The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-16

tablished that aer limits are the same which
In $50 belonged 10 the capfaincy general of
Venezuela. According 60 those OF 1850 and
1851 congress had the power ~ decree the
alienation, the exchange or the acquisition oi
territory. In that Of lass IL n stated that'no
portion of territory could pass through alien
alton To the dominion of another power, but
that this rule should not be AN obstacle 10 the
accommodations which might become indis-
pensabe for the fixing Of the boundaries OF
their republic with other neighboring coun-
tries a. long az no village should lose its ma
tIolahty through the same. Venezuela AMI
Great Britain have equal rights Ia the ques
tion which H. being ventilated. IN tho republic
yielded any part OF her pretension, she would
acknowledge the superiority of the British
claim, she woul1 violate the aforesaid article
OF the constitution and would incur the re-
proaches OF the citizen~
Blanco's Conclusions.
All OF the foregoing correspondence was
carried on during the term OF Guzman
BlancoRs President of Venezuela. In 1884
General Banco went to Great Britain as n
special envoy 10 bring 10 u settlement the
differences of the governments, and in
memorandum given to Sir Julian Pauncc-
fote, then secretary of the foreign Office,
he said OF the boundary question:
The government Of the republic finds In its
constitution an insuperable def To settle IL any
other way but arbitration. The states OF the
confederation OF Venezuela bind themselves
therein 10 ALLEVIATE to no foreign power any
part OF their territory. Therefore. IL Is impos.
sble for them 10 make accept any treaty in
which there are not recognized the same linn.
it's which in the year 1910 belonged To tho
former csptaincy general Of Venezuela
But, In conclusion, Blsnco said that
Venezuela proposed, instead OF arbltra
tion OF friendly power, the sentence of n
commission of jurists, composed of per-
sons chosen respectively by the parties.
In n later note he explains that such u
commission would examine the titles OF
both nations. would decide according 10
the merits OF the proofs adduced, and each
side would have 10 lose the tcrritory>to
which it had no right
Granville, in reply, informed him that
the plan of commission presented con-
stitutional difficulties which prevented
her majesty's government from conceding
TO IL without explaining the nature of
those difficulties, and the plan was
dropped from the discussion. In its place
came the general treaty, providing among
other things, III. as is TO be deprecated,
there shall arise any differences. they
shall be submitted To arbitration"
When the treaty seemed about 20 bo
completed the government changed. LORD
Salisbury succeeded Granville, aud he ex-
pressly disavowed any construction of tho
treaty or understanding by which 10
could apply TO tho boundary dispute, So
the whole negotiation fell through. Az
various stages in the correspondence Gen
eral Blanco reiterated the constitutions III
impossibility os any settlement of the
boundary by treaty.
whst Nexts
Whether President Crcspo will put the
same construction upon tho constitution
remains TO be seen. A member of the
foreign affairs committee, in discussing
the above correspondence. said:
Exceptions have beon taken to that
passage OF President Cleveland's letter
which asserts that any adjustment Of tho
boundary which that country tVenczucla)
may deem for her advantage and may en-
ter into of her own free will cannot, OF
course, be objected To by the United States
ns not being in accord with the interpreta-
tion of the Monroe doctrine held by some
public men, who hold that the United
states might be justified in objecting to
the voluntary ccssion OF territory by an
other American government to an Euro
pean.
Some Of these critics of the message
have foreseen u possibility that Venezuela
might bo persuaded by financial or other
considerations 10 waive large proportion
of her territorial claims TO Great Britain.
II President Crespo interprets the consti-
tuition OF his government as did Guzman
Blanco, the necessity for av Intervention
by the United states TO prevent voluntary
relinquishmcnt OF the mouth of the ORR
uoco TO EnQland's control IL remote