Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-01-17
coutrove,sy w tn Great Britain

Couhoversy W th Great Britain
That such Of .ss readers as have no other
means of informing themselves may have Il clear
apprehension Of the character and merits Of the
serious misunderstanding which has arisen re
tween this country and Great Britain, ralative to
the construction Of the Clayton Bulwer trca,y,we
eppdense from the official papers narrative, made
Up chiefly Of extracts from The vouminous cor
respondence OF the two governments.
The first suggestion towards the negotiation Of
a treaty is to be found in letter of Mr. Abbott
Lawrence then our Minister to Grent Britain
beai ing date November 9Th lsI9, nquiring
"wbe tber the Br,iih Government intends to oc.
cupy or colonize Nicaragua. Costa Rica the
Mosquito Coast, 80 called, any pars &c Cen
tral America" and also "wheiher the British
Government will unite with the United States in
guarsntying the neutrality Of a sbip-cana rail
way, OF other communication, TO be open to the
world and common to all nations" Allusion is
also insde-to the dispute between Nicaragua and
Costa Rica question OF boundary, and be.
tween the former country and the Mosquito king
dom on question oil sovereignty, accompanied
with the suggestion that the indians can DE pro-
vided for in manner satisfactory TO Nicaragua
and Great Britain, and far better for them than
the equivocal position they occupy"
To this letter Lord Palmers,on replied under
date Of November Is, ls49, assuring Mr.. Law.
renee that it was not the intention of her Males
tvs Government TO occupy or colonze" the
countries he had named, aud that while "cose
political connezon has existed between the Crown
.of.Great Britain and the State and Territory o
Mosquito for q period Of about two centuries
the British Government "does not claim domn.
ion in Mosquito" To tho second branch of in
qury Lord p. replies in the affirmative, and OK
presses a desire TO unite with the Government %,
the United States in adjusting the difference be
tween Nicaragua and Costa Rca.
Accordingly. John NJ, Clayton. the Secretar,
ofState, and Sir Henry Lytton Buiwer, th,
British Minister at Washington, were empower
ed and instructed by their respective govern
ments to agree upon the terms of Il treaty en-
bodying the views of the two nations. A treaty
embracing nine articles concluded at Wash
ington the 10Th April, Is50,-,he first article Of
which contains the following s,puatons, now
the subject of dispute
The Governments of the United States ant
Great Britain hereby declare that neither III,
one nor the other will ever obtain maintai,
for itself any exclusive control over the said shiJ
canal; agreeing that neither will ever erect u,
malntain any Notifications commanding the sam,
or in the vicinity thereof occupy, ar fortify
or colonize, or assume or exercise any dominion
over Nicaragua. Costa Rica, the Mosquito Goa st
or any part Of Central America; nor will eithe
make pse of any protection which either afford
or may afford. or any alliance which either ha
or may have TO or with any State or people, fo
the purpose of erecting or maintaining my sue
Notifications, or of occupying, certifying. or co
LONGING Nicaragua, Costa Rica the Mosquito
coast, or any part of Central America, or of assu
ming or exercising dominion over the same; no
will the u. States or Great Britain take advantag
of any intimacy. or use any alliance connexon %
influence that either may possess with any Stat
orGovornment through whose territory the SAT-
caual may pass, for the purpose OF acquiring o
holding, directly or indirectly, for the citizens o
subjects of the one, any rights or advantages il
regard to commerce or navigation through tn
said canal which shall not be afforded on tn
same terms to tho citizens subjects Of the 9th
In subsequent notes which passed betwee
Messrs. Bulwer and Clayton. it was mutual
agreed that the convention did not apply =,
Her Majesty's settlement at Honduras" the va
lidify of the British claim then being neither a
f,med nor denied, but left just US i, stood b,
fore.
The treaty was ratified and exchanged by I'll
two governments, and the matter remained
rest till the End July 1853 when Mr. Marcy a,
dressed note to Mr.. Buchanan 1--WE quote fro
the National Intsliigoncer) calling the attentio
Of the latter to "the Belize" in which Gre,
British. By virtue Of grant from the Spani.
Govssnmsnt bad long exercised 'lcenss
cut logwood and mahogany" which limited rigl
Mr. Marcy expressed the fear is attempted to
used by the British Government for the esta
hshment Vt 80 British dominion" The prote
snssts which Great Britain continues to exerciI
the Mosquito indians 10 also protested
- being contrary 20 her treaties vi,