The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-06-02
Menday Morning. June ,, 1886.

say, ana mailed 20 Subscribers ct ii per snnum.
7------E-------zus-
Monday SIorrinx. June ,, 1886.
The Proposed Arbitration or the Centra,
American Difficulty.
The message Of the President sent TO the Sen,
ate Thursday, merely encloses the letter Of NJ
Marcy to Mr.. Dallas, dated on the Oath of Nav q,
the subject of the difference OF opinion botres,
the British Government and that of tho Irn;,ed
States regarding the construction aud efee. of N.
Convention of the l4th of April 1850. and ,bo
subject OF Central America generally; and ,,a,inc
20 MT Dallas the views which the President an.
tertains Of that question 1t now stands In
that ne may communicate the same to the =. II -
Clarendon There has been no direct comu,ni
cation between the two Governments on the main
suoleet' since the letter Of Mr.. Buchanan to Mr.
Clarendon in September last his Ior6shin,s -
ply on the 18th of the same month and ,ha -; -
reJolnder OF MT. buchanan on the ath of ,be fol-
lowing October. The President II anp.srs .o,',s
nave oeeh oet'er satisfied, il. in expressing the
conviction that all obstacles to a satisf.c,os,, "a
ustment of the controversy might vv;,b n"n:u au
ting spirit on both sides be overcome Lord CIaran.
don had been pleased TO indicate the means which
Ia ais Judgment were calculated TO produce SO IA.
roraoie eonsummation. For want of this the
fresaent was lett 10 conjecture the precise idea Of
her Majesty Government He cou,d NO, ha go ~
tSin nus conjecture concerning il W as well found
ed, but be was induced by certain collateral i,c;
dents "nicn nave occurred, to infer it was by ar.
oIItston' oy third power, of the difference be.
tween the TWO Governments, relative TO Central
America -
MT marcy says 1t would be supertluous TO dwell
on the regret which she President eptertains M
proposition Oh tois nature, which her Maiesty,s
government intended as a final one waa not mo
sented at the commencement, and in sucb !. Shpn.
As TO have attracted 10 and fixed upon il the sttan
aon OF this government Lord Clarendon eee,ns
to assume that the difference between the two
countries is merely of the Interpretation of the
convention OF 1850 But It's not so understood bv
this government, which does not understand tb.,
nj the date OF the treaty Great Britain had aDv
possessions or occupied Gny territory in Central
America, unless the British establishment al the
Behze with Its dependencies, as the same are d.
fined by he treaties with Spain. arc To bs ao,siS
cred as British possessions or territory in fan+re,
America. That is the only possible constrnction
of the declarations exchanged between CIavton
and Bulwer at the time of exchanging the r,tifoo
tiop OF the Convention.
After reviewing Great Brtsn's pretensions Mr.
Marcy says: And if it is now contended bv the
British Government that in the name of the Mos,
quito Indians, Great Britain may take with mill.
tary force, and hold, San Juan. Nicararua or anv
other point in Central America such 1ret.n nsions
would be so totally rreconcilable with all ideas NJ
the independence or neutrality of the Istbnus 70
TO render the Convention worse than nueatorv to
the United States. Instead of submitting IN srh;
tration, pretensions involving such consequences.
in any other way consenting to restore efac, to
the treaty with such possible construction il yyopId
in the judgment of the President be his dntv tn
propose It's amendment, so as to release the United
States from obligations not attended by any beue.
dts and which obligations thus Intentionally incur
they having entered into treaty upon the supposi
ton that absolute reciprocity of restriction was in
Cured by Great Britain.
The President says he cannot do ANYTHING which
could be taken to admit either directly or implied
ly that there is question in his mind relative to
the construction of that Convention: and he feels
bound to take care that in entertaining the prone
sitinn of arbitration he shall not be understood
actuated by the slightest feeling of distrust regard
sing the treaty rights of the United States But
the President is not prepared to say that some of
the questions of fact concerning which the two
Governments differ, may not be conveniently de.
termined by arbitration or by some analogous me.
thod. Of this class of objects of inquiry is the
question:: What are rghtful limits of the asta blsh
nent Rt the Belize the side of the State of Hon
durast The question whether the Bay Islands do
or do not belong 10 that Republic and the uues
tion-Whst extent of country is embraced in the
term Mosquito Coast or is in the actual occupancy
of Musquito Indians, considered as Indians: and
with such territorial rights only as that description
of persons are entitled to claim according to the
established public law of Great Britain and of the
United States, and of Spain, or of the Independent
States which have succeeded Spain in America re-
membering that no power exists ON the part of
Great Britain and the United States to dispose of
State Of Central American
Mr. Marcy concludes as follows: ALI these oues-
tions of political geography regard, in the first in
stance the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the in
dependent States of Central America Great
Britain and the United States have no pretension
thus to intervene except for the purpose of de-
hning their own mutual obligations arising out of
engagements they may have contracted in order
to ensure, as far as they are concerned the neu-
traliiy and independence of the American 18th
mus. Regarded only as collateral considerations,
affecting the construction of treaty between the
United States and Great Britain, these are uues-
tions which, if not determined by agreement of
the two countries themselves, the President will
not decline to refer to arbitration. Aware Of
many practicable obstacles TO the adjustment of
any International difference of this nature by ar
biration, of the difficulties between Great Britain
and the United States: and experience in the at
tempt 10 settle by such means, a previous con.
troversy on the sub ject Of the boundary between
the United States ana the British provinces in
North America, the President does not doubt that
any one of the powers of Europe which should
consent to undertake the task of such arbitration
&s now proposed would perform the duty with per
feet impartiality. But to apply TO any power to
do this oud bo to ask of it act which, if grant
ed, would add to our own domestic duties, the Ia
bors and burden of settling the complicated differ
ences of other Governments. lie would greatly
prefer that, in a controversy like the present.
turning on points of political geography, the mat
ter should be referred to some one or more of
those eminent men OF science WHO 90 HonOr 10 tue
intellect of Europe and America; and who, with
the previous consent of their respective Govern
ments, might well undertake the task of determin-
ing such questions to tie acceptance, as well OF
Her Majestys Government as of the United
States.
You are instructed, therefore, to enter into COM
munication with Her Msjesty's principal secreta-
~ for foreign affairs In relation TO Central Ameri-
ca in order to ascertain, in the first place. whether
the existing differences cannot be promptly termi
mated by direct negotiation, and if 1t cannot then
discuss the conditions of arbitration those points
of difference as to which alone this method of set
Element seems requisite or applicable it being as
sumed that the other points of difference would,
after that yield as of course to the conference be-
tween the Earl of Clarendon and yourself, con-
Quoted in spirit OF cordiaty and fraDkness which
belongs to your personal relations, and dictated
by the true interests both of the United States and
Great Britain. w. l.. MARCY.
SECRETARY MARCY's LETTER OF DISMISSAL TO
Nix. CRAMpToS.-The following is the ofhcial dis
missal Of Mr.. Champion, the British Minister:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May 2sth, 1896
SIR-The President Of the United Stains has Oh