The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-05-02

it opens prospect for alarming complica-
tions in the future which, and in fact are,
even regarded as likely to involve this
country in the affair in spite of the earn
est desire of the administration to avoid
the entanglement. This action means
that no goods can now be entered at Co.
, rinto port which has heretofore receiv-
ed half of the imports into the country,
without violating the international law of
Nicaragua. The British may collect the
duties of any goods which enter, but the
latter will be liable to seizure the moment
they cross the British lines into the inte-
rior They must do so to find a market,
for the coast being unhealthy, is thinly
peopled, and the great consuming cassei
of the population live in the interior
The first effect of the decree closing the
port therefore, possibly, will be to divert
nearly all, if not the entire import trade
of the place to San Juan del Sui, perhaps
RealaJo, a seaport nearby, for it is i'm
probable that many merchants will take
the chances of getting their goods into
Nicaragua through the British lines under
the circumstances. The stay of the Brit.
ish is therefore problematic, being cond.
toned on the collecting of revenue from
customs to make good the indemnity de-
manded. But another consideration arises
at this point, for our government has been
hSSuItu IluI lHe occupation is not per10H-
nent; and, indeed, the first paragraph of
the Bulwer-Clayton treaty expressly pledg-
es Great Britain against any occupation
OF Nicaraguan territory. So the problem
will arise how to collect the indemnity
within reasonable time. This may be
settled summarily by simply extending
the occupation and blockade beyond Co
rinto so as to include all of the Pacific
ports of Nicaragua
From thn disnnsition ebovv, hx tho N;o
araguans at present this can be done only
by force, and is likely to add very largely
to the expense incurred in the collection
of the indemnity, which will
surely be added to the
original sum. This course, moreover,
would seriously embarrass the commerce
of the United States and on this point
Great Britain has given Secretary Gresh-
am certain assurances. Another manner
in which the British may be able to secure
their ends is a declaration of war and an
invasion of Nicaragua. involving the cap
ture of the capital-Managua- the
imposition upon the Nicaraguans of the
British terms as the price of peace It
may be that the British government may
be driven to the latter course in the inter
est of trade, our own as we'll as that of
her own merchant ships, which she is
bound to safeguard.
If goods entered at Corinto after pay
ment of duty to the British occupants,
should be seized in the interior, the own
ers, British or American, would have a
good claim for reparation. The only
question is as to whose duty 1t would be
to secure these, whether the United States
| would feel bound to intervene in the in
terest of an American merchant, and
there are other factors which may involve
our country directly In the dispute.
| 1t has been asserted as a hard and fast
- I. II 1n,. hat m M
twice collected and our own government
| has taken an advanced position on this
| question. At time when the diplomatic
| relations between Great Britain and Mex
| ico were interrupted and revolutionary
movement was in progress in the latter
country, British ship entered one OF the
revolutionary ports of Mexico and paid
Afterwards the Mexican government
again assessed duties upon the same
goods, holding that these insurgents had
| no authority to make the first collection
and refusing to recognize 1t. The British
| minister mt Washington, Sir Edward
Thornton, appealed to our government,
Great Britain having no representative
In Mexico, to secure the release OF the
goods from this imposition. We acted
very promptly and obliged Mexico to re-
| lease the goods and to acknowledge the
principle that duties can not be levied
| twice. This case differs in many import
ant features from that presented by the
closure of Corinto and it is difficult to as,
| certain the application Of international
| law in that last move, though the general
| broad principle would seem to be similar.
COMMANDMENT EXPECTED.
| Colon. April 27.-The Nicaraguan gov
ernment. in view of the occupation or
| Corinto by the British forces under Ad-
miral Stephenson for the purpose OF col