The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-11

The New 0sanadasn Rssstaatiens II wash
ingtoa.
The negotiations between Gen Cass and Gen.
Herran, the New Granadian Minister, are pro-
crossing slowly at Washington, but With that
care and caution that the importance of the sub.
ject demands They involve not only the settle
ment Of the claims Of our citizens for injuries re-
ceived during the Panama riot, but also the
celebration of postal treaty with New Granada
that shal give an undelayed transit to our Cali
fornia mails; clearing up Of the disputed point
relative to the payment Of tonnage dues by our
ships in the ports of Aspinwau and Panama;
and some arrangements relative to the social
security Of the Isthmus that shall give to the
commerce of the world the moral conviction
that a safe and uninterrupted interoceanic tran
cit may always be relied upon.
In regard to the first of these points we learn
that the government of New Granada has admit
ted lite liability for the damages occasioned by
the riot; and indeed it could hardly DO otherwise
for if it threw upon other governments the neces
sity of defending the lives and property of their
citizens in their travel over the Is'hmusit would
amount to virtual abnegation of the sovereignty
of that territory. New Granada having admitted
her responsibility, there only remsins the asser.
tanning OF the amount of damages inflicted, which
can never be subject of serious dispute between
two nations disposed to do what is right. The
negotiation of the postal treaty may take little
more time, as the rights Of New Granada and Of
the Panama Railroad Company have to be dis
cussed and blended with the true interests Of our
citizens. The company gave the late admits
tration much trouble by its selfish and exactng
course, and the last report Of Postmaster General
Campbell is very severe upon it. 1t is to be
hoped that more moderate and wise policy will
now direct its course. AS for the tonnage duty
question, ii is one of small import, and relating
more properly, as it does, to the fiscal legislation
Of New Granada, it is not likely to present any
serious difficulty.
The question of security for the
transit is one of great seeming COM
plication but will probably present less
real difficulty when it comes to be discussed
than has been anticipated Under the existing
conventions between the two countries we have
all the treaty stipulations that can possibly be
required for the purpose, and the only real diff
Guilty is that under the existing system Of gov
eminent in New Granada her public force is
inadequate to the occasional exigencies of the
case, and this involves the necessity of our main
tanning a naval force at the two ports of Aspin
wall and Panama. The expense of the guaran-
tee to the commerce of the world is thus thrown
upon us, and from this we must be relieved. To
do this will involve some change in the domestic
policy of New Granada so far as regards the ex-
ceptional territory of the Isthmus. This may re-
quire some interchange of views between General
Herran and his own government which will ne
cessarily absorb time, but without prejudicing
the final result.
AS for the mooted idea of cession Of islands
to us for naval station in the Bay of Panama,
we do not zee that it is likely to come under discus
sion. The Congress of New Granada, in author
zing President Ospina to settle the pending ques-
ton with this country by treaty, expressly denied
to him any power to ALLEVIATE or affect the sove-
reignty Of any portion of the Granadian terri
tory. 1t is not probable either that our govern
ment will press that point, for however advan-
tageous it might be to the Panama Railroad
Company to sell to rich government certain
islands which il has taken care to purchase and
to secure the conveyance over their road Of all
the supplies for our navy in the Pacific, the bay
of Panama is really the worst point on the whole
Pacific coast for naval station. The peculiar
geographical formation of the Isthmus forms a
large open bay between Punta Mala and Punta
Anemada, some thirty miles wide aud thirty
miles deep, which is noted as being the calmest
spot of sea in all the world. Steamers have no
difficulty of access but sailing vessels not un-
frequently lie thirty or forty days becalmed
there. One Of our own sloops-of.war has been
thirty days in getting up from Punta Mala to the
anchorage Unless we change our present navy
for one altogether Of steam-which will not be
done very soon on a coast where the price of
coal Is twenty-five dollars ton-the bay Of
Panama is totally unfit for q naval station.
We do not see. therefore, any difficulty in the
way of complete settlement Of the Panama
questions and one of the promising symptoms
that we have noted in the course Of its conduct
is that the government has dispensed with the
presence at Washington Of the late clumsy nego-
tiators at Bogota MesTs Boslin and Morse.
General Cas- will no doubt be able and Jealous
to defend our interests in this matter, and We can
rely on hum 10 do 20.
THE VACANCY IN THE Police COMMISSION
| The TEST QUESTION FOR THE DEMOCRACY AT THE
I l-4~ 4.