The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-15
CONGRESSIONAL.
spEEoH OF HON. PIEaRE SO LIE,

OF LoUIsIANA,
q. ne Cayto~ and Bssoss treaty dsiusyea In tAx S.s
90 of rs Us.isd Ssuss. Wednesday,, Jan. ia. 1888
Mr. SOULE Wbea the other day this debate wac
ssspxnd,d was shout 10 state what occurrences had
Isns,ud in executive session upon the ratification OF
bs Clayton and bul~er treaiy But thought i, due TO
mysef not 10 pfocssd 10 d. until had ascertain Che
,snse OF the Senate the propety OF my audiag TO
ANYTHING that might pertain TO our secret
ssd the seni iy which has been ssinced since then
10 reference to his subject has but confirmed In the
aea that there vi d nm in the thought
roper pursue did moi appIshed indeed, thai any very
seous qqsnce mish result from such di closue
ori this, in most other instances, II will he
found that what IS kept most secret Is, when divuged,
hardly worth the hoDors OF mysery: And siil il
due perhaps those who voted. like me. 10 favor OF
bs treaty, that the which governed their votes
should 20 forth 70 the country.
/ stalled on Monday last what scrsples had induced
me to be what dissatisfied with the wording OF the
treaty, when il was first presented, informally, 10 my
consideration and how those scruples had been met, an
swered and removed yet the given
and my sssocsss that occasion could not dves me o
al aa1e,y concerning il and though rsposed the
unbounded confidence in the discretion and reserve OF
the then chairman Of the Committee on Foreign Rea-
lions, Mr. KIEG,l could not resist ibe temptation OF
calling again his attention to the questionable provisions
Of that treaty met him al his quarters. but few min
after an interview which he had had with Mr. Clayton
and be but renewed the which had former
ly given in relation TO the same.
When the treaty came before the Senate for rat6ca.
ton and stated in debate The difficulties and doubts
which had arisen in my mind this point; and though
nau determined 10 Oe kuueu IN lne vOte Wnlcn
about TO give-being myself comparatively young sen.
a,or-by the course which those whose wisdom and
perence were far above mine should pursue, felt IN
willing to keep back from the Senate the omnous i'm
pressions under which labored and well recolIect
that when had done thus, expressing my doubts and
apprehensions, distinguished senator from the south
no longer OF this bodysonewbai abruptly renaksd that
be had heard enough OF the subject, and would vote
against the treaty But again renewed
that wha, OF obscur.y might s'lli remain in the obnox
ous article meant merely protection to the keen
sensiblities OF the British negoato and that the treaty
was understood absolutely putting end 10 all pre-
snsous of jurisdiction supremacy by England over any
mart of Central America Ii was under the promptings
Of such assurances that gave my vote in favor Of the
treaty; and sure, did those who voted with me.
II there be senator this floor who voted for the treaty
under the impression that il did relieve the whole OF
Central America from foreign Jurisdiction and control lei
him stand up and speak forth; am ready TO yield him
the floor
lhave sem in the newspapers published in this city
corespondence between Mr. King and Secretary Clayton
which is deemed by some as Implying discrepancy be-
tween the views expressed by Mr. KAx in his letter and
the made by the senators who have spoken
this side of the question do not understand Il was
presume. fully understood when the treaty was under
consderaoD that its terms did not refer interfere
with the hcense-for that is the proper term-heId
by Great Britain to cu loGvood al Belize and Mr. King
in his e,rr could have meant no more than 10
certain PORTIONS OF the territory OF Honduras Mr. King
by no intimaies that any claim to doninqa which
is excluded from the provisions OF the treaty; the
contrary. be expressly warns Mr.. Clayton against the
admission any such right in the Brush Crown In
word, Mr. Kings letter was nothing than an ac.
knowledgmsnt ,ha, the precarlous rxh, have alluded
TO was IN no way affected by the provisions Of The
treaty. hst5t X s- sta
the fact the other day. that the hrs Manifestations
discover OF any scrapie entertained By the British
negotslo as TO The import OF the treaty should have
exhibited Themselves until two months aad elapsed aincr
ts rahhcaton by the Senate Il until Lord Pal
mersion had pond.red il. and discovered, like
", that It's terms did not tally exactly with his
mania MI n,s t.. A shnsM "A.
deemed an explanation of lis meaning necessary. Why
this anxiety, if the language used was expressive OF the
Intentions OF the psr,es Where the necessity Of any
reservation Tor the British Honduras il il was not com.
rised within the terms OF exclusione We have here
be best proof that Lord Palmerslon himself have
Judged iba, the treaty affected the preensions doin-
ION, on the part OF Eng and Iatt OF Honduras;
Tor there could otherwise have been any occasion
demonstrate As 10 what meaning II should have IN that
particular coanexion The TACT Is, that Lord Psnss'on.
ogetnE what peculiar features characterize GOVERN
ment 10 lite connexoR with this body and supposnx tba,
our Minister OF State was possessed OF powers unknown
to our consultation, bot the exercise OF which, in other
coun,ries unusua may have INDUCED hope Of
sneclng, by what, d plomatic parance is called pro-
ocoi such notifications in the treaty might reach his
amongst 10 be told the informal action OF the
Two ministers, clothed though with The
neal Importance seemingly attached TO by the Execs
hve has not the weight OF feather in determining the
sense Ia which IL snOuh be taken.
But admitting, tor moment, that whatever pretensons
TO dominion Grea, Britain might up any part OF
the treaty the question ehl remains what those rights
be which not thus renounceds We have not heard
much, Of late about fbus,ierIng and marauding We
will hnd, in connexon with the subject before us,
striking example oil what be made OUT ,ne OF an
expedition originating with a handful OF buccaneers
AS early "a 1912 we lind party of English ieebooers
operating descent upon Roaan and the other negnbor
ing islands. They eeem TO have anticipated what the
historian Juarros writes OF the importance OF their posi-
ton "Tbey were." says he, " exceedingly advantage
10 them, (he freebooters) and proportonably ipu
to the Spaniards because being the main land
they enabled make their descens whenever they
pleased. and with equal facility interrupt the
oetween the kingdom of Gua,emala and Spain" In 1850
the Spanish regained possession OF the islands, but
found them wssle; and in that condition they re.
NAMED until precisely hundred years after the
init attempt | have inst alluded to- We actually
hnd England, (in 1922 anxious 10 possess herself
OF Central America, seiznx the most important
points ot that conlnen--such Truxilo the coast
and Roaan one OF the group that stud the ~ OF Hon
ouras This reused the ire OF Spain proud then she
IS al This day. but somewhat able 10 command and
impose respect War eneues which ends in the treaty Of
l7o5 IN which is 10 be found this provision;
His Briisnnic Majesty shall to be demolished
tho tortiKcasons which his SUBJECT. have erected in the
BAY OF Honduras and other places the territory Spain
In that part Of the world, within TOUR months" nc.
But Spain soon discovered that in violation of 40 ex
pc clause in the treaty, Grea, Britain continued in
the occupancy OF Roatan, and OF the works erected on
cevtain points Of the bay In IT'S war. renewed and
Guatemala succeeds in resumng possession Of Roatan
The treaty OF peace concluded in 1853 apparently makes
especial reference to these islands, for, by Of pro-
visions England agrees TO abandon The continent and
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