The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-10


We publish elsewhere the ratified conven-
ton between Great Britain and Nicaragua, dis
posing finally of the vexed "Mosquito ques-
ton" This is the last Of the series Of acts,
initiated by Great Britain in 1856, for un-
ravelling the tangled web of its Central
American relations, and it effects practically
all that the United States insisted on when it
took up the cause Of the feeble republics of
that important portion of the continent in 1849
BY convention with Guatemala, bearing date
of 1869, Great Britain converted her qualified
rights in Belize or British Honduras into title
of absolute sovereignty, and secured an ex-
panse of territory of at least 10000 square
miles, embracing the entire coast fronting on
the Bay of Honduras, from the Bay Of Ascen-
sion southwark to that of Amatique. This is
territory rich in precious woods and affording
many facilities for the cultivation of tropical
staples. Now that it has fixed political status,
and titles to lands may be made secure, the
colony of Belize must rise into speedy i'm
portance and value to the crown.
But this positive gain to Great Britain has
only been secured by the sacrifice of a good
many pretensions, haughtily made and
arrogantly insisted on. By conventions
bearing date November %, 1869, not only did
she surrender her established colony of the
Bay Islands to Honduras, but she also gave
up her Mosquito protectorate within the limits
claimed by that republic. it's true the rendi.
ton of the Bay Islands has not yet been effect.
ed absolutely, and that the British authorities
are sill retained over them. But this has been
at The solicitation of Honduras itself, as a
means of defeating the filibustering schemes sci
on foot in New Orleans last summer to seize on
these islands the moment the British forces were
withdrawn. This was Walkers plan; and il
was the continuance Of the British occupation,
at the request of the Honduras authorities that
disconnected his calculations and drove him
into headlong foray on the mainland, where
no man able to control his own movements or
not utterly mad would have ever dreamed OF
making an impression. 1t is not unlikely
that, in view Of the action Of the
Southern States, and under the provisions of
her treaties with Honduras, Great Britain will
continue her occupation of the islands as long
as the government Of that republic may con-
slider them to be in danger from ilibustering
States or organizations.
Finally, Great Britain, by her convention
with Nicaragua, has Invested herself of her
self-assumed Mosquito protectorate; and the
Mosquito King and kingdom, by virtue of GER
tain scraps Of paper signed by certain Senior
Zeledon and Mr.. Wyke, have both disap-
peared together. The surrender has been
made gracefully, and the conditions attached
to it, being on the whole in the interests of hui
mainly, civilization and commerce, may be &C
cepted, with the slight protest of French
shrug Of the shoulders, as satisfactory. The Mos
quito Indians must retire within a certain de-
fined district of sufficient extent, correspond
ing with our Indian reservations, where they
may exercise qualified sovereignty, such as we
concede to our Indian tribes under like circum-
stances. The dominant sovereignty over them
however, is reserved to Nicaragua. The port
Of San Juan del Norte, sometimes called Grey
town, is made free port, within which trial
by jury, freedom Of worship and other Anglo
Saxon institutions and ideas are guaranteed
the germ planted whence, no doubt the tree
of civil and religious liberty will spring into
q growth hxuriant enough to spread its
branches over the whole of Central America.
A peculiar feature Of the convention which
we print to-day is the manner in which it dis
poses of what are denominated Mosquito
grants" 1t is wdl known that the
so-called Mosquito kings, when under
the influence of rum, or seduced thereto
by exhibitions Of gaudy cottons, were wont to
make most regal concessions Of their terrific
ries to whomsoever could furnish either rum
or cottons, and who had sufficient control of
English TO draw up grant The "his mark"
Of Mosquito royalty was always at command;
and in this way countless thousands of square
miles Of lands were made over to Jamaica
shippers and whatsoever other adventurers
petty trade or the terrors Of the law had
drawn or driven to the Mosquito shore. These
grants, FIRST and last, have been made the basis
Of numerous magnificent stock organizations
and of the issue of shares enough, probably, to
single over the whole Mosquito shore. Even
in the United States they have not been
without their day-such as the proverb
assigns TO every dog, even though he
be red. Who has not heard of
the famous Shepherd grant, on the basis Of
which the equally famous Kinney undertook to
build up an empire, and the shares whereof
cumber the closets of half the needy specu-
lators OF the country
BY the present convention all these conces-
sions, dating after the LIST day of January,
lS4s, are est down to the modest proportions
Of one square league each. Those of an earlier
date are ignored altogether. In this respect
the convention differs from that concluded
with Honduras. The arrangement with the
latter State provides for the recognition of all
the rights and grants acquired by British sub
jects from the 50 called Mosquito kings, with
out regard to time or extent One Of these
grants, known as the 'Poyas grcnt,' embraces