Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-02-18

part of her coast line," it is difficult to
imagine that the States to which the territory
lying between that waterway and the United
States belongs can practically retain as indie
pendent position as that which they now
enjoy. These are consequences that in
the conviction of Her Maiesty's gov
eminent would almost certainly follow
from the claim on the part of the
United States to assume supreme
authority over the canal and all the RESPONSE
bility for it's control. Her Majesty's govern
ment hold on the contrary that the principles
which guided the negotiators of the conven-
ton of 1850 were intrinsically sound and
continue to be applicable to the present state
of affairs. Their wish would be that those
principles should receive the practical devel-
opment which was contemplated at the time
and that effect should be given to that por-
ton of the treaty which provides that the
contracting parties shall invite all other
States with whom they have friendly
intercourse to enter into similar stipulations
with them. A certain amount of progress
was made in this direction by the conclusion
of conventions with Honduras and Nicara-
qua by Great Britain in 1856, 1860 and by
the United States in 1864 and '67 and by
Nicaragua with France in 1859 with the OBJ
ject of unfolding the general principles in
serted III the treaty. During the period
when there were still matters to regulate with
respect to Grey Town, Bay Island, the from
tier of British Honduras, and the protection
of the Mosquito Indians, and when the con-
struction of the canal seemed a contingency
more or less doubtful and remote, it
was not strange that an engagement to
address the other powers should be allowed
to remain dormant but the project of a canal
has now assumed sufficient shape to render
such application reasonable and pertinent.
Her Majesty's government believe that the
of the invitation to all maritime
states to participate in an agreement based
upon the stipulations of the conven-
ton of 1850 would obviate, any objection
that may possibly be raised against it
as not being adequate in the present condi-
ton for the purpose for which it was de
signed. This course formed the basis of Mr..
Fish's proposal to DIR. Cardinas, Nicaraguan
in 1877, and Her Majesty's govern
ment would gladly see the United States
again take the initiative in an invitation to
the powers and will be prepared either to
way that may be found most fitting and con-
yenient provided it does not conflict in any
way with the Clayton Bulwer treaty. You
are authorized to read this dispatch to the
Secretary of State and to give him copy of
it if he should desire it. I am, etc.,
Signed GRANVILLE.
Accompanying the above was another from
Earl Granville to Mr.. West, dated January
Is, 1882, reviewing Blaine's dispatch which
contained extracts from the correspondence
between the government between 1856
and 1868. He takes exception to Blaine's as
sertion that 'the vexatious character of the
treaty had been repeatedly recognized on both
sides" and cites the history of the subject
since its origin. In denial he gives volumin-
GUS details of the part of the discussion which
belonged ''to a past state of affairs" and re-
hearses the interview between Lord Napier
and President Buchanan on the subject.