Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-03-11

~ u pOnhiple ne may SeL present. WI hh-
thentic showing TO the Commission.
Until he does, there must still he doubt.
Before the United States consent 10
pay for this portion Of the island and
annex IL, the people ought TO know
lust what they are gettrng--hUw much
land, how many buildings, the location
of both laud and buildings, the claims
against the same, the gifts, the grants,
the concessions, the charters, aud all
such matters az concern them. Mr.. Baez
cannot give the amount Of the public
domain, and nothing is known here upon
which an exact estimate can be based
There are no records. A New York
Company is now engaged in surveying
the lands of the island, with Prof Cabb
at the head, under the concession by
President Baez to give a fifth amount to
the Company surveying it, and making
maps, records. &c. This work will re-
quire years, probably, to complete and
no accurate idea can be obtained until
this s done. Mr.. Wade is satisfied, be
says, that there are no debts due other
Governments by the Dominican Repub.
lic-that all her debts are held by her
own people-for the reason that nobody
would trust her. The fact that IIayti
has never made any claims, nor objected
to any negotiations between the Santo
Domingo Republic and the United States,
is regarded by him as sufficient evidence
that she has no claim. Yet, as The reso-
lutions OF Congress require it, the Com
mission will 60 to Port-au-Prince.
The Commissioners have. made some
very short excursions in this vicinity.
The longest, made in the steam launch
Of the steamer Tennessee, was delight
ful trip Of 40 miles on the Ozama River
and i,s tributaries, ascending the Hermoso
branch 1s miles, and the Isabella River
Is miles, reaching tie hills at the foot of
the great central chain of mountains.
They stopped at various points, visited
a sugar plantation, saw great variety
of the cultivated plants Of the island
ard the methods of cullure-though
most of the country along the rivers
seemed denselv wooded jingle. Most
Of the work of exploration has, however,
been intrusted to their auxiliaries. Prof.
Blake, accompanied by Prot. T. F. Crane
of Cornell University, who speaks
Spanish, Mr.. Adam, from Yale, as a
scientific collaboration, and others, have
been gone three days OF an important
expedition across the island. They are
expected to reach Puerto Plata in about
ten DAYS.
Mr.. Marvine of Cambridge Universi-
/ ty, has gone westward in charge Of a
I party TO visit Azua, examine the copper
{ and other mines on the way, and the eV-
licences of petroleum. Thence he will
90 to the Salt Mountain of Neybe, and,
if possible, will reach the insurgent Ca
bral, and combine scientific and political
results DR.. Newcombe has gone out
on two or three days tour to San
Christobal, the reputed seat of the gold
district, where he will find many strange
insects and shells, and inquire into the
sanitary condition of all the region. Sew
eral journalists and others have also
gone down to Azua with the hope of pen
etrating through the mountains TO the
retreat of Cabral. Gen. Sigel is out Oh
a hurried trip to the Azua region, aud is
expected back tomorrow or next day.
Prof. Ward and Mr.. Waller of Coluai-
! bia College, have not yet come in from
an overland trip from Samana, on which
! they have been out about two weeks,
and from which important geological
and mineralogical Information is expect
ed.
The future movements of the Commits
sion are not finally decided; but they
will sail for AZua in the Tennessee on
Friday next, and remain there several
days, perhaps week thence, they will
probably return on horseback TO this
city, 100 miles-along ride for aged men
like Mr. Wade and Dr. Howe. On their
return they may, after gathering up the
scattered parties on this side of the Is
land, go overland northward to Puerto
Plata. There is n strong desire to visit
Higuey and the Lanos country, toward
the east end of the island. 1t is proba-
BILE, however, that these last mentioned
places will be passed by and that the
party will 60 to Samana, and thence, at
ter coaling, go to Puerto Plata. From
that town they will make journey over
the mountains, inland, hard two days
ride to Santiago, the largest and richest
Returning TO Puerto Plata, they will re-
eInDark LOT cape IlaYtien, ana lheHCe
go on around the west end of the island
TO Port-au-Prince, the capital of llayti,
to confer with the authorities there, and
learn their claims and temper. From
this point they may go or send over to
Santiago de Cuba. Then they will re-
turn home. This programme will take
them to almost every important place III
the whole Island, and render .he inves
tigation exhaustive. 1t will require un-
til the latter part of March, perhaps far
into April.
No formal statement of Indebtedness
has yet been received from the Domini,
can Government by the Commission ;
but the extent of the public lands is
probably about 1900 square miles,
which liberal construction of private
imperfect titles may reduce to 5000.
The Vicar Apostolic, who has had sever
al conferences with the Commission,
says the Church will expect to retain
undisturbed all the porperty, such as
buildings, grounds, SC, which it now
owns, but no claim will be made for the