Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-12-09
rnE cLAyroN-ruLwrl Ell, TREATY.

Now that the Nicaragua Canal
seems to DE an nssurd fact. the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty ONE into pro'ni-
nence and various opinions are eI'
pressed as TO whether it is binding
upon the United States The New
York Sun in discussing this phase of
the Canal question says:
Tho Sun las often pointed ont
that, although the Clayton Bulwcr
treaty. which gives to England and
the Uuited States IL joint power Of
control over any canal cutting the
! tsthmu<, is 10y it, terms pcrpe;ually
! b.nIirg, it WIZ a CON- at made for IA
vilyabIa consideration, IN default OF
| which The agreement wOuli become
terminable mt the option Ol the THUR
ed party.
AT tic time wker the negotiations
took place between Secretary Clay
tou and Sir Henry Bulwer, then tho
British Minister at Washington, the
British Government had taken pos
session OF several important points
uu tie northern coast ut Central
Amcrica and had apparently begun
.ai riicy oi aggression which threat
ruri the eventual absorption Of the
whole is.hmian region from the
Boundaries 81 Mexico ~ the bound
aries ~ Colombia. II seemed to Sec
rotary Ciu,ton II matter OF great
mOmeG; that G;cat Britain, already
planted to the north and east 81 us in
Canada aud the maritime provinces,
$40 III not also acqu'r" Il permanent
iul-mcnt IN the central part Of the
continent. For the purpose Of avert
Iwg the evolution uf :. sccoud British
America Oh the mainland south Of the
Iursibre, III, he was wiling to offer IL
valuable c~olccssi N, and no accord
iugly agreed that Great Britain
shout ] STARE wi h the United States
the control Of any c3Ial that should
bc constructed across the American
is,hmus, provided Great Britain
wouli on her eide pledge herself
never to unncs any part .: Central
America.
~Atlrr the treaty crnholying the
as.rrmcnt hal been srgueI, Sir Hen
:! Gul ser uo:iiitd IA Secretary Of
S:..c ;iat he did not understand it
To- Amply to tie wopdcIttirg rights
w.i.h hal been long enj ,ycd 10y
British subj cts ~ the region known
as the B'IiZ,. Mr. Clayton replied
'.rtt ~lrh WIS also hiS understanding
G.. tho subject. As Il matter of inter.
n|1'nua! law, this ca past CuctO inter-
chun 20 II opinions could by no pos.
ribihty bind the parties to the treaty.
the definition OF whose rights must
be sought in the text OF the docu-
mont itself. Tbs British Govern
ment, however, dill not content itself
With the wood-cuttlng rights, entirely
divorced from any assumption OF sov.
crriSniy, which its subj ct haI been
suffered to enjoy in the Belize by the
Spanish rulers Of Central America
and which they had continued to ex-
Grcisc under the republican, govern.
neuts which succeeded to the sover-
e!gn pDwers prcviru -ly pnss' ssld by
Spain. On the contrary, when the
Unit ID States became involved in u
Stupendous civil var, Great Britain
Proceeded To transform the settle
ncHi 81 wOOd-cuitcrs in the Belize
INTO Il crown colony, ave ted with all
the rights Of sovereignty, which 10y
successive entertainments anon the
soil NJ Guatemala i,as been extended
until 1t now covers some 1900 square
miles, or about twi,a the aroa OF
Massachusetts.
"IIle conaidera len Tor the Clayton.
bpl var treaty thus having been with.
DAWN secretary t'rclnEnny5 held
""t ,hc trenty hal become voidabl,
Il uEr option, and in the course oI
60 sr#prhdcuce with the British For
i" Ole II" gave formal notice that
'Iir United States wouiI E~cnceiorth
treat II Us void. From tho groun,
thus taken ~ Mr.. FrcIinghuysen
President Clcvcl md rcceied. havinl
twice permitted his Secretary %
state. IL correspondence with tn,
British Foreign Ohi Z, to refer to lh,
Clayton BuIwor treaty as still bind
ing.