The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-10-12

a view IN terms which, while still
forcible, shall be entirely courte.
Gus and in no degree approach
ing an ultimatum, and such undoubt-
eddy is the nature of Secretary Olney's
letter, and such will be the nature of
the next, if one be necessary before
congress meets, SO that a proper re-
turn may be made to that body in De-
cember next, but further than that the
secretary is not likely to proceed, for
as an ultimatum is really a step to-
wards war, to deliver such might be
regarded as an infringement of the
constitutional right of congress.
LIvinEston's Plan for Settling the Dispute.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4-Representative
Livingston, of Georgia, has a pro-
! gramme mapped out for congress to
follow on the Venezuelan question.
Mr.. Livingston says that just as 0
as the house is organized for business
he will offer a resolution providing for
the appointment of a committee to
make a report to congress on the Ven
eZuelan question.
AS proposed, he will provide for the
committee to consist of three members
from the senate and two from the
house, and the committee thus created
will be directed to report to the house
II senate the position to be taken by
the United States in the controversy.
Mr.. Livingston, thus originating the
resolution, will naturally be ore of the
two members of the house, and it is es-
timated that Senators Morgan
and Sherman will be two of
the three members of the senate
end of the committee. Mr.. Living
stOn is strongly in favor of the ar
bitration plan, Venezuela to select one
of the parties to the arbitration and
Great Britain One and the two to Sc
lect a third. According to this plan
the United States, it is thought, would
be selected by Venezuela, and in this
way this government would he retained
as Il party to the controversy. Mr..
Livingston will insist that arbitration
be forced upon Great Britain, if pos
sible, and if it is unsuccessful, he will
then favor maintaining and sustaining
the Monroe doctrine.
1t is observed that the special com
mittee to be created will lead off with
a programme that may result in a POI
sition being taken by congress-, and
this will pave the way for an ultima
tum, and the power to issue an ulti-
natum rests entirely with congress-,
and it is little less than amusing to
e so much nowadays about some
wonderful ultimatum sem to Great
Britain, in the face ofthe fact hat it is
impossible for the president to declare
war, and not having that power, the
administration would get in a bad
plight to indulge in the ultimatum
business, when it had no power to back
up. The ultimatum talk is referred to
by state department officials as little
less than ridiculous.
There have been seven different
claims made by Great Britain for the
delimitatiOn of its western boundary
in British Guiana" said Mr.. Livings-
ton. None of them have yet been set
tied. Within the last few weeks there
has been Il further claim, which is not
yet a matter of record. A
British concession has been grant
ed to Clark & Co, of New
York, American citizens, for mineral
lands west of any point heretofore
named by Great Britain as within its
territory. The object of this move is
a very plain one. 1t is intended to
cOmplicate the situation within the
United States, by granting to Ameri-
can citizens Venezuelan territory.
The movement will not win. under.
stand that Great Britain has already
indicated, unofficially, that she is will
ing to compromise matters on the
~SchOmburg line. Venezuela will not
cOncede this d~elimitation, which takes
in the mouth of the Orinoco river. and
gives Great Britain the complete con-
trOle of that stream, which is
navigable for 720 miles from it's
mouth. All the diplomatic
of Great Britain for many years past
have been directed toward securing for
trade purposes the military and naval
control of the Orinoco river. The island
of Trinidad, in the Caribbean sea, |
which Great Britain now occupies, was
secured in the first place for this pur-
pose, without the slightest right on the !
part of Great britain to occupy and
own it. The action of the British for
elgn Office for a half century past. in
connection with the western boundary
of British Guiana, has also had no
other object than the capture of trade
for that country at the expense of a
weaker nation