Colombia.
The Times, 1824-10-26T00:00:00

I From the Kingsteu Fillic Advertiser of Aug. 24.1 It will be seen, on retercnce to a communication from the Secre- sry of the Foreigfn Affairs of Colombia, that thc request of our Admiral, tbr the suspension of an order relative to the rights of that State to the cldusive trade of the Indiart coast, has been denied. The foUowing letters on this subject were received bv his gonour the Mlayor, fronm Vice-Admniral Sir L. W. Hal6ted, K.O.B.:- " Scrapis, Port Royal Harbour, Jamaica. Aug. 23. Sir,-With reference to my letter to yott of the 30th of April last, reative to the trade with the lndians on the Mosquito shore, I bege you vill be pileased to make known, in the usual manner, for the ?nformation of those interested therein, the enclosed copy of a letter I have received from the Secretary of State for Foreign Af- I fairs of the Colombian Republic, in reply to the representations I mate on this subject. - I have the honour to be, &c., i,. Wir HALSTHD Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-6hief. To his Ilonour the Alayor of Kingston." IREPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA. Secretary of State's-office for Foreign Affairs, Bogota., June 19, 18-24. To his Excellcntv Vice-Admiral Sir Lavwrence Halsted, K.C.B., Commander-in-Chief of His Britannic Majesty's ships and ves- sels in the West Indies, &c. "Sir,-Colonel Hamilton, His Britannic Mfajesty's principal Commissioner to the Colombian Government, has had the kindness to deliver to me Your Excellency's communication of the 30th of April last, relative to the tratle now carrying on between the island of Jamaica and the coasts of the Alosquitos of Darien and Goagira, accompainied by a copy of the proceedings of a meeting of the mer- chants and underwriters, held in the city of Kingston. relative to the same subject; andl having submitted your said communication to the consideration of the Executive, I am directed to make you the followiny reply :- " As far back as the year 1819, the provinces composinrg the old i Captalincy-(General of Venezucla, and the kingdom of Grenada, were i united into one single body under tile name of I Republic of Co. loinbia.' Under our primitive findamental law, as well as under that vwhich was subsequently promulgated in a more solem"n manner otn the 111th of Julv, 1821, it was decreed that the boundaries of the Itepublics should be the same as tbose of Venezula autd of New firenada, when those countries were subject to the jurisdiction of the King of Spain " nong before this important art of the union had pissed, the I limits ol' New Grenada were perfectly dcfived, and laidl dowvn. T'htey reached from tho coasts in the neighbourhood of Jamaica, its fotr as Cape Gracios a Dios, includling the island of St Andres, aIn others adjacent to it. The part of the coast from Cape (iracios IL Dios to the river Chagres appertained fer some time to the Captainry-General of Guatimala; but all this territory wae inallv imcorporated with Newv Grenada, on the 30th of 7o0- veriber, 18103. Ever sRiice that pericod, the Spanish Authorities exeritcid over this part of the country, as wel as over the other provincve under their jurisdiction, zcl those acts attendant on the power annd domi lion which Spain maintained over the lands (as well i-ult.lvtted as tincultivated) of New Grenada, the possession (of which is now cormpletely vested in the Repablic of Colombia. - The n'-trchants and tindterwriters of Jamaica know perfectlv well, thltt although the British Authorities countenanced their tradle with the ncighbouring coasts, belonging to the country, their per- slurn, vensels, anti cargoes, were nevertheless constantly exposed to he vigilance of the Spanish guarda costas, and to the risk of beirg cAptured by thetri whenever they might be detectedl trading on the sid l coasts. While the Spanish Government existed here, itsorders on this head were atteded to and carried into execution in the most vigorous manner; and I can assure your Excellencv, that until the yeatr 1819, vessels fromn Jamaica were condemned at Carthazena. wit!.:)ut their ever having been reclaimed by the Briti.bh Govern- ment, this traffic being considered illegal, according to the law of all civilized nations; aid in truth It is verv evident, that one of the most e.ssential rights inherent in power and dominion, is that which every country ought topossess of regulating its internal end cxternal commerce in the manner that may appear most just and convenient to its own interests. During this long war, the Colornbian Gxovernment abstained neverthelems from makinguse of