The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-10


between Great Britain and Honduras, OF the |
2Tth Of August, ae56, il was found that,
while declaring the Bay Islands to be a
"free terrifofy under the sovereignty Of the
Republic Of Honduras " II deprived that Re-
public OF rights without which its sovereignty
over them could scarcely be said TO exist.
II divided them from the remainder Of Hon.
duras, and gave 10 their inhabitants a separ-
ate government Of their own, with legislative,
executive and Judicial officers, elected by
themselves. II deprived the government Of
Honduras ofthe taxing power in every form,
and exempted the people of the Islands from
the perlormdnce'% military duty, except for
their own exclusive defence. IL also prohib.
tied that Republic from erecting Notifications
upon them for their protection-thus feaving
them open TO invasion from any quarter, and
finally, it provided "that slavery shall not at
any time hereafter be permitted to exist
/, therein"
| Had Honduras ratified this convention, she
would have ratified the establishment of n
state substantially independent within her
own limits, and a state at all times subject
| to British influence and control. Moreover,
had the United States ratified the treaty with
GreatB Britain in its original form, we should
have been ound"to' recognize and respect
I'm all future time" these itipulations to the
prejudice OF Honduras. Being in direct OPP
position to the spirit and meaning Of the
Clayton and Bulwer treaty as understood in
the United States, the Senate rejected lhs
entire clause and substituted in its stead a
simpie'recognitioR Of the sovereign right OF
Honduras to these islands, in the following
language: "The two contracting parties do
hereby mutually engage to recognize and re-
8 pect the Islands Of Ruatan, Bonaco, Utilia,
.Barbaretta, Helena, and Morat, situate in the
Bay ofHonduras and off the coast of Hondu.
rns, as under the sovereignty and as a part
of the said republic of Honduras"
Great Britain rejected this amendment,
assigning the only reason, that the rat fca-
tions of the convention of the 9th August,
1886, between her and Honduras, had not
been exchanged, owing to the hesitation of
that government" Had this been done, II
is stated that "her Mejesty's government
would have had little difficulty IN agreeing
to the modification proposed by the Senate
which then would have had in effect the
same signification as the original wording"
Whether this would have been the effect,
whether the mere circumstance OF the ex-
change of the rat6cations of the Bri ish
convention with Honduras prior in the int
OF time to the ratification of our treaty with
GreGt Britain would, "in effect" have had
"the same signifcation as the original word
ing," and ,hus have nulliied the amendment
OF the Senate may well be doubted. 1t is,
perhaps, fortunate 'thatthe question has new
er Brisen.
! The British Govern ment, Immediately af
terrejectjng the treaty as amended, propos-
ed to euter into new treaty with tho Unit.
ed States, similar in all respects to the
treaty which they had just refused to ratify,
if the United States would consent to add
to the Sena,e's clear and unqalified recoeni.
tion of the sovereignty Of Honduras over the
Bay Islands the following conditional stipu.
lation: "Whenever and so soon as the re.
public OF Honduras shall have concluded
and ratified treaty with Great Britain, by
which Great Britain shall have .ceded, and
the republic Of Honduras shallhav accept
Hed, the said,islands, subject othe provisions
and conditions contained in such treaty.
This proposition was, ofcourse, rejected.
After the Senate had refused to recognize
the British convention with Honduras of
the 9th August, 1856, with full knoWledr dye
OF its contents, it was impossible for me,
necessarily ighorant pt "the provisions and
conHiti, rs" which might be contained in a
future G.. E-anticn bet"ee the same psrties
to sanction tn.m III advance.
The fact is that WIEN two nations like
Great Britain and the Uniteu StatcP. mutu
ally desirous, as they are, and rpst ever
may be, of maintaining the mcst friendly
relations with each other, have unfortunate.
y concluded treaty which they under
stand in senses directly opposite. the wisest
course is to abrogdte such q treaty by n.u.
tual consent, and to commence anew. Had
this been done promptly, all difficulties in
Central America would most probably ere
this have been adjustedt to the satisfaction of
both parties. The time spent in discussing
the meaning Of the Clayton and Bulwer
treaty would have been devoted to this
laudable purpose, and the task would have
been the more easily accomplished because
The interest OF the two countries in Central
America is identical, being confined to Sc.
curing safe transits over the routes across
the Isthmus.
Whilst entertaining these sentiments,
shall nevertheless not refuse to contribute
TO any reas enable adjustment of the Cen.
iral American questions which is not practi-
cally Inconsistent with the American inter.
,pretation of the treaty. Overtures for this
purpose have been recently made by the
British government in friendly spirit,
which j cordially reciprocote; but whether
This renewed effort will result in success
an not yet prepared to express an opinion.
A brief period will determine.
With France our ancient relations o
friendship still continue to exist. The
French government have in several instan.
ces, which need not be enumerated, evinced
a spirit of good will and kindness towards
our country which heartily reciprocate.-.I
1t is notwithstanding, much to be regretted
that two nations whose productions are of
such character as 10 invite the most exten-
sive exchanges and freest commercial inter.
course, should continue to enforce ancient
and obsolete restrictions OF trade against
each other. Our commercial treaty, with
France is in this respect an exception from
our treaties with all other commercial ma.
tions. 1t jealously levies discriminating
dutles both on tonnage and on articles, the
growth, pr Jduce, or manufacture of the one
country, wnen arriving in vessels belonging
to the other.
More than forty years ago, on the 3d Of
March, 1915, Congress passed an act Offer
ing to all nations to admit their vessels Ia.
den with their nationsl productions into the
ports Of the United States upon the same
terms with our own vessels, provided they
would reciprocate to us similar advantages.
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