The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-08 00:00:00

Lrt ;anded

Apply to

—r-
To-stoissow, th
Quay, east Pi d

fIT PIS

AFT I

CE TO TIM

HOLME and,SLATER•S next

Lnd Hondu as - -
a ROSEWOOD, Hondur

WOOD, SATINWOOD, tr,c-

interpretation to be put upon the wording of
the treaty. It is rather late in the day for nations
to be at loggerheads about the meaning of the
language used by their servants in State docu-
ments. If a man, in the ordinary affairs of life,
intends what he writes to have a retrospective, or
prospective effect, he finds no difficuly whatever in
expressing his meaning; and that diplomatists
cannot do this does appear most strange. There
was nothing to which the treaty in question related
which might not have been written in language
as intelligible as that employed in a bill of
exchange. And yet we find ourselves at the end
of six years, wrangling with a people as enlightened
as ourselves, about the interpretation of an inter_

national instrument.
It is probable that when the treaty was drawn
up that its importance was not seen by either of
the contracting parties. And that while England
set no value on her Central American possessions
the States eared still less for their newly acquired
footing in Nicaragua. But this, assuming it to be a
fact, will not justify the short-comings of diplomacy
Both Sir HENRY L. BIILIVER and Mr. CLAYTON
ought to have conveyed what they meant to the
paper they signed. This they did not do, for a
rider or declaration was added to the treaty at

the time of its ratification, in which, according to
Mr. CLAYTON'S recent speech in -Congress, it is
distinctly declared, " that the Belize and its De-
" pendencies were exempt from the treaty." If
this supplementry document be really in existence,
what could Lord JOHN RUSSELL have been think
ing of when he wrote his memorable despatch dated
the 19th of January, 1853, in which he says—" Our
4' policy is to do all that honour and humanity
" require on behalf of the Musquito nation. But
"we intend to adhere strictly to the treaty of
Washington of the 19th of April, 1850, and not to
assume any sovereignly, either directly or indirectly,
" in Central America." This communication, coming
from the noble lord at the above date, shows the

construction the Government of this country put
on the treaty in 1853. And Lord JOHN'S despatch
is as binding on Great Britain as the treaty itself.

Adhering strictly

to the treaty of 1850, and

leclaring our determination not to assume any
iovereignty, either directly or indirectly, in Cen-
ral America, is a distinct renunciation of all pre-

ntisting, as well as prospective rights to territories
n the regions specified. And here we discover
the change which has recently taken place in what
Lord JOFIN RUSSELL called " our policy." We
wisely limited our pretensions in Central America
in 1853, to " honour and humanity." But now we
go forth to claim the Belize and its dependen-
cies, and a great deal more, and set up claims
to sovereignty in Central America, both directly
and indirectly. We cannot have possessions on
the American Continent and not assume sovereign
control over them ; and how can we attempt to do
this with Lord JoHN RUSSELL'S declaration before
our eyes? A final and unmistakeable interpreta-
tion has been given to the treaty by the British
Government, and we are bound by it in the eyes
of the world ; and we can scarcely be surprised at
the American Senate's feeling considerable irri-
tation at being asked to refer a question to arbitra-

tion, after we have been our own arbitrators,
and have formally recorded our decision. It may

be said that Lord JOHN'S despatch was prospective
and retrospective, that the words " not to assume
" any sovereignty" has reference only to the future.
But this would be nothing more than quibbling,
and the sooner we take a more dignified and

straightforward course, the better it will be for

all parties

Influential Americans, and they aro not a few in
number, contend that there is nothing in the
treaty to submit to arbitration. They adhere

to the wording of that disputed archive itsalf,

and in which they

The

find these words
governments of the United States and Great
Britain, hereby declare that neither the one nor
the other will ever occupy, or fortify, or assume,
or exercise any dominion over Nicaragua, Costa
' Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part of Central
" America." There is certainly nothing here to
refer to arbitrators. It would be impossible for
language to be more distinct, and how the Belize
and its dependencies could be exempt from such
stipulations without subverting " our policy," as laid
down in our official dispatches, nearly three years
after the treaty had been put in force, we cannot
comprehend. The RIISBS LL Cabinet must have been
aware of the existence of the exemption contained in
the rider to the treaty, when Lord JOHN declared it to
be the policy of Great Britain merely to do all that
honour and humanity demanded on behalf of the
Mosquito nation, and not to assume any sove.
Central reignty, either directly or indirectly, in