The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-01-03

dispatch from Mir OLeary to the Ven ezuelan government containing the sub staInce of Governor Lights dispatch. The Chronicle says nothing indicates the condition asserted by Lord Sails bury, and adds:
 'If the above documents are genuine, and their source excludes suspicion, the Schomburgk line is proved worthless as basis of any territorial claim whatever"
 Commenting editorially on the sub ject the Chronicle says:
 'We are bound to say, assuming, as We are bound ito assume, the accuracy of our representatives, citations, that they vitate Lord Salisbury's second dis patch to Secretary Olney and render it necessary for us to reverse our whole view of the situation. Clearly there can be no question: g2rding the Schom- bufgk line Is a ramrod thrust between Guiana and Venezuela. In a word Eng land and the United States have a way out. We look to the statesmen ON both sides to enlarge it until there is found complete escape from a situation of the utmost peril"
 " dSilftiSS tOll JCtll. -.--I lie tIlNLutldn
 minister cabled his government this | morning as to the commission appoint ments and the names. The Venezuelan officials in Caracas had already assum- ed that the comm- siom would be au-
 thoriZed by congress and had lost no
 time in preparing their country's side
 of the controversy for the commits slon's consideration. All their evidence
 has been complete for some time. ! President Crespo has directed Minis ter Andrade to inform him as soon ats possible whether the commission wilt visit Venezuela or hold all sessions In ! this country. The documents are ex- ceedingly voluminous, and include a 1 large number of valuable maps which
 must be sent to Washington if the con-
 mission sits here. All these are now in Caracas, but ready for immediate trans mission They could be presented to the state department within ten days of the notification that they are re- l quired. Until that time the work of the commission must be necessarily alto gether of a preliminary character. If
 the organization of the body is perfect ed as is now expected early next week, sometime must elapEe before the Amer ican ministers at The Hague and Mad 1 rid can secure aud transmit copies of Dutch and Spanish archives which are considered to be essential to ainI impar- 1 tial adjudication of the opposing claims. Venezuela is, however prepared to ft1rn-
 ish certified copies of all these docu-
 ment that tend to prove her right to
  Great Britain will consent to supply all the others.
 The probable attitude of the English 1 government towards the commission evokes the keenest curiosity. While it is the prevailing opinion that it will embrace the opportunity to state it's | side of the case without agreeing to | be bound by it's finding it is not be- 1 lieved that this can be done without delay. It is understood that although
 the English have accumulated all pos sible evidence to support their claim to the entire Orinoco region they had
 never expected to be compelled to pro duo it and have not arranged it in such shape that is could be promptly sub
 mitted. It would not be surprising
 therefore, in case Great Britain should
 take cognizance of the appointment of
 the American commission if request l should be received from Lord Salis-, bury asking for sufficient delay to enable his government to prepare it's documentary proofs. In any event the
 actual discussion of the merits of the
 controversy can hardly commence in side the next two weeks and there is no possibility of a decision for several
 months if the investiga ton is to be
 made as thorough as is contemplated.
 The members of the commission have
 not yet formally notified the president l of their acceptance, but there is no
 doubt they will serve. The selection
 of President Gilman was largely deter mined by his prominence as a geOgra ph-
 CT. The fact that he has written a life
 of President Monroe, in which a chap
 ter is devoted to Monroe doctrine, was
 of secondary importance in connection
 with this appointment. as MT. Gilman
 does not express any radical views on | the subject. It is interesting 10 note
 that President Gilman in his book
 states the ground that the idea en-
 bodied in the famous doctrine did not
 originate with Canning, was was prac-
 tically suggested many years before | his time.
 1 Chief Justice Fuller is largely respon-
 sible for the selection of Justice Brewer
 The chief justice having several talks
 with the president and Secretary Olney
 and it is not unlikely that his opinion
 also had weight in the appointment of 1 Chief Justice Alvey.