Star.
London, England, 1803-01-15 00:00:00

HONDURAS.

The report of a difference between this Govern-
ment and the Court of Spain, on the fubjed of the
Britifh Ellablithments at Honduras, is now very
generally credited.
Colonel BARROW, who is now gone out to take
the command of the Brian' Settlement at Hondu-
ras, is the fame Officer who, in the year 1798,
with Captain Moss, of the Navy, fence dead, re
pelled a very formidable attack of the Spaniards
under General O'Ns IL, confilling of a numerous
land force, and a flotilla of boats. But this ar-
mament was compelled to retreat with confiderable
lois. In confequenee of this nieces, the Brititb
boundaries were confiderably extended ; their
extenfion indeed was perfealy neceffary, for we
had fo cleared the country in our poffeffion of log-
wood, that any more which we wanted to procure
was got at fo great an expellee, on account of its,
&fiance from the coati, that it enhanced its coil
aimed beyond what it would bear. This being the
cafe, and having, by right of conqueft, acquired
fuch additional territory, and in fuch a favourable
fituation, that we could not only cut, but trail.
port it down the rivers to the coati, at a compara-
tively trivial expence ; it bee.terk an objea of the
greatelitnpoitance to have this additional acqui-
fition fecured is the Treaty of Peace.
To this end, the merchants at Honduras made
the proper reprcfentations to their.correfpondents
in London, and, in confequence of this, a deputa-
tion from the Committee of the principal mer-
chants of London, trading to Honduras, imme-
diately after the Preliminaries of Peace were
figned, waited upon Lord Hoaaar, one of His
tviajelty's Principal Secretaries of State, with a
memorial, reprefenting their fauation, and praying
that it might not be loft fight of, but receive
every requifite confirmation in the ufual form.—
Another deputation of the fame Committee,
waited alto upon Lord HAMICISSURY, with ano-
ther memorial to the fame effed, while the Defi-
nitive Treaty was drawing up, and long befote it
was figned. The Britifh idiniftry cannot, there-
fore, plead ignorance on this important fubjea.
It is unfortunate, perhaps, that nothing was ai-
pnlated upon this fubjea in the Treaty aAmiens.
Re do not mean that by the omiWnn or by the
general abrogation of former Treaties, our right
to cut logwood in the Bay of Honduras is cancel-

