Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-15
no TIE EDITORS.

GENTLEMEN Knowing that several Senators
had had interviews with COL KING since the state
ment made in the Senate by Gen. CAss on Thurs.
day last, and the publication in the Inteligencer OF
Col Kings note to Mr. CLAYTON of the 4th July,
1850, in reference to the Clayton and Bulwer
Treaty, went to the Senate this morning conf
IDENTIFY expecting to hear such explanation of the
apparent Inconsistency between the statement and
the note as would be satisfactory to all parties and
place the whole matter in proper light before the
country,
No such explanation having been made in the
Senate, (perhaps from want Of proper information
on the subject,) and it having been my privilege
as we'll as my duty to be very frequently with Col
KING during his present distressing illness, and
thus to have had opportunities to understand his
views not open others, it to me that justice
to him requires that there should be longer delay
in placing this matter in its true and proper posi-
ton. The propriety of this is deemed to be the
more urgent from the fact that Gen. CAss reiterated
to-day his statement in the Senate. 1t is as
follows:
81 conversed with Col. King and he authorized me
to say that there is entire mistake upon this point.
He told me that after this quasi ratification from
England, the 29th of June he had interview with
Mr. Clayton who desired know if the treaty should be
sent back to the Senate for its action upon this cond
tional ratification He told Mr. Clayton that if it
there for that purpose it would not get vote in the Sc
nate and that till this day he supposed the project of
accepting this declaration had been abandoned and that
the treaty stood upon its provisions Col King fur
ther said he had general idea of claim of England
to cut ogwood in Honduras but he thought of its
being set up the foundation of pretenson to estab
lish colony there" i
The following is the Note Of July 4th
Mr.. King to Mr.. C2aytqn
JULr A, 1850
MY DEAR SIR The Senate perfectly understood that
the Treaty did not include British Honduras Frankness
becomes Government but you should be careful not
right of England to any portion of Honduras.
Faithfully, your obedient servant
To Hon. JOHN NJ. CLAYTON Secretary of State.
Now, this whole difficulty is susceptible of expla-
nation in very few words. Col. KINGS language
to Mr.. CAss was based upon supposed statement
of facts very different from the facts as they actu
ally exist.
After the negotiation and ratification of the
Treaty by the Senate it was sent to England, and
returned with proposition that it should be con-
sidered as ratified on the part of the British Gov
eminent, provided condition should be annexed to
it recognising title and jurisdiction in that Govern
ment over certain portion of Honduras. Col. |
KING never saw the proposed provision in writing,
but understood it was insisted on by Lord PAL
MERsToN. He very promptly told both Mr. CLAY
TON and Sir HENRY BULwER that with such con-
tion the Treaty could not get vote in the Senate
Mr.. CLAYTON afterwards informed him that the
provision had been abandoned, and he considered
the Treaty ratified by the British Government pre-
cisely as it had been ratified by the Senate
When Gen. CAss called on Col. KING for his
recoections upon the subject, the latter supposed
that the Documents furnished by the State Depart
ment showed that Lord Palmerston's demand had /
been yielded to in all its extent instead of aban-
Toned, as he had been told by Mr. Clayton. Upon
this supposition he did say what Gen CAss repre-
sents him to have said in his statement.
In reference to British Honduras, Col KING was
we'll aware, as every schoolboy is, that Great Br-
tain has long had certain privileges there, and from
these he did not suppose, nor until very recently
did he imagine that any body supposed, she was to
be summarily ousted by the Bulwer and Clayton
Treaty.
In making this explanation l have had no desire
to obtrude myself before the public. Senator Gle
MEMS learn, has been for some time detained from
his seat by indsposition, and Alabama has no re-
preventative in the Senate The character of Col
KING is too dear to his friends and his State for
them to stand by and seeit even remotely impicat-
ed, without at once coming to his vindication Had
it comported with parliamentary rules this should
have been done from my seat in the House Of Re |
personalities As it is, have to ask place for this
in your columns
Very respectfully, your obedient servant
]. BRAGG.
WASHINGTON JANUARY 10, 1853