The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
ENGLAND,s coMpacr or 1880.
A Memorable stipulation which Seems to
Cut Moro OF n Fiuur. In Nenezuein'-
Than In Grent Rritnin's Case.

" lhlth ho
going on In England as to the flaws already dis
covered in sir Frederick pollock's summary Of
the British side In the Venezuela case naturally
excites much interest In this country. One no.
ticeable point has been that the tclegraphed
summary OF the British case made no allusion
Mt all to the agreement of 1860 regarding the
neutrality OF the disputed area. as II not consid-
erine II a prominent matter; whereas Venezuela
has always held II TO be OF noteworthy i'm
portance. 1t does not, indeed. affect the qucs-
tion of true ownership. which must be- deter
mined by facts that existed much earlier; but IL
does have n very decided bearing on England's
aggressive conduct during the last twelve years.
and upon the new English theory that actual
possession ought to determine what should be
submitted to arbitration. Even the elaborate
summary IN the London Times gives only a
vague and casual reference to this argument
After the attempt OF Schomburgk. in 1871. to
draw an cr pdrte boundary line, had resulted In
the British Governments ordering the removal
Of the posts he set up, disclaiming. at tho same
time. any purpose to insist on this line, nego-
tiations were begun for the dispute.
Unfortunately, while these were proceeding,
with claims then rather moderate on England's
part, although not conceded by Venezuela, they
were interrupted by the death OF the latter's
plenipotentiarv DR.. Alejo Fortique, in 1874.
A few years later. in 1850. rumors arose that
England intended TO occupy the disputed tract.
Thereupon the British Charge d'A tfaires in
Venezuela, Mr.. Belford Hinton Wilson. under
date OF Nov. IL, 1850. addressed to Foreign
Secretary Vicente Iecuna a note on the sub
ject. 1t began as follows:
ON ihr % Of ABril last = The Inders HSn iis her 5d Britain n,
OF state ror Foreign Affairs % vcneznela: in original;
had addressed to her uMatesty's principal, Secretary OF
S SSjsct f OF . pTeSnsa A"s'F 81 ' fsI.aSoa ,dG and She cnismns SG IN
r resn5a 10 IN me ,S Son hS%p SnS policy aI: ,,, %f che bet n wran s GSyt
s gs1.iyns S1d ac ySnG1%s,r' h I'M lo st sSn 'S Win t ,Rs s' 'sS p he
had taken 10 contradict the rumors which were mis-.
ihIssHnI inien nI,nF 10 s sinim ali II OF ysT1 sn Z 1h Ga,a GTs.'
%fn, wan ssi ia, ssl a tnr' % the ssd HFG lS sss Ssn s9a G,Hq aSsai an
msnt " copy Of of the e. despatch ssG .GG wn,cs ., on isn s.tn e , TIE
sou, british Vice Consul at bolivar, in which despatch,
iestys Government in mi; mstter had been in reality
s Snrcsi N"HsW nS,rbi wi with ne ,h den manias. Io pmrnos. , N se ,Ss
ing the private interest OF certain wellknown indi
hsd Seen am Implied int G" sinSe i ssse to n 81 M AZ y|p aovsrn:
ment, were NOT only wholly and absolutely destitute
OF the truth.
1t should be observed that what Is here men,
TONED as Venezuelan Guiana includes the ter
ritorv which Great Britain occupied by force
about a dozen years ago. and that Mr.. Wilson's
note d~isclaimed a purpose to occupy It. He
proceeded to say that on May IS, 1850. her
Majesty approved OF the conduct of the under
signed on this subject" He then remarked that
he had received news that the Venezuelan
authorities had proposed to occupy the disputed
area and to repair and arm the dismantled and
abandoned forts. and that Gov. jose Tomas
Machado had spoken of raising a fort at Point
Barima, the right OF possession to which Is n
dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela"
Finally. he mentioned as an Objectionable act
the introduction at Caracas OF a bill authorizing
the construction OF n fort on the point serving
az boundary between Venezuela and British
Guiana without declaring what that point was.
