The Express.
London, England, 1856-07-31 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 31.

Aiznovo• the passage in the Qum's Speech cm
Central America dissipates the reports that Lord
CLAPANDON and Mr. Dsiaaa had actually concluded
a new Treaty on that much perplexed but really
very simple question, we are entitled to infer from
it that the negotiations are oonsiderably advanced.
Bach in point of fact is, we believe, the toss. Cop►-
menting the dismission with • sincere and hearty
desire to arrive at the only rational conclusion that
could tutor the minds of rionactientions and really
responsible negotiators, Lord CLAZINDON and Mr.
Dat.trs have not, it is understood, given themselves
much trouble about referring any of the points in
dispute either to a third power cc a board of scintilla
men, but have taken iato their own hands a settle-
ment of the whole question. For this purpose the
representative of a third state has been admitted
into their negotiations and deliberations, the Minister
of the Republic of Honduras, and his admission leads
irresistibly to the coselusion that Ragland, instead of
"scattering to the winds tbe Ciaprox-Boxvrxx Con-
vention, whatever the eonseqamicem." as a writer in

the BdiaburgA Borine recommends, is about to per
▪ the far .o esmible policy of transferring the
Bay Mande, which eh* does not went, to the State
of Holmium, which they pographisally and properly
bikes to.

In considering all geodes' atUnited States policy
the first thing is to clear the naiad al diplomatic cant,
and to deal with the matters before es as things to
be transacted in the plain and simple spirit of ordinary
business between man and man. What, then, was
the object of the CLAYTON-BMW= Coavestion P It
was to advance and to promote the construction of
an easy, a quick, and comparatively inexpensive route
from the Atlantic to the Pacific through Central
America, and to place its neutrality and freedom
when finished under the guarantee of Ragland and
the United States, and, if pomdble, of the rearidso
powers generally. Without some sue treaty as this,
the route will either never be sesstrested, or, if
°mistrusted, will be in the sole poesseelen and ander
the absolute coatrol of those who furnish the spirit
aid the mosey to mike it. Now, the specu-
lators in seek as enterprise are, it is pertain,
mach more likely to be citizens of the United States
than subjects of Clasen VICTORIA. To talk, then, of
oar " Nattering to the winds, whatever the woe-
gamine," the treaty of 1860, beano we cannot have
oar own way in settling those rather points which
have hitherto assisted in &lois, the peat work It
was negotiated to promote, is proposing to sacrifice
solid gain to viadietive silliness. Ueda: [avow, of the
Edinburgh Review, we will do nothing of the sort.
We will, on the contrary, oareelves adhere to the main
provision@ of the soeventies, and we will keep the
United States 'Wady to them as log as we possibly
can. If they will not meet us more than half way
in the settlement of existing disputes, that is one of
the very stroopat reasons we can have for holding
them baud faster than ever to those articles of the
treaty that guarantee the neutrality and the treaders
of the route by whomsoever and whensaiwir made.
We are not going to scatter to the winds that which
I. obviously of much greater value to England than
to the United States. To do anything so
absurd would be to play the American game,
and consign this great interoceanie route to
their control, perhaps to their monopoly. For,
great and valuable to England as it obviously is, this
I • country will enter into a oesapstidon with the
United States at whatever consegences " even for
the possession of that great highway between Europe
and Indio, China and Australia.
Keeping, th4n, the main provides@ of the treaty
of 1860 always before us, and regarding them as
fundamental arrangements between the two countries,
the English Cabinet ought in our opinion seriously
and energetically to take Into consideration
how it can practically advance this great
work. The notion of a great ship canal, winch pre-
vailed in 1850 when the treaty was coadaded, and
which consequently played the predosainaat part in
the treaty, may now be maid to be abandosed before
engineering difficulties and the poetess§ of the most,
Happily, however, with just prevision, the protectioa
of the two powers (and of all other powers which
give in their adherence) is, by the eighth article,
squally applicable to a railway as to a canal, and a
railway is now the favourite suggestion. The
lies proposed is through the State of Hon-
duras from Puerto Cabello to the Bay of
Fonseca. No doubt, the length of such a
railway would be math greater than the ship canal
propped through Nicaragua ; but if the cost of con-
struction can be kept within rssaoaable limits, a
little additional length in so rapid and certain a
miens of communication se a railway is not very
material. It is oleo certain that the State of Heade-
, roe is not one of the most settled or civilised of the
Central American republics ; but there is some ad-
; • vantage to Ragland in transferring the interocranic
P route from Nicaragua, when United States in-
fluence prevails and is likely to prevail, to Hal-
dane, with which" there is no reason why England
should not be on god terms; especially as the
draught of articles which the »presentative' of
Honduras in Europe have prepared for the con-
sideration of the English and other governments, and
pot into circulation, are in spirit all that sold be
desired, though occasionally their terms hardly carry
out their spirit to its full extent. With one railway,
from Aspinwall to Panama, already made ; with
• another line, as proposed, from Puerto Caballos to
the Bay of Fonseca; and with a third route of the
ordinary description across the Mexican Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, the commerce of the world would,
we may hops, receive such an impetus in this dine.
ties that at no distant date we might have a great
ship canal connecting the two oceans.
Bat a glues at the map will melees the most
ordinary observer that to secure the United Suites
support to such a railway through Honduras,
England most be prepared to divest herself of the
sovereignty of Rothe, Utile, and Senecas. It
may be that Belize did woe belong to the vice-royalty
of Yucatan, and not to that Spanish province in
which it was locally situated, the via-royalty of
Onstenials; and it is just possible that the Bay
Islands were dependencies of Belize; though in our
judgment the reverse of either pada= wee the
ease. Bat if we are to have a railway
serous the State of Honduras, this is vary clear,
that neither the United States nor Honduras can rest
satisfied with .tree' British military politicos both
to the right and the left of its Allende terminus,
Puerto Cabello. Yet such would be eke peddle of
things if we persist in oar present pretensions; there

