The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-11
THIRTY-SECOND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.
MONDAY, January 10. 1885,

MIR. PEARCE SAID ne was not present on lnurs-
day last when the debate took place, or he would
then have replied to the remarks made by the Sen
ator from Louisiana. That Senator said that be
would never have voted for the treaty, nor would
any other Senator have done SO, had 1t been un-
derstood that it did not include all Central Anne
RIGA; and also inmaed that the Secretary of State
had not communicated to the President the condi-
ton annexed to the ratification by Great Britain.
He (Mr. PEARcE) for one would have voted for, the
treaty with that understanding, and did so vote
The documents now made public showed that he
was not alone in so understanding the treaty. He
was one of the many members of the Senate To
whom the Secretary of State had shown the draft
of the treaty, and he then understood il to mean
ss it appeared Mr. King and the Secretary of State
did.
Great Britain obtained a foothold in Central
America more than a hundred years ago. AS
early as 1853 Spain conceded to her the right to
cut certain dye.woods.
In 1888 further concessions were obtained from
the King of Spain and in this latter treaty are de-
scribed some OF the islands mentioned here. These
treaties with Spain gave to England certain spe-s
cial commercial privileges for limited time, but
Great Britain did not confine herself to the terms
OF the grant, but has gone on, doubtless making
encroachments upon the rights of Spain. HOSTILE
ties have several times broken out between the
Spanish American people and the British authori-
ties in Honduras. The British repulsed them, and
have since set up claim to these islands of title
by conquest. For nearly century Spain has re-
Taxed her claim 20 these possessions, or seemed to
very little about them, and Great Britain has
continued her possession, consolidated its power,
and has since then claimed and maintained do
Ininon over these islands. In 1886 the British au-
thorities issued proclamation formally declaring
the islands to be the possessions of England. In
1897 MIR. Polk appointed consul at the Belize,
who received his ersquGtw from the British gov
eminent. Thus this Government recognised the
British dominion over those islands.
The object of the treaty was not, as mas been
stated, to exclude Great Britain. It's object and
purport clearly set forth in the preamble to be
to establish an inter oceanic communication, and
that neither government was to exercise any
elusive power, &C., over the territory connected
with that canal. He read article from the Union
to show that the object of the treaty not mis-
understood at the time It was to make the terri.
tory in and about the canal neutral, and to exclude
Great Britain from exercising any command
control over it. He understood Central America
as named in the treaty to mean political Central
America, embracing within that description the
five States, Guatemala, Costa RIGA, Nicaragua,
Salvador, and Honduras. He considered the treaty
a excluding Great Britain from Central America,
as thus defined in its political sense, and that the
explanations of Messrs. Bulwer and Clayton in no
wise defeated that object.
He did not question the accuracy of Mr.. CAss's
statement of the conversation he had held with Mr..
King, nor could he doubt TO- moment the purity
or honor of Mr.. King But the health of the latter
gentleman was such now that it was known that
no conversation upon public subjects could now be
had with him, for it would require him to refresh
his memory upon events and circumstances occur
ring two years ago. But he felt confident that
that gentleman would ayouch the letter written
by him and published by Mr. Clayton.
Mr.. Clayton conceded nothing, and was guilty
of duplicity. He disclosed to Mr. King, the off,
cial organ of the Senate and to the President and
his Cabinet. He disclosed every thing to all those
to whom it would have been right to do SO. He
was authorized BY Mr.. Clayton to say that the ra-
tiications submitted to the President and his
Cabinet, and were approved by him and them.
His object in now speaking to show that the
Secretary of State had not imposed treaty on the
Senate with its objects and purposes not disclosed
He regretted to have heard the Senator from Cali
fornia say that he never knew Mr. Clayton to have
been connected with any public question that he
did not show excessive stupidity He did not be-
heve there was another Senator present who would
make such a statement He had always regarded
Mr. Clayton as a man OF remarkable acuteness
Mr.. SEWARD said On the 18th of April, 1850,
what is called the Nicaraguan Convention was
signed at Washington by Mr.. Clayton, then Sec
rotary of State. and Sir Henry BuIwer, then
minister here from Great Britain. AS approved
by the Senate, and signed by the negotiators and
transmitted to Great Britain, it contained among
others the following provisions, viz:
ARTICLE i. t'The Governments of the United
States and of Great Britain do hereby declare that
neither the one the other will ever obtain or
maintain for itself any exclusive control over the
said ship canal, agreeing that neither will ever
erect or maintain any Notifications commanding
the same, in the Uicinity thereof, occupy, or
fortify COLOMBO, or assume or exercise any do
minion over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito
either make use of any protection which, either
affords may afford any alliance which either
has or may have to or with any State people for
the purpose of erecting maintaining any such
Notifications, of occupying, ortifying, or colo
nizing Nicaragua, Costa RIGA, the Mosquito coast,
or any part of Central America, or of assuming or
exercising dominion the same nor will |
the United States Great Britain take advantage
of any intimacy any alliance, connex- |
ion, or influence that either may possess with any
State or government through whose territory the |
said canal may pass, for the purpose of acquiring
holding directly indirectly for the citizens or
so jects of the any rights advantages in re
gard to commerce or navigation through the said !
canal which shall not be offered the same terms
to the citizens or subjects of the other.''
ARTICLE 3. tfThe contracting parties in this CON
yention engage to invite every State with which
either both have friendly intercourse to enter
into stipulations with them similar to those which
they have entered into with each other, to the end
hat all other States may share in the honor and
of having contributed to a work of such
general interest and portance the canal here
IN contemplated. And the contracting parties ike
wise agree that each shall enter into treaty stipu-
atons with such of the Central american States as
hey may deem advisable, for the purpose of more
effectively carrying out the great design of this
namely, that of constructing and |
the said canal as ship communica-
ion between the two oceans Tor the benefit of man
kind, on equal terms To ALL and of protecting the
same" t--N ~ tuHp ~ f=s Fia3sH sra - /
ARTICLE g. nThe Governments of the United |
States and threat Britain having not only de5lred,
m entering into this convention, to accomplish |
pa rticuIar object, but also o4establish general
they hereby agree ito extend their pro-
lection by treaty stiputationso any other practiea
bic communications, whether by canal or railway,
across the isthmus which connects North and South
America, and especially to the inter-oceanic COM
should the same prove to be practical
bIe whether by canal or railway, which are now |
proposed to be established by the way of Tehuante
pee or Panama" .s4Es eas tsa@t .Eeaglsf'@ 5Ht |
On the 29th Of June, 1850, Sir Henry Bulwer gave
notice to Mr. Clayton that he was instructed to |
insist in ratifying the convention explanatory
that the engagements to neutral |
territory did not apply to her majesty's settlement
at Honduras and its dependencies. On the 4th Of /
July 1850 John M. Clay ton replied that the United
States also understood that those engagements did
not apply to British Honduras and its dependen-
cies And with these mutual explanations the
convention was ratified and the notifications were
exchanged. lo1 's 4
The British settlement at Hondur aud its de- |
consist of the town of Belize the
zoe At OF the caribbean sea, with tract of almost
barren and uninha bited country stretching inward
about fifty thousand square miles, and,
as is alleged of certain islands lying by in
that yea named Roatap, Bonacca, Utilla ,Barbarat
Helena and Moret, which territory and islands
are marked in all British maps 40 colonies of Great
Britain. 800 -a,g.,zs.f,gs
On the 18th of July, 1882 the British authorities
at 4 Belize issued proclamation, announcing