The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-08

III is daed The 2Dsh OF June, 1890. lhe language oil
the declaration is clea and explicit No mlsun-
derstand IT, II is made condition precedent to the ex
change OF the ratification OF the treaty The exchange
10 be made the part OF the British government,
with the understanding 'tha The engagements OF that
convention should not apply TO her Majesty settlements
at Honduras or lis dependencies hat are the engage
ments OF the conventioni Wny the engagements were
that Great Britain would not "occupy, fofify coopze,
or assume or exercise any dominion" in any part OF Cea
trail America. Now, says the British note. il 10 our ex
press understanding that the engagements OF that treaty
DO not apply TO her Maeslys settlement al Honduras.
Sir, II her MaJestys settlements at Honduras are within
Central America, The treaty did apply To them-and
The object Of tins note was IN sncn case, to withdraw
them from its operation. The British government may
have been in doubt as to the true position OF these sci
tenens, and seeing, if they should be found in Guaie
maa, they would come under the renunciaons OF The
treaty, their minister instructed to exhibit this pro-
test. How was il met Did the Secretary OF Stale com
init his government TO the Eoglsh decarallon that lhe
engagements OF The treaty did no extend TO these see-
menls He did not. Hs contends now, and think con-
tends correctly that his note went no further than TO ad
nlt that the treaty was IN no manner To aiiect lhe b
sh tile 10 those possessions, wherever they might be s-
ualed.
If TIE Secretary Of State then thought the senator
from Delaware now thinks, that those settlements are
not 10 Central America, why, in his answer did he not
in two lines, say that clearly the engagements OF the
treaty di no apply 10 them, because they were not IN
Central America But, Mr.; President, did he give that
answer He did not His letter, ii may be allowed 10
express it, with entire respect to the senator from Della
ware, is not very explicit bat taking il altogether, we
can assign to il but one meaning, and that meaning is
that The British settlements not in Central Amer
ica." The terms OF his note
Tho language OF the first acIe Of tn, couventon
culed On he J9,b day OF Apnl last bnween tue Unnsd
States and Great Btian, describing tue country not 70 be
occupied, Nc by either OF the parties was as you know
twice approved by yoar and it was neither
understood by e by eithes OF u.s. Che negotaots)
to include ,ha Brtish settlement in Hondasa' tcoumony
called Dish Honduras distinct from the State OF Hon.
dnas the smsu islands Ia the Of that
seuemeat which may b. known its dependencies. TO
this settlement aud these Islands tue ueaY we negotiated
was not intended by either OF US 10 apply
II he had stopped there, it would import precisely
what the honorable senator now says Is the geographi
cal fact. 1t would have imported hat the engagement
OF the Treaty did not apply TO those settlements because
they not within the prescribed limits. But 1t does
not stop there. In the very next line the Secretary
adds:
throughout the whole negotiation to leave as the treaty
leaves II, without denying aim'ng, or In any way med
dlipg with the same, just as II stood previously"
So that when the British minister called upon the Sec
etary OF State to admit that none OF the engagements Of
the treaty applied to the British settlements at Honduras
the Secretary OF State said in substance, will make
no such admission, but will admit that OF the
gagemens OF that treaty intended TO affect The title
OF Great Britain to those settlements, lei them lie where
they may. whether in Central America or not" say,
then, that the honorable Secretary OF State guarded
and properly guarded, in retaining from making the ad
mission asked for in the British declaration" What
the British minister wanted admission that the
treaty did apply these settlements whether in Cen
trail America The Secretary of State refused to
admit the protest to that extent, hut confined II 10 the
will not agree that the engagements do not apply TO
The British settlement a, Honduras. but will agree that
they do not apply to your title"
But sir the honorable Secretary OF State went further
in that and fully and clearly developed that he did
not mean to commit himself as 10 the geographical po
sition of the settlements He goes on to inform the
British minister that the difficulty arises out OF the ques
ton TO what the limits OF Central America. Now,
sir what difficulty had there arisen out OF the question
as to the limits Of Central America. bu! from the fac,
that the limits of Central America must be ascertained
before he could the extent TO which the British
protest went HIS language is:
"The difficulty that seems to spring from the
Ia convention OF the term GENITAL AneIca which
adopted because Viscouu Palmerston had asenred
IL aud used i as the proper term, we naturally suPposng
enment but II government now intend TO delay the
exchange Of atfcations until shall have fixed the pre-
else limits OF Central America, must defer iurher
ton unt we have further nlormstou both sides, to
which At pesen, we have no means Of resort aud which il
changing the Iaihcaions would expire"
And he adcs
"But some future occasion conventional article,
clearly stating what are the limits OF Central America,
might become advisable
Now, sir, why that languagei Why inform the Brit.
sh minister that II you make difficulty about Central
America 1t will defeat the treaty Why inform the Brit
sh minister III you insist upon commial now TO
the limit OF Central America we must wait until we get
further information on both sides'" Why inform The
British minister 'lha at future day conventional
article clearly stating wha, The limits OF Central Aner
might become advisable Why not at once have agreed
to the terms OF the British note without reference any
res oi Central America, II the Tact was clear he
assumes, that the British settlements were not within
those boundaries Sir, appeal from The senator from
Delaware 10 the Secretary OF State arraign The sem
ator from Delaware before The Secretary OF State say
the Secretary OF State refused to make The admission
which the senator from Delaware attempts 10 estab
lsh Why, sir, the senator spoke with a tone OF t-
umph almost scouting the idea that there could be any
difference Of opinion and claimed in bis speech TO show
conclpsiyely that the settlements were no, IN Central Amer
lea say, then, with all the which bear that,
gentleman both as gentleman and senator, that ap-
peal from the senator from Delaware TO the Secretary Of
SAFE on this question OF boundary. a-.
The report OF the Committee Foreign Relations,
with which upon tins point the senator from Delaware
has declared be joins issue, does not a fact
upon which the action OF this government is to be based,
report OF the committee has guardedy avoided the
senator when Secretary oil State avoided, any commita
on this pont but the committee IN the report from the
information before u, expressed its opinion. when the
question 10 be accurately asceriaped will be
found thai the settlements are in Guatemala and II they
in Guatemala, they then under the prov siops
of the treaty any declaration subseqsen to the treaty to
the contrary Notwithstanding Ii in that point OF view
and in that alone ha, the question of interest TO
us. This term Central America, which the honorable
senator into the treaty because ii used
by Viscoun PalmeTson, and approved by the British
government, az Il seems is not the true term and be
calculated to mislead The honorable senator from
Michigan in debating this subject al the first impression
when the message OF the President came in assumed al
America are they not geographically in tba, portion Of
America which lies between The two continen,si Who
can fail to where North America terminates, and
where South America begins aud that the intermediate
strip Of country il OF course Central American Geo
gra raphically the senator from Michigan right. but