Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-16
MIR. FERGUSS0N'S PROTEST.
New Mexico's Representative in Con-
gress Makes An Able Argument
Against the Proposed Dam
Treaty with Mexico.
The SITUATION CAREFULLY REVIEWED
All Sources of the Rio Grande River
Are Within the Territory of
the United States-Mex-
ico's Attitude

Hon. Il. B. Ferguson, the delegate from
New Mexico, has filed with the state de-
partment protest against the proposed
international dam treaty with the Mexican
government, whose proposed provisions
might initiate against the interests of
the people of New Mexico, says the Dem
yer Republican of recent date. Mr.. Fer
gusson says In part:
"The government of Mexico has made
complaint from time to time that the
waters of the Rio Grande were being ap-
propriated by the citizens of Colorado
and of the territory of New Mexico for
irrigating purposes to such an extent that
the citizens of Mexico were not getting
their legitimate share. These alleged
rights they claim are secured to them
under the terms of the seventh article
of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of
February 2, 184S, article l, last clause, of
the Gadsden treaty of December 30, 1858,
article of the convention of November
IL, 1884, and article of the convention
of March l, 1889.
THE MEXICAN DEMAND.
"The authorities of the republic OF
Mexico have now through their minister,
resilient here, asked that the United
States SHALL at it's own expense, construct
an international dam across the Rio
Grande at or near Ell Paso, Texas, for the
purpose of impounding the waters at that
.;a; po LaIo ~ tha.a ~, tha r;cbt honk ~
the atream Ana the Mexican govern.
n,snt nrnnoses that the Tinted States
aho1l III tho arranaa of constrnctino
snoh dou heoanse of the alleged DAMAGES
,nh;ah 49, sau o;tizans of tbe rennhlic
~ Ma,;ao haus Sustained in the mast bv
.a,aan - 4La exoess;va nsa ~ the water
,sI ~ .hnt .iuar ond the consaonsnt loss of
~. .avs fror, t;ra n tina n NAV
ha @ .arOarpod s that thssa slIaged DAMAGES
a,a rnholln unIinn;dated. thew have never
q a.o Wy :..;.a.dd = 49,, oonrt ~ hv tba
oos n,thor;t;.a ond danv that
80 ;,st olo,n,s ~ onoh os am ha
',roaen 10y a,o '''' ~
p'o'N'
PROPOSED IhhAif'
u am Informed that tentative draft
of treaty looking to the construction of
such dam has been submitted for your
consideration; also that it oontemplates
the prohibition of irrigating works on the
MO drende ana lts trlousar'es hofsn =
- a1n % n;.u of tho facts that tho Rio Grands
s. ~ souroa - nolorado a. nj paAo
l;e. uhoIlv within Tho terr,torv of the
ITn;.ad statas thot north of NJ paso n il
~. nav;nohla ot anv saason of the year:
49, tharefora tho rsa ~ ia waters within
thase hs lim,ts ia q matter to he Determined
~, ~ aanaot;na 1ao;sjotnres of Uolorodo
"a ~ NJ NJ To.;oo ana that tba lana along
;ta hanrs can on,v he made nroduot,ye
tn, .S' as a. sns.anonos &c hnman i,fa hv the
rsa - its ,potar. in ;rrioatino--it mnst he
annarent Tint no effort should be made
paa sa dann;aa tha o;tizans of Tho r;yht to nae
- - p;.hont tha orayest reasons. The
claims of the citizens of Mexico cannot
- ha asssr.e5 rndar tha orainarv law Of
ue,inns no nor nndar the oomity which
amn -;sts hatmaan ;rdarandant aov.
Os;nnt;as a'ey Than rnnst fnd Tho r;obt
.nh;ah M assa,t ;f anv avista wr;tten
oia;niv % n tha snhsisting treaties betveen
tha as 80. aant.;as
WV wv eo..
HAVE NO TREATY kieArs'
II beg to say that in my Judgment they
D".o ~
cited by Mr.. Romero in asserting the
claims of his people will bear no such
construction. No part of any of the said
treaties or conventions undertakes to deal
directly or remotely with the question of
the nae Of the waters of TIE Rio Grande
above the point where it becomes the
boundary line between the two countries.
"The United States has no occasion for
expending large sum Of money to pro.