New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-02-21
-Ut OOHfkUitttr Uu Voululrftrs
The House then adjourned till Monday

RrroRr OF THE eosfsnrrrE oS FosrIsr RErArIoss or
HoSDunAs ouEsrIos Mr. Mason, Chairman Of the
Committee Foreign Relations in the United States Sem
has made report the Central American question
The report against the right Of reat Britain
der the treaty extend the limits Of her settlements in
Honduras 1t says that what is the extent Of claim
retension the part Of Great Britain either in
gard to the territory dominion the Gulf sf Hondu
ras the committee have been unable satisfactorily
certain country pend
ing hostes between Spain and the colonies IL is very
manifest that whether with or without the sanction of the
British Government the settlers thsrspushed their occu
pancy far beyond the southern limits assigned to them By
treaty and it appears that right s asserted 20
the colonies dismembered from Spain These
questions properly belonging to the respective who
claim the hand contest the other-thaf Is to
say Britain and Guatemala But the question of
dominion Is of different character and it Is one in the
disposition of which this Government never be ndif
ferent Whether it shall ultimately be determined that
the English settlements in the Honduras in Mexico or
na emaa The question remains the same as regards ne
United States and as connected with this inquiry the
committee have deemed it Incumbent to express
opninl the character Of the tenure by which these
settlements enjoyed by British subjects.
The report proceeds say that the anomalous charac
ter Of these English settlements is well illustrated by hs
LEG Station Of Great Britain concerning them and sudes
certain statutes wherein clearly admitted that they
within the dominion Of Great Britain. IL having
been necessary provide by special legislation for the
punishment Of crimes committed there by British sub
ecs The report quotes the law Of third George
| and says ola
But this act could be carried into effect the
Belize because it founa that there island
there in the dominion Of his Majesty plantation col
dolnlon, factory to which the com
mission could be directed and Of II found
cessay by amendatory act passed in Isl9 10 subs
tute special tribunal created thereby at Belize for the
trial OF offences the being rendered
cited in the because Of the great delay and deuy
Of removing offenders in Honduras for trial England
any Of his Msjestys islands plantations colonies
factories such crimes do often times escape
shment These statutes clearly showing that late
the year 1919 the Parliament of England did claim
reSognEe the British settlement Belize being within
the dominion of Great Britain and, secondly, that Eng
and had established authority there Of the grade
of plantation, fort or factory
The report then goes to give the opinion Of the COM
I1ittee, follows
On the whole the committee therefore report their
opHidu to the Senate That the Islands OF Roaon, Bo
naccs Ctilla, Barban Helena, and Morat in and
the Baj Honduras constitute part of the territory of
the republic Of Honduras and therefore form part Of
Central America and In consequence that oceupa
ton colonization of these Islands by Great Britain
would be violation of the treaty Of the 10th Of April 1850
The committee from the information before them
tertan decided opinion that the British settlements at
Belize defined by the treaties with Spain, lie within
the terrory Of the republic of ustemala and equally
constitute part Of Central America Shauid such hs
the whilst the committee not prepared TO that
the engagements the treaty Of 1850 would require that
those settlements shall be abandoned aud discontinued
the part Great Britain this Government would have
just complaint against extension Of the limits
of these settlements beyond those prescribed BY Span
as further allowed by the republics where they may be
found that in any TO enlarge or change the
character Of these settlements by mode o jursdic
ton would be in violation of said treaty"