The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-11-12
DETAILS OF THE TREATY.
The Final Notes That Passed Between
Salisbury and Olney.

Washington, Nov. 10.-The belief ex.
| pressed last night by Lord Salisbury
| that the Venezuelan controversy had
come to an end received confirmation on
| this side of the Atlantic today in an of,
| fetal announcement by the Venezuelan
boundary commission that for the pres.
| ent at least it would abandon the fur
| Their prosecution of its task of finding the
true divisional line between British
Guiana and Venezuela and would make
no announcement thereon. The an
nouncement was worded with saving
clause, evidently as a precaution against
Il possible hitch at the last moment on
details. Its official declaration makes
it clear that II treaty of arbitration Is
nearly completed, or ut least has reached
such IL stage that an attempt by indie
pendent United States commissioners to
locate Il boundary line would be an as
sumption of the very task that the arbi-
tratiOn commission must undertake and
this would be discourteous and in viola
ton of diplomatic ethics.
1t does not follow that all of the work
accomplished by the United States com
mission in the collection of evidence
touching the boundary dispute will 90
for nothing. but on the contrary this mat
ter may be utilized to great advantage
by the agent selected to represent the
claims of the governments of Great Brit
ain and Venezuela before the arbitration
committee. In this manner the evil
dence the United States has collected
will be of great value, coming as it does,
not as an eX parte presentation, but as
evidence collected by the commission and
its special experts under rigorous instruc-
tons to obtain all pertinent evidence,
without regard to the side affected.
The commission met this morning at its
rooms in the Sun building. There was
discussion of boundary disputes in the
light of Lord Salisbury's announcement
and it was decided that the commission
practically should suspend its labors,
aside from putting into form documents
already gathered. and that the following
official statement should be given to the
public:
"The message of Lord Salisbury, as re-
ported in the morning papers, makes it
probable that the boundary dispute now
pending between Great Britain and Ven
ezuela will be settled by arbitration ut
an early day. Under these circumstan-
ces the commission. while continuing its
deliberations in the preparation and or
derby arrangement of many valuable
maps, reports and documents which have
been procured and used in the course of
its labors, does not propose to formulate
any decision for the present of the mat
tiers subject to its examination. 1t will
continue its sessions from time to time,
but with the hope and expectation that IL
friendly and just settlement of all pend
ing differences between the nations in
terested will make any final decision on
its part Unnecessary
There is some likelihood that Lord
Salisbury's statement last night has been
given broader meaning than it was
calculated to convey and this doubtless
occasioned the reservation in the COM
missions announcement. 1t is to be
hoped that Lord Salisbury did not make
the positive statement that the cOntro-
versy was settled.
Secretary Oney refused today to make
any statement whatever touching the
boundary dispute. but it is known that
certain details vet remain to be adjusted
before the arbitration treaty can be re-
garded as an accomplished fact. More
over. it must be borne in mind that any
such treaty. before becoming effective,
must be submitted to the United States
senate for its approval. This ut least
involves Il delay of weeks. aside from the
possibility of amendments.
As by common understanding the linn
itations to be placed upon the arbitra-
ton in the consideration of vested Brit
ish claims have been agreed upon, it is
probable that the more important of the
details remaining to be adjusted relate
to the personnel of the arbitration com.
mission and particularly to the means to
be adopted to give effect to the decision.
The latter has always proved n difficult
phase in the negotiations of arbitration
treaties and may be expected to require
especially delicate handling in a contro-
versy involving the fortunes of many in
dividuals as well as important corpo-
rate interests and the nationality of sub
jectS.
While Lord Salisburys statement gen
orally lacked details, the negotiations
which have preceded permit a ready APP
plication of the general principles he lays
down as to the settled districts.
From the Venezuelan standpoint the
final agreement for any kind of arbtra-
ton is in itself distinct victory. Ven
eZuela has asked for arbitration for
forty years. Great Britain's reply has
been unifOrm-viz. that while arbtra-
ton was desired, yet the settled districts
which were regarded as sovereign Brit
ish soil, were not open to arbitration.
BY Lord Salisbury's statement last
night, the arbitration will proceed on ac
ceptance of the old common law rule of
prescription"
The understanding here is that the en-
tire Venezuelan-G Guiana boundary will
be thrown open to arbitration. it re-
for Great Britain to show that
certain portions have been occupied by
her subjects so long. peacefully. I'M
and publicly as to make
conclusive territorial presumption.
The country which it is understood will
be open to arbitration embraces all of
the vast track west of the Esiquibo
river, including the Orinoco river On
both banks and at the mouth and the
stretch of land on either side, also the
Barima country, in which are located the
gold fields. the most valuable resources
of the country. East of the Esiquibo
river lies the British colony of Demara,
with its capital, Georgetown, and lesser
settlements radiating westward This
portion east of the Esiquibo is, from the
Venezuelan standpoint, about the only
territory to which the doctrine of pre-
scription or long-continued possession ap-
plies. There are scattered English
settlements in the interior and to them
it is said it will be a question of fact be-
fore arbitration, to determine whether
the British occupation has been open
and notorious for long term of years.
Later-1t transpires that the arbitra-
ton of the Venezuelan dispute is a set
tied fact. All arrangements have been
and all the details of the arbi-
tration between the United States and
Great Britain arranged. The final terms
Of the treaty of arbitration were ar
ranged in this city last night; The terms
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