The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-05-29
Mr.. Clayton and the Island of Ruatan.

Ilc"n question:, recently pubhSheI hy the
British government, is one dated March 81 /,
1856, from Mr.. Champion to Lord CEren.
don, OF which the following is an extract:
at will be within your Lordship's recol.
lection Mat Mr.. CLAYTON was informed by Sir
Henry Bulwer, before the treaty of 1850
was signed, that Ruatan was de jare and
de Jdeto British possession; and Mr..
Clayton has, on various occasions since, in
conversation with me, stated that he con
sidercd Ruatan as much a British posses.
sion rs jamaica or any other British West
India Island"
To this statement, rs has been intima.
ted by telegraph, Mr.. Clayton called the
attention of the Senate on Wednesday last,
pronouncing it utterly untrue, and as il
seems TO us, sufficiently well established
the point that it is so. The following is a
report of the proceedings in reference to
that matter:
| Mr.. Clayton said that this statement
was utterly untrue in every part of it; and
the British minister must have labored un
der hallucination rs strange rs ever en-.
tered the brain Of any man to have made
such statement. Nothing like that had
ever escaped him, in conversation with Mr..
| Champion or any one else. Fortunately
for him, the facts did not rest merely upon
the statements of Mr.. Champion and him
self; but he had living witness to refer
to. Before doing so, however, he would
call the attention OF the senate TO letter
written to Mr.. Crampton, and read TO the
Senate by himself on the l2lh OF January.
1854, IN the course of n speech in which
he was endeavoring 10 prove that Ruatan
was not dependency of Belize, and was
not exempted from the provisions of the
| treaty Of 1850. He had Mr.. Champions
own testimony on the subject, which he
Then read TO The Senate and lac proposed TO
read IL again now Tor The purpose OF con
tradicl'ng this statement, which WAS made
known to hum tins morning for the first
time, and OF which he had not the mos,
remote conception. Great Britain now
rested her claim to the island of Rua,an en-.
Iiiely on tue assumed fact that it was n de.
pendeucy OF Belize; that WAS the only
ground upon which she pretended to have
any title 1t. In the debate in the Senate
| upon that very question, Mr.. CLAYTON had
| produced letter from Mr.. Champion, in
Which that gentleman had said, The de.
/. pendeucrcs of British Honduras are. in my
opinion, distinctly enumerated il lie treaty
| CT 1856 Mr. Champion had consulted
the records OF his legation, and after doing
so, lie arrived NJ the conclusion deliberate
| ly, and atter fall examination, that the
| dependencies of British Honduras were dis
IincIly enumerated in the treaty of 1856
Now, that treaty described the small
] islands tItat Az ,a,nnl,,..-,.
VIZ: Saint Georges Key, and those small
Islands embrace d in II triangle within The
distance otlhr or four miles from Belize
These Islands, then, having been marked
ont ami distinctly cmumeratedn in the
! treaty OF 1886, the irresistible conclusion
was, that RuaIan, which WAS at "A considera.
! Die distance from Belize, and was moi
among The dependencies distinctly enume
rated, w'Is not exempted from The pro.is.
IONS oi The treaty according 10 tue admis
sion OF Mr.. Crampton himself
Mr.. Clayton proceeded to say that while
he WAS detained at his lodgings by sick
ness in February or March last, he was
called upon 10y tie Senator from Kentucky,
MIR. Cnuenden, and while they were en-
gagged in conversation upon this subject.
Mr.. Champion came in 10 invite Mr.. CLAY
ton 10 dine with him. Being too sick to
accept The invitation, he took he oppoflu
nty to ask Mr. Champion ii he knew any
thing OF the report or charge that he Mr.
! Clayton had ever admitted to him that
I Ruatan was exempted from the operation
of the treaty Of 1850. Mr.. Champion in
! the most unqualified terms acknowledged
! that there was no Truth in tie report lhat
! Mr. Clayton had ever made any such init.
nation TO him
| Mr.. Criltenden corroborated the STATE.
ment Of Mr. Clayton. He could not now
pretend TO detail the conversation at which
he was thus accidentally present. but nc.
cording to his recollection, the substance of
II was as related by the Senator from Della.
ware, and directly contrary to the state.
ment in the Published letter of Mr. Cramp-
ton.
Mr.. Clayton remarked that he had made
speech after speech in the Senate, the Oh.
Jecl OF which was TO prove the direct re-
verse Of what the letter had represented
h'm as admitting. He was willing to put
inc most charitable construction npon it,
out twas an utter and total mistake.
Mr.; Cass thought it was very certain
mat The Senator from Delaware, unless in
some ut OF insanity, could never have said
10 Mr. Champion what was attributed TO
him.
Mr.. Pratt inquired what evidence there
was OF the authority Of the letter as pub.
lIshed in the newspapers. He thought it
most probable that there was some mistake
about it,
Mr. Clayton had no knowledge AS to
the authenticity Of the letter When his at.
tention was called to it this morning, he was
never moro astonished in his lie; aud as
he found It in tho public prints, he feltlhat