The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-12-15

except tho comparatively small portion Of
this between the Sarstood and Cape Hon
duras.
According to their construction, the
treaty docs no moro than simply prohibit
them from extending their possessions in
Central America beyond their present linn
its. 1t is not too much to assert, that If in
the United States the treaty had been
considered susceptible Of such construc.
ticn, it never would have been negotiated
under the authority of tho President, nor
would II have received the appreciation of
tho Senate. The universal conviction in
the United States was, that when our gov
ernmeEt consented to violate its traditional
and time-honed policy, and to s,ipulato
with foreign government never 10 occupy
or acquire territory in tho Central Ameri-
can portion of onr own continent, the con-
sideration for this sacrifice was that Great
Britain should, in the respect at least, be
placed in thes anne position with ourselves.
Whilst We have no right to doubt the sim
cerity Of the British government in their
construction of the treaty, it is at the same
time my deliberate conviction that this con-
struction is 10 opposition both to its letter
and its spirit.
Under the late administration, negotia-
tions were instituted between the two gov
crnments for tho purpose, il possible, Of
removing these difficulties; and a treaty
having this laudible object in view was
signed at London on the 18th of October,
1856, and was submitted by the President
to the Senate on the following 10th of De-
cember.
Whether this treaty, either in its origi
nal or amended form, would have accom-
plished the object intended without giving
birth to new and embarrassing complica-
tion between the two governments, may
perhaps be well questioned. Certain it is,
however, il was rendered much less objec-
tionabe by the different amendments made
TO it by tho Senate. The treaty, as amend
ed, was ratified by mo on the 10Th Of
March, 1857, and was transmitted to Lon
don for ratification by the British govern
ment.
That Government expressed its willing
ness to concur in all the amendments made
by the Senate, with the single exception
of the clause relating to R,atan and the
other Islands in the Bay of Honduras
The article in the original treaty, as sub
mittcd to the Senate, after reciting that
these islands and their inhabitants shaving
been by the convention bearing date to the
9th day of August, 1856, between her
Britanic Majesty and the republic Of Hon.
duras, constituted and decla cd free ter.
ritory under the sovereignty of the said re-
public of Honduras" stipulated that "thc
two contracting parties do hereby mutual,
ly agree to recognize and respect in all flu
turc time, the independence and right Of
the said free territory as part of the re-
public of Honduras"
Upon an examination Of the Convention
between Great Britain and Honduras of
the 9th August, 1856, it was found that,
while declaring the Bay Islands to DO "a
free territory under the sovereignty Of the
republic of Honduras" it deprived that
| republic of rights without Which its sovcr-
| eighty over them could scarcely be said to
exist. 1t divided them from the remain.
der of Honduras, and gave TO their inhabi-
tauts a seporate government OF their own,
with legislative, executive and Judicial OIL
GERS, elected by themselves. 1t deprived
the government of Honduras of the taxing
power in every form, and exempted tho
| people Of the islands from tho performan-
ces of military duty except for their own
cxlusive defence. 1t also prohibited that
republic from erecting Notifications upon
them for their protcction-thus leaving
them open to invasion from any quarter,
and finally il provided "that slavery shall
not at any time hereafter be permitted to
exist therein"
Had Honduras ratified this convention,
sho would have ratified the establishment
of state substantially independent within
within her own liuuits, and state at all
timer subject to British influences and con-
troll. Moreover that the United States
ratified the treaty with Great Britain in
its original form, we should have been
bound "to recognize and respect in all fu.
turc time" these stipulations, to the pref
udice of Honduras. Being in direct oppo
sition to the spirit and meaning of Clayton
and Rulwer treaty, as understood in the
United States, the Senate rejected the en-
tire clause, and substituted in its stead a
simple recognition of the sovereign right OF
Honduras to these islands in the following
language: The two contracting parties dc
hereby mutually engage to recognize and
respect the islands Of Ruaian, Bouaco
Utilla, Barbarcta, Helena, aad Morat, sit.
uatcd in the Bay of Honduras, and of the
coast of the republic Of Honduras, rs under
the sovereignty and as part Of the said re-
public Of Honduras"
Great Britain rejected this amendment
assigning the only reason, that the ratifica
tions of the convention of the 9th August
1850, between her and Honduras, had
not been Exchange, owing to the hesiia
ton Of that government" Had this been
done, il is stated that "Her Majcsty's gov
ernment would have had little difficulty il
agreeing to the modification proposed by
the Senate, which then would have hat
in effecting the same Specification as the
original wording" Whether this would
have had the effect, whether the nero cir
cumstanco Of the exchange Of the ratifica
tous Of the British convention with Hon
duras prior in point Of time TO the raiifi
cation Of our treaty with Great Britain
would "in effect, have had "the same signi