Mr.. Wilson then. in his official capacity. pro-
ceeded to state what the decision Of Lord Pal
merston was:
The undersigned has also been instructed to
call the serious attention of the President and
to declare that while on the one hand her
Majesty's Government have no intention to
occupy or encroach upon the territory In as,
indifference the aggression OF Nenezula upon
that territory"
Not satisfied even with giving and requiring
these assurances. the British Charge d'Afaires
reiterated them In these terms
The Venezuelan Government, in Justice to Great
OF the rGrma, declaration which Is nov w made iG the
er r. t t Ia GREAT Britain has no Intention to oc.
cnpy or cppcrosch upon the territory IN DISPUTE
spirit OF cool faith and friendship, cannot refuse 10
m mSns. a as si%'Ia9 , a~SlH Hsnssas 10 f Ssr. @h'i 1as no %H intern.
ton to 2ccnpy or encrorch upon tho territory; .m 40,
o orr ~. ." Ta s1n 81 ,Ss s RrI,, 9seS SEsnGrI;i. or r rn5 r an nms
tim" shcre should 5. any ,%istsfs asos, thslr de,sT;;
mInation in mi: resPect the undersigned Is persuaded
SUI ect! ne is then satisfied that n acc2rdance win
the Go""rnment 81 Vrneruela Viii NOT hrsItate 10
send TO the Venezuelan authorities positive orders to
thorities may justly consiitr as aggrcsslons.
Could anything be more eniphaticl And that
n binding agreement was At that time reached
by the two countries Is Rttested by the records,
which show ,hGto on Dec, 20, ls50 Mr. !l.eouna
a" " GSn@wISaESa the psrisiP' 1t UT, 1 m,,So Rr, nn,s;
assurances were sincere. After saying that
Venezuela WAS satisfied 10y these assurances
that Inc rumors OF British encroachments upon
the disputed tract were groundless. Mr.. Lecnna
made this formal declaration In behalf OF
the Venezuelan authorities: Venezuela has no
intention OF occupying or encroaching upon any
portion of the Territory the possession OF which
difference upon IA contrary proceeding on the
part NJ Great Britain: They will, Furthermore.
instruct the authorities of Guiana 10 refrain
from taking steps which might be contrary to
the engagement hereby made by the Govern
ment, and might give rise % fatal consequences.
of need will he willingly done again with regard
to the authorities Of British Guiana"
These mutual stipulatiuns subs;sted substan-
TALLY unbroken, II would appear, for more than
thirty years, Rut in October, 1854, they were
violated ~ he i4Litlsh Guiana anth9riIles, who
glon to occupy II, and other encrORchmsnJs fol-
lowed. including British possession OF the very
Point Barima which was specifically mentioned
in Mr.. Wilson's agreement NJ 1850. II is true
that Great Britain, on her part, alleged z viola
tiOn Of the agreement by Venezuela in the con-
CessiOn made 10 the Manua Company, Nenez-
uela's response was that she had simply given
that company the lands In that region las far
a. British Guiana" without specifically indi-
eating how far. that grant went. because no
agreement with England had been made on the
subject. She disClaimed amy purpose OF grant.
ing to the MRnUa Company ANYTHING beyond
what she might ultimately lie found 10 possess.
Whatever may he said NJ the wisdom Of
Venezuela in making It's grants to the Manoa
Company and to GOrd0n, or Of the validity Ot
Great Britain's statement that her police force
was sent into the tract because NJ actual jurls-
diction exercised by the ManOa CumpSny there,
the main point Ii that the existing British OCCu-
patton cannot possibly ho considered q basis for
any claim in right, especially after this clear
statement uf the agreement Of 1850. Which,
/ ever party might b" adiuGsed. by an impartial
Rrhlter, TO have been guilty Of first violating ale
agreement. there i no doubt that the true own
ership ~ that area Is precisely ms much a mat
ter Of dispute to-day Ms II was forty-hVe years
ago. when Mr.. Wi,on and Mr., LecuuR, on he
half ~ their respective Governments, made 4
STIMULATION in regard 20 II. Venezuela Is justi'
fed In putting forth that agreement as "A prOmi-
Dent mart of her case. with the EueCiul DuFpOst