The record-union., 1896-03-07

opens with the explanation that the
first Schombergk map in 1910 was not
official but an actual line prepared on
the commissions survey. In 1910 and
1S42 it came to the knowledge of the
Government that six years before cor
respondence had passed between the
Venezuelan authorities and the British
Consul at Caracas in which the latter,
at the request of British Vice Consul
at Angostura, proposed to Venezuela
that they erect a beacon on Cape Bar
ina in order to guide ships in the
neighborhood of the Orinoco This cor
respondence was in no way authorized.
The British Government had no knowl-
edge of it until it was communicated TO
them. Venezuela never returned a
reply to the proposal. This was a
perior of dissension. The first over
ture was made by Venezuela in Janu-
ary, 1871, when in reply the announce
ment was made of Schombergk's official
appointment to survey the boundary
and appropriation made to negotiate
a treaty to define the territorial limits.
desire was expressed by Venezuela
tnat the treaty negotiations should pre-
cede the survey for the demarcation of
the frontier.
Later Venezuela demonstrated against
Schombergk's placing boundary posts
at certain points. The statement here
re1efs to Minister Fortique's remon-
stfance and Lord Aberdeen's reply. re-
suitlng IN the removal of the Schom-
pergk posts. 1t quotes Lord Aberdeenss S
declaration of 1912 that the removal of
the posts must not be understood as
meaning that Great Britain abandoned
any portion of her rights to the terri
tory formerly held by the Dutch.
AS regards the negotiations instituted
by venezuela in 1890 and 1893 for a
renewal of diplomatic relations and a
settlement of the boundary disputes. the
pook says, " it is only Necessary here to
say that they failed of successful re-
suit IN consequence Of the persistence of
the Venezuelan negotiations in clairninq
all as far as the Essequibo or its imne-
dlate neighborhood The above exani-
nation shows that the main grounds
upon which the claims of Veneznela arc
supported, SO far as it has been pre
sented to Great Britain at differan+
tunes during the last fifty years. have
been as follows:
F1rst-The original discovery and
iist exploration of the South American
continent py Spain, which is entirely
irrelevant
"Second-The bull of Pope Alexander
W. Which cannot be held as having
any real bearing upon the question.
Ihlrd-The allegation that the oe-
cupatlon of Guiana by the Dutch was
violation of the treaty of Munster. CThis
allegation has been shown to be un-
fcunded)
Fourth-Possession and occupation
py the Spaniards of the territory south
OF the Orinoco, including the rivers
Barlma. Morocco and Pomeroon. If has
been shown that the only Spanish set
Elements there at any time were San
Ihome de Guayana, which was situ-
ated on the south bank of the Orinoco
and which had been moved from time n
time higher up the river. and it was de-
stroyed by the British and Dutch s11c-
cessively, and the Capuchin settlements
between the Orinoco and the
Tumerino, as has been previously de-
scribed
f1fth-That the Dutch had never
any possessions north of the Esseouibo.
This statement has been shown To he
equally erroneous, as perusal Of the
wnole diplomatic correspondence viii
snow that the British Government
while insisting that the just claims of
Great Britain would entitle her to
boundary, embracing practically the
Whole watershed of the Essequfbo. the
Cuyin1, the Yurari, the Pomeroon. the
w AIM and the Barima, has been willing
70 agree to boundary within those to
winch she can show any title
From the summary given of the fore
going chapter it will be seen that Great
Britain, while maintaining her Just
rights, has consistently shown a desire
TO make a fair arrangement with Vene-
zuela as to boundary, and that the
claim of Venezuela that her territory
extends to the Essequibo has been
based upon contentious which are in no
way supported by the facts, and cannot
be justified upon any reasonable
ground
The statement concludes with a rep
etition of the propositions maintained
throughout the case. 1t ends by stat |
ng that the claim of Venezuela that
oer territory extends to the Esseuuibo |
River has been based upon contentious
n no way supported by facts, and can
not be justified on any reasonable |
ground.
The foregoing statement and the au
-horities contained in the documents
announced establish, ifs the matter is |
reated as one of strict right, the fact |
nat Great Britain, as the successor to |
he Dutch, is entitled to the territory |
fa11 inn - d
of all the rivers south of the
)rinOcO which flow into +ha A+Iar+ia