Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-12-24
WHOLE no. A7

Il Honduras OF the taxing power il
every form and exempted the people
). OF, the island from the performance
of military duty except for .heir
!. own exclusive defence. 1t also pro-
hibited tbat republic from erecting
{ fortifcations upon them for their
lproteetien-thus leaving them open
TO invasion from any quarter; and,
! finally, it provided that slavery shall
! notat anytime hereafter be permitted
! to exist therein" M N iao5
! Had Honduras rati6ed the conven-
Etiop, she would have ratified the
establishment Of state substantially
independent within her own limits,
and state at oil times subject TO
! British influence and coutroL More
over, had the United States ratified
the treaty with Great Britain in its
original form, we should hare been
bound sto recognise and respect in
all future time" these stipplafious to-
THE prejudice of Honduras Being
in direct oppositionto the spirit and
meaning Of the Clayton and BulEer
| 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 30 here
BY engage 10 recognise and respect
the islands OF Ruatoa, Benaco, Utiif,
Barbaretta, Helena and Morat, sitG-
ate in the Bay Of Honduras, and soff
the coast Of the Rspublic Of HoBdo--
ras. as under the sovereignty and as
a part Of the said republic OF Hendu-
ras. $50
Great Britain rejected this amend
ment, assigning asithe only reason
that the notifications Of the ceayen-
ton Of the 9th August, 1856,
between her and Honduras, had not
been -.xchaDged, owing TO the hes;-
tation Of that government" Had
this been done, it is stated that ''her
MAJESTY S government would have
had little difficulty 10 agreeing to
the modification proposed by the
Senate. which then would have bad
in effect the same Specification rs the
original wording" Whether this
would have been the effect; whether
the mere circumstance of the ex-
change Of the ra.iicstions Of the
British convention with Honduras
prior in point Of time to the rati-
fcation of our treaty with Great
Britain would, sin effect,s have bad
'ths same signi6cation as the origi-
nal wording" aud thus nullifed the
Of the Senate, may we'll
oa doubted. 1t is,perhaps, fortudate
that the question has never arisen
The British government: immedi-
.tely after rejecting the treaty as
proposed to euter. in;o ii
new treaty with the United States,
similar in all respects TO the treaty
which they had just refused to ratify,
{ the United States would consent
o add to the Senate's clear and uu-
qualified recognition of The soyer-
.ignty Of Honduras over the Bay
lslands,ths following conditional slip
llatioD. "Wheyever aud so soon as
he republic Of Honduras shall bave
and ratified treaty with
treat Britain, by which Great Britain
hail have ceded, and the republic Of
Ionduras shall have accepted the
aid islands. subject to the provisions
nd conditions contained in such trea-
"" sais.sgs
The proposition was, Of course.
elected. After the Senate bad. re-
used to recognizes the British. con-
Iention with Honduras Of the 9th
1856. With fell knowledge
# its contents, itwas impossibls for
ne, necessarily igrorsnt of stta
provisions and conditions" which
night be contained in future con.
rention between the same parties,
% sanction them in advance.
The factis, that when two nations
Ike Great Britain and the United
States, mutually desireus as they
sres and l. trust ever may be, Of
maintaining the most friendly rela-
tons with each other, have unfor-
Lunately concluded treaty which
they pnIerstand in senses directly
the wisest course is to abro-
gate such q treaty by mutual CEN
sent, and to commence anew. Had
this been done promptly ell di1Ecui.