iteright, until it had completed the possession of her territory; the attainment of which object gave rise to the present contest. -Having now fully established this possession. by means of the victories that have been obtained bv the Colombiian aerms over the Spaniards, the enmpire of the Republic remained, in fact. and by right, established ovcr the territorv of ancient New Grenada and Venezuela ; and it was under these circumstances that the Govern- nient issuted the ortler of the 9th of M-larchl, the suspension of which you require, until it may be madce known to H is Britar,nic liajestv's Government, and until satisfactory arrangenirnis can be made on behalf of all parties concerned. I Permit me, however, to observe to your Excellencv, that the Colombian Governrment does not see any necessity for this suspen- sion. The before-menitioned order docs not lav down anyv hing con- trarv to the provisions of the ancient law-far frorm it: the relations of tlie merchatits of Jamaica with the uncultivated coasts of Colom- bia are now placeed upon a milch more atlvantageouis footinr than that upon which they were tinder the ancient dominion of Spain. These relations may, in titne be rendered still better, and some restrictions may even be abolis'hed; but this must be the result ot a special agreement with His Britannic Majesty's Government, as soon as the Republic ot Colotnbia shall have been finally acknowledged. IC liat T h ave narw stated appears to tne stifficient to expose tcle futility of the grounds tipon whicil the merchiants and uiderwriters of .Jarnaic l have founded the documents which they addressed to you. Although thie Republic has not any establihirernt on these coasts. this is n1o reason why she should rot exercise over them the tominion and power which she has lawfully acquired. Such a prin- ciple would he pernicious to the peaccandi tranquillity of thecivilized world, and wotild give rise to endless discords t,id disgusts. - Give sue leave to add anothler reason, vhich is intimately con. nected wit h the repose of Colombia, in the actuial state of warf(,e n whirl, yll, inf,vt,,Ov,elv ,wt. - & -TF agcq, in order to in- crease tte horrors and calamities of the struggle. It is very pro- bable, now thtla they do not p3ssess one single spot of land n this country, that they mnty renew ttieir intrigues with those wandering trihes, tho have no horuc whatever, and whom it ir but ttoo easv to emlploy when tlhey are p ermitted to carry death, nillage, andi desola- tion anmong their neighbours. Ifurnanity requires, then. that everv legal means S houldt be resorted to that may tend to prevent such a horrid state of things, andl I trust, yoir Excellcncy, that norneasure is or can be o efficacious as tlhe prohibition of every kind of foreign tratle eliti themn direct. " The *irect trade-that is, the trade carried on frot,, oitr ports in national and foreign vessels, with Goagira, Darien, antd the part of the Mosquito coast belongiiig to (olomrbiais permitted bv mtion f vem ilent in tile nmost liberal form. Such vessels as nisy hir de- stireu of conritunirclting with these coasts, anti of trading with tile savages, have no other obligation to itlfiil than that of coning to ithe nearest pot t Open to loreign trade, and of entering at the Custo,it- htotsc their respective cargoes, f'ront wibiel lntist be excluded all ar- ticles generaLIly known by the name of " contrabanl of war," p3vy tg non o(her ditty tihait tivelev reals per ton. After comullying wvith this lihrtnality the vessel miay procecd to the part of the savage coast to wluch site is bound, withoutbeing exi,eaed to the slightest trouble or vexation fr,m tte gtiartla costas of the RCpUibli;( " Tlii prtctice as rational as it is jtist, is already in force and vicour in severRa parts, especially in (loagira, and all l:ave stillit ted to it withoirt awy kinti of' reptignance. Ancl it is to be pressnted that the merchants aid tndcrvwriters isill prefera secure and leg!a] trade, like the onc offered to thiem by these means, to atrother, like the forner one, vhicil was constantly stiject to acc-iden!t of mi prc- jtrticiil naltire to their intere-ts. " In the itearn time, the Coiomhian Governiment trusts that votir Etxcellencty will teel satisfied that the tradle direct froti Jatnaica to the itncultivated coasts of- Colombia ic illegal: arid thal as su ch it eantot receive the protection wihich lie m'nereliantts andl underwriters have requvsics.- *itht sitimnents of the greatest reApect anti cnosi- deratirn, I have the honour to be yvo r Excellenevcy n ost obedienit hurnble servtLnt, (Siginctl) " PEDRO G UAL." COLOMBIA.