The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-03
IN A BAD FIX.
Lord Salisbury's Course Towards
Venezuela.
REJECTED THE ARBITRATION
CLAUSE IN A TREATY.

Lord Granville's Letter to tho Venezuelan
Envoy-English Premier Contradicts
Himself in a Note-The Textlof the I'M
| portant Mole.
Washington, January 2.-The State
Department is in position to conclu
! s1yely prove the statement of today
ELondon Chronicle, that sit is learned on
the best authority that Earl Granville,
in 1885, virtually concluded with Blanco
treaty containing an arbitration clause
covering the Venezuelan international
boundary dispute, and that the Marquis
of Salisbury, however. on coming into
power later in the same year. VIRTUALLY
cancelled this clause by limiting the pro-
visions of the treaty to commercial ques-
tions"
The records which Venezuela had al
ready delivered to the United States gov
eminent BEFORE the Administration took
such firm stand in the matter with
England leave no doubt whatever on this
point. Con. Blanco. in 1885, negotiated
with the Earl of Granville treaty OF
anity, commerce and navigation to sup.
plant the existing convention of 1926 be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela The
new treaty include three paragraphs pro-
vidng
| FOR THE ARBITRATION
of any and all differences, and related
particularly to the boundary dispute.
1 10 ri Cror 1ott
cally the important clause in it's entirety
is as follows:
Foreign Office, May 10, 1885.
M. LIE Ministre:
have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of the 25th inst. Of your note dated
the 9th inst. respecting the proposed new
treaty between Great Britain and Vene-
zuela. M
In reply have the honor to Inform
you that Her Majesy' S government agree
to the substitution Of the phrase "Pow-
er" to be chosen by the high contracting
parties instead Of arbitrators,'' in the ar
tiole respecting arbitration, and that they
further agree that the undertaking to
refer differences to arbitrationss shall in
clude oil differences which may arise be-
tween the high con tracing parties. and
not those only which arise on the inter-
probation of the treaty.
| Her Majesty's government are also pre-
pared to meet generally the wishes of the
Venezuela government as to river navi.
CATION and coasting trade AS connecting
with it; but beg leave to point out that
| this exception to mOst-favored nation OIL
national treatment should not iutsrfere
with ocean-going steamers touching con.
secutively at two or more ports Of the re-
public. With regard to the arrangements
made by Venezuela with Colombia,
lhave the honor to state that the provis-
ions of the most favored nation article
proposed by Them shall not include spec.
ial arrangements with regard to local
trade entered into by Vent zuela with re.
spect to traffic across the land frontier.
/ / trust that these notifications will
meet your views, and that l may shortly
hear from you that formal draft treaty
framed on that with Paraguay, with the
addition of an article respecting arbitra.
ton, and the alterations in the most-f av.
ored nation stipulations now suggested
may be prepared for your approval.
I am, etc.,
(Signed) GRANVILLE.
SALISBURY CONTRADICTS HIM
SELF
Less than two months afterward, the
treaty was fully concluded, but the Glad
stone government was overthorwn at this
time on questions wholly disconnected
from Venezuelan matters, which were
conducted in secret, and Lord Salisbury.
succeeding Earl Granville as foreign sec
rotary. found it incumbent upon himself
to complete the negotiations which he
Immediately proceeded to do by sending
Gen. Guzman note on July 81, abso
lutely reversing Earl Granville's action.
The portion Of the note referring to the
clause is as follows:
"Her Majesty's government are unable
to concur in the assent given by theil
predecessors in office tn the general arbi
tration article, proposed by Venezuela
and they are unable to agree to the in
clusion in it of matters other than those
arising out of the Interpretation or alleg-
ed violation of this particular treaty.
To engage to refer to arbitration all dis
putes and controversies whatsoever would
be without precedent in the treaties made
by Great Britain. Questions might
q rise, such $ those involving the title O.
the British Drown to territory or Other
sovereign rights, which HersMajesty'
government could not pledge themselves
beforehand to refer to arbit
This letter removed all doubt as to thu
| broad terms of Earl Granvlile's agree
ment, Tor Lord Salisbury distinctly nuts
such a construction ON the treaty (whiul
he comedies was assented toy that thu
title to the territory of the British Grown
colony of Guiana had to be arbitratet
under it's specific terms.
This throws an entirely new and un
favorable light on the portion Of Lort
SallsDury's report to Secretary Olney il
the latter part Of the foreign Office de
spatch of November g last, in which h,
says:
Mr.. Olney is mistaken in supposins
that in 1886 "a treaty was praotioliy
agreed upon containing general arbitra
tion clause under which the parties nigh
have submitted the boundary dispute t,
the decision of third power or of severa
powers in amity with both.
1t is true that Gen. Guzman Blanc,
proposed that the commercial treaty be
tween the two countries should Econtair
a clause Of this nature, but it had refer
ence to future disputes only.'
Lord Salisbury deemed proper in thi
despatch to underscore the word FIXTURE,
STATE OF OHIO CITY OF TOLEDO, ..