The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-11

! tion will proceed on acceptance or the old
common law rule of prescription.
The understanding here is that the en-
tire Venezuela Guiana boundary VIII lbe
thrown open TO arbitration, II remaining
for Greot Britain to show that certain
nort;ons have been occupied by her sub
;ects SO long, peacefully, uninterruptedly
| aud nubliclv as to make a conclusive ter
ritorial occupation,
The notes passig between Secretary
Olney and Lord Salisbury which narrow
ed down to an agreement, the only I'M
Dortantissne remaining to be decided,
namely. that of the disposition OF British
vested rights through settlement, bear
date of July last and are as follows:
rord Salisbury to Sir Julian pauncefote
Foreign office, July 3, 1896:
Sir. / have to acknowledge your ex-
eellency's dispatch, No. 200, of 18th
June. enclosing note from Mr.. Olney,
in which he explains the reasons that in
duce the government Of the United States
10 withhold their assent from the pro-
nosals with respect TO the Venezuelan
frontier contained in my dispatch, No.
$50. of the 22nd OF May.
The arguments by which Mr.. Olney
supports this view vii receive the care
full consideration Of Her Majesty's gov
ernment | am not now writing to YOU
for the purpose of discussing them. My
object in addressing your exeellency is to
point out that in a matter of some i'm
portance Mr.. Olney, owing, doubtless to
the inadeuuacv of my own explanation,
has miSapprehended the purport of the
proposal which ! had the honor to make
To him He states that ''it appears to be
fundamental condition that the bound
airy line. decided to be the true one by
the arhitrators. shall not operate upon
territory bona fide occupied by q British
suhiect-shall be DETECTED in every such
case so as to make such territory part of
British Guinea"
This was not the intention of my pro-
posals and the language of my dispatch
of 22nd Of May does not, / think, fairly
bear this conviction. / proposed that
.'the tribunal should not have power to
include such districts as the territory of
Venezuela but did not propose that
they should necessarily be assumed with
out further proof to be part OF British
| Guinea. / only stipulated that the owner
ship of them was not TO be decided by
| the tribunal. which, in our judgment, was
| inadequate for this purpose, though it
was adequate for the assignment OF the
unsettled districts. The settled districts,
shown to be in dispute by the inquiries
of the commission, were to be disposed of
| hy subsequent negotiation. The claim of
Venezuela is so far-reaching that it brings
| into question interests and rights which
cannot properly be disposed of by an un-
restricted arbitrator. 1t extends as far
/ as the Essequibo; it covers two-thirds
| of the colony og British Guinea; 1T I'M
| peaches titles which have ben unques-
toned for many generations. These dis
/ tricts must be treated separately and
/ until further inquiry has thrown mose
| light upon the mater, it is only by re-
serving the settled districts generally that
/ this can be done.
| The view of Her Majesty's govern
ment, is that, where the matter in issue
| is of great Importance and involves
rights which belong to a considerable
/ population and are deeply cherished by
/ them, special precautions against any
| miscarriage of justice are required, of
/ which have indicated the general char
| acter in this correspondence, but which
| are not required where a title to nn-
/ occupied territory is alone in issue. 1t IS
4 for this reason that Her Majesty's gov
| ernment proposed to accept these dis
| tricts from the jurisdiction of the arbitral
/ tribunal, though it could deal adequately
| with the disputed claims to territory that
| is not occupied. But they did not intend
| by that stipulation to ask the government
| of the United States to prejudge any
| questions which had been raised, OF
| might be raised, with respect to the
| ownership of settled districts. This part
| of the subject confessedly the most diff
| cult part, would have been reserved for
| separate examination. | should wish you
| to offer this explanation to Mr.. Olney
| when you have an opportunity, and IL
| he desires it, give him copy of this dis
| patch / viii reserve for another occa-
| sion the observations which, after con-
| sideration, may have to make in reply
to the general argument Of his note.
SALISBURY.
Mr.. Olney to Sir Julian Pauncefote:
| Department Of State, Washington, July
/ IS, 1896.
/ Your Excellency: I have the honor
! to acknowledge the receipts from you Of
4 copy of Lord Salisbury's dispatch to you
| Of the 3rd instant. Its object is to ex-
plain that his Lordship. in his previous
dispatch of May % did not intend that
the boundary line fixed by the proposed
| arbitratal tribunal should include
British Guinea any territory bona fide oc-
| cupied by a British subject January /,
1887. But, as such territory must fall
| upon one side or the other of any com
plete boundary line and was certainly
not in any event to be assigned to Vene-
| zuela, all the present explanation would
seem to show is that Lord Salisbury's
l proposals Of May % contemplated not a
| complete boundary line but a part or
| parts of such line, namely, such part or
| parts as might divide uninherited or I'M
settled territory. Such a conclusion re-
1 quires 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 certain report, and by which, in alb