we should be on the coast of Belize on the right, and
in Raritan ea the left, overlooking and commanding
Puerto Cabanas. The projection, thee, el this railway
through the State of Honduras makes it still more
imperative that Gnat Britain shoild retire on proper
terms from the ocespation of the Bay Island., and we
ere glad to find our leading contemporaries at
last prepared, or preparing, to sanction a retire-
ment which we for long stood alone in the Press in
recommending to her M.rirrit's Government, and
which we have every reason to hope Lord CLARINDON
will 'dyne his colleagues to urge on the Quzzit's
adoption. _ _ .

The zeal question ought not to be one of antiquarian
research, whether Belize did or did not belong to the
vice-royalty of Yucatan, and whether Bay Islands
were or were not dependencies of Belize. The world and
its affairs are past such inquiries. The inquiry which
all mankind is coocerned in is, how to get a neutral
and a free route made saws Central America. The
best contribution England can at present make
towards its solution is to hand the Bay Islands, on
terms compatible with its honour,and the protection,
safety, and good government of those who have on
British instigation settled there, over to the State of
Honduras; Honduras on its part giving to England
guarantees in respect of their population, and in
respect to the neutrality and freedom of the railway,
to promote which England makes so substantial a con-
tribetion. That roots woe accomplished and con-
struoted, and Oreytown established as a free port
and independent republic, under the protection
of the maritime powers, England will have
done more to promote and extend the commerce
and civilisation of the world than she could by per•
tinacionsly defending a defective title at Ruston, or
obstinately adhering to en obsolete protectorate over
Mosqaitia.
This, we have reason to believe, is the spirit io
which Lord CLAZZIIDON has met Mr. DALLAS, and
if that spirit be fatly and freely responded to by the
United States negotiator, we may reasonably antici-
pate that the disputes between England and America
will shortly be settled on a foundation in the stability
of which all the world will be interested; that the
concluding act of President Plumes Government
will go far towards saving it from final reprobation;
while England will have given the world a noble
example of moderation, and United States orators
be deprived for • lesson of the luxury of declaiming
against our grasping ambition.