The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-21
The Venezuelan Commission
Getting Down to Work.
A SECRETARY is CHOSEN
And a Letter Written to the
Interested Nations.
INVITING THEIR ASSISTANCE
Great Britain and Venezuela Asked to
Place All the information Posi-
BILE at the Committees
Disposal.

disposal.
WashingS on, Jan. 20.-The Yene-
Zulan commission has invited the gov
ernments of Great Britain and of
Nenezula to submit to it all of the
evidence in their possession to further
the work and to be represented before
it by attorneys and all of this with the
reservation that such representation
and appearance shall not be deemed
an abandonment of any rights or posi-
tion heretofore assumed 1t has done
this in order that the proceedings of
the commission may not be said to be
eN parte, that the truth may appear,
and that time may be saved in the
inquiry with which the commission is
charged. The invitation goes i'm the
shape of letter to Secretary Olney
who has made response, saying that
he has transmitted copy Of the com
missions views to the two govern
ments concerned.
These facts came out after the meet
ing of the commission to-day, although
the letter was drawn up and sent to
the Secretary of State at it's last meet
ing, Wednesday, January 18th. The
full text of the letter is as follows:
"Office of the
Venezuelan Boundary Commission,
Washington, ID. c., Jan. IS, 1896
''To the Hon. Secretary of State:
Dear Sir-I have the honor to state
that the commission appointed by the
President of the United States to in
yestigate and report upon the true di-
yisional line between the Republic of
Venezuela and British Guiana has or
ganized by the election of the Honor
able David j. Brewer, as it's president,
and is entering upon the immediate
discharge of its duties
In so doing, it has, after careful
consideration, concluded to address
you on the question of securing, so far
as 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 it now has to the President.
that this commission, thus authorized
to ascertain and report the boundary
line of two foreign nations, bears only
a remote resemblance to those tribu-
mails Of an internatinal character of
which we have had several exmples in
the past.
They were constk uted by or with
the consent of the disputants them
selves, and were authorized by the par
ties Immediately concerned to pro-
nouncc a final Judgment. The ques.
tlons at issue were presented by the
advocates of the various interests, up
on whose diligence and skill the tribu-
nal might safely rely for all the data
and the arguments essential to the
formation of an intelligent judgment.
F.fr, a.
fined to the exercise of judicial DOW
ers, and they might fairly expect to
result satisfactorily to their own con-
science, while it commanded the re-
spect of those whose interests were
directly involved.
The present commission, neither bv
the mode of its appointment, nor by
the nature of its duties, may be said to
belong to tribunals of this character.
It's duties will be discharged if it shall
diligently and fairly seek to inform
the executive of certain facts touching
large extent of territory in which
the United States have no direct in
terest. Whatever may be the concIu-
sion reached, no territorial aggrandize-
ment, nor material gain in any form,
can accrue to the United States.
1T has seemed proper to the com
mission, under these circumstances. to
suggest to you the eXpediency of call
ing the attention of the governments
of Great Britain and Venezuela to the
appointment of the commission, and
explaining both its nature and object.
1t may be that they will see a way, en-
tirely consistent with their own sense
of international propriety, to give the
commission the aid that it is no doubt
in their power to furnish in the way
of documentary proof, historical, mar
ratiye, unpublished archives, or the
like. 1t is scarcely necessary to say
that if either should deem it appropri-
ate TO designate an agent or attorney
whose duty ID would be to see that no
such proofs were omitted or over
looked, the commission would be
grateful for such evidence of good will
and for the valuable results which
would be likely TO follow thereon.
ANY act of either government in
the direction here suggested might be
accompanied by an express reserva-
tion as to her claims, and should not
be deemed to be an abandonment or
impairment of any position hereto
fore expressed. I'm other words, and in
lawyers phfdSt' edcll inl8hJ De wiling
to act the part of an amicus curiae,
and to throw light upon difficult and
complex questions of fact, which
should be examined as carefully as the
magnitude of the subject demands.
The purposes of the pending investi-
cation are certainly hostile to none,
nor can it be of advantage to any that
the machinery devised by the govern
ment of the United States to secure
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