The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-02-25
An important message froLi the President
was received In regard to Nicaragua.

WARRINGTON, Feb. 10.
SEsATE.--A message relative to Nicaragua
affairs, referred.
The army appropriation bill was reported
with amendments.
The bill granting pension 10 Betsy Nor
ton, widow, sged ninety, was passed.
a bill granting the right Of way to tht
Georgetown Railroad in the District of Co
lumbia--passcd.
The Pacific Railroad bill was taken up
Mr.. Stanly objected to portions of the bill
creating corporations and providing for thu
construction Of road within State.
HoUsE.--The Civil and Diplomatic appro
priation bill was considered in Committee o
the Whole, and provision inserted for th,
outfit of for eign ministers, to enable the neN
administration to change ministers abroad
1t seem proper. An amendment was
inserted providing for a full mission at Peru
and another for a minister at Central Ameri
ca. An amendment creating charge.
ship to Switzerland was also adopted.
The President transmitted a document from
the Secretary of State, in which he says that
recent communications have been made tc
this department by the British Minister rela
tive to the inter-oceanic canal by the Nicar.
aqua rote. The British Government has
transmitted to the State Department the fact
that Information has been received that the
company which had contracted to build shin
! canal across the Isthmus Of Nicaragua having
found it impossible to carry out the plan os
originally contemplated, has resolved to pro.
pose to the Government of Nicaragua mod.
ification Of that plan, with view of construc.
ting canal of smaller dimensions than those
specified in the original contract, and the
British Minister has been instructed to init.
mate that if this information should prove
correct, her Mojesty's Government would
ieel at liberty, under the treaty Of April 10Th,
1880, to withdraw its protection from that
company, and to transfer it to any other COM
pany which should undertake to build canal
OF the size proposed in the original plan, it
being deemed Of the utmost Importance by
the British Government that the great con-
ceptlon of an inter-oceanic canal, adapted to
the accommodation of vessels of the whole
commercial world should not be permitted to
dwindle down to an ordinary transit route for
coasting vessels, which, to distant nations,
would be comparatively of little value.
The British Minister has also been instruc-
ted to signify to this Department, that since
Great Britain first assumed the protection and
defence of the Mosquito Indians, the position
of all parties had changed. Spain, instead
of exercising absolute sovereignty over Cen
tral America, and prohibiting all commerce
on the coast under her sway, has entirely
lost her dominion over all parts of this con-
unent. In consequence of these changes,
the British Government proposes that San
Juan del Norte, or Greytown, should be free
and independent port, that indemnifcation or
advantages equivalent to those laid down as
the project of the treaty of April 3Oth, 1852,
should be assured to the Musquto Kingdom
in return for its withdrawal from its present
position in reference to San Juan del Norte,
and that the United States and Great Britain
without formally guaranteeing San Juan del
Norte, should be ready to act in concert to
defend the independence OF the free mort or
city from whatever quarter it may be attack
ed. For these purposes the British Govern
ment propose to dispatch some person quail
ned to treat with the authorities of the city,
and in case the United States concur in these
views the British Government would recon-
mend that new convention in place of the
unaccepted agreement of the 18th of April.
1852, should be proposed and concluded, and
that person well qualified for the purpose
should be sent by this Government to act
conjontly with the Commissioner of her Br-
tanic Majesty.
Referred to the committee on Foreign Re-
lations.