New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-27
vENEzUELA,s CLAIMS ADMITTED.

NENEZUELAs CLAIMS ADMITTED.
IL is here necessary to go back few years in
order to clear up the question OF the ownership Of
the south bank OF the Orlnoco. the extreme east
ern point Of which is known as Punta Barima. In
January. 1885, two British vessels grounded in the
Grand Boca OF the Orinoco near Punta Barima, and
m IN letter dated May 26, 1886. sir Robert htr
Porter called the attention OF the venezuelan ne
OF pilotage and insuffioiency OF buoys. formally
recommended that the Republic erect a suitable
be otherwise Construed. an acknowledgement of Ven
ezuelan sovereignty over the point named i a
Government Is all responsible for the acts OF Its
agents. this letter Is conclusive proof That England
had no right nor title to the south bank Of the
Punta Barlma within British lines, and nearly
nifty years later the English Colonial Department
disavowed the action of It's charge d afaires.
., Senior Fort!que spent over year in the pre-
limits and then put forward the statement that
British Guiana could claim only the terfitory
Pomeroon on the north He Furthermore called at
tention to the fact that the line made by sehom1
this is shown by the following quotations iron, from
which nature prescrlbes by Its rivers and noun;
tains, and include all the regions which are drained
-. ana adopting the Corentyn as rs eastern
boundary. British Guiana consists OF !oVW square
and west. thence northwest of the greatest
Importance. forming. as they do. a natural bound
sfy to 5he territory drained by the anu
schomburgks line does not follow the rivers
ezTeia was right in her statement schomburgk
Essequlbo and the Corentyn and their tributaries
was. geographically. one country ms ., may De
Senior Fortque made such strong Representations
.! s sa foFd Abe2dssn SAID d' in mai
preiminary step subject to futnre discussion be
tween the two governments: that they were the
question Of limits, and that they were placed with
that express purpose and not as the Venezuelan AZ
indicating dominion or empire on the part OF Great
Ths Letter %re Abe IH sscn
that Poin, Bar.ma had not been occupied by the
British authorities.
SCHOMBURGK's MARKS REMOVED.
In order to put an end to the mlsunders landing
Lord Aberdeen on January g. ls42 ordered that
the boundary marks placed by Schomburgk be re-
moved. on the other hand Great Britain rewarded
Schomburgk by knghthood and by giving him an
official position in British Guiana. Senior Fortque
continued negotiations and In 1874 Lord AoeIueeh
threw completely aside the line run by Schom-
burgk and proposed that Nenezuel Ia accept the
Morocco River as the northern boundary OF Brlusn
Guiana. but Venezuela. relying upon her historical
rights did not wish to concede more nortnery
were finally interrupted by the death Of the NeneI
zuelan Minister. Ten years later It was reported
ina and on November Is. 1850 Mr. Wilson, then
charge dafraires at Caracas, entered INTO con-
he CWilson) stated that his Government mad no
intention 81 occupying the territory IN dispute, anu
In 1851 Lord Granville then the English Secretary
dairy line which commenced twenty-nine miles 10
Venezuela the full control of the Orinoco. point
upon which she has always most strenuo11sy III,
sisted. Just why this line was not accepted is not
known but the probable reason Is that the proposed
starting point nearly 100 miles 10 the north OF
the previously offered line, and that Venezuela re-
lied too much upon her historical rights. Nothing
was done ana the wSTS S no,e that IN 1858 the
Governor Of Demerara in an order concerning the
more northery one than the Pomeroon River
In 1854 gold was found in paying quantiu es,o on
and miners iocked 10 the country Al the
time there was question regarding BOUNDARIES.
sl5Oco In gold and the negotia tons for territorial
limits between Great Britain and Venezuela again
began, Senior Guzman Blanco being the venezuela
Minister TO Great Britain
GOLD THE CAUSE OF THE PRESENT DIS
PUTE.
II is in this gold discovery that the reason OF the
present English claim 20 much territory IL 10 be
found. The miners quickly overrun the country to
the west and north. and in 1885 the gold output had
risen Sll2042 The creeks flowing into the Barima.
Amacuro, Mazaruni and Cuyuni all found TO
be rich In gold and English miners. accompanied
by by coolies pushed b into the country IN every dTee
Of dollars. and this was doubled in the following
year. About this time the Rothschilds through
Hamilton Smith. IT,. Of san Francisco. purchased
concededy In Venezuelan territory. and upon which
thousands OF dollars in taxes
At this time GssD Great Britain claimed only the
Schamburgk lire. but in 1886 Lord Rosebery, British
Secretary Of State for Foreign Affairs only asked
for frontier which should start from the seacoast
toward the west Of the Waini River. This boundary
might. indeed. have been accepted by Venezuela,
II the proposal for IL had not been accompanied by
demand for the free navigation OF the OrinocO
River and the settlement OF trade treaty, by
Venezuelan ports from the Antilles were removed;
owing 20 the continual encroachme nts OF English
miners, Venezuela on January o. 1887. plainly stated
10 the English Government that unless arbitration
should be resorted TO. and meanwhile the English
should evacuate the territory between the Barma
the countries must Nothing but the most
polite ana diplomatic d den were made TO- this CON-
Caracas, and since then the official communications
Of the British Foreign Office have been presented
10 Venezuela through the German Minister. Al
though diplomatic relations ceased. the westward
progress Of the English did not and little by little
the miners pushed beyond the old Schamburgk line,
following the course OF the Cuyuni River, until
they reached the FL Caao district
GROWTH OF BRITISH CLAIMS
Diplomacy has gained the day (or shown the
most effrontery). and the claims OF Great Britain
include the entire Yuruari district II is by
means impossible to conjecture the basis OF the
e>travagant claims made. Since 1884 the gold out
put credited 10 British Guiana has risen from moth
Ing 10 2,'2IW per annum. and the total 70 date
amounts to slls2s.7oo The output of the Yuruarl
total to January T. 1855 IS t:e over $1,000 90
The present diplomatic incident between Venez-
uela and Great Britain arises from the fact that the
latter country has established a military post 100
miles to the west OF the boundary claimed BY Scham
burg The village OF Yuruan is the south side
OF the Cuyuni River at It's junction with the Yuruan
and Yuruari rivers Across the river there is a
Venezuelan troops arrested a British magistrate
and a number OF constabes at Yuruan. but the
Is now made that the made on British
soil. but until few years ago Great Britain never
present time. except to hide her real purpose.
To sum up the entire question the British Foreign