Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-15
DEBATE In THE SENATE.
BRITISH COLONY IN CENTRAL AMERICA
MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1853.

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1853.
| Mr. PEARCE. Mr. President on last Thursday de
bate arose in the Senate during which not present
perceive by the papers, however, that an appeal wa
made to members Of this body who members Of thu
Senate in 1850, to which, II had then been present
should have felt 1t my duty promptly to respond ash
permission Of the Senate TO say what If had beer
present should have thought proper and necessary
TO say then perceive by the debate upon that occasion
that the Senator from Louisiana MIR. DowNs stated al
follows:
understood the treaty that form and think
venture to further and say that member of the Senate
so understood it,"
In another place he says:
There is great probability that Mr. Clayton acted in
this matter his authority without consulting the
President or the Cabinet"
And the Senator asks why he did consult with the
President and the Cabinet, the Senate before adopt
ing construction which he ought to have known would
not be approved Of AS proof of this would ask any
impartial man every side of the Chamber whether he
would have voted for the confirmation of the treaty if
such construction had been given to it at the time z?
Now sir, it is that inquiry to which wish to respond
and, had been here should have said unhesitatingly
that would have voted for the treaty, and that did vote
for the treaty with that understanding; and the docu
ments which have been disclosed to the Senate since the
debate in question have shown that not the only
member of the Senate who understood the treaty.
do not presume to speak for the Senate have right
to do Nor allude to what took place in Execu
tive session on that question, becise believe the in
say, for myself that among the many members Of
the Senate to whom the Secretary of State exhibited the
draft of the treaty before it submitted to the Senate
that did then understand the objects of the treaty to be
what the Secretary of State understood them to be- what
the then chairman of the Committee Foreign Relations
understood them to be, and what now understand them
to be.
Sir every member of the Senate, at all familiar with
the history of the British possessions in America
know that the English had acquired foothold the
shores Of Central America more than century ago.
There is mystery in this Our records of foreign trea
ties contain the evidence Of it, British histories full
of the actings and dongs of the British Government in
consequence of those treaties subsequent to them.
More than hundred years ago the British settlements
in Honduras and along the Mosquito Shore had been
the subject Of contest between the Governments of Spain
and England.
believe Sir the earliest valid treaty upon the subject
made in 1863 by which the Spanish Crown conceded
to Great Britain the right of cutting dyewoods
tain Spanish and terrioriesthat u.s. between the
rivers Rio HOndo and Belize In 1783 by the treaty of
Versailles this privilege further extended and they
were allowed to cut mahogany, which was not included
the permission granted by the treaty of 1863 This
permission applied the district lying between the rivers
Belize and Hondo These limits within which they were
allowed to cat extended by the convention Of 1885,
and that convention describes accurately the small islands
dependencies" of British Honduras, to which the
Senator from Michigan alluded and which term he thought
might include all Central America thus reversing the
principle by which the principal is always larger than the
incident The 18th article of the treaty of 1853 is in these
words:
ellis Britannia Majesty shall cause to be demolished all
Notifications which his subjects have erected in the Bay
Honduras and other places in the territory of Spain in
that part Of the world four months after the ratification Of
he present treaty. and his Catholic Majesty shall not permit
his Britannia Maesty in their work to be disturbed
oested any pretence whatsoever the said places
their occupation of cutting loading and carrying away
ogwood and for this purpose they may build without him
trance and occupy without interruption, the houses and
necessary for them and their families and for their
Elects"
This treaty however restricted Great Britain to
patton for these purposes alone did the subsequent
treaty of 1885, with the exception that the latter gave
permission mahogany. The article of the
ion of 1856 which applies to theislands and dependen
lies is in these words:
The English shall be permitted occupy the small islands
by the Of Casna St. Georges Key, rCayo Cas-
In consideration Of the circumstance Of that of the
coasts opposite to the said island being upon subject
TO dangerous disorders" dc.
1t is very clear, Mr. President admit, and ii is well
known the Senate that these treaties gave England
special permission for certain limited purposes that the
authority which she had purely commercial one
but there is Of doubt that she did encroach
the rights reserved by SPAIN and did endeavor
herself permanent settlement and jurisdiction within
and beyond those limits.
At various times after the convention Of 1856 hosi
ties took place between the British settlers in Honduras
and the Spanish authorities in Central America. In 1898
large expedition was sent from Ydcatan against the
British settlements in the Bay Of Honduras containing
less than three thousand but repulsed by the
ed in the convention which have read and from that
day down late period partial and occasional aega
tons have been made by the British Of right by
quest After the defeat Of this ota the British settle
in the Bay Of Honduras fourished and the Spanish
authorities discontinued the visits they had been in the
habit of making TO conne the settlers to cutting woods
The Spanards had maintained their jurisdiction pretty
well until the close Of the last century From the begin
ming Of the present century they to have lost sight
entirely Of all claim to these countries which the British
held in their possession, described After the Spanish
monarchy fell into disorder the invasion Of Napoleon
they to have taken st less interest in the progress
Of British encroachmen in these regions and when her
colonies had thrown of her allegiance and set UP indie
pendent Governments, presume Spain ceased to care
what construction Great Britain put upon the treaties
what encroachments she make in extension Of her
possessions thus acquired Certain is that from that
time the present the British have been consolidating
their dominion and have maintained against any sup
posed rights Of the Central American States and that
they have claimed and exercised complete jurisdiction
British Honduras these islands, and other is
lands not mentioned in the convention Of 1886 and that
too, without remonstrnnoe believe except single
occasion from the State Of Nicaragua That remonstrance
was in 1880.
In 1885, Sir George Grey Colonial Secretary Of State
published an official declaration assuming the authority
81 Great Britain over all this country which he described
as extending from the Rio Hondo, the north TO the
river Sarstoon, the SOUTH" go. Other proceedings
completely evincing their determination to maintain the
British dominion in British Honduras and it's dependen
cies have occurred from time time and ourselves
have by the act Of the Chief Magistrate Of this country
recognised British dominion in that neghborhood from
which some Senators 70 suppose the treaty Of 1850
have expelled them In 1847 Mr.. Polk appointed
sui to reside at the Belize and his exequatur obtain
ed from the British Government and he continued be
consul at that place until he recalled by Mr. Clayton
Now, sir what were the objects Of the Clayton Bulwer
treaty Of 1907 The treaty itself dscloses them in these
words
Tho United States Of America and Britannia Majesty
being DESTROYS or consolidating the relations OF anty which
20 happily subss between them BY setting forth and fixing
IL -