No. 17.
Mr. Everett to Mr. Upshur.
Sir: By the steamer of the 16th October, I had the honor to receive your despatch No. 62, inclosing a full power from the President to treat with this government for the adjustment of the Oregon boundary, and containing your instructions on that subject. I lost no time in applying for an interview with Lora Aberdeen, [Page 29] and saw him the first day of his return to town. On apprising *him of the disposition of the President to open a negotiation on this subject at London, Lord Aberdeen informed me that such an arrangement would have been altogether agreeable to him if somewhat earlier made, and reminded me that he had very often, in the course of the last winter, expressed the wish that the President would authorize me to treat on the subject. He had, however, lately come to a conclusion and taken a step that made it necessary to treat upon the subject at Washington: this was the recall of Mr. Fox and the appointment of a successor. Among the grounds for adopting this measure, was the belief that there would be decided advantage in putting the management of this subject into new hands, and consequently that had been and would be assigned as a leading reason for the contemplated change. This course, he said, had not been resolved upon till they had entirely given up the expectation that I should be authorized to treat on this subject.The negotiation transferred to Washington. [17]
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A. P. Upshur, Esq., Secretary of State.