New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-24

, Orinoco westward of Point Barlma. that 1t pro
ceeded thence in a souherly direction TO the ANA
taca Mountains the line of which it followed to me
northwest passing from thence by ne nlen"n ann i,
SANTA Nara uS of hills on the eastern bank of
Caroni River. following these southwark uh'li II
rma Mountains of British Guiana. and tnen ne,
southwark to the Pacaraima Mountains. . ~, s,
other hand. the claim which had been put l9 2
on behalf OF Venezuela by General Guznan na 1a
in his message to the Na nToe ibe surrender Of
province now inhabited by 1000 Brltsh supJeS t
and which had been IN the nnnerrupteu Tar
of Holland and Of Great Britain successfully loi
The difference between these two claims being so
der to arrive at satisfactory arraneeneit ea r
Concessions TO the other. and he was assured mat
although the claim OF venezuela 10 tre
River boundary could NOT unusr an. "a Gnnor,rneni
be entertained, yet that Her Majesty HoIernneit
NE snrit of concilaton and would be willing IN
the event of renewal OF negotiations for the gen
ea rhey considered to be their strict rights If
Venezuela were really disposed 70 make correspond
Tbe Venezuelan Minister replied in February 1851
by pi opposing line which commenced on me Go "a
Lowell certain parallels and meridans inland pear
inS a general resemblance to the proposal made by
S Snfor Roass proposal was referred to the Lieu
,eny General and Attorney General Of British Gul,
an" who were then in England and they presented
an eleborate report. showing that in the thrty-nNe
yeaI dncession natives and Others had settled in
~ tsrrtorv unde- the belief that they woulc ENJOY
osible 70 assent to any such concessions as senior
Rojas line would nyovs n,cb he iygyolysd consider
able reductions of that laid down by Sir t. schom-
Tb boundary was proposed to the yenezue Ella,
c;dyernm.nt by Lord Granville in September lsSl'
but no answer was ever ie'"i|'" ny '""'
meni TO the proposal
BREACHES OF AGREEMENT.
while however the Venezuelan Minister CON
,ortlv stated that the matter was under active CON
sidcration it was found that In the Same year
concession had been given by his Government 10
General Pulgar. which included large portion ol
the territory in dispute This was the thiru preach
M, Venezuela of the agreement OF lSD
1-rl,, in 1884 news arrived of a fourth breach by
Venezuela of the agreement of 1880 through two dii-
ferent grants which covered the whole OF the yer,
t,n33nis 10 settle on the disputed territory the
British Government could no longer remain inac-
Warning was therefore given to the Venezuelan
Government and to the concessonalres, ana s bh.
isb magistrate sent into the threatened district
10 assert the British rights ..,o,, -,
the boundary had continued gut lhe ol,S u ,ep,IeS
that could be obtained from Senior Guzman banco'
the oene n derent forms all Of Which Her Maj
esty's Government were compelled TO uecIlile az
claim advanced by Venezuela in 1874 to all terri
tory up to the left bank of the Essequib9 ,,,.o,.
As the progress of settlement by British SUBJECTS
made decision of some kind absolutely necessary
and as the Venezuelan Government refused TO Golle
10 any dcidcd not to repeat the offer of
sions which had not been o Within the
Schomburgk line while still conserving 10 hou open
for further negotiation, and even for arbitration,
he ,,nseted lands between that line and what they
considered TO be the rghtful boundary, as staltu
in the note Senior Rojas of the 10Th OF January
The execution of this decision was deferred edo for
a time owing to the return of Senior Guzman Blaneo
to London, and the desire OF LORD Rosepery, the,,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to settle al
pending questions between the two governments
Mr. Oney is mistaken in supposing that in 1916 "a
treaty practically agreed upon containing h M ia
might have submitted the boundary dispute TO the
% wh f bo thT' is true Sf P General
Blanco proposed that the commercial treaty be,
this nature but 1t had reference to future disputes
only. Her Majesty's Government have always IN
sisted on separate discussion OF the frontier ques-
ton. and have considered its settlement 10 he
necessary preliminary to other arrangements L3rd
the two governments should agree TO consider the
lively proposed in the eighth paragraph of Senior
Rojas's note OF the 2lst of February lSsl ana IN
as the territory in dispute between the two coun,
tries. and that boundary line within the limits OF
this territory should be traced either by an arbra-
tor or by a joint commission on the basis or an
equal division of this territory que reearu oe"'s
had 10 natural boundaries
THE IRREDUCIBLE BOUNDARY"
Senior Guzman Blanco replied declining the pro-
posal. and repeating that arbitration on the "hoie
claim OF Venezuela was the only method OF solution
which he could suggest This pretension is hardly less
exorbitant than would be refusal by Great brit-
Ain To agree to arbitration on the boundar" OF
British Columbia and Alaska unless the United
States would bring into question one
half OF the whole Of the latter Territory. he
shortly afterward left England. and as there
seemed no hope OF arriving at an agreement by fur
Their discussions. the Schomburgk line was pro-
claimed the irreduclbe boundary Of the colony N
October. 1886. Ii must be borne in mind that In
taking this step Her Majesty's Government did not
assert anything approaching their extreme claim.
but confined themselves within the limits OF Whtt
had. early 1870 been suggested conces-
sion out Of friendly regard and complaisance.
When Senior Guzman Blanco. having returned TO
Venezuela, announced his intention OF erecting
lighthouse at Point Barma. the British Govern
ncnt expressed their readiness to permit this IL he
would enter into formal written agreement that