The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-14

passage across the shmus To the government and cl
way dedicated TO the OF all nations upon equal
terms bat 10 maintain the Independence and sovereignty
OF all The central ADencan republics" And 10 my udg
ment that the treaty does; for ii IL be not violated, II
maintains the sovereignty aad independence OF Guaiema
la, Salvador, Nicaragua. Costa Rica, and Honduras
takes away from the British government all shadow OF
pIetence tor enforcing dominion whatis called The
Mosquito shores, IL sops the eDcroacbment that ihey
were al that time making BY running the claim ot the
Mosquito King below ,hs river San Juan, and i pro
hbits all further attempts the part OF Great Bntain 10
establish dominion where she had il not then.
will addhough il 10 not exactly appropriate to this
OCCASION and though have endeavored TO refrain from
any topic which did not properly belong TO the OCCASION
that does rae that is encroachmeut on the
part OF Great Britain 10 take possession OF those islands
on the southern shore OF Honduras bay. Swallowed
that opinion in my remarks the other day RETAINED
from expressing directly because 1t did not properly be-
long 10 the subject under discussion my object being 70
yindcae the late Secretary OF Stale from chaIgs o.
having elected change IN the treaty alter ITS Ta1ca-
ton, by his correspondence with Sr Henry ytion but
Sir Irepeat, if the construction of the senator from
Michigan is right, and that treaty was intended to sweep
from the whole OF Central America all British occupan-
cy, why is il that that senator learned and asie he s
has never from the day OF the ratification Of that treaty
down TO this tme rsmoasirated against the continued
occupation oil Great Britain which, in his view OF the
treaty, violation fit2 y t .
Mr.. SHIELDS obtained the floor.
Mr.. CASS. will tell why presently. ya.rI
Mr.. SHIELDS. Ihave no wish, after what has been
presented 10 the Senate by The honorable senator from
said, and The only that rise At this time u
interfere in this question oI instruction OF The
treaty, which regard as mere matter OF opinion. and,
perhaps, of misunderstanding. What | have already
stated in the Senate-and repeat that statement now
is TINS: that whether you give TO the treaty the
ing that the language imposes or not, it has been vio
lated by the seizure of these islands. So far Belize
is concerned, or what is termed British Honduras.
not disposed to enter into that question now and for
various reasons think it might be impoltc for at
this time to undertake. TO construe that treaty in relation
10 that territory and apprehend that in doing so we
might embarrass our own friends hereafter | shall
leave that question for the future. 81
But what mean to state is this and am happy 10 see
that the honorable from Louisiana has establish
ed il this morning that these islands that have been
Islands never belonged 10 British Honduras or it's de-
Pendencies. The honorable senator from Louisiana [Mr
SouLEl shows that by the treaty OF 7s6 Great Britain
had the right OF occupancy the bay OF Honduras; and
he goes further. and states what s, believe overlook ed
by senators who spoke on this side of the chamber the
other day. that that right has been easserted and
established by the treaty OF 1874, and that it nothing
more than mere license right of occupancy, right
TO Gu, log wood, carry of mahogany, and build
Tss ans G' hs mat aTa thai
there defined, bounded, and marked outi but nowhere
in the treaty. either of 17s6 of 1914, reasseng the
provisions of the former treaty, the island of Rna
ian and the surrounding group noticed or referred TO-
On the contrary, the honorable senator from Louisiana
Mr. SouLE] has shown that as late 1890 the British
government renounced all title TO those islands by
thor,y OF the government, Gsayowed The act of their
own officer, restored the islands to Honduras, and
gave them back to the original owners. That is late
as 1880.
But in 1882 we find proclamation by the British au.
thoes seIzing islands, and erecting them into
permanent British colony. The honorable senator from
Michigan, Mr.. CAssl-and | thank him sincerely for
the act-fndng this publication in the newspapers, in
troduced resolution calling upon the department for in
formation IN regard TO the seizure OF these islands What
comesl They send us message stating,
believe that they had information upon the su bject,
hut presenting private correspondence between Sir
Henry Lyuon Buwer and Mr. Clayton, as kind Of jus
Heat Of tha t.Ian n,lS I
am happy TO bear the honorable senator from Maryland
Mr. PEARSEl make statement this morning that in his
own opinion The seizure OF these islands violation
Of the treaty That precudes the necessity al my refer
ring TO his speech Well the department has no infor-
nation upon the subject, Yet sir as early as 1851 the
public pahes filled with The that the British
authorities about TO seize these islands The ni
tiave steps were taken, and in 1852 The islands were
seized and converted into British colony The honor
able senator from New York Mr. SEwARDl argued the |
other day as il Belize and its dependencies, or British
Honduras and IFS dependencies embraced these islands
He found the ark to be rouge, the sign OF British do
mnion everywhere, | suppose, upon the same princi
pie, If he found the mark OF black he would consider
the territory as belonging to Hayh That is curious
way fora gentleman TO establish the title TO territory,
because he found the mark to be particular color on tie
map he also said that these islands part of the
dependencies OF British Honduras There is not a
British statesman that would venture rise in the British
Parliament and make that statement Those islands wer
not cIasaed by Great Britain part ot the dependencies
oil Honduras. Great hrl,an dsavowed them part OF
those dependencies They not only leagues but de-
from Belize The dependencies islands To which
the gentleman referred, il his information had been as
accurate as II usually is, he would have found
group OF islands along the coast OF Honduras and not
the large group OF islands which form the key the bay
of Honduras and the Caribbean sea, constituting the
strongest position ~ that part OF this conunegt
Permit me to give the opinions oil Spanard and OF
an Eogshman 10 relation to the value OF this group OF
islands. Says Alcedo
They may be considered the key Of tue bay Of Hon
dura.. and the focus of trade Of the neghborng
uies.n
And here Is what an English writer says:
They may be considered the garden of the West In.
des the key of Spanish America tue In this
Therefore, what want to asserand to that conhne
myself this mornings this that TO this country the
seizure OF these islands is matter oil vast Importance
that !, il nfraclion OF the reatyan open violation OF
it-whaever construction you put upon II; that this
group OF islands forms OF those great military com
merca and naval depots upon your southern coast and
Great Britain is enclosing this oountry-commencng
a, Halifax, extending from thence the Bermud rs,
thence southwark until, with the possession OF this |
point completely encirces your coast And she boasts
Of having encompassed your coast with It, Her military
men boast OF il; and have here before me- II it
worth while TO show H. evidence OF the fact that military
men OF England regard this position The strongest
he southern seas, controlling the Caribbean and the
hay OF Honduras, exposing the whole coast of Central
America, and forming link in that cham of positions
which England s now extending around this country.
Mr. President, | rose not to enter into this doubtful /
question, but merely 10 show thai, no matter how this
point is argued the sesure OF these Islands violation
the Clayton and Buwer treaty. and that it has nothing