The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-30
from Inc DOsIUh FUs'
THE CENTRAL, AMERICAN QUESTION.

with ample room.
From the Pos,.
THE CENTRAL AMERICAN QUESTION.
II is understood that the whole Central American ques-
lion ia under discussion between minister at London
Mr. Buchanan and the British Secretary Lord Clarendon
We somewhat deliberately discussed this question not long
ago We traced the process by which Great Britain set up
claims in this quartel to the territory about Baze IN
Yucatan @ to the Mosquito shore territory including
San Juan g. to the colony of the Bay Islands The three
are somewhat distinct details but are alike as TO as
sumption and mpudence. All have their train of events IL
Illustrative of British annexation and we demonstrated
then from British admissions drawn from original author
tiles, that weaker professions never were set up
The sum of the is that under various pretences
lust as occasion servedGreat Britain set up claim to
nearly the whole coast from Balze New Grenada Much
of this claim is of recent growth As to Yucatan, all
the British claimed down at least to l762 the pryi
ege of cutting ogwood in this province and taking IT
away and this was claimed only district two thou
sand miles square By treaty of 1856 this privilege was
enlarged to about five thousand square miles But IN
London atlas Of 1910 it is laid down at fourteen thousand
square miles, and Martins British Colonies it is described
as sxty-two thousand square miles, surface larger
than all Yucatan And by this time it had grown from
claim to wood to be of complete sovereignty T.
The claim the Mosquito coast of the most disgrace
full in the annals of history Nothing can be more dscred-
table than the conaeson Of Great Britain with the Mos
quito savaecs II was actually begun by British bcca
neers it was kept up by British smugglers; and when
Great Britain resolved take possession of the country it
hunted up line of miserable, ignorant drunken beings
whom British bishops anointed as verabe legitimate
kings and bid them claim the country; and the British
government then alleged that it was obligated to protect
them in their claim This is the British Mosquito protec
toratethe title San Juan We know not where to look
for such a chapter of annexation.
The colony of the Bay Islands claim is more prepos-
ferrous still These islands, six in number, lying along
the coast of Honduras claimed dependencies of
British colonies In the first place all the British rights
Great Britain claimed down to 1885, to Balze were to
cut wood and gather fru.t limits prescribed by treaty
and in the 1856 treaty. it agreed to ey4caae the whole
country and islands and agreed to establish colony So
much for Balize colony. q The Mosquito dignites
are of more origin We need not do than state
that their territory down TO 1914 regarded apper-
tanning SPAIN and the latter power WAS treated with
by Great Britain its sovereignty On Honduras con-
querng her independence the sovereignty OF the coast and
islands went with the of the country, the republic
of Central America The fact is that Great Britain wanted
these islands and, in 1890 her agents from aze seized
them On the remonstrancc Of the Central American
States they then restored but in ls4l they were
again seized in 848 Great Britain conquered them, ana
she has held them since.
Ii was while Great Britain under such titles claimed
the whole coast and islands from Baze New Grenada
and occupied large share of hem that the
wer treaty of 1850 made In this treaty she agreed to
withdraw her claims of sovereignty oyer this coast with
perhaps the understanding that she should retain her OLD
lockwood privilege in aze and she agreed mot to occu
py, nr cQlonize OF assume or exercise any do
mnion Nicaragua Costa itica, tho Mosquito COAST OK
any part of Central America Such is the language of
this treaty How the American negotiator, Mr. clayton
understood it. may be gathered from sentence IN an OH
ca letter of 1880; She can neither occupy iofy nor
colonize nor exercise dominion or cohroi III any part OF
the Mosquito coast or Central America 10 attempt 70 DO
either Of hee things after the exchange OF fa'hctohs
wopd inevitably preqpee rppnTe With he uhited STATES
By the terms OF Tue treaty peiAer Party ea hAsct Y M
cupy nor occupy 10 protect inns language ooia Of Tue
treaty aud OF the negoa'or OF w. "oaa seem 10 DC strong
enough.
The following British document forms curious oihc
comment on this treaty
orr,cp or rup (,oloNt,I Sronrr,Ry
Balize, July H. 1852.
This is to give notice thai ber aesE gfacope Majesty
Queen has been pleased 70 constitute and aks the
Islands 81 huaui bphaccai suht hfarhh Lifeline ana
Mo , 70 s =. u n ,o'on u, ~ ~ "
K, command Of her Maiestv's superintendont.
AUGUSTUS FRED GORE
| God save the Queen Colonial Secretary.
As it /, after such proceedings and on such claims MS