The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-12
British Title to the Belize.

In MS speech OF MONDAY In the S6ndt0 On
the Bulwer and Clayton treaty, Mr.. SoULE
stated that the 'sobject of the treaty was to di-
vest ENGLAND of all her claim and preten-
sions' to territorial possessions In Central
America, including that portion known to geo.
graphers as the "British settlement of Hon
duras'' and the "British district of Belize"
Was this the 'sobject' of ENGLAND in MAX
ing the treaty? Was it necessary for RNG-
LAND to make a treaty for the purpose of di-
vesting herself of territorial or quasi territorial
possessions Ito go through long and laborious
diplomatic negotiation to the mere end of vol
untary abnegation and reputation of old and
welEestablished rights? 1t would seem that a
reader mode might have been devised. When
ritorial acquisition save on compulsion? When
did she ever give quit-claim or release to any
soil that she had raised her flag over, except
when she was fairly driven out of it2
AS it could not have been the "object" of
ENGLAND to divest herself of any claims OF
professions, was it the object of the United
States to ssdivest" her of them2 A love for
'divesting" our neighbors of their possessions
is one of the peculiarities of portion of our
people, but President TAYLOR INDUCED no
such passion. If he had desired to "divest"
ENGLAND of any thing, he would have done it
fairly and openly, not on the pretence of seek
ing one thing, while in reality grasping at an
other.
Now, the preamble of the treaty in question
recites that it is from their desire to "consol-
date the relations of amity which SO happily
subsist between them, by setting forth and
fixing in convention their views and inten
tons with reference to any means of com
munication by ship canal which may be con-
structed between the Atlantic and Pacific
9 oceans, by the way of the river San Juan de
9 Nicaragua or Managua, to any port or place.
6 on the Pacific ean'-that Great Britain and
the United States proposed to unite in con-
vention. From this it would seem that the
s'objecto of the two parties was to fix certain
views and intentions in regard to possible
ship canal, at some future day. This at all
events was the oppressed object. 1t was no
doubt what ENGLAND supposed to be the object.
1t was what Mr.. CLAYTON supposed to be the
object. But now we are informed that the
views and intentions recited in the preamble
amounted to nothing, and that the real object
was to strip ENGLAND of certain possessions or
alleged possessions.
British Honduras, or the Belize, is strip of
land along the eastern coast of Yucatan, ex-
teodipr ahopt ono bundrod ond ooyo,tx, & ya
miles from north to south, and one hundred
and twenty from east to west. 1t is now very
nearly two hundred years since the English
first frequented Yucatan, to cut and carry away
logwood. A permanent settlement with the
free consent of the aboriginal and Independent
possessors of the country" soon followed, as a
sort of dependency of Jamaica, which was con-
quered by the English in 1866. As long ago
as 1871, Sir THOMAS LYNCH, then Governor
of Jamaica, transmitted to CHARLES [. report
on the British settlements and trade in Yuca-
tan, in which he stated that ethe English had
done every act that constituted right Of pos
session in the first settlers; and that the Span
ish American treaty in 1870 had removed all
possible doubts by establishing the uti possible
tbs, with full rights Of Sovereignty, IN all
places held prior to that time" In the same
report he stated that, with regard to trade, its
importance was such that it ANNUALLY in
creased his majesty's customs, and the ma
tional commerce, more than any other of his
majesty's colonies"
Great Britain has had sundry negotiations
and quarrels with Spain in regard to the Be