The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-12-16

friendship wish each other, 1t has beal
5 our misfortune almost always to hav
had some irritating, il not dangerou
} outstanding question with Great Britain
, Since the origin of tho government W,
} have been employed in negotiating trea,
les with that Power, afterwards in dis
cussipg their true intent aud meaning
ln this respect the convention Of Apri
19, 1850 commonly called tho Clayton
and Bulwer treaty has been the mos,
unfortunate Of all; because the two
governments place directly opposite and
contradictory constructions upon its first
and most important article. While. in
tho United States, we believed that this
treaty would place both Powers upon an
exact equality by the stipulation thut
uoi,ber will over "occupy, or fortify, or
coloniEs, OF assume, or exercise any do.
minion" over any part Of Central amer
lea, il is oontended by the British gov.
ernment that the true construction of
this Language has left them in the right
tul possession of all that portion Of Cen.
tral America which was in their occu
phncy at the date Of the treaty; 10 fact
that the treaty is virtual recognition
on the part of the United States, of the
right Of Great Britain, either as owner
or protector, to the whole extensive coast
OF Central America, sweeping round
from the Rio Honto to the port and bar.
Dor of San juan de Nicaragua, together
with the ad jacent Bay Islands, except
the comparatively small portion Of tbia
between the Sarstoon and Capo Hondu.
ras According to their construction,
the treaty does 10 more than simply pro
hibit them from extending their posses
sions 10 Central America beyond the
present limits. 1t lie not TOO much TO
assert, that if in the United States the
treaty had been considered susceptible of
| srcb construction, it never would have
been negotiated under the authority of
| The President, uor would il have received
the appreciation of the Senate. The
universal conviction in the United States
was, that when our government conseu
ted to violate it, traditional and time
honored policy, and to stipulate with a
foreign government never 70 occupy or
acquire territory in the Central Ameri.
eau portion Of our own continent the
consideration for this sacrifice was that
Great Britain should, in this respect at
least, be placed Ia the eame position with
ourselves. While we have 10 right to
doubt the sincerity Of the British gov
ernment 10 their constructions Of the
treaty, il ia at the same time my delib
crate conviction that this construction
Is in opposition both 70 its letter and it's
spirit
Under the late administration negoli.
atious were instituted between tho two
governments for tho purpose. IL possible
Of remov ng these difficulties, and
treaty having this laudable object iu
view was signed at London on the l7th
October, 1856 and was submitted By
the President Ct the Senate on the fol
lowing 10th IT December. Whether
this treaty, either 10 its original or e.
mended form, would have accomplished
The object intended without giving birth
10 new and embarrassing complications
between the two governments, NAV ncr.
haps be we'll objectionable by the differ.
ent amendments made TO il BY the Sen.
ate. The treaty, az amended, was rsti.
fed BY me on the l2th Marcn, 1887.
and was transmitted 10 London for rati
6cation BY the BRITISH government
That government expressed its willing
ness to concur in all the amendments
made by the Senate with the siurle ex-
ccption of the clause relating TO Russian
and the other island in the Bay of Hon.
durss. The article in the original treaty
as submitted TO the Senate, af'er recit
ing that these islands aud their iDhabi.
tants shaving been by a convention,
bearing dato the eth day Of August.
1855 between her Britunic Majesty
auG the Republic Of Honduras oonssitu.
ted aud declared free Territory under
the sovereignty Of the said Republic
OF Honduras" stipulated that " the two
contracting parties do hereby mutually
engage to recognise and respect in oil
future time the independence aud rights
of the said free Territory as a part Of
the Republic Of Honduras"
Upon an examination Of this conven.
tion between Grea, Britain and Hondu
ras of the 27th August, 1856, it WAS
found that, whilst declaring the Bay Is
lands to be "a free territory under the
sovereignty of the republic Of Hondu-
ras," it deprived that republic of rigbts
without which its sovereignty over them
could scarcely be said TO exist. 1t di
vided them from the remainder Of Hon
duras. and gave to ,heir Inhabitants
separate governu ent Of their own. with
a Legislature, executive and judicial off.
oerS, elected By themselves It deprived
the government of Honduras Of the tax
ing power in every form, aud exempted
the people Of the islands from the per
form snoe Of military duty excep, for
their own exclusive defeLse It also
prohibited that republic from erecting
Notifications upon them for their pro.ee
tion--thus eviog them open 10 invasion
from aDy quarter; and. fraIly, il pro
vided that slavery shall not at any
time hereafter be permitted to exist
therein"
Had Hondnras ratified this Conven
lion, she would have ratified he esiat.
lishment of State substantially indr-
pendent within ber own limIts, aud
Stata nj all times Au hi.n nt tO Rrifiah in