The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-11


pend it's labors aside from putting into
form documents already gathered and
that the following official statement
should be given to the public:
1.-THE statements of Lord Salisbury rs
reported in the morning papers makes
it probable that the boundary dispute
now pending between Great Britain and
Venezuela will be settled by arbitration
at an early day. Under these circum-
stances, the commission, while continue.
ing it's deliberations in the preparation
and orderly arrangement of many valua-
bic maps, reports, and documents, which
have been procured and used in the course
of it's labors, does not propose to formu-
late any decision for the present of ., the
matters subject to its examination. 1t
will continue it's session from time to
time, but with the hope and expectation
that Il friendly and just settlement of all
pending differences between the nations
interested will make any final decision on
its part unnecessary
From the Venezuela standpoint the
finnl agreement for any kind of arbitra-
ton is i'll itself distinct victory. Vene-
zuela has asked arbitration for forty
years. Great Britain's reply always has
been uniform, viz: that, while arbitration
was desired, yet the settled districts
which were regarded as sovereign
british soil' were not open to arbitra-
ton. BY Lord Salisbury's statement last
night, the arbitration will proceed on nc
ccptancc of the old common law rule of
prescriptions
The understanding here is that the en-
tire Venezuela Guiana boundary will be
thrown open to arbitration, it remaining
Tor Great Britain to show that certain
portions have been occupied by her sub
jects so long, peacefully, uninterrupt-
eddy, and publicly rs to make Il conclu-
sivc territorial presumption.
The two notes passing between Secre.
tary Olney and Lord Salisbury which
narrowed down to an agreement the only
important issue remaining to be decided,
namelyI that of the disposition of British
invested rights through settlement, bear
date of July last and are as follows:
LORD SALISBURY TO SIR JULIAN
PAUNCEFOTE
Foreign Onice, July 8, 1896
Sir have to acknowledge your ex-.
cclicncy's dispatch No. 200, of the 10th of
June. enclosing note from Mr.. Olney
in which he explains the reasons that in
duce the Government of the United
States to Withhold their assent from the
proposals with respect to the Venezuelan
frontier contained in my dispatch No 1870
of the 22d of May.
The arguments by which Mr.. Olney
supports this view will receive the care
full consideration of her maiesty's govern
ment. am now writing to you for the
purpose of discussing them. My object
III addressing your eXcellency is to point
out that in IL matter of some importance,
MIR. Olney, owing doubtless to the in
adequacy of my own explanation, has
misapprchended the purport of the pro-
posal which had the honor to make to
MN. lie states that IL appears to be II
fundamental condition that the boundary
line, decided To be the true one by the ar
hitrators, shall not operate upon territory
bona-iile occupied by II British subject
shall be detected in every such case so rs
to make such territory part of British
Guiana.
''This was not the intention of my pro-
posals and the language of my dispatch
of 22d of May does not. thiuk, fairly
bear this construction. | proposed that
the tribunal should not have power to
include such districts as territory of Ven
ezuela:' but did not propose that they
should necessarily be assumed. without
further proof, to be part of British
Guiana. only stipulated that the owner
ship OF them was not to be decided by
the tribunal, which, in orr Judgment,
was inadequate for this purpose, though
~ was ftttcItitlc LOT lfc itSSi3I1ncnJ OIL the
unsettled districts. The settled dis
tricts, shown to be in dispute by the in
quiries of the commission, were to be dis.
posed of by subsequent negotiation. The
claim of Venezuela is so far-reaching that
1t brings into question interests and
rights which cannot properly be disposed
of by an unrestricted arbitration. 1t eX-
tends rs far as the Essequibi; it covers
two thirds of the colony of British
Guiana: 1t impeaches titles which have
been unquestioned for many generations
These districts must be treated sepa-
rately and until further inquiry has
thrown more light upon the matter it is
only by reserving the settled districts gen
orally that this can be done.
The view of Her Maiesty's govern
ment is that, where the r.,matter in..issue
Is OF great Importance and involves rights
winch belong to Il considerable popula-
ton and are deeply cherished by them.
special precautions Against any miscar
rage OF justice are required, of which
have indicated the general character i'm
TINS correspondence but which ARE not
required where q title to unoccupied ter
lfory Is alone at issue. 1t is for this re:-
son that Her ..Maiestys government pro-
poses to except these districts from the
jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal.
though it could deal adequately with the
disputed claims to territory that is not
occupied. But they did not intend by
chat stipulation to ask the government of
the unlted States to pre- judge any ques-
tlons which had been raised or might be
raised with respect to the ownership of
settled districts. This part of the subject,
'oonfesSetily the most difficult part, would
continued on fourth page