The herald., 1896-01-21

facts came out after the meeting of the
commission today, although the letter was
Drawn up and sent to the secretary of
state at its last meeting, January Is. The
full text of the letter is as follows:
OFFICE OF THE VENEZUELA BoUNDARY)
COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, Jan. Is. 1896.
To the Honorable Secretary of State:
Dear Sir-I have the honor to state that
the commission appointed by the president
of the United States to investigate and re-
port upon the true divisional line between
the republic of Venezuela and British Gui-
ana, has organized by the election of Hon.
David J. Brewer as its president, and is
entering upon the immediate discharge of
its dulies. In so doing it has, after careful
consideration. concluded to address you on
the question of securing, as far possible,
the friendly cooperation and aid of the
two nations which are directly interested
in the now pending boundary differences.
1t must have suggested itself to you, as
1t has no doubt TO the president, that this
commission authorized to ascertain and
report the boundary line between two for
egn nations. bears ouiy a remote resem-
bIance TO those tribunals of international
character of which we have had several ex-
amples in the past. They are constituted
by or with the consent of the disputants
themselves. and were authorized by the
perties Immediately concerned, to pro-
notince final judgment. The questions at
issue were presented by the advocates of
the various interests, upon whose diligence
and skill the tribunal might safely rely for
all the data ami the arguments essential to
the formation of an Intelligent Judgment.
lheir functions were, therefore, confined
to the exercise of judicial powers, and they
might fairly expect TO reach a result salts
factory to their own consciences, while it
commanded the respect of those whose in
terests we're directly involved.
The present commission, neither by the
mode of its appointment nor by the nature
of its duties, may he said to belong to trib.
unals OF this character. Its duties will be
discharged if it shall diligently and fairly
seek to inform the eXecu i've office of GER
tam facts touching a long extent of terri
tory. i'll which the United States have no
direct interests. Whatever may he the
conclusions reached, no territorial aggran-
dizement nor material gain in any form
can accrue to the United States. The sole
concern OF our government is the peaceful
solution of the controversy between friend
ly nations; for the just and honorable set
tlement of the title 10 disputed territory,
and the protection of the United States
against any fresh acquisition in our hemi-
sphere on the part of any European state.
1t has seemed proper to the commission
under these circumstances to suggest to
you the expediency of calling the attention
ol tle governments OI IIedt anu
Venezuela to the appointment and explain
ing both its nature and object, 1t may be
that they will see away entirely consistent
with their sense of international prOpriety,
to give the commission the aid that il is no
doubt in their power to furnish in the way
of documentary proof, historical narrative,
unpublished archives or the like. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that if either
should deem it appropriate to designate an
agent or attorney, whose duty it would be
see that no such proofs were omitted or
overlooked, the commission would be CRATE
full for such evidence OF good will. and for
the valuable results which would be likely
to follow therefrom.
Any act of,,either government in the direc-
ton here suggested might he accompanied
by an express reservation as to her claims,
and should not be deemed to be abandon
ment or impairment of any position here
tofore expressed. In other words, and in
the lawyers phrase, each might be willing
to act the part of an amcus curiae, and to
throw the light upon difficult and complex
questions of fact, which should be exam
ined as carefully as the pending investga-
ton is certainly hostile to none, nor can it
be OF any advantage to any that the
machinery devised by the government of
the United States to secure the desired in
formation should fail of its purpose. 1
have the honor to remain. your obedent
servant. DAVID J. BREWER,
President.
The secretary's reply was short and for
NAL, merely an acknowledgment of the re-
ceipt of the letter and u statement that he
had caused copies OF it to be sent 10 the
British and Venezuelan governments. 1t
cannot be said that the commission is con-
fident of a favorable response from both
parties to the boundary contr oversy, al
though the courteous terms in which the
suggestion is couched and the wide lati-
tude of reservation permitted each party
that may respond in the open spirit which
characterizes the invitation leads to the
natural hope that it will be accepted.
Meanwhile the commission will proceed
on the original line of inquiry, which prom
ises to be slow and difficult task, trusting
to the abridgement of proceedings later by
the production of evidence by both parties
and the appearance of attorneys, when the
proceedings may at once take on the form
of judicial trial, and the attainment of a
conclusion be correspondingly hastened.
Today's session took place in the new
quarters of the commission on f street.
The first business was the selection of
officers, and the first of these chosen was
S. M. Provost, who has earned high repu-
taton at the New York bar, and also in
Washington. Mr.. Provost was named as
secretary of the commission and will be in
daily attendance with the commission.
Mr.. Whitemore of Ithaca, N. Y. was Sc
lectcd as one of the stenographers, and
Waller Mouthrop of the District of Colum-
bia was appointed as a messenger.
A few more appointments will be made
hereafter as the need for further help ap-
pears. 1t was ordered that the rooms of
the commission be kept open every week
day from 8 to 8 o'clock, and every person
who has any suggestion to make will be
accorded an opportunity to be heard, for
at least one of the commission will under.
take to be present, besides the secretary.
Every Friday there will be a meeting of the
full commission IN order to transact rout-
inc business requiring the action of ali the
members.
The members will not be idle, for to each
has been allotted particular line of in
quiry, which he is expected TO report upon
to his fellow commissioners at intervals.
For instance, Mr.. White has been charged
with the proposition of what may be
lkened to an abstract of title; Mr.. Gill
man has undertaken the preparation of all
the maps and charts required, and other
members have been called upon to collect
from the library of the department of state
end the library of congress all the docu-
ments and historical maps bearing on the
Venezuelan boundary. The effort will be
to have these inquiries simultaneous, and
it is felt that much time will be saved.
PARTISAN COMMENT
PARIS, Jan. 20.-Eclaire today, COM
menting upon the suggested addition to
the Monroe docrine, remarks: "Does
the American government think it is
strong enough to approp riate to its own in
ierest one of the two hemispheres and for
bid Europe 20 have access to at least half
of the world? If il pushes it's extravagant
,,ci1r to rT,in 0nIx,