Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-19

49,
In the partof the peninsula from the of
tam colonsts are not permitted :, settle the Ter
ro for eas coast the branches Of the Rio Bacaar
Rio Hondo All this country remains uninhabited will
the exception Of the military post [prcsdo of Salamanca
And on the map of Humboldt the British settlement
are included in the peninsula of Yucatan.
The next work to which refer is that Of the celebrated
French geographer 1.-THE greatest of the age Matte Bn
printed at Paris in l847 p 1875 from which make IA,
/ following extract:
CoLoS1E ASGLAIsESur 10 territore de. lancien 6ta
Mexican fucatan les Angla posseden Pembouchure dc
la Belize ryiee qui jee dams Ia bale de Honduras
coonie composeo de 1000 habitans Ellie porte le dc
eulonie de Honduras Son chef lieu est Belize petite willie
port ut aPendroit on la rvierc de etc
dams lie mer."
Having thus described the British settlement as Bril-
fish colony in the ancient State Of Yucatan, in Mexico
the Belize river which emptes into the bay of Hondu-
ras which British colony is called the colony Of Hondu-
ras NJ Malte-Brun says p 740, that the ancient cap
America, is bounded the guy Of Honduras and the bay
of Mosquitoes In the 3D. volume of the American edition
of 1927 p sol, Aae-Brnn speaks of the peninsula of
Yucatan, the intendency of Merida" and says:
Eve have distinguished maps under the name Of
ENGLISH YucATAs that part Of the peninsula which lies the
south Of the river Honda Hondo and of the Spanish militia
ry post of Salamanca
/ Domingo Juanos spanard, in his History of Qua
tcmaa" says that the jurisdiction Of The Royal Auden-
and Chancery Of Guatemala extended along the At
lantic from The coast Of Belize IN The bay of Honduras to the
Escudo dc yeraguay."
In the Sd volume of the London Encyclopedia, page
49, we find that
Belize river in the peninsula of Yucatan South Anne
rica which falls the bay Of Honduras latitude 40 So
n On its banks and to the extent Of 200 miles up the
stream the English cut mahogany and by the treaty OF 1888
right was guaranteed to British subjects of cutting and
yng away ogwood in the district between this river and the
Rio Hondo Beyond the oftheir operation the Belize
very mperfcctly known"
/ Again
Belize a seaport town Of Yaeataa South America is an
establishment chiefly composed OF English settlers at the
mouth Of the above riyer.'-I6fd.
could fill volume with British authorities describ
ing, various periods during the last hundred years.
their settlements in Honduras being in Mexico Yu
catan. The committee avoided all these and their re-
port declares that respect for the State of Guatemala
requires of this Government to recognise the boundaries
she has prescribed for herself at least until they
cessfully conroverted by those errtoraly Interested
Why did not respect for Great Britain equally require Of
this Government recognise the boundaries she has pre-
scrbed for herself, at least equally refer to her
claims? With her we have existing treaty of peace
amty, and commerce, and yet British authorities
referred to for the purpose of showing her preensons
although so much more easy of access shall not dwell
upon them but having cited the French and Spanish
thorities shall conclude my review Of the report by
fering to some of the leading American authorities
the subject.
Darby informs us that " Belize is river of North Anne
rica in Yucatan and its banks the English have their
principal settlements for cutting mahogany" &C.
The :" Encyclopedia Americana" defines Belize
seaport Of Mexico, in Yucatan at the mouth of the river
Belize and says is the only settlement belonging to
the British the coast The character Of Francis Lei
Der, the editor, of science be stated by the
Senator's from South Carolina.
In the Encyclopedia of Geography by Hugh MUIR
ray, revised by Bradford, published in 1887 page 32S
the author after speaking of Merida and Campeachy
the western side Of the peninsula of Yucatan, Says On
the other side OF the peninsula of Yucatan the British pos
the settlement of Honduras extending along the shore
from the Rio Hondo to the Liburn."
have time to cite other geographical works to which
could readily REFER but may be permitted to quote the
instructions given by my immediate predecessor, Mr..
Buchanan, who as think, qualified to judge of this
mlp M &c o. 10
june S4S describes the country coded by the treaties Of
1888 and 1885, when referring the British encroach-
mens, as the present Brihd prociHce Of the Belize,
and as the established British colony Of the Belize" to
which he, under the direction Of Mr. Polk appointed
consul thus directly recognising the colony British
colony long before the treaty OF the 4th of july 1850,
and still longer before the 18th Of February 1853 when
this committee declared that the whole territory was in
Central America. If it So why did Mr. Polk and
Mr.. Buchanan seek and obtain the erequar for Mr..
Hampstead Consul at the Belize from the British
Government and not from Guatemala If there had been
any foundation for the decided opinion Of this commit
tee, the adopted by Mr.. Polk and Mr..
Buchanan direct insult 10 Guatemala? And why did
the members of this committee who show respect
for the rights of Great Britain and refuse to quote
her pretensions to the territory relying they have
done, exclusively upon the mere claims Of Guatemala,
then pass in silence all that done by Mr. Folks
administration acknowledging the domain to be in Great
Britain by asking her consent to the consulate at Belize
now leave those gentlemen who confident that
British Honduras in Central America the 9th day
Of January last and who said they would not have voted
for the treaty they had not believed there TO the
enjoyment Of their own reflections.
Mynext object vndcate the treaty which received
the Of forty-wo Senators against ten To do this
shall review the history Of the principle which it was
negotiated.
The principle which for twenty years has governed all
the negotiations of the American Government the
great of ineroceanic communication between
the Atlantic and Pacific tho sthmus which divides
North from South America, suggested by unani-
Of the Senate in Executive session, the 81
day Of March, 1885 The resolution then adopted by the
Senate is in the following words:
esored the President Of the United States be respect
fully requested consider the expedency Of opening negoa
tons with the Governments of other nations and particularly
with the Governments Of Central America and New Granada for
the purpose eecuay protecting by suitable treaty spu-
laons with them, such individuals companies may
dcrtako open communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans by the construction Of ship canal tho
shmus which North and South America and Of
curing for ever by such stpulaons free and equal right
Of navigating such canal TO all such nations the payment
Of reasonable tolls may be established 20 compensate
the capitalists who may engage in such undertaking and com
pete the work"
This resolution was at the time debated by Daniel
Webster, John Forsyth and myself 1t had long been
cherished object with procure communication
the sthmus which would bring this country nearer
to the territories the Pacific and draw the treasures OF
that mighty ocean, with its thousand fertile ana pro-
ductiye islands, into the ports Of the United states
thought then and still think that the opening OF sncn
passage of paramount importance not only 10 my
own country but to all others and that even II IN com
pletng such work, fifty hundred millions OF uoiarS
(aye one-half the money vanly expended IN attempting
to discover northwest passage) should DC expenaed
would be cheaper outlay and render more dement's anu
blessings to the world than equnl expenditure IN any
other enterprise that had been could be under
taken by introduced the resolution Just eighteen
years ago last Friday and on the next day Congress ad