Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-05

ain, being contrary to the rights of the States
of Central America, and to the manifest tenor
of hersstipulations with the UnitedgStates, jas
understood Iys this Government, have been
made the subject Of negotiation Through the
American Minister in London. I transmit
Herewith the instructions to him on The sub-
9ject, and the, correspondence between him and
the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, by
which You will perceive that the two govern
ments differ widely and Observation-Disclosures the
construction of the convention, and its effects
on their respective relations to Central Ameri-
ca.
Great Britain so CONSTITUTES the convention as
to maintain unchanged all her previous preteil-
sions over the Mosquito coast, and in different
parts of Central America.z-Theso professions,
as to the Mosquito coast, are founded on the
assumption of political relation between Great
Britain and the remnant of o tribe of Indians
on that coast, entered into at a time when the
whole country was a colonial possession of
Spain. 1t cannot be successfully eontrovcrted,
that by the public law of Europe and America,
no possible act of such Indians or their prede-
cessors could confer on Great Britain any po-
litical rights. . a., h.
Great Britain does not allege the assent of
Spain as the origin of her claims on the Mos
quito coast. She has, on the contrary, by re-
peated and successive treaties, renowned and
relinquished all pretensions of her own, and re-
cognized the full and sovereign rights of Spain
in the most unequivOcal terms. Yet these pre-
tensions, so without solid foundation in the be-
ginning, and thus repeatedly abiured, were at
a recent period revived by Great Britain
against the Central American States, the le-
gltlmate successors to all the ancient iurisdic-
ton OF Spain in that region. They were first
applied only to q defined part Of the coast of
Nicaragua, afterwards to the whole of it's At
lantIc coast, and, lastly to a part of the coast
OF Costa Rlca; and they are now re-asserted to
this extent, notwithstanding engagements to
the United States. 49,
On the eastern coast of Nicaragua and Cos
tn Rlca the Interference of Great Britain, tho
eXerted at one time in the form of military oc-
cupation of the port of San Juan del Norte,
then in the peaceful possession of the appro-
pirate authorities of the Central American
States, is now presented by her as the rightful
exercise OF a protectorship over the Mosquito
tribe of Indians. r- .ra -ra 5ss ass-fgo
But the establishment at the BaliZe, now
reaching far beyond its treaty limits into the
State of Honduras, anG that of the Bay Is
lands, appertaining of right to the same State,
are as distinctly colonial governments as those
of Jamaica or Canada, and therefore contrary
to the very letter as we'll as the spirit of the
convention with the United States, as it was
at the time of ratification, and now is, under
stood by this government.
The Interpretation which the British govern
ment, thus iii assertion and act, persists in as,
cribing to the convention, entirely changes its
character. While it holds us to all orr obli-
cations, it in a great measure releases Great
Britain from those which constituted the con-
sidcratiOn of this government for entering into
the convention. 1t is impossible, in nv iudg-
ment, for the United States to acGuiesce in
such a construction of the respective relations
of the two governments to Central America.
To a renewed call by this government upon
Great Britain, to abide by, and carry into ef-
feet, the stipulations of the convention accord
ing to its obvious import, by withdrawing from
the possession or colonization of portions of
the Central American States of Honduras. Nj
caragua, and Costa RIGA, the British govern
ment has at length replied, affirming that the
operation of the treaty is prospective only, and
did not require Great Britain to abandon or
contract any possessions held by herin Central
America at the date of its conclusion.
This reply substitutes q partial issue, in the
place of the general one presented by the Uni
ted States. The British government passes
over the question of the rights of Great Bri-
tain, real or supposed, in Central America, and
assumes that she had such rights at the date
of the treaty, and that those rights compre-
hended the protectorship of the Mosquito In
dians, the extended jurisdiction and limits of
the Balize, and the colony of the Bay Islands,
and thereupon proceeds by implication to infer
that, if the stipulations of the treaty be mere
ly future in effect, Great Britain NAV still con-
time to hold the contested portions of Central
America. The United States States cannot
admit either the inference or the premises
We steadily deny that, at the date of the trea-
ty, Great Britain had any possessions there,
other than the limited and peculiar establish
ment at the Balize, and maintain that. if she
had any, they were surrendered by the con-
~vention. ...
This government, recognizing the obligations
of the treaty, has of course desired to see it exc
cuted in good faith by both parties, and in the
discussion, therefore, has not looked to rights
which we might assert, Independently of the
treaty, in consideration of our geographical po-
%sition, and of other circumstances, which ere
ate for us relations to the Central American
States different from those of any government
of Europe.
The British government, in it's last commu-
~nication, although well knowing the views of
the United States, still declares that it sees no
reason why a conciliatory spirit may not ena-
BILE the two governments to overcome all OBJ
s~tacles to a satisfactory adjustment of the sub
ject.
Assured of the correctness of the construc-
ton of the treaty constantly adhered to by this
government, and resolved to insist on the rights
of the United States, yet actuated also by the
same desire, which is avowed by the British
government, to remove all causes of serious
misunderstanding between two nations assncia=