The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-11
In another place be Gays |:

And he asks why he did not consult with the Presl-
dent and bis cabinet. with the Senate before adopt
ing construction which he ought TO have known would
not have been approved and he further says
Asa proof OF lhis would ask every impartial man on
onsl sds & o. nus ns believes We @oa,a
was 70 have been given toita Would my Of them have
voted Tor ittben under that construction r
Now, sir it is that inquiry TO which wish TO res.
pond. should have said unhesalingly that wond
have voted for the treaty. rather, that did vote Tor
that treaty with that understanding al the time doc
ument which has been disclosed to the Senate since h
debate IN question has shown that was not the only
member OF the Senate who understood the treaty
do not presume or offer TO speak for the Senate have
no m right 70 do So cannot speak OF wha, took place
crecy has not been removed; but will say for myself
that OF those members of the Senate to whom
the Secretary submitted the draagh Of ,he treaty before
1t was submitted To the Senate, and that did UNDER
stand The objects OF that treaty TO be what the Secretary
OF State understood them to be, what the chairman OF
the Committee Foreign Relations understood them to
be, and what now understand them TO be- Sir, every
member OF the Senate who is al all familiar with the hs
tory OF The British possessions in America, must know
that the English had acquired foothod on the shores
of Central America more than century ago. There was
no mystery in this for our records OF foreign treaties
show this fact and our histories OF British affairs are
tall OF the and dongs OF the British government in
consequence of those treaties. believe the earliest
treaty upon this subject made in l763 by which the
Spanish crown ceded TO Great Britain the right OF cut
and Belize and in 7S3 by the treaty Of Versailles, this
privilege was further extended Under that treaty The
right 10 cut mahogany was allowed which had not been
given under the treaty of 1885, and the limits in which
they were allowed to cut these woods were extended al
the treaty convention of l7S6. That convention de-
scbes accurately the small islands and dependencies OF
British Honduras, to which the honorable senator from
Michigan alluded, and which terms he thought night IN
clude the whole of Central America thus reversing the
principle BY which the whole OF thing is ways larger
tha0 part The seventeenth article OF the treaty OF
1863 Is in these words
"His Britannia Majesty shall cause be demolished all
the Notifications which his subjects have erected in the
md In
IN that part OF tho world four months after the rattle
Of the present treaty and h. Catholic Majesty shall not
disturbed molssed under pretece whatsoever, in
ne a,a places IN he ocoupaon Of cutting loading ana
build without hinderance. and occupy without ineuup-
on the houses and magaz mes necessary for them aud
their families, and for Their effects and his Catholic Ma
esfy 10 them by this article the full enjoyment of
territories, as above puia,ed imnedia;ey aer the rat
hcaIion OF the present treaty
This treaty, however restricts Great Britain to the
privilege OF occupation for these purposes alone did
the subsequent treaty of 1883. with the exception of the
privilege OF cutting mahogany The article of The treaty
of 1885, which applies TO the islands and dependencies
IN these words
island known by the names of Cssna, 5, Georges ke,,
Cayo Casina. in Consideration of the circumstance
looked upon subec dangerous disorders; but this
permission only be made oil for purposes Of real
etiiiy" 90
Il very clear 10 me- and deem il is as wel known
to the Senate, that those treaties merely gave to England
special PERMISSION, for certain lim,ed purposes The
authority which the English had there purely com
neTclal one There is doubt at all that they did
cfoach upon the rights Reserved by SPAIN and that III
endeavored 10 themselves permanent settle
ment and jurisdiction within those limits. Well. sir, al
ter the treaty OF 1855, ho-ties took place between
Great Britain or the settlers in British Honduras and the
/ Spansn authortes IN South America large e2ped4
ton in 179s sent against the British settlements in
British Honduras, consisting of not less than three
thousand men, which was repulsed by the settlers at
81 Georges Keys and from that day TO this has
been taken by The British 10 extend their authority, and
encroachmens have been made by them, the ground
that they had acquired right by conquest The Span
iards, however, maintained their Jurisdiction pretty well
until about the commencement OF the present century.
when they seem 10 have lost sight entirely OF their claim
to those countries, in which the British have established
permanent occupation IN the manner which have de
scubed After the Spanish monarchy fell INTO disorder
on the INVASION OF Napoleon, they seem to have taken
very le interest IN the progress OF British encroach.
menis within those limits; and when their colonies had
thrown OH their aessncs to the moher country and de.
clared their Independence presume Spain ceased
what construction WAS put upon The treaties by Great
Britain, or what encroschme they might make in the
extension OF their possessions thus acquired Certain il Is
that ffom that time down 10 the present be British have
been consolidating their dominion They have been
continually con,ending against any supposed rights
which the Central American States aght possess. and
they have claimed and exercised complete jurisdiction
not only over British Honduras and its islands, but also
over some other islands mentioned in the treaty of
1855, sDd which the British held until energetic re-
monstrance made against IL in the year 1890 The
colonial secretary a, st. Georges Key publicly and off
over all that country and their proceedings plainly
evlnce their determination maintain those possessions
IN British Honduras which they have acquired IRON
10 time We ourselves, sir, have by the OF the Chief
Magistrate OF thus country recognised British dominion
IN that very country iron which senators seen 10
suppose The treaty OF 1850 bad expelled them.
Sir. in 1st7 Mr. Polk appointed a consul TO reside al
Belize, accredited the British government and he con
nued to be consul at that place until he recalled by
Mr Clayton.
Now, sir what were the objects of the Clayton Bull
wer treaty OF ls5ol The treaty itself diseoses them II
says
The United States Of America and her Britannia Males
~ being desirous OF consolidating the relations of aiy
which so happily subss between then by setting forth
enoe TO any Of conmunca ton by sbip-sana which
msy be constructed between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, by the OF the river San Juan do Nicaragua
and either or both of the lake. OF Nicaragua Msnagus
any port or place the Pacific ocean, the President o
United States has conferred ful powers John NJ Clay
ton Secretary of Sa,o of the United States aud B
annic Majesty, the Right Honorable Sir Henry Lyou
Buiwer, member OF her Msjesy's honorable Pvy
the Bah, and envoy extraordinary and minister penpo
tcnsy OF her Britannia Majesty the United States, for
the aforesaid purpose"
The object Of this treaty, then, sill was not to expel
Great Britain from this continent The proclamation was
made The i,h OF July, and the Publications were ex
on the 10th day of April On the 10th day OF April this
treaty signed by the plenipoenaries do not reoo
leot the precise day which II ratified by the Sem
ate, but il not long subsequently,. think it was on
the 2th OF April five days after the plenipoie had
signed this treaty, that The Union newspaper in hi.
city contained the following paragraph
"Mr Hempsterd wss indeed appointed consul. tby the
Administration OF President Polk but not 70 Mosquito. lie
was appointed consul Belize some two or three hun
dr,d is the capital