The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-01-12
rae BRITISH TITLE TO HONDURAS.

While the Clayton and bniwer negoua"o
was in progress, we frequently discussed i"
another paper, the origin OF the title upo"
which Great Britain relied, and repubi'she"'
from other sources, statements when +" va.
impossible TO conTovert, and when p.0'0o
their claim TO be utterly groundless. Every
psper. a, that day, was engaged IN 'he sumo
discussion a proof that the public certainty
conceived that TO be a main object OF the trea-
~. Asit was not touched upon, however, we
avail ourselves of an article N the New YORK
Tr;bune to refresh our memory and 10 pre-
sen, the case a second time 10 our readers.
According TO the Tribune, in the year lo42,
iu,e had believed that II was during the reign
Of Charles H. but the Tribune is doubtless
right,) the islands now in question were seized
by party Of English buccaneers, profound
peace, at the time, existing between Spain and
England, the latter country having been en-
gagged in the civil war which ended IN the de-
capitation Of Charles |. These formidable
freebooters had tner origin in a well-known
belief, on the part of English sailors, which
seems to have dated from the days OF the Ar
mazda, that there was always war with the
Spaniards in the tropics. To this occupation
by the buccaneers, the English government
which processes profound horror OF hllous
terng-traces its title. There might have
been some sense in such a claim had they
kept quiet possession, or had their title been
never interrupted But this was not the fac''
During one of her many wars with Spain'
the forces of Great Britain were expelled from
the country but, in 1742, she again took pos
session. the close Of that war, as well as
we recollect, or possibly at The general pacin-
cation in 1853, Great Britain agreed to evacu-
ale the islands and the whole coast OF Hondu-
ras. She did not comply with this engage
ment, however, and this was one OF the pre-
texts upon which Spain justified her forming
an alliance with France and the Colonies tnow
The United States) against her in 17S0. Ex-
pelled from one of the islands during that war,
al the peace in 1888, she agreed to abandon
the whole coast of Honduras, the Belize only
executed. There she was allowed to cut log
wood and procure other dye-stuffs. In 1886,
she bound herself still farther, by treaty, TO
abandon the coast, and actually did SO but in
1897. Spain having formed an alliance with the
French Republic, England seized the island OF
Ruatan, but was forcbly expelled. In 1914,
upon the general pacifcaton. Ferdinand VII,
feeling the value Of the services which had
been rendered him by Englan agreed TO re-
store things to the same condition that they
L AL of hat Is tn
England was allowed to occupy tire Belize, for
the express purpose of cutting logwood, and
for none other, as will presently appear, From
1897 until 1921, the Bay Islands were held in
undisputed possession by Spain. During that
wear, in consequence Of the revolution, they
were transferred to Honduras. In 1880, Rua-
tan was seized by the superintendent OF the
Belize but the act YVES disavowed by the
British Government 1t was again seized In
lS4I, and this time the act was not dlsavowed.
On the contrary, Mr. Chatfeld was directed TO
avow the act, and TO say that it was done in
compliance with orders from London. The
Tribune says the English are in treaty with
the Spanish Government al Madrid, in whom
they left the sovereignty OF the island in 1914,
60 as to secure their title as far as Spain can
secure it. In 1851, for the first time, the islands
were placed under the control of British ma
gistrates, and in 1852, they were erected into
d colony by the Queens proclamation under
the designation of the Bay Island Colony. A
more barefaced system of piracy, plumber, fill
clustering, or whatever it may be called, was
e 81. g, tLa cha,
reads lectures to others upon the immortality
of. fillibusterng.
The government of MIR. Polk recognised the
British claim of Honduras so far as to send
there a consul who obtained his erequatur
from the British government but we do not
conceive that that affects the question in the
least. By the Clayton-Bulwer treaty both
parties stipulated that neither of them would
occupy or fortify, or exercise any domion-
ION over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito
Coast. or any part of Central America"
Now these Bay Islands are part Of Central
America, and as the fact of their reservation
was not made known to the senate, (part of the
treaty making power,l such reservation we
hold to be utterly void. The whole affair seems
10 US basely fraudulent.
We take the following extract from the
treaty of 1874, Spain and England from the
Tribune:
"Although no other advantages have hither-
10 been in question except that of cutting wood
for dyeing, yet His Catholic Majesty, as a great
err proof of his disposition to oblige the King of
Great Britain. will grant TO the Eng lish the lib
erty of cutting all other wood, without except
ing even mahogany, as well as gathering all
the fruits or produce OF the earth purely natural
or uncultivated *** but it is expressly agreed
that this stipulation is never to be used as
pretext for establishing in that country any
plantation Of sugar, coffee, cocoa or other like
articles, or any fabric or manufacture by means
OF mills or other machines whatsoever, Ihis
restristion, however, does not regard the use
Ofsaw mills, tor cutting or otherwise preparing
the wood since oil the lands in question be.
ing indisputably acknowledged to belong TO
The crown OF Spain, no settlements of the
Kind, or the population which would follow.
could be allowed.
The E lgiish shall be permitted TO occpnv
the small island known by the name. of Cast.
ma, ST. Georges Key, or Cayo Casino. in con.
sideraiion OF the circumstances of thai MARI of
the coast opposite TO said island being looked
upon as sublectt TO dangerous disorder: I'm, this
permission is only TO be made use Of for mr..
poses OF utility; and as great abuses. no less
contrary 10 the Intentions of the British Gov
eminent than to the essential Interests of Sna;n
trA fta,A