they having positive orders to stop him. General Cass said further, that the Cabinet were quite at a loss to divine Walker's intentions; it was rumoured that he had landed at Acapulco with the intention of offering his services to Juarez. In that case the American Government would have no power to interfere with him, as their laws permitted their citizens to take military service under any Government recognised by the Confederation and in amity with it. The Earl of Malmesbury. I have, &c. LYONS. No. 206.-Lord Lyons to the Earl of Malmesbury.-(Rec. June 12.) On the 25th and 26th instant I had some conversation with General Cass respecting the affairs of Nicaragua. General Cass told me that General Jerez, the Nicaraguan Minister to The United States, was to return home on the 5th of next month, and that he had requested to be informed definitively, before his departure, of the intentions of the President with respect to the Treaty recently negotiated by General Lamar. General Cass told me that he should state to General Jerez, in general terms, that the President accepted the whole Treaty, with the exception of the clause directed against what are commonly termed "filibustering expeditions." That clause the Government of The United States absolutely rejected. There was, however, General Cass said, a reservation which he should have to make. He had observed in Article XXII of the Treaty signed by Sir William Ouseley, a clause which did not exist, either in the Draft with which Sir William Ouseley was furnished by Her Majesty's Government, or in General Lamar's Treaty. The clause to which he referred stated, that in case of imminent danger to the lives and properties of British subjects, Her Majesty's forces might act for their protection without obtaining the previous consent of the Nicaraguan authorities. If this clause should be maintained in the new Treaty which Sir William Ouseley had been directed to sign, The United States would insist upon the same privilege being secured to them; in fact, they would require to be placed upon a perfect equality with Great Britain in this respect. General Jerez would be authorised to inform his Government that, upon this point being settled, and the "filibustering" clause struck out, the President would send the Treaty to The United States' Senate for ratification. I saw General Jerez himself the day before yesterday. He confirmed the account given above of the intentions of The United States' Government; and he told me further that he hoped that, by negotiation with the American Companies holding contracts for the [1859-60. L.] R construction of the interoceanic routes, he should be able, before his departure, to effect a compromise which would satisfy both the Companies themselves and the Government of The United States. The Earl of Malmesbury. I have, &c. LYONS. No. 207.-Lord Lyons to the Earl of Malmesbury.-(Rec. June 12.) (Extract.) Washington, May 30, 1859. I PERCEIVE, by your Lordship's despatch to Sir William Ouseley of the 9th instant, of which you did me the honour to send me a copy in your despatch of the 11th instant, that Sir William is directed to bring the Treaty with Nicaragua respecting Mosquitia to an immediate conclusion; and, as soon as that Treaty and the General Treaty with the same State are signed and ratified, to return at once to England. The frank and full explanation which your Lordship enabled me to give respecting the delay in the conclusion of the Treaty for the abandonment of the Mosquito Protectorate were most acceptable to the President, and produced a very remarkable effect on the tone of the public press. With a view to keep up the good feeling which has happily since prevailed, it would be very desirable that, before the intended departure of Sir William Ouseley becomes generally known in this country, I should be able to state distinctly the intentions of Her Majesty's Government with respect to the Treaty which remains to be negotiated with Honduras, in order to complete the settlement of the Central American questions. It will be in your Lordship's recollection that in the despatch to Lord Napier dated the 8th of December last, of which he gave, by your Lordship's order, a copy to General Cass, it was stated that Her Majesty's Government intended to confide the negotiation of that Treaty to Sir William Ouseley; and that so soon as Sir William should have concluded the negotiations in which he was then employed, Lord Napier would immediately be enabled to state to General Cass the details of his second mission, and the conditions with Honduras on which the cession of the Bay Islands to that State was contemplated. Your Lordship may perhaps deem it expedient that I should be directed to give at once some explanations in order to prevent unfounded imputations upon the good faith of Her Majesty's Government if the news of Sir William Ouseley's departure for England should not be accompanied by some definite declaration respecting the negotiation with Honduras. The Earl of Malmesbury. LYONS. No. 208.-Mr. Wyke to the Earl of Malmesbury.-(Rec. June 16.) MR. VICE-CONSUL PERRY has just reported to me that the Nicaraguan Congress distinctly refuses to ratify the Convention which Sir William Gore Ouseley had proposed to the Government of that Republic, for the settlement of the Greytown and Mosquito question. It is to be regretted that Sir William did not secure the signature of Señor Zeledon, and the ratification of that Convention, before negotiating his Commercial Treaty with them, as they have now obtained all that they wanted, without giving us anything in return for that which has enabled them to conclude a Treaty with The United States on much more favourable terms to themselves than they otherwise would have been able to obtain. The Earl of Malmesbury. I have, &c. CHARLES LENNOX WYKE. No. 209.-Mr. Wyke to the Earl of Malmesbury.-(Rec. June 16.) (Extract.) Guatemala, April 30, 1859. Ir became evident that my negotiations must fail, unless I could hit upon a plan whereby the Government of Guatemala would find some inducement for agreeing to my terms. Now, as the commerce of this State with Belize, and the Atlantic coast generally, has been falling off rapidly of late years, owing to the communication with the Pacific coast being so much easier from the existence of a good carriage-road between this city and the port of San José, it struck me that the compensation they claimed might in some sort be afforded if we aided them in the construction of a practicable cart-road to the port of Izabal, on the Atlantic coast, whereby the old commercial relations with Belize would be renewed and both Contracting Parties mutually benefited, without either appearing to receive a favour from the other. As we are rapidly losing the carrying trade of this Republic, which the American steamers on the Pacific and the Panamá Railway are depriving us of, it becomes, of course, important, if possible, to turn the course of trade again into its old channels; and when, by so doing, we could, at the same time, establish the limits of our settlement of Belize, it appeared to me I should be justified in somewhat exceeding my instructions if, by so doing, I could bring about so positive a good. Such being the actual state of the case, I did not hesitate to accept this responsibility, and, by so doing, I at last succeeded in getting this Government to accept the Convention word for word, and without a single alteration, on the condition that an Additional Article should be added to it, whereby both Contracting Parties agree conjointly to use their best efforts, by the construction of a cart-road, for re-establishing the ancient communication between this capital and the Atlantic coast near Belize, whereby the commerce of England will benefit, on the one hand, and the prosperity of that portion of this Republic be materially increased on the other. Thus modified, the Convention was this day signed by Don Pedro de Aycinena and myself, at the same time that its ratification by this Government was handed to me by him. I have herewith the honour to inclose said Convention, and I trust, in signing it as it stands, that I shall not have incurred your Lordship's displeasure for having so far exceeded my instructions, when, by so doing, I consider that I have obtained a double advantage at the price of, comparatively speaking, a trifling sacrifice. As I come home by the same packet that brings this despatch, I shall have the honour of communicating personally to your Lordship all further details with reference to this matter which it is necessary you should be informed of. that The Earl of Malmesbury. CHARLES LENNOX WYKE. (Inclosure.)-Convention between Her Majesty and the Republic of Guatemala, relative to the Boundary of British Honduras.Signed at Guatemala, April 30, 1859. [See Vol. XLIX. Page 7.] No. 210.-Mr. Wyke to the Earl of Malmesbury.-(Rec. June 16.) I HAD arrived thus far on my way home, when I received, last night, by the English mail, your Lordship's despatch of the 16th ultimo, instructing me (unless I was seriously unwell) to remain at my post for the purpose of negotiating and concluding the Treