The record-union., 1896-02-25
VENEZUELAN DISPUTE.
Further and Serious Complications
Likely to Arise.
The Government Protests Against Any
Concession of Land Within the
Contested Territory.

GEORGETOWN British Guiana),
Feb 10 Correspondence of the United
Press).-On the eve of the departure of
the United States mail from this colony
a report has gained currency that fur
ther and serious complications are like
ly to arise in connection with the ques-
tion of boundaries between the colony
of British Guiana and Venezuela. 1t is
reported that the Venezuelan Govern
ment has within the past day or two
lodged with the Government of British
Guiana, to be forwarded to the Inn
perial Government, a formal protest
against any concession of land within
the contested territory being granted
by the British Government. The report
is said to be couched in courteous but
firm language, and when a halt is called
by the Colonial Government in granting
and the Imperial Government in ap-
proving of further concessions within
the contested regions, there may be
trouble that hitherto has been avoided.
It is not difficult to find the cause for
Venezuela taking this fresh move in
the question of territory limits of the
countries. The British Secretary of
State for the Colonies, Joseph Cham
that he has been handed an application
of a large number of capitalists for a
large tract of land in the disputed ter
ritory; that these capitalists offer to
purchase for a large sum a specific tract
OF land in the northwestern district
with absolute right to the minerals
and precious stones therein; timber
rights and township rights, as well as
or
of it to public companies. This applica-
ton is under consideration by the local
Government at the present time.
When this offer became known in the
more influential circles in this colony
the British Guiana Chartered Com
pany was instituted, and they have now
transmitted to the Secretary of State,
through the Colonial Government, pc
tition for a concession of crown land on
the right bank of the Cuyuni River, to
the western boundary of the colony
OF course the Chartered Company in
their zeal seem to have overlooked the
fact that the western boundary of the
colony is still underlined. But again,
there is no secrecy about the fact that
the concession applied for by the Char
tered Company is the same as was indi-
Gated in a dispatch from the Secretary
of State to the Governor of this colony,
when he referred to the necessity for
the immediate opening up of the in
terror Of the colony, and went on to add
how it was possible capitalists might
be found in the colony who would be
prepared to purchase for capital sum
a concession of fair portion of the gold
field in the northwest district"
The granting of the concession is con-
sidered to be greatly strengthened from
the fact that the Chartered Company
has given an undertaking to hand over
to the Government OF the colony within
two years after the granting of the con-
cession the sum of S500,000 to be ex-
pended in the construction of roads and
bridges to connect the concession with
the coast and to have further working
capital of $T50,000, and in case of fall
ure to comply with these terms to for
felt the concession.
The situation in British Guiana re-
mains unchanged. The colonists have
accepted and absolutely rely upon the
statement of the Administration that
the home Government will assert their
territorial rights up TO the Schomburgk
line at least. And as no move has been
made to disturb the existing arrange
ment of affairs. the colonists treat with
cool indifference the pretensions Of the
Venezuelans.
Colonel McInnis. the Inspector-Gen-
eral of Police who proceeded to Yurnan
on visit of inspection few weeks ago,
has returned to Georgetown. Beyond
the ordinary exchange of the corps of
police at Yurnan (some eight mem not
a single movement in that direction has
been made UP to the present time.