Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-12-17

| SCpl iuS Suldii Vi lHlS
between the Sarston aud Cape Honduras Ac-
cording to their construction, the treaty does
no more than simply prohibit them from ex
tending their possessions in Central America
beyond the present limits. 1t is not too much
to assert, that, in the United States the trea-
| ty had been considered susceptible of such
construction, it would never have been nego-
tiated under authority of the President, nor
would it have received the appreciation Of the
! Senate. The universal conviction in the Uni
ted States was, that when our Government
consented to violate its tradition and time
honored policy, aud to stipnlate with foreign
! Government never TO occupy or acquire terrific
~ In the Central American portion Of our
own Continent, the consideration for this sac
/ ritice was that Great Britain should, in this
respect at least, be placed in the same position
with ourselves Whilst We have no right to
doubt the sincerity of the British Government
in their construction of the treaty, it is at the
| same time my deliberate conviction that this
/ construction is in opposition both to its letter
and its spirit
| Under the late Administrations negotiations
were instituted between the two Go overnments
for the purpose, if possible, Of removing these
difficulties and a treaty having this laudabIe
Eth Of October, 1856, and was submitted by
the President to the Senate, on the following
10Th of December Whether this treaty either
in its original or amended form, would have
accomplished the object intended without Civ
| ing birth to new and embarrassing coml lea
tons between the two Governments, may per-
haps be well questioned. Certain it is, howev-
er, it was rendered much less Objectionable by
tho different do II hv
Senate. The treaty, as amended, was ratified
by me on the 18th OF March, 1857, and was
transmitted to London for ratification by the
British Government. That Government ex-
presses its willingness to concur in all the
amendments made by the Senate with the s;n-
gle exception Of the clause relating to Rnatan
and the other islands in the Bav of Honduras
The article in the original treaty, as submitted
10 the Senate, after reciting that these islands
and their inhabitants having been by q Con
ventlon bearing date the 2Tth of August. 1856
between her Britanic Majesty and the Rernb-
! lie of Honduras, constituted and declared Il
free territory under the sovereignty Of the said
Republic OF Honduras" stipulated that " the
| two contracting parties do hereby mutually
engage to recognize and respect in all future
time the independence and rights Of the said
free territory as part of the Republic Of Hon
duraS"
Upon an examination of this convention be-
tween Great Britain aud Honduras of the 2Ith
Of August. 1856, it was found that whilst de-
clariug the Bay Islands 10 be d" free terrific
~ under the sovereignty of the Republic OF
| Honduras, it deprived the Republic of rights
without which lis sovereign over them could
scarcely be said to exist 1t divided them
from the remainder of Honduras, and ga7e to
their inhabitants separate government OF
their own. legislative, executive and judicial
officers. elected by themselves 1t deprived
the Government of Honduras Of the taxing
| power in every form, and exempted the PEOPLE
of the islands from the performance OF military
I duty, except for their own exclusive dcfente.
/ II also prohibited that Republic from erecting
/ fortifcationS upon them for their protection
/ thus leaving them open to invasion from any
/ quarter and, fna.ly, il prc7ired, " that Sla-
+ very shall not at any time hereafter be per-
mittcd to exist therein
Had Honduras ratified this Convention. she
would have ratified the establishment of
State substantially independent within her owu
limits, and State Of all times subject tc Brit
iSn Influence and control Moreover, had the
United States ratified the treaty with Great
Britain in It's original form, we should have
been bound - TO recognize and respec: in all fu-
ture time these StipuationS to the prejudice
OF Honduras. Being in direct opposition %
the spirit and meaning of the Clayton aai BuI-
wer treaty understood in the United Stats
the Senate rejected the entire clause, aad sub
mltE ed ia lis stead a simple recognition q: the
sovereign right OF Honduras TO these isl ,nd>
in the following language :. The tso cou-
tracing parties do hereby mutually engage to
recognize ard respect the islands Of Ruatau,
Bonaco, Jtlla, Barbarctta Helena ard Mo
rat, situate in the Bay Of Honduras sui cfT
the coast OF the Republic Of HouCa as as IN
der the sovereignty and as part of the said Re-
public OF Honduras"
Great Britain rejected to this amendment.
assigning as ia 0alr reason, that the ratlfca-
tons of the Convention OF the 9Th Of August,
1885 between her and Honduras had not been
4" exchanged. owing 10 the hesitation Of thar
Government" Had this heen done. j, is sta
tel " Her NajestY's Government would have
had little difficulty in agreeing 10 the moIif-
cation proposed by the Senate Ehich then
would have had in effect the same s:gnfcatiOn
as the original wording Whether this would
have been the eject whether tie mere cir
cumstance OF the exchange Of the rati1cation<
OF the British Convention with HondsTaS pri-
or in point of time TO the ratification uf olr
treaty with Great Britain woaI,l in etF, e.
have had the same si-uiacstion as the origin
s. wording and thus hare have nullifesi the
amendment Of the Senate, may well be doubt
ed. 1t is, perhaps. fortunate that the q1estioa
has never arisen
+ The British Government. inuedia.ei7 after
rejecting the treaty as amended. proposed to
enter into . new treaty with the Ctii:ed States
similar in al respects TO the ,reaiv which ihe7
had just refused 50 ratify. If the United States
~oald consent to add 10 the Senates clear and
rra,,al rs-,.-ri.ic- ~ lie sc,rers;--r.- f H..