The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-21
Great Britain and the South Ameri-
can Republic Asked to Assist Our
boundary Commission.
THEIR EVIDENCE WANTED
BOTH ALSO INVITED TO SEND At
TORNEYs TO THIS COUNTRY.
Letter from President Brewer to Sec
retary OIney-S. Malet-PrevOst Made
Secretary of the Commission.

| commission has invited the governments OF
| Great Britain and of Venezuela TO submit
| TO it all of the evidence in their possession
| to further the work of the commission, to
be represented before it by attorneys. and
all of this with the reservation that such
representation and appearance shall not be
deemed an abandonment of any right or
position heretofore assumed 1t has done
this in order that the proceedings of the
| commission may not said to be ex parte;
that the truth may appear. and that time
may be saved in the inquiry with which the
commission is charged. The invitation goes
| in the shape OF a letter TO Secretary Olney,
vino has made response, saying that he has
| transmitted a copy of the commissions
views to the two governments concerned.
| These facts came out after the meeting of
| the commission to-day, although letters
| were drawn up and sent TO the Secretary
| of State at its last meeting, Jan. Is. The
| full text of the letter to Secretary Olney
is as follows:
Dear Sir-I have the honor to state
| dent of the United States to investigate and
| report on the divisional line between the
! Republic of Venezuela and British Guiana,
/ has organized by the election of Hon. David
| J. Brewer, its president, and is entering
| upon the immediate discharge of its duties.
| In so doing, it has, after careful consider
| alton, concluded to address you on the
question of securing, so far as possible, the.
friendly cooperation and aid Of the two
| nations which are directly interested in the
| now pending boundary differences.
1T must have suggested itself to you, as
1t no doubt has TO the President, that this
commission thus authorized TO ascertain
and report the boundary lire between two
| foreign nations. bears only remote re-
40 Of Which we have had
several examples in the past. They were
| constituted by, or with, the consent OF the
| dSputantS themselves, and were authorized
| by the parties immediately concerned to-
pronounce final judgment. The questions
at issue were presented by the advocates
| of the various interests, on whose diligence
| and skill the tribunal might safely rely for
| all the data and arguments essential to
tie formation of an intelligent Judgment
| the exercise of judicial powers, and they
| might fairly expect to reach a result salts
| factory to their own consciences, while 1t
commanded the respect of those whose in
| terests were directly involved.
OUR SOLE CONCERN.
''The present commission, neither by the
| mode of its appointment nor the nature of
it's duties, may be said to belong to tribunals
! of this character. Its duty will be dis
| charged If 1t shall diligently and fairly seek
to inform the executive of certain facts
| touching a large extent of territory, in
which the United States have no direct in
terest. Whatever may be the conclusion
| reached no territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, no
material gain in any form can accrue to the
| United States. The sole concern of
| government is the peaceful solution of a
| controversy between two friendly powers;
| for the just and honorable settlement of the
| title TO disputed territory, and the protection
| of the United States against any fresh &C.
| QUESTIONS in our hemisphere on the part Of
| any European state.
1T has seemed proper to the commission,
under these circumstances. to suggest to
you the expediency of calling the attention
| of the governments of Great Britain and
| Venezuela to the appointment of the COM
| mission, and explaining both its nature and
| object. 1t may be that they will see a way,
entirely consistent with their own sense of
| international propriety, to give the commits
sion the aid that is no doubt in their power
to furnish in the way OF documentary
| proof, historical narrative. unpublished
archives and the like. 1t is scarcely neces-
sary to say that If either should deem it ap-
propriate to designate an agent or attorney
| whose duty IL would be TO see that no such
| proof were omitted or overlooked the COM
mission would be grateful for such evidence
of good will, and for the valuable results
which would be likely to follow therefrom
ANY act of either government in the di-
rection here suggested might be accom-
panied by an express reservation as to her
claims, and should not be deemed 10 be an
abandonment, or impairment, of any posi-
ton heretofore expressed. In other words,
and in lawyers phrase, each might be will
ing to act the part of an amicus curiae, and
TO throw light on different and complex
questions of fact, which should be exam
|
subject demands. The purposes of the pend
| ing investigation are certainly hostile TO
none, nor can it be of advantage to any
| that the machinery devised by the govern
ment of the United States to secure the de-
sired information should fail of its purpose.
| l have the honor to remain, your most obe-
DAVID ]. BREWER, President"
WILL PROCEED WITH ITS WORK.
The Secretary's reply was short and for
NAL, merely acknowledgment of the receipt
of the letter and statement that he had
caused copies of it to be sent to the British
! and Venezuelan governments. 1t cannot be
said that the commission is confident of a
favorable response from both parties TO the
boundary controversy, although the courte-
Gus terms in which the suggestion is
couched and the wide latitude of reservation
permitted each party that may respond in
the open spirit which characterizes the in
vitation leads TO the natural hope that it
will be accepted Meanwhile the commits
sion will proceed on the original line of in
quiry. which promises to be a slow and
difficult task. trusting to the abridgement of
the proceedings later on by the production
Of evidence by both parties ard the ap-
! pearance of attorneys, when the proceed
ings may at once take on the form of a ju-
dicial trial, and the attainment of a con-
cusion be correspondingly hastened.
To-day's meeting took place for the first
time in the new quarters of the commits
sion in the baltimore Sun building, on F
1
ton of officers, and the first of these chosen
was s. Malet-Prevost, who has earned a
| high reputation at the New York bar and
also in Washington. Mr.. Maet-Prevost
| was named as secretary OF the commission
and will be in daily attendance at the rooms.
| Mr. Whitmore, of Ithaca, y. ". was Sc
| lected one of the stenographers who will be
| employed and Walter Moulthrop. Of the
| District of Columbia, was appointed mes
| senger. A few other appointments will be
| made hereafter the need for further help
| appears.
1t was ordered that the rooms of the COM
| mission be kept open every week day from
| 8 till o'clock, and any person who has
any suggestions to make as TO the work will
| be accorded an opportunity to be heard
for at least one of the commission will un-
| dertake to be present besides the secre-
tary. Every Friday there will be a meet
ing of the full commission. in order to trans
| act routine business requiring the action
| of all the members. The members will not
be idle, for TO each has been allotted a
| particular line OF inquiry. which he is cx-
| pected to report on to his fellow-commis-
| sioners at intervals. For instance Mr.
| White has been charged with the prepara-
| ton of what may be likened 10 an abstract
| of title: Mr.. Gilman has undertaken the
| preparation of all of the maps and charts
| required, and other members have been
| called upon to collect from the library OF
the Department of State and the library OF
Congress all OF the documents and his
torical maps and papers bearing on the