The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-14
COMMISSION AT WORK.
DOCUMENTS FROM SPAIN AND MOI
LIND NEEDED
The Venezuelan Commission VIII Care
fully Examine All Available Evidence
Before Taking Any Action.

ing to-day, with All the mtuDefS pt'"-
ent, virtually reached the conclusion that
the main points at issue IN the dispute
! hinged on documents lying in the royal
archives OF Spain and Holland. and per-
haps some other countries, and that while
such documents would probably be quoted
by each Of the disputants in support OF
the contradictory claims presented. the
| duty would devOlve on the commission
not only 10 verify by actual examination
all such citations, but IL practicable 20
develop contemporary documents. which
might throw strong side lights upon the
evidence submitted. While definite ac-
ton was postponed until the full British
and Venezuelan cases shall have been
formally brought under consideration,
there remains no doubt that some OF the
commissioners. or, az ali events. the sec
rotary OF the commission, Mr.. Malet-
Provost, and agents under his direction,
will soon be semitic Madrid and the
Hague. 1t Is explained that this deter
mination is not due 10 the alleged dis
covery Of interpretations i'm DEGREES and
treaties already in the commissions pos
session. but from the conviction that the
final decision Of the commission ought
not TO be open 10 any attack as 10 the
"Reminiscences of the pivotal evidence,
upon which decision will in all probabl-
~ be found to depend.
CONFLICTING MAPS.
In the preliminary investigations OF the
commission, they have been confronted
with numerous Numerically conflicting
maps and translatiOns. While geographi-
cal discrepancies are within the power Of
the commission 10 harmonic through the
enormous mass OF cOrroboratiye details
IL commands, the comparative inde-
cipherability and partial ELIGIBILITY Of
royal DEGREES are thought 10 be mat
ters which necessitatc personal and OK
pert examinations. The commission eX-
poets TO be in possession OF the British
iiue Book as well as the greater part Of
Ncne@uelas case, early next week and In
view OF this anticipation Mr.. Coudert
ana president Gilman, who have hitherto
spent little time I'm Washington. will re-
main here for the present for day meet
inss. at which the weighing and COM
parison OF evidence will he prosecuted
continuously.
BRITISH CASE NOT EXAMINED.
NO one Of the COMM ssioners has vos
mad an opportunity 10 carefully examine
the British case. as the only available
COPY that has reached them was one OF
the advance edition sent by Ambassador
Bayard 20 the State Department. which
may contain typographical or other errors
incident 70 hasty preparation. The rogu-
Tar copies for the commission will arrive
here. iu all probability Tomorrow evening
or Monday ncyt While access to
state Department copy has been allowed.
there has been no opportunity 10 examine
it fully.
The Venezuelan Minister has been no.
titled by cable from his Govern nent thai
the first iustalmcnt Of official evidence
for the consideration OF the High Commits
sion left La Guayra on the steamer phia-
delphia the 10th instant and is due 20 ar
rive I'm New York next Tuesday. The
documents relate exclusively 10 the period
near the close of the eighteenth century
taken from the royal Spanish archives
ana have not heretofore been accessible
10 Great Britain. or at least are NOT
quoted In the British Blue Book. They
are put forward 10 determine tho ina1-
instability of Dutch claims 10 any tor-
ritory west OF the Essoquibo. a large
number OF authenticated official maps
covering the same period. are included.
none of which have heretofore been pro-
duccd. as no occasion for their presenta.
ton has ever occurred
MANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
Minister Andrade has also been in-
ingfOrmed that the records OF tho Nenezu-
elan legations at Rome, Madrid, London
and Paris contain many documents bear
Az on the controversy, ana these Will be
placed az the commissions disposal in "a
short time, those from Paris Rome, ami
Madrid in few weeks.
The agents OF Venezuela have pre-
scented 10 tne Venezuelan commission,
among other documents, the Official re-
port Of the Ministry OF the Interior at
Caracas 10 the Ministry OF Foreign Re
latlOns, dated May -. 1880. consisting of
forty printed pages, covering the radical /
advances OF tine British Colonial Office /
into tho disputed territory following the /
rich discoveries of gold from 1855 10 1880, |
as investigated by national commission |
appointed by Venezuela TO make a sclen- |
uhc exploring expedition IN Guinaian |
territory. The elaborate report Of this |
commission IS now Tor the first time dis /
closed, and shows, according TO the testi- /
mOny of British magistrates and others /
I'm the territory that as late as 1883 no /
British settlements existed even as far /
west as the PumarOn river. As late as 1
1855 the settlements are referred 10 by the /
English as the recently acquired dis
trct." and the colonial government IS
shown TO be exerting its authority ia |
every way TO rush emigrants into the in
terror, its success a. some degree being /
shown by these figures of gold exports
GOLD EXPORTS.
1855, 939 ounces. 1856. G,5ls ounces: 1851
1906 ounce IS; ,sSS. lf5l0 ounces: and for
the first six months Of 1859 u. SPA ounces
These documents and especially those re-
lating 10 Nenezuela's formal protest
against the usurpation. seem 20 place
Viscount Gormanston. Governor OF Brit
ish Guiana, in the light OF suppresslng the
facts. although II is SHOWN that no was
In constant communication with Lord
Testimony = adduced 10
demonstrate that the British authorities
were most generous 70 the Indians. there
by securing access to the gold districts
in the interior deserted by Venezuelans
who were extracted by Establishments 10
the coast settlements.
The publication mas been submitted
without argument. Venezuela relying al
together upon the simple statens nts Of
fact.