Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-26

that dreat britain woud not OCCUPY, fortify coonze,
or exercise any dominion in any part of Gem
trail America Now, says the British note it is our ex-
press understanding the of that treaty
do not apply to her siaesys settlements at Honduras
Sir, her Majesty settlements at Honduras within
Central Amerc the treaty did apply to them; and the
object OF t note was in such case, TO withdraw them
from It's peration. The British Government may have
been IN doubt to the true position Of these settlements
and seeing, il they should be found in Guatemala they
would under the renunciatons Of the treaty their
Minister instructed to exhil this protest How was
it met? Did the Secretary Of State commit his Govern
men the English declaration that the engs gements of
the treaty did not extend to these setemens He did
not. He contends now, and think contends correctly,
that his note went no further than to admit that the treaty
in to affect the British title to those pos
sessions, ghereper they might be situated.
If the Secretary of State then thought the Senator
from Delaware thinks that those settlements are not
in Central America, why in his answer did he not in
two lines, say that clearly the engagements of the treaty
did apply them because they were not in Central
America But Mr. President did he give that answer?
He did not His letter. if | may be allowed to express
it, with entire respect to the Senator from Delaware
not very explicit butt taking il altogether assign
to it but meaning and that meaning is " dissent
from your proposition, and not prepared say that
the British settlements not in Central America The
terms of his note
The language Of the first article of convention
cuded on the 10Th day Of April last between the United
States and Great Britain describing the country be
cuped DC by either Of the parties you know twice
approved by your Governments and it neither under
stood by them, by either of 1.-THE negoaors to in
cude the British settlement called
British Honduras distinct from the State Of Honduras
the small islands in the neighborhood of that settlement,
which may be known its dependencies To this
and these islands the treaty negotiated intended
by either OF us to apply"
If he had stopped there it would import precisely what
the honorable Senator says is the geographical fact
1t would have imported that the engagement of the treaty
did not apply to those settlements, because they were not
within the prescribed limits But it does not stop there
In the very next line the Secretary adds:
"The title to them it is and has been my intention
throughout the whole negotiation to leave the treaty leaves
it, without denying affirming in any way meddling with
the same just as it stood previously"
So that when the British Minister called upon the Sec
rotary of State to admit that of the engagements of
the treaty applied to the British settlements Honduras,
the Secretary of State said in substance ~ will make
such admission, but will admit that of the
gagements of that treaty intended to affect the title of
Great Britain to those settlements let them lie where
they may, whether in Central America not" say,
them that the honorable Secretary of State guarded
and properly guarded, in rerainng from making the ad
mission asked for in the British declaration" What
the British Minister wanted admission that the
treaty did not apply to these settlements whether in Gen.
trail America not The Secretary of State refused to
admit the protest to that extent but confined it to the
single question of the title and he substantially decar
ed 81 will not agree that the engagements do not apply
to the British settlement at Honduras but will agree
that they do not apply to your title
But sir the honorable Secretary of State went further
in that noe and fully and clearly developed that he did
not to commit himself the geographical posi-
ton of the settlements He goes inform the British
to what the limits of Central America. Now, sir
what difficulty had there arisen of the question
the limits of Central America but from the fact that the
limits Of Central America must be ascertaned before he
could assent to the extent to which the British protest
went? His language is:
The difficulty that TO spring the
use IN our convention OF the term Central America which
adopted because Vscount Palmerston had asened it
and used the proper term naturally supposng that
this account it would be satisfactory your Government
but Government intend delay the exchange
notifications until shall have fixed the precise limits of
Central America must defer further action until have
further information sides ut have
Of resort, which il is could OBJ
tain before the term fixed for exchanging the rafcaon
would expire.
And he adds:
But future occasion article clearly
stating what the limits of Central America, might become
| advisable"
Now, sir, why that language Why inform the British
RIGA II will defeat the treaty. Why inform the British
Minister if you insist upon commttal the
limits Of Central America we must wait until we get fur
Their information both sides 2? Why inform the British
Minister that at future day conventional article
clearly stating what the limits of Central America
might become advisabe?" Why not at have agreed
to the terms Of the British note without reference to
necessity for determining by further inquiry the boun-
daries Of Central America if the fact clear he
assumes, that the British settlements with
In those boundaries? Sir, appeal from the Senator
from Delaware to the Secretary of State arragn the
Senator from Delaware before the Secretary Of State
the Secretary Of State refused make the admission
senator from delaware attempts TO estab-
ish Why sir the Senator spoke with tone Of triumph,
almost scouting the idea that there could be any differ
Of opinion and claimed in his speech to show
cusvey that the settlements were in Central Ameri
say, then, with all the respect which bear to that
gentleman, both gentleman and Senator that APP
peal from the Senator from Delaware the Secretary
State on this question of boundary.
The report Of the Committee Foreign Relations with
which upon this point the Senator from Delaware has
declared he joins ISSUE does fact, upon
which the action Of this Government is to be based that
British settlements in Central America. The report
Of the committee has guardedly avoided the Senator
when Secretary Of State avoided any commtta this
point but the committee in the report from the infor-
nation before it. expressed its opinion when the ques-
ton to be accurately ascertaned il will be found
that the settlements are in Guatemala and if they
in Guatemala they then under the provisions Of the
treaty any declarations subsequent the treaty to the
contrary Notwithstanding Ii sin that pontof view, and in
that alone that the question of interest This
term Central America which the honorable Senator says
put into the treaty because il was used by Viscoun
Pamerston, andapproved by the British Government as Il
seems is not the true term and may be calculated mis-
lead The honorable Senator Michigan in debating
this subject at the first impression when the message
the President in, assumed why, who
doubt that they in Central America? Are they not
geographically in that portion Of America which lies be-
tween the two connentsf Who can fail to see where
North America terminates and where South America be-
gins and that the intermediate strip Of country is Of
course Central America" Geographically the Senator
from Michigan right, but politically he may have
been wrong because the question last is what is
by Central America 7"
The terms Central America are, so far as can
learn not known to the country they intended TO
signate, and confusion and difficulties not unfreouenty
arise from the misuse Of words The FIVE separate repub
lies assed under that designation comprised under the
Spanish rule the CAPTAIN reneralcv Of Guatemala and