The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-26

Schomburg TO DO destroyed. lie assured
tn Venezuelan representative that the 80
called "Schomburg line was never de-
icnoa TO be other than tentative and the
survey was made merely for convenience
In future negotiations
Tho contention of the South American
republic since the beginning of the dis
putc has been that II must, as n matter
OF aen-protection, control the mouth of
tho Orinoco. and to this proposition An
crdccn consented. He proposed n coDyen-
tional boundary running southwark and
westward from the Morocco river, leav-
way of settlement the South American
state would havo accepted Aberdeen's
proposition and moved the boundary west
OF the Esscquibo had not the Venezuelan
ambassadors death In London at that
iuncture snapped the threads Of the ne
ROTATIONS.
ANOTHER BOUNDARY OFFERED.
In 1851 Lord Granville offered Venezuela
the establishment of boundary begin
ming twcnty-nine miles southeast of Punta
Barlna and leaving Venezuela in control
Of the Orinoco. AS the starting point was
100 miles north OF Aberdcon's. the republic
did not hasten to code its territory ana
years after new mineral discoveries had
again revived the yearnings of Great
Britain for the territory, Lord Roscbery
proposed frontier starting from the sea
coast short distance west OF tho VAIN
river. This offer was so hampered with
tarilf and navigation provisions that venc
left the republic the control of the orr
noco. At that time the utmost CAIN or
The British government was the schom-
burg line, and from that Lord Roscbery
considerably receded. In the nine years
that have elapsed since Rosebery's offer
the English settlers have continued to
press TO tho. westward. and the frontier
now claimed near tine Caroni river Is
twice as far west of Schomburs's line as
the latter is distant from the Essequibo
An English military post is 100 miles to
the westward of the Schomberg survey.
II is this fact that gave rise to tho dip
,omatc incident which was the cause or
miner and n native had a fight in the
town OF uruan.. on the south side of the
Cayuni river. Arrests were made by the
British constabulary of the section. The
Venezuelan troops from the opposite sidc
OF the river made reprsal, and, visiting
Uruan, captured the British magistrate
oncrs were ut once released by the Venc-
gnclans, but the governor of Demerara
did not let the matter drop. He claimed
Indemnity on the ground that the arrest
was made on British soil In this he was
mrnorted ny the foreign office in Eng
land. In the discussion the claim OF ter
ritory was made which has brought forth
tho recent observations of President
Cleveland and Mr., olneN.
TNGLAND'S MOVABLE LINE FENCE.
In the frontier disputes with Venezuela
England has claimed seven separate and
distinct boundaries. with one exception
each was an enlargement upon the preccd-
ing, making "A steady advance into the in
terror ana northward. The territory now
claimed embraces the mouth of the Orinoco
and a vast stretch of country extending
into the central mountains. IS metes are
rot vet definite. but the extent is much
greater than the formal demand of 1898.
Then Great Britain proposed line from
the southwestern source of tn" .tn.aoura
river. running 20 as TO include tae head
waters of The Cumano river and the Up
supamo mountains. This was the last
formal proposition, but within the last two
years tho British colonists and mining
prospectors have invaded Venezuela still
farther west, as far, in fact, as the Cruan
river near it's junction with the Cuyaui.
AT this pont IT was that the arrests were
made which England rescnts as having
been made on British soil"
1t has been noted that it was the gold
fever which blinded the .Anglo-Sa%on eye
to political and territorial prophecies. For
more than l!lty years II has been known
tlat there were deposits IN the disputed
territory. In thc COS the veins were dis
covered. They were beyond the Schom-
burg l.res, and there was rush of Eng
lish Adventures. Tho quest for wealth
was attended with trouble, Those vino did
not die from exposure and privation were
killed off in great numbers by Venezuelans
who regarded the new Corners as treSpass-
reg. The gold fields were abandoned solely
because the 1T Glish government expressly
declined 20 afford protect ion to miners and
rrcspectors
HEAVY GOLD STRIKES
In 1884 the excitement broke out anew.
Geld was found IN the Ma2aruni river, and
subsequently 1t was washed out in large
quantities FROM the tributaries of the Bari
nj, Mazaruni and Cuyuni. English miners
hlled tho Sulchcs and the flats at once. At
INST there was no dispute as to boundaries
nut as the strikes multiplied and the pro-
uuct grew England started to fence In the