The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-31

vine proposed another, TedCnlnS Iur-
l'ther to the west, and Lord Rosebery
another inside the Schomburgk line, but
coupled with the free navigation Of the
Orinoco.
I'm 1893 he proposed a second line,
and meantime Lord Salisbury had ex-
tended the British claim while he was
Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Every
British Minister has offered different
line within which Great Britain would
not consent to arbitrate, and every
British Minister has gone beyond his
predecessor in making fresh claims to
territory beyond the line which he of
fered about which he would arbitrate.
AT first sight this seems to denote in
consistency on the part of the British
Government, but in reality their course
has been just the reverse. There is ap-
parently just as much support for one
line as another when they pass beyond
the Valley of the Essequibo. From
Schomburgk down, every line was en-
tlrely arbitrary and the constantly
growing claims beyond the various
lines offered was in entire keeping with
| the policy of the British Government.
Their object was to get as much new
territory as they could if the matter
ever came to settlement, which they
have used every artitice to delay"
Asserting his belief that Great BRIT
ain had no good claim to a foot of land
beyond the Essequibo, Lodge laid down
the principle that if England. with no
authority but a disputed claim. seizes
territory and declines arbitration upon
it, her action does not differ from
selzing and holding new territory in
the Americas by the right of conquest.
The seizure of this South American
territory by England, he asserted, was
an absolute violation of the Monroe
doctrine. "At the last session of Con-
gress, said Lodge, 81 called the atten-
ton Of the Senate and of the country to
the manner in which England had alb
sorbed the islands Of the Pacific. and to
the necessity of our annexing the Ha-
Walian Islands, a necessity which now
becomes more pressing with each sue
| ceeding day. I ask you now to look at
the caribbean Sea. 1 ask you to note
the strong naval station which England
has established at st. Lucia Follow a
| line thence to the westward and Won
find Trinidad, the DEVELOPMENT of
which has been strongly pushed of
late years, then Jamaica and finally
British Honduras. That line faces the
South American Coast. This ter
ritory claimed from Venezuela is being
pushed steadily to the westward along
that coast and the point at which it
aims is the control of the mouth of the
! Orlnoco, one of the great river systems
of South America. The purpose of all
| these movements is written plainly on
the map. If successful they will give
! Great Britain control of the Spanish
Main, and make the caribbean Sea lit
! tie better than a British lake"
/ He concluded as follows: 1--WE have
seen British forces at Corinto We
know the attitude they assume in Vene-
zuela. They are attempting to take
land on the Alaskan boundary. They
| have just denounced the modus vi
vendi, and reopened in that way the
periious dispute Of the northeastern
fisheries 1t is not by accident that these
events have all occurred, or all come to
an acute stage within the past year.
They are not due to us, for we have
| committed no aggression upon any
| body
"Of all those difficulties which are
|
that involved in the dispute with Vene-
zuela. They tell US that this territory is
remote and worthless. It is remote, per
haps, but it is not worthless, for if it
had been, the Venezuelan possession of
it would be undisturbed
But it matters not whether it is
worthless or valuable. The tea tax
was trivial, but our forefathers re-
| fused to pay it because it involved a.
great principle, and the attempt to en-
force it cost Great Britain her North
American colonies The American peo-
pie believe to-day just as firmly in the
principle of the Monroe doctrine. They
| deem it essential to their honor. their
| safety and their interests as a nation.
and they are prepared to defend it
when it is assailed
Mr.. President, who is responsible
for the unhappy strained relations be-
| tween England and the United States?
AS L have pointed out, we have not
/ been the aggressors on any of the
| points now in dispute, whether in
! Alaska or Venezuela. What then has
/ strained our relations? The peremp-
/ tory refusal to arbitrate this question
| of boundary. Who gave that refusal Z?
! Great Britain. We have appointed a
! commission, not to arbitrate between
! Great Britain and Venezuela, but to
/ inform US, after careful investigation.
what the true divisional line. in their
! opinion should be. Who has drawn an
arbitrary line of boundary and declared
/ that they should not arbitrate to the
east OF it? Not the United States, but
! Great Britain Ultimatums are what
! strain relations, and they have come
/ from Great Britain and not from us I
believe this question will be peacefully
I settled by the good sense of the repre-
! sentatives Of England and the United
/ States; but am very clear that such
/ settlement can only be reached by ac-
! ton on the part Of Congress and of the
/ President, which shall be as temperate
as it is firm, and which shall maintain
the Monroe doctrine absolutely wher-
over it justly applies. That doctrine is
! as important TO us as the balance of
/ power is to Europe, and those who
maintain the latter must not attempt
to break down the principle which
| guards the integrity of the Americas
and protects them from the interference
| of foreign powers"
At the close of Mr.. Lodges speech the
/ espOndence on the subject of the
vice-cOnsulates at Erzeroum and Har-
po0t was laid before the Senate and re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Re
lations.
The resolution naming the committee
membership was taken up and agreed
to- yeas 80. nays %.
Five of the six Populists reserved