The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-15
VENEzUELA's CASE.
Her Special Counsel Publishes HiA
Brief on the British Blue Book.


From the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal.
The final briefs of counsel for Venezuela
in the boundary case before the United
States commission are I'm press at the
Franklin printing house in Atlanta, and
the Journal has been favored with ad-
vance sheets.
Tho documents, which consist much
and important matter include very
elaborate and able brief of 10000 words
by the Venezuelan commission Of 1--WE
jursts, headed by DR.. Rnhel Seijas, the
Caleb Gushing OF Venezuela. This is ac-
companled by the note Of DR.. Ezequiel
Roias. Venezuelan minister of foreign af-
fairs in reply to the note of Lord Sails
bury These are summarized by the elab-
crate brief Of Hon. william l.. Scruggs,
former minister plenipotentiary OF the
United States to Venezuela and now legal
adviser OF that country and her special
counsel before the boundary commission.
Col. Scrugg's brief was prepared with
great care after prolonged study OF the
case. but no has condensed the argument
and the statement Of facts into a pham-
phlet OF 80 pages. His brief is In. three
parts. The first is his paper British
Aggressions in Venezuela" which was
printed in 1894 and put into the hands Of
tho state department, the congressman
and the press. This led to the Livingston
resolution Of February 1895. In December,
1895, came thee Presidents message con-
tanning Lord Salisburys note, which
caused the war scare.
Part second, which has never been
made public before, is reply to Lord
Salisburys note, and is entitled Lord
salisburys Mistake on the Boundary
Question"
Next came the British blue book
which stated the English case. To this
part third Of Col. Scrugg's brief is a re-
ply. This section of the brief is headed
"Fallacies Of the British Blue Book on
the Venezuelan Boundary Question" Elk
tracts taken from part third relate to the
seizure Of the territory up to the Orinoco
river and to the gold region. Before going
into that 1t is well to give brief review
Of the boundary. dispute for the benefit
of those who have not kept up with II.
The Spanish discovered and settled the
country in 1900; occupied 1t up to 1896,
when Sir Walter Raleigh made his first
piratical excursion up the Orinoco river.
After that date and during the war be-
tween Spain and Holland, Holland OBJ
tained foothold on the coast Of Guiana,
between the Quarantine and Essequbo
rivers. The Dutch held this settlement
of the coast until the peace Of West
phalia in 1913, when, by the treaty OF
that date Spain recognized the indie
pendence OF the Netherlands and conced-
ed to them their actual settlements on
the coast, but no more. These settle
ments were all limited TO tidewater. In
1896 during the war between Spain and
France and England, England seized
Dutch settlements in Guiana, but restor-
ed all of them to Holland by the treaty
Of Amiens in 1902 In 1903, when the war
broke out again, England seized these
Dutch settlements for the second time
and held them until 1874 when, by the
treaty OF that date, she restored to Hol-
land all those settlements excepting
three, namely Demerara, Berbice and
Essequibo. These three she purchased
from Holland. paying a monetary con-
sheraton for them. Such was the origin
OF British Guiana.
The British claim now Is that those
Dutch settlements extended TO the mouth
OF the Orinoco river and also TO the Gu
ylSi valley. and upon that assumption
claims the territory. IT Is shown by his
todcal evidence, indisputable and over
whelmlng. In documents submitted that
Spain held that country up TO 1910 against
all second corners until the independence
OF Venezuela. when Venezuela became the
heir to that territory by the act OF her
independence.
Concerning the Orlnoco delta seized by
Great Britain In 1885, Col. Scruggs saws
This claim by Great Britain to the Ba-
rima region involves the control OF the