis le 56me degré de latitude Nord au point d'intersection du 141me degré de longitude Quest, sed trouverait à la distance de plus de dix lienes marines de l'Océan, la limite entre les Possessions Britanniques et la lisière de Côte mentionée ci-dessus comme devant appartenir à La Russie, sera formée par une ligne parallèle aux sinuosités de la Côte, et qui ne pourra jamais en être éloignée que de dix lieues marines.

IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding Article, it is understood:

1st. That the Island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to Russia.

2d. That wherever the summit of the mountains which extend in a direction parallel to the Coast, from the 56th degree of North Latitude to the point of intersection of the 141st degree of West Longitude, shall prove to be at the distance of more than ten marine leagues from the Ocean, the limit between the British Possessions and the line of Coast which is to belong to Russia, as above mentioned, shall be formed by a line parallel to the windings of the Coast, and which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom."

The line thus established has not been surveyed and marked, and, as to the section from 54° 40' to Mount St. Elias, there is a controversy as to where it should run. Great Britain, construing, according to the Canadian contention, the word "coast" so as to make it applicable to the adjacent islands rather than to the mainland, has claimed a considerable strip of territory on tidewater, together with numerous islands, in whole or in part. The United States, on the contrary, maintains that the coast whose windings the line is to follow is the coast of the mainland, and that the "lisière de Côte" is a continuous strip of the same coast. This position is based not only upon the text of the covention of 1825 but also upon authentic historical facts."

By a convention of July 22, 1892, provision was made for the coincident or joint survey, as might be found convenient, of this line. The time for the performance of the work was extended by a conven

a It was further provided by the British-Russian convention of 1825 (Art. V.) that neither party should form establishments within the limits thus assigned to the other, and specifically, that British subjects should not form any establishment, "either upon the coast, or upon the border of the continent (soit sur la côte, soit sur la lisière de terre ferme) comprised within the limits of the Russian possessions."

The Alaskan Boundary, by Hon. John W. Foster, National Geographic Mag., X. 425; the Alasko-Canadian Frontier, by Thomas Willing Balch (Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott, 1902); the Alaskan Boundary, by J. B. Moore, N. Am. Rev., vol. 169, p. 501. Correspondence, previously unpublished, showing incidentally the mutual understanding of Great Britain and Russia as to the line in the treaty of 1825, was disclosed in 1893, among the papers accompanying the British case before the tribunal of arbitration at Paris. (Fur Seal Arbitration, American reprint, IV. 365– 449.) See, also, Report of the Select Committee on the Hudson's Bay Company, 1857, pp. 140, 1391.

tion of Feb. 3, 1894, till Dec. 31, 1895. Surveys and reports were duly made."

By an exchange of notes October 20, 1899, by Mr. Hay, Secretary of State, and Mr. Tower, British chargé at Washington, a provisional boundary was established about the head of Lynn Canal, as follows:

"It is hereby agreed between the Governments of the United States and of Great Britain that the boundary line between Canada and the territory of Alaska in the region about the head of Lynn Canal shall be provisionally fixed as follows without prejudice to the claims of either party in the permanent adjustment of the international boundary:

"In the region of the Dalton Trail, a line beginning at the peak west of Porcupine Creek, marked on the map No. 10 of the United States Commission, December 31, 1895, and on sheet No. 18 of the British Commission, December 31, 1895, with the number 6500; thence running to the Klehini (or Klaheela) River in the direction of the peak north of that river, marked 5020 on the aforesaid United States map and 5025 on the aforesaid British map; thence following the high or right bank of the said Klehini River to the junction thereof with the Chilkat River, a mile and a half, more or less, north of Klukwan; provided that persons proceeding to or from Porcupine Creek shall be freely permitted to follow the trail between the said creek and the said junction of the rivers, into and across the territory on the Canadian side of the temporary line wherever the trail crosses to such side, and, subject to such reasonable regulations for the protection of the revenue as the Canadian Government may prescribe, to carry with them over such part or parts of the trail between the said points as may lie on the Canadian side of the temporary line, such goods and articles as they desire, without being required to pay any customs duties on such goods and articles; and from said junction to the summit of the peak east of the Chilkat River, marked on the aforesaid map No. 10 of the United States Commission with the number 5410 and on the map No. 17 of the aforesaid British Commission with the number 5490.

"On the Dyea and Skagway trails, the summits of the Chilcoot and White passes.

"It is understood, as formerly set forth in communications of the Department of State of the United States, that the citizens or subjects

a Mr. Adee, Acting Sec. of State, to Mr. Underwood, Aug. 3, 1897, 220 MS. Dom. Let. 56. The following documents, profusely illustrated with maps, relate to this part of the boundary: S. Ex. Doc. 143, 49 Cong. 1 sess.; S. Ex. Doc. 146, 50 Cong. 2 sess.

A treaty was signed Jan. 30, 1897, for marking that part of the boundary which follows the 141st meridian from Mt. St. Elias to the Frozen Ocean, but it has remained unratified. (Mr. Adee, Acting Sec. of State, to Mr. Underwood, Aug. 3, 1897, 220 MS. Dom. Let. 56.)