Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-01-18
PRENDHNI'S llRSSiGE.
Eslio.g etiissnf Of ne Seaa,e
asai OF 3ae House o. RsJrsssasrgSre..


The constitution Of the United States BRO
rides that Congress shalt assemble ANNUALLY
On the FIRST Monday of December,aud II has
hcen usual for the President to make no
anUpication Of public character to tue
senate aua House Of Representatives until
advised Of their readiness to receive II.
have deferred to this usage until the close
of the first month Of the session, but nv
convictions Of duty viii not permit me lon-
ger 10 postpone the discharge of the obiisa-
tion enjoiued by the constitution upon the
President ssto give to the Congress infornla-
ton Of the state of tie Union, and reeum-
mend to their consideration such measures
as be shall judge necessary and expedi-
en-"
It is a matter Of coueratulation that the
Republic IS TRANQUILITY advancing IN career
ofprosperity and peace.
r3aEIGN RELATIONS: CENTRAL AMERICA.
Whilst relations Of amity eoatinue 10 ex-
ist between the United States aud all for
cigu powers, with some Of them grave ques-
tioas are depending, which may require the
consideration OF Congress.
OF such questions, the most important is
that, which has arisen out of the negasia-
tons with great Britain in refereuee to Cen
tral America.
By the convention concluded between the
two governments on the 18Th Of april, 1880
both parties cevenanfed, that ssneither will
ever occupy or fertify, or colonize, or assume
or exercise any dominion over, Nicaragua,
Costa Rioa, the Mosquito coast, or aug part
Of Central America
1t was the undoabted understanding of
tie United States, in making this treaty,
that all the present States of the former re-
public OF Central America, and the entire
territory Of each, would thenceforth enjoy
complete independence. and that both con-
i-ac;ing parties engaged equally, and to the
same extent, for the presen, and for the fu-
;ure; aud if either then had any laun OF
right ia Central Amcrica, such claim, ard
;.l occupation or altno.ity under it, we're
unresel we'd y relinqu.ohed by the stipalations
of the yonvention; aud that 10 dominion was
thereafter to be exercised o. assuuisd in
any part Of Central America, 10y great Bsit-
ain Of the Gpiied States.
This government consented to restrictions
-resatslsta sssna--ot4s sa1atEp, Eharcia
we had specific anu peculiar interests, only
upon the conviction that the ike rastric-
.ions we're III the same sense, obligatory on
Great Britain. Bd, for this understanding
of the force and effect o. the convcRtioa, it
would never have been concluded by Us.
So clear wzs this understanding ON the
part of the Uuited States, that, in corre5pon-
dence costemporaneous with the ratifca-
lion Of the convention, it was distinctly ex-
pressed, that the mutual covenants OF non-
occupation were not attended to apply to
he British establishment at the Balize.-
This qualification IS to be ascribed to the
fact: that, IN virtue OF successive treaties
wiaA previoHs sovereigus of the country.
Great Britain has obtained u concession of
The right to cut mahogany or dye-woods At
t4e Baljze, but wish positive exclusion of al
domain or sovereignty: and thus ii confirms
lhe natural construction and understood
import Gf tie treaty as to all the resi- of
the region to which the s:ipalations ap-
piled,
1t however, BEGAN apparent, at an early
day after entering upon the discharge Of my
present functions, that Great Britain still
continued in tae exercise or assertion Of
large authority N all tl.it part Of Central
america conmaR.y called the Mosquito
coast, aad covering the eniire length OF the
State of Nicaragua, and part Of Costa Ri
ca; that She regarded the B1iize as her ab-
S2lute domain, and was gradually extend
ing is limits at the expense OK the State Of
Honduras; and that She had formally celon-
lied considerable insalag group known as
The Bay Islands, and belonging, Of right, to
that State
All ;hese acts or preteusions OF Great
Bfi.ain, being contrary to the rights OF the
states If Ceptrll America, aud to the man
fest tenor of her stlpulaiions with the lin-
ted States, as ua1crstood by this govern
inenf, have been made the subject of nego-
giation through the American Minister IN
London / transmit herewith the ias;ruc-
tions 10 him on thesu5ject, aud the CORES
pondeuee between hiu aud the British See
retasy for Foreign Affairs, by which you will
perceive that tue two governments differ
widely and irreconcileabiy as 10 the con-
structiou ofthe convention, aud i's effect on
their respective relations to Central Amer
lea.
Great Britain so construes the conyen-
ton, as to maintain unchanged all her pre-
rious pretentions over the Mosquito coast.
and in different parts Of Central America.
These pre,entions, as to the Mosquito coast,
are founded on the assumption Of political
relation between Great Britain aud the rem
hant Of tribe of Indians on that coast, en-
tered into at time when the whole country
Sas a colonial possession of Spain. 1t eau
not be successfully eonirogerted, that, by
,'ae public law Of Europe aud America, no
possible act of such Indiaas or their predc-
es3sors could confer on Great Britain any
l'ltieal rights.
Great Britain does not allege the assent
.. c?nn IS the origin of her claims or the
51asgnito coast. she, has, on The contrary,
. sePea'ei anI successive trea,ies, renpun-
ela and rslinqiishsd all preleasions Of her
o@A and recognized thc f1Ii and sovereign
'sA's q Spain in She most uaequiyocal
.Fr'ils, let these pretensions, so without
s..il i"d'i ia'lon il the hesianing. and THIS
f