New-York daily tribune., 1859-08-01
RRvrI>H aONDURAs.

p,;,,;, "a enter nto the treaty lately pegotiateo
with Guatemala. By which the English acquire the
,h.olut, Sovereignty of the B,lize. or Bntisn hoh
aurss y, the first article of the Cisyton-buI"er
convention. the parties mutually ssreeu no'
occupy or fcrt'y or col)nre or assume OF e1e''
eiu any dominion over any part OF oen""
" America" Lord Palmerston, however. refused
10 exchange rstifcstions, unless with tue uuue''
.,srdins that the Bslize should net be ncidded IN
this prohibition. which underst riding was eA
pressed in 8 note from Mr.. Clay ton TO Mr. bn'Ser'
stating that the negotistors bad not in'enaed %
include the Bslize. nor the small Islands IN It's
neietborhood which might be regarded Is lis
de,ende ucies. As We are assured IRON asu'hs'
ton that the treaty with Guaemaa is in ccoform''!
,o the uuderstapding between our Government and
Sir Gore Ouseley. as 10 the settlement OF Centra'
Americsn affairs, nothing is Sow needed oal tue
ratification of Great Britain 10 remove briIisn
Honduras from the anomalous position II has so
long occupied. AMI 70 convert 4 into regular
British colony.
III now nearly 209 years since British adven'
.urers from Jamaica beg,n to frequent tue sh pres
Of the Bay Of Honduras for the purpose oil cutting
lo,vood. They were st that time, and they eon-
,;nued for century, mere trespassers upon the
Spanish territory. They were protec'ed' however
by the Wild and inaccessible character o. the coast
the approsch 70 il for 30 miles oetog tnrougn
i,,r;c,,e passases between slets. rocks sud coral
reefs. while or the land side wide tofests and
chains Of mountains interyened between the coast
and the Spanish settlements. But the iog"ood
cutters found still more eaectual protection IN
their own energy and courage, which enahsd them
70 repulse the repeated ATTEMPTS of the SPaniird'
to bresk up the establishments they had tormed
Finally, by tie treaty of 1868, by which
Spain was obliged 20 give up Fl)rlds to
the English in retsrn for the Hsvaus which
had been captured By an English deet, she also
agreed that the English should not be disturbed IN
the business Of cutting lo,dDg sad carrying sway
lcgveod from the Bay of Honduras II was s,ipu
lst.J however on the other hand, that the English
should erect no fortifcatons, and that existing
ones should be destroyed. The Spaniards made
new attempts. during cur revolutionary war TO
drive ef the English, and With somewhat grester
success. but the peace of l1c3 again recognized
their rSh, 10 cut gwood restricting 1t, however,
10 the district between the rivers Hondo on the
north. and Balize on the south. Another treaty IN
Esd. sijed the territory south of the Bslize, as
far as the river SbOon, TO the district open to the
English This treaty also allowed them the Liberty
Of cutting sll woods. mahogany Included, and oil
exporting sny other spontaneous products OF the
scil By the same treaty t was agreed that they
should establish no plantations of sugar or coffee,
or other e1portable produce, and to the prohibition
Of erecting sny for,ihcations, was added that OF
forming any system Of government, military or
civil.
The same jealousy as formerly, continued, how
ever. to be felt of the woodcutters, who no doubt
avsied themselves of their position 70 carry on
smuggling trade with the neighboring Spanish col
oni.ts. During the war against England, in which
Spain bad eu gagged as the ally of the French Re-
pubic. hOs,iliiies were renewed. The Spaniards in
l79, sent Formidable expedition sgaios; the Ba-
hze. but the settlers repulsea It. The British Gov
ernment now went so far as to appoint chief
ms qistrate for the settlement, With the title Of Su
periutendent but by the pesee of l-l4 the proyis
ions Of the treaty OF 1888 were all revived, thus
again restricting the English TO mere right Of
woed-cutiing
After the separation Of he Spsnish-Americsn
Colonies from the mother country Great Britain
seemed anxious to obtain from them recognition
Of her rights under the treaty Of lSl4; but SIS the
peweressness Of these nes Republics became
sppareBt. The idea seems 10 have been pursued Of
csiming as belonging to Great Britain, BY right OF
l. IA Of h..xx IA
Hcndo ard Siboou, With 4 coast line Of some
ninety miles. but an additional tract south, of
about equal extent, IS far IS the River SarstOon.
This esim was set up BY tie British Colonial Office
in 1896 and. st the same ,ue, so eIten: inland Was
claimed 70 the meridian q GsIbutt's Falls, on the
Balize distance Of from fifty TO sixty miles.
Tie tresty With Gusteuala j. understood to recOg-
niIe these boundaries thus giving 10 Grea. Britain
/ nes; colony Of some sht or nine thousand square
miles in extent This territory presents great
variety Of sol-from the low, swsmpy coast TO the
mountains IN tie interior, some Of which reach
the hight of four thousand feet. Tie only in
dustry hitherto hss been wood utting-the ex-
port of msh0gsny amounting 20 tae value OF about
a million Of dollar, year. The population in l-l'
VS.. estimated S. about H. COO mostly negroes or 81
mixed blood; bat considerable seces.ioas have
lstey been received of emigrsnts from fucstan,
driven roz hope by The nsurrecton Of the Indians.
Now that, for The fret time, the English Govern
nent can give titles 70 the land efforts vii prooa-
by be made 70 convert Honduras into sd sgricll-
tura settlement. II contains large tracts Of fertile
lard. suitable To 81 tropical products. The gres,
tEculty viii be 10 fnd lsborers TO cultivate il.