New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-07
ENGLAND IN CENTRAL AMERICA.


Gen. Cass has done We! in calling the atrsn-
tion Of Congress and tie public to TIE dJinys
Of England in Central America since the RAJ
ification Of the Clayton and Bliwer treaty.
The taird article Of that treaty expressly pro-
vides that neither the United States nor Eng
land shall ever " occupy, o. fortify, or assnme,
'Or exercise any dominion over Nicsregua'
Costa Rics, the Mosquito Coast, or sSy pTrt
of Central America" And yet in the face Of
tits agreement. Rustan, and other valuable
and important islands on the coast OF Honfuras,
riehtfury belonging 20 ttat republic, were IN
July last organized by a Proclamation Of Queen
Victoria as dependency Of The British Cro"n
under the name of the Colony Of the Bay
Iala1ds, TINS the republic Of Honduras is
deprived Of her possessions, and the treaty is
jalpsbly violated. After this let US hear no
more Of American flibusters and American
annexation. Evidently We can't hold a candle
to our British rivals in those branches of
business.
OF course this transaction has pretext. for
10 nation now engages in pignder with bold
svOval Of the highwaymsn's morality. What
that pretext lie we proceed to show. First
let us look at the history Of the case.
The islands in question are very important
in military point of view. The power that
holds them, if strong enough in ships, controls
the Spanish Main. Accordingly 10 1912 the
English buccaneers seized them. The Span
iards reasserted their dom BiOn and drove the
buccaneers out In I7i2 the forces of the
British Government again took possession.
A war ensuei with Spain. at the end Of which
England agreed TO abandon the islands
but it was not done, aud in 1870 Spain again
declared war. The English were now fOrcibly
expelled from Ruatan, and in 1888 made
another treaty, agreeing to quit the whole
coast, except certain place (the present
British Honduras or Belize where they were
allowed to cut dye-wOOds. In 1856 still
another and a more stringent treaty was made
and the English now really abandoned the
coast Ten years later, during another war,
they again occupied Ruatan, but on May II,
1897, the Spanish expelled them. In 15li the
last treaty was made between Spain and
England, containing the same stipulations with
regard 10 this coast as that of 1893 the
English we're allowed TO occupy the territory
now known as British Honduras OF Belize, with
two small islands, lying close to the coast of
that territory, for the sole purpose of cutting
dye-woods and mahogany, STIMULATING expressly
not to establish there any farm OF plantations,
nor TO cultivate any ground, nor do anything
implying more than temporary occupation.
And though these stipulations have been viola
ted, the sovereignty Of Belize still belongs
to Spain, the English being merely tenants at
will we understand, also, that England is
now negotiating at Madrid for the complete
ccssion Of the territory occupied by that set
Element.
From 1871 forward the islands of Ruatan,
Bonaca, Utilla, Barbarette Helena and Morat
remained in the possession Of Spain until the
revolution Of 1921, when they passed over TO
Honduras. In 1880 the Superintendent at
Belize seized Ru,tan, but his act was dsagOwed
by the British Government ana the islands
surrendered 10 their lawful owner. In 1911
Col. Macdonald, then Superintendent at Belize,
again seized them, sending of platoon of
Honduras troops he found there and hauling
down the flag of tie Republic. The iDhabi-
tants of the island preferred TO remain as citi-
Of h,,f bo 81
This time the British Government did not disa-
vow the act, but in 1913 directed Mr. Chat
field, their Representative in Central America,
TO say to Honduras, weak and protesting at
the robbery, that it had been performed by
orders from London
Still nothing was done toward organizing any
English authority on the islands Some lber-
ated slaves from the Cayman I.lands (Brltsh)
were established there, but suffered 20 man.
age their own affairs, till August, 1851, year
after the Clayton and Bulwer Treaty, when
they were subjected to a British magistrate,
as dependency of the Settlement OF Belize"
and finally in July last, were made into an in
dependent colony, as above stated
Such is the only title that England can pos
sibly set up TO these islands. After four or
five attempts TO steal them from strong gov
ernments she finally succeeded in 1871 in steal.
Inc them from avery weak one. That is the
entire history
And now let us examine the only pretext
she can have for violating the Treaty with the
United States. Ii seems that before eYchsng.
ing the ratifcstions Of that Treaty the British
Minister delivered to Mr.. Clayton the sub
joined document
HC6NsArsoN
In proceeding 20 the exchange al the ratifcaols al
the Convention si.nel a. wsshinSton on the lqih
d April lisa between her Brrsanc Majesty and the