The Portland daily press., 1882-01-28
THE PANAMA CANAL.
The Notification for Modification of the
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.

The Notification for Modification of the
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-The following is the
correspondence in regard to the modification
of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty:
E[Mr. Hoppin to Mr.. Blaine, No. 2I2.[
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES
London, Nov. II, 1881.
Sir-Referring to your instructions, No. 1877,
of the 24th of June last, and No. 1888 of the
25th of June last, to Mr.. Lowell in relation to
the proposed guarantee by European powers of
the neutrality of the projected canal across the
Isthmus of Panama. have the honor to ac-
quaint you that Mr.. Lowell, agreeably to the
struction at the Foreign office oD the 18th of
July last. I have to-day received letter from
Lord Granville in reply to that instruction,
and beg to enclose copy of the same here
with. have &C.,
W. j. HoPPIN.
lord Granville to Mr.. Hoppin.l
FOREIGN OFFICE, Nov. 10, 1881.
Sir-You are doubtless aware that Mr.. Low
ell left with this department on the 18th of
July last copy of dispatch which had been
addressed to him by Mr.. Blaine on the 24th of
June, in which the Secretary of State calls at
tention to the right and duty which are i'm
posed on the United States Government under
the treaty signed in 1876 between the United
States of America and the Republic of New
Grenada, now known as the United States of
Colombia, to guarantee the neutrality of the
inter-oceanic canal which is projected across
the Isthmus of Panama. Mr.. Blaine further
points out the special interest which the United
States have in the preservation of this neutral
ity and in preventing the use of the canal in
manner detrimental to themselves during any
war iu which the United States of Colombia
might be party. But the point on which es-
pecial stress is laid in this dispatch is the OBJ
lection entertained by the Government of the
United States to any concerted action of the
EuropeSn powers for the purpose of guaran-
teeing the neutrality of the canal or determin-
ing the conditions of its use. have now the
honor to state to you that although some time
has elapsed since the views of the United
States Government on this question were COM
municated to Her Majesty's Government, they
have not failed in the meanwhile to bestow
upon it all the consideration to which the i'm
portance of the subject gives it every claim,
and if it has not received an earlier recogni-
ton the delay has been mainly caused by the sus-
pense which SO long existed as to the termina-
tion of the sad tragedy of the I'd of July. Her
Majesty's government have noted with salts
faction the statement made by Mr.. Blaine,
that there is no intention on the part of the
United States to initiate any discussion upon
this subject, and in the same spirit do not
now propose to enter into detailed argument
in reply to Mr.. Blaine's observations. should
wish, therefore, merely to point out to you that
the position of Great tBrltain and the United
States with reference to the canal, irrespective
of the magnitude of the commercial relations
of the former power with countries to and
from which, if completed, it will form the
is determined by the engagements
entered into by them respectively in the con-
vention which was signed at Washington on
the 10Th of April, 1850. commonly known as
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and Her Maiesty's
government rely with confidence upon the OBJ
servance of all the engagements of that treaty.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) GRANVILLE.