led. But in negnciating with parties who were
extremely likely to cavil, ii would have ben wife
ro anticipate, as far as poffible, every ground ol
difputc. The French negotiated throughout, as
Lord BOLING ZROK E lays of them during the ncgn.
dation of the peace of Utrecht, " like Pedlars, or,
what is work, like Attornies." It was neeelfiry,
therefore, to bind them down like pettifoggers who
wilted to take advantage of every flaw.
But regretting that there precautions were not
employed, we :lan, with confidence, that the pre-
tenfions of the Spaniards to molelt our " eflablifit-
ment" at Honduras, are molt captious and un-
warrantable. It is true, that in treaties of peace,
as in all other pofitive contralls, obligations not
fpecified arc not to be eatily prcfumed. But treaties
that have once elated, though not perpetual in
all their ftipulations, have, and ought to have,
permanent confequences. The Rate of polfeflion
in Europe is, in a thouland ways, the effect of ed
lions, exchanges introduced by treaties no longer
in force. The very ad of a new treaty, between
States at lean, ratifies and confirms the Rate of,
poffeflinu in things not altered. It is only the new
cellions, the new Rate of polfellion, that becomes 1
the fubjed of convention. Trinidad is ceded by
Spain, by the Treaty of Amiens. Our rights to
cut wood, &c. in the Bay of Honduras, a thing of
lets value, perhaps, than the Wand ceded, are not
mentioned, but arc they, therefore given up ? Had
Spain deprived us of that poffellion during the war,
and if no flipulation had been made in the Treaty
of Amiens for reftoring it, there might have been
fume pretext for fuppcfing that the right was
wholly extinguifhed. But this was not the cafe.
We continued in full pofferion of every thing we
had previoufly enjoyed. That poffcflion, fuels as
it exi Red, is confirmed, not abrogated, by the new
Treaty of Peace. Our rights to cut to wood in the
Bay of Honduras, therefore, Rand Mt where they
did. This principle is fo clear, that it is fearcely
neceffary to quote any authority for it. "
non-renewal of treaties," fays Meacv, " gives no
right to reclaim a domain which has been ceded ;
for," fays he, " the Treaty fubfequent to that
which is not renewed, eftablifhes the refpedive and
&dual Rate of the contrading parties; and it
would be a violation of that Treaty to attempt to
enter upon the poffeffions ceded by a preceding
Treaty, under pretence that it is no longer bind-
ing." The rule applies equally to fuch a right as
we formerly enjoyed, as to a right of abfolute
fovereignty.
It is clear, therefore, that fuppofing the right
of this country to cut In wood at Honduras had
been eflabliftied originally by the Convention of
the 14th of July, 1786, the lateß upon the tub-
jets, that right would be now as perfed and com-
plete as could be defired. Spain might juft as well
pretend that we have no right to Jamaica or Gib-
raltar, becaufe the Treaty of Madrid of 2667, in
which the pofigon of Jamaica is only recoghifed,
and the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, where Gib-
raltar is ceded, are not renewed. But, in fad, the
right of this country to cut wood at Honduras is
not fo much created as explained by Treaty. It
is a right clothed with a long polfeffion. As far as
we recoiled, the firft recognition of it is in the
Treaty of 1763, renewed in the Treats of 1781,
and explained by the Convention of t 786. It is
there mentioned, and always has been confidered
as fomething fhort of dominion or fovereignty.—
It is a fort of fervitude of a very real and fliblian-
tial nature ; and, after being fo long enjoyed, fo
repeatedly recognifed, it is iMpoffible for any
publicift to argue that it is abrogated by the filence
of the Treaty of Amiens. Indeed the argument,
we apprehend, goes very much in favour of this
country, if we are to admit general reafoning to
fix the nature and extent of our right. We do
not know that it might not very fairly be argued,
that by the filence of the Treaty of Amiens we
are in a better fituation than we were. We appre-
hend that our fervitude, our tolerance, our pre-
carious habitation (for we had not power to
build a fort or keep a garrifon. &c.) is converted
into a full and complete dominion, as far as con-
queft can confer it. We have remained in poffef-
fion during the war: we have built forts; we
have firengthened our potation. The Spaniards,
teeing all this, chafe to be filent at Amiens! Is
it to be prefumed, however, that by our flaw we
abandon an old conceited privilege, retained and
Rrengthened during the war ? The Spaniards, by
the Treaty, confirm general) all our puffeffions in
all parts of the world, not noticed and altered by
the Treaty of Amiens. They therefore acknow-
ledge our poffeifion as it Rood. If they are to
draw the point of Honduras into litigation, we
deny that they have a claim of right, or that we
are obliged to fue for an indulgence. Precedents
are in our favour. The Spaniards by the Treaty
of 1667 did not chute to cede foimally Jamaica,
which Caostwess had taken from them, but they
confirm generally our poffeffions. Could :hey
pretend, did they pretend, that after the conclufson
of the Treaty of 1667, they could have given our
fettlers in Jamaica a notice to quit ? Certainly not.
In the prefent cafe they have no more right.—
If they were difpleafed with our continuance at
Honduras, they ought to have Ripulated by treaty
for our removal. That they have not done. They
ought to be very glad if we agreed to hold
our rights to Honduras jull as they formerly Rood.
If they quarrel about the matter, Minifters ought
to give orders to ftrengthen our polition at Iron-
duras, fend out reinforcements, and bid the Spa.
niards defiance. This we are difpofed to think
mould be the courfe.

The cafe appears to be fo plain, that we fce no
reafon why the cavils of France (we cannot call it
Spain) fhould be treated with much deference.—
We have right, we have the power, and Bo-
AAAAA rs fhould be taught that he mull not domi-
neer when be has not the ability to att. There
are fifty chicanerie. of this fort in both the Indies,
and the bell way is to treat them in the beginning
with contempt, and to refill them with vigour.—
If Minillers accept the ellablifitment at Honduras
on the old footing, they will thew much sonde.
fcenfion. They ought to infifi peremptorily on our
right. and if they revert to the old footing, they
ought to obtain an equivalent. This tone would
Speedily bring the French and Spaniards to rearm