The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-11
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disputed claims to territory that is moi
occupied.
But they did not intend by that stipu
iation to ask the government of the Unit
ed States 10 prejudice any questions
which had been raised or might be raised
with respect to the ownership Of settled
districts. This part of the subject, con-
fessedly the most difficult part, would
have been reserved for separate exami-
nation.
81 should wish you TO offer this expla-
nation to Mr. .Olney when you have an
opportunity and, if he desires it, give
him copy Of this dispatch. I will re-
serve for another occasion the observa-
lions which, after consideration, l may
have to make in reply to the general ar
gument OF his note.
SALISBURY"
OLNEY TO PAUNCEFOTE
(Mr. Oiney to Sir Julian Pauncefote,
Department of State,
washington, July Is. 1896.
your Excellency-I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt from you Of a
copy Of Lord Salsbury's dispatch to you
IF the Bird inst. It's object is 10 explain
that his lordship, in his previous dispatch
Of May %, did not intend that the boun-
dary line fixed by the proposed arbitra-
lion tribunal should include in British
Guiana any territory bona fide occupied
by British subject Jan. 1, 1887. Bur
rs such territory must fall upon one side
Dr. the other of any complete boundary
line and was certainly not in any event
TO be assigned to Venezuela, all the pres
eEht explanation would seem to show
that Lord Salisbury's proposal of May %
cortemplates, not a complete boundary
line, but part or parts of such line,
namely, such part or parts as might d.
vide uninhabitei or unsettled territory.
Such a conclusion requires a somewhat
heroic construction Of a paper which, IN
terms, proposes the following basis Of
settlement of the Venezuelan boundary
dispute by which the two governments
are to endeavor to agree to boundary
line, upon the basis of a certain report,
and by which, in absence of such an
agreement, an arbitral tribunal is to FIX
the boundary lines upon the basis of such
report Nothing IN this language init
mates that anything less than COM
plete boundary line is to be the outcome
Of the plan suggested.
'The decision is, however, hardly
worthy pursuing. If Lord Salisbury did
not make his meaning clear in the dis
patch Of May % he certainly is entitled
to make 1t clear now
There Is another part Of the dispatch
which seems 10 me of more importance
rnd upon which wish to base an in
curry. ''The claim of Venezuela, it Is
said, is so far-reaching that it brings
Into question interests and rights which
calnot properly be disposed of by an un-
@rs te.l ..r1t
as the Essequibo; IL covers two-thirds
Of the colony Of British Guiana; 1t i'm
peaches titles which have been unques-
toned for many generations
That Venezuela claims territory ex-
tending to the Esseeuibo, OF covering
two-thirds Of the colony Of British
Guiana, cannot be regarded as being of
itself an insuperable obstacle to unre-
etrcted arbitration. But the objection
that the Venezuelan claim impeacheS
titles which have been unquestioned for
many generations is undoubtedly of the
most weighty character.
''The inquiry 1 desire to put. therefore,
is this: Can 1t be assumed that her
majesty's government would submit to
restricted arbitration the whole of the
territory In dispute, provided ii be a
rule of the arbitration, embodied in the
erbitral agreement, thet territory which
has been In exclusive, notorious and act
ual use and occupation Of either party
for even two generations. or say for
fifty years. shall be. held by the arbi-
traitors to be the territory Of such par
ty? In other words, will her males
tvs government assent to unrestricted
arbitration of all the territory in con-
troversy with the period for the acqui-
sition of title by prescription fixed by
agreement of the parties in advance at
fifty years?
II enclose copy of the dispatch for
Lord Salisbury's USE I should be glad
to have its substance transmitted by
cable that it may be published with
the other correspondence on the 18Th
inst l have, etc.
(Signed) RICHARD OLNEY."