Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-14
WASHINGTON.
A Difficulty with VeneZ iela.
Special Meeting of the Cabinet to Cons
slider the N after.

Washington, July 10. An extraordinary meeting
of the cabinet members having been called by
Secretary Fish, they met at the Department Of
State, continuing in session abont three hours.
All were present excerpts Secretary Belknap, who
in absent in the west. The subject Of our rels-
tions with Venezuela, was laid before the council
by Secretary Fish, who read the latest communi-
cations from our minister to that country, and
stated the general facts of the case.
1t may be recoected that in December, 1872
the President announced that the government of
Venezuela had made no further payments on ac-
count of the awards unaer the convention of
1866, and expressed the hope that il would lose
no time in providing for the unpaid balance Of its
debt to the United States, which having original
ed in injuries to our citizens by the Venezuelan
authorities, and having been acknowledged pur-
suant to treaty in the most solemn form among
nationa would, the President sald seem to deserve
the preference over another debt of different
origin and contracted in different manner, and
he recommended this subject to the attention of
Congress. for such action as might be deemed
proper. In pursuance of this recommendation
Congress in joint resolution, expressed its sense
in regard to the awards of the Joint commission
under the convention. The Venezuelan govern
ment was furnished with copy of the resolution,
which excluded all doubt of the earnestness of
our government in its demand for the payment of
the amount due, but there was no satisfactory re-
Spouse on the part of Venezuela.
In 1873, President Grant i'll his message said -
1T is apprehended that that government does
not realize the character of its obligations under
that convention as there is to believe that
its hesitancy in recognizing them springs in part
at least from the real difficulty in discharging
them in connection with its obligations to other
governments The expediency of further for
bearance our part is believed to be worthy of
your consideration"
Since then, our minister at Venezuela has been
repeatedly instructed to urge the payment of de-
ferred instaments, until at last the Venezuelan
government has expressed disposition to do So
but claims the privilege of designating particular
parties to whom the money shall be paid. To
this our government will not consent, the propo-
sition, apart from other considerations, being
trary to the terms Of the convention.
The Venezuelan government will be informed
of the rejection of its proposition, and unless the
money shall be paid the stipulation requires,
our minister to Venezuela will probably be with
di avn.
A Newspaper Project.
Washington, July ID. There was a meeting
last night to take measures towards establishing a
weekly journal in Washington, to be managed ex-
clusively by coiored people. Frederick Douglass,
Professors Langston and Wilson, ond other prom
inent mea of that race earnestly seconded the
views of the Rev. Geo. W. Williams of Boston,
who came here to establish such journal, the
general sentiment being that this was absolutely
necessary, as the white man no longer took an in
teres in the black. Various sums were subscribed
| in order to make the proposed enterprise a sue
cess.