The herald., 1896-11-11
THE WORK DONE.
And the Work Necessary to Dispose of
the Matter.


come to an end received complete con-
firmation on this side of the Atlantic
today in an official announcement by the
Venezuelan boundary commission, that
for the present at least it would aban-
don the further prosecution of its task
Of finding the true divisional line be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana
and would make no report thereon. The
announcement was worded with saw
ing clause, evidently inserted as pre-
caution against a possible hitch at the
last moment on some matter OF details
Its official declaration makes 1t clear
that the treaty of arbitration is nearly
completed, or at least has reached such
4 stage that an attempt by the independ-
ent United States commission to locate
a boundary line would be an assump-
ton of the very task that the arbitration
commission must undertake, and there
fore would be discourteous and in viola
ton of diplomatic ethics. 1t does not
follow that all the work accomplishei
by the United States commission in the
collection of evidence touching the
boundary will go for nothing. but on the
contrary this matter may be used to
great advantage by the agent or agents
selected to represent the claims of the
governments of Great Britain and Ven
ezuela by the arbitration commission.
Introduced in this manner the evidence
the United States has collected will be
of great value, coming as it does from
an exparte presentation and as evidence
collected by the commission under its
special experts under rigorous instruc-
lions to obtain all pertinent evidence
without regard to which side it affected
Secretary Olney today refused to make
any statement whatever touching the
boundary dispute, but it is known that
certain details yet remain to be adjusted
before the arbitration treaty can be re-
garded as an accomplished fact. More
over, it must be borne in mind that any
such treaty before becoming effective
must be submitted to the United states
senate for it's approval. aud this at
least involves a delay of weeks. aside
from the possibility of amendments.
AS, by common understanding, the
lmita lions to be placed upon the arbi-
tration in the consideration of vested
British claims have been agreed upon,
1t is probable the more important de-
tails remaining to be adjusted relate
to the personnel of the arbitration COM
mission and particularly to the means
to be adopted to give effect to the de-
cision.
The two notes passing between Secre-
tary Olney and Lord Salisbury which
narrowed down to an agreement the on
ly important issue remaining to be de-
nj oil bot nf he
of the British vested rights through set
Element, bear date of July Sd, last, and
are as follows:
LORD SALISBURY'S NOTE.
Foreign office. July 8, 1896. Sir:
have to acknowledge your eXcellency'
dispatch No. 200, of June Is, enclosing 4
note from Mr.. Olney. in which he eX
plains the reasons that induce the gov
eminent of the United States to with
hold their consent from the proposals
with respect to the Venezuelan frontier
contained in my dispatch No. 1870, of the
22d of May. The arguments by whic-
Mr.. Olney supports this view will re-
ceive the careful consideration of hei
majesty's government. l am now writ
ing to you for the purpose of discussing
them. My object in addressing your ex-
cellency is to point out that in a matter
of some Importance, Mr.. Olney, owing
doubtless, to the inadequacy of my own
explanation. has misapprehended the
purport of the proposal which I had tbs
honor to make him. He states that at
appears to be a fundamental condition
that the boundary line decided to be the
true one by the arbitrator shall not
operate upon territory bona fide occu-
pied by a British subject. but shall be de
tiected in every case so as to make such
territory part of British Guiana"
This was not the intention of my pro-
posal, and the language of my dispatch
of May 22d does not, think fairly bear
this construction. / proposed that 1.-THE
tribunal should not have power to in
clude such Districts in the territory of
Venezuela.
But | did not propose that they should
necessarily be assumed without further
proof to be part of British Guiana. |
only stipulated that the ownership of
them was not to be decided by the tr-
bunal, which in our judgment was in
adequate for this purpose though it was
adequate for the assignment of the I'M
settled districts. The settled districts
shown to be in dispute by the inquiries
of the commission We're to be disposed
of by subsequent negotiation. The
claim of Venezuela is so far-reaching
that it brings into question in this mat
ter rights which cannot properly be dis
posed of by unrestricted arbitration. II
extends as far as the Essequibo: it COW
ers two-thirds of the colony of British
Guiana; it impeaches titles which have
been unquestioned for many genera
tions. These districts must be treated
separately and until further inquiry
has thrown more light upon the matter
1t is only by reserving the settled dis
tricts generally that this can be done.
The view of her majesty's government
Is that where the matter in issue is of
great Importance and involves rights
which belong to a considerable popula-
ton and are deeply cherished by them
special precautions against any miscar-
riage of justice are required. of which ]
have indicated the general character ir
this correspondence. but which are MOI
required where a title to unoccupied ter.
ritory is alone in issue. 1t is for this rea.
son that her majestys government pro.
posed to except these districts from thu
jurisdiction of the arbitration tribunal
though it could deal adequately with The