Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-14
THE VENEZUELAN COMMISSION.
Documents I'm the Royal Archives VI
spain and Holland Wanted.


WASHINGTON. ID. c., March lS.-The
Venezuelan commission, at its regular
meeting to-day, with all the menpeis
present, virtually reached the cohSiusiolI
that the main points at issue IN the
DISPUTE hinge on documents lying. IN tne
royal archives of Spain and Holland,
and, perhaps. some other countries anu
that while such documents would proDapsy
be quoted by each OF the dlsputdIis IA
support OF the contradictory claims pre-
senfed the duty would devo!ve on tils
commission not only TO verify py aSlutt
examination all such citations, out, u
practicable. TO develop conteinporaiy
documents which might throw strong sue iitlt-
lights upon the evidence submitted. WINE
definite action was postponed unui tnS
full British and Venezuelan cases shdi
have been formally brought under con.
sideration. there remains no doupt maj
some OF the commissioners, or at All
events the secretary OF the comnlaslph,
Mr. Malet-Prevost. and agents unuer ne
direction. will soon be sent 10 Mae ,hti
and The Hague. 1t is explained thdi tll,
determination is not due 10 the dAeSc1
discovery OF Interpretations In DEGREES anu
treaties already in the commission ~
session, but from the CONVECTION hlat ~
final decision OF the commission ouSnN
nor TO be open to any attack as 70 VIZ
Inconsistencies OF the pivotal SFluenee
upon which decision VIII, in al ptoD"-
bility. be found to depend.
In the preliminary investigations OF
the commission, they have peen cohLi ,,Lt
ed with numerous diametrlcaii ~ -S &C. ~
ing mans and translatlOns. WINE 81,
graphical discrepancies are Wlthlh M
DoWer of the commission 10 harmonic
through the enormous mass OF corrouord-
tive charts II commands, the COMP ~
indecipherability and partial llleSlpIllty ".
royal DEGREES are thought 10 oe IuasteIo
which necessiate personal ana expert eA-
animation. The commission eNpScts 70 NC
in possession Of the British blue-DoOh' 40
well as the greater part OF Nehezuela
ease. early next week, and, In view o.
this anticipation. MIR. Coudert ana liS 81
dent Gilman, who have hitherto spent NJ
tie time i'm Washington. Will remain ~ ~,
for the present for day meetings, AT Whlcn
the weighing and comparison OF eNioe"00
will be prosecuted continuously.
No one of the commissioners has yet hau
an opportunity to carefully examine the
British case, as the only available copy
that has reached them was one OF the
advance edition sent by Ambassador
Bayard 70 the State Department, when
may contain typographical or other errors
incident 10 hasty preparation. Inc fesu-
lar copies for the commission VIII arrive
here in all probability, tomorrow eve
ming or Monday next While access 10
State Department copy has been al
lowed, there has been no opportunity 10
examine II fully.
The Venezuelan Minister has been no
titled by cable from his government that
the first instalment Of official evidence
tor the consideration OF the High COM
mission left La Guayra on the steamer
Philadelphia the 10th instant. and Is due
To arrive in New York next Tuesday.
The documents relate exclusively 10 the
period near the close of the eighteenth
century, taken from the royal Spanish
archives, and have not heretofore been
accessible 10 Great Britain, or, AT least.
are not quoted In the British blue-book.
They are put forward TO determine the
inadmissbility of Dutch claims TO any
territory west OF the Essequlbo. large
number Of authenticated official maps
covering the same period are included,
none Of which have heretofore been pro-
duced, as no occasion for their presen-
tatlOu has ever occurred.
Minister Andrade has also been in
formed that the records OF the Venezuelan
legations at Rome, Madrid. London. and
Paris contain many documents bearing
on the controversy, and these VIII all
be placed at the commissions disposal In
a short time-those from Paris, Rome,
and Madrid In a few weeks.
The agents Of Venezuela have presented
TO the Venezuelan commission. among
other documents. an official report or
the Ministry OF the Interior at Caracas 20
the Ministry OF Foreign Relations dated
May q, 1872 consisting Of forty printed
pages. covering the radical advances Of
the British Colonial Office into the dis
puted territory. following the rich dis
coveries of gold from 1883 TO 1880. as IN
vesfigated by a national commission. APP
pointed by Venezuela 10 make a scientific
exploring expedition IN Guianian terri
tory. The elaborate report OF this COM
mission IL now for the first time disclosed,
and shows. according 20 the testimony or
British magistrates and others In the
territory. that as late as 1855 no British
settlements existed even as far west as
the Pumaron river As late as 1853 the
settlements are referred to by the Eng
lish as the acknowledgement district"
and the Colonial Government is shown 70
be exertlng its authority I'm every way
TO rush emigrants into the interior, its
success I'm some degree being shown by
these figures OF gold exports: During 1855.
9}9 ounces: 1856, 6.5lS ounces. 1885, ll.%6
ounces; 1883. 1850 ounces and for the
first six months Of 1889. l4,62i ounces.
These documents. and especially those
relating 20 VeneZuela's formal protest
against the Usurpation, seem To place
NiscOunt GOrmanstOn Governor or
British Guiana, In the light OF suppressinS
the facts. although II Is shown that he
was In constant communication with Lord
Salisbury Testimony Is adduced 10 de-
monstrate that the British authorities
were most generous to the Indisns. there
by securing access to the gold districts in
the interior deserted by Nenezueans,
who were attracted by Establishments 10
the coast settlements.
The publication has been submitted
without argument Venezuela relying al ,
together upon the simple statements OF