Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-03
THE MANOA CONCESSION
A Decree by the British Government That
Confronts It
The Issue Not n New One, as Attempts
to Occupy the Land In Dispute
Have Been Made Before.

In 1886 the following decree was issued:
Colonial Office, Downing street,
October H. 1888.
Whereas the boundary lire between her
majesty's colonies of British Guiana and
the republic of Venezuela is in dispute be-
tween her majesty's government and the
government Of Venezuela, and whereas it
has come to the knowledge of her males
tvs government that grants of land within
the territory claimed by her majesty's
government as part of the said colony have
been made or purport to have been made
by or in the name of Venezuela; notice is
hereby given that no title to lands or to
any right in, or over, or affecting any
lands within the territory claimed by her
majesty's government as forming part of
a colony of British Guiana, purporting to
be derived from, or through, the govern
ment of Venezuela or any officer or pers On
authorized by that government will be ad-
mitted or recognized by her majesty or
by the government of British Guiana, and
that any person taking possession of or
exercising any right over any such lands
under color of any such title or pretended
title will be liable to be treated as a tres
passer under the laws of the said colony"
Not u New Issue.
This is the decree that faces the Manoa
concession, the holders of which. it is re-
ported, are to meet at New York shortly
to endeavor to commit this government to
a support Of it's claim. Contrary to pop
ular belief, the issue which they propose
to raise is by no means new, as is fully
disclosed by the correspondence had in
past years Oh this subject by the State
Department with Great Britain and Ven
ezuela, and the decree above quoted was
expressly drawn to fit the case of the Ma
noa Company.
In September, 1888. Venezuela granted to
c. C.. Fitzgerald in behalf of the Manoa
Company, the exclusive right to colonize
such national lands as Were included within
tract which on the side of the Orinoco
river extended as far the boundary Of
British Guiana, as defined by the NeneZue-
lans The purpose of the concession was to
develop agriculture, cattle breeding and
mining. Within few months and before
the company had actually entered upon the
development of its concession the acting
governor of Demarara, a British official,
notified Mr.. Fitzgerald that the colonial
government exercised authority and juris-
dction over the territory including this con-
cession, and that any persons Designating
or acting in contravention Of the laws of
British Guiana within those limits would be
liable to prosecution
Couldn't Put Up n Saw Mill.
One month later, hearing that the Manoa
Company proposed to set up a saw
mill at the mouth of Barima river
British commissioner served formal
fotice in two letters that no such
thing was to be permitted and two
months later than this the British legation
at Caracas addressed the Venezuelan gov
eminent directly on the question, requesting
it to tske steps to prevent the Manoa. Com
nany from asserting claims Interfering
with British territory, and threatening to
instruct the British governor to employ po-
lice force to prevent it. This was supple
rented by a suggestion that, in view of the
tendency of the boundary dispute, it was
important that such incidents calculated to
cause grave Inconvenience should be pre-
vented. This last action taken in 1885,.
and apparently prevented the exercise by
the American concessioraries of any asser-
ton of their claim from that day until the
present time although the facts were fully
known to the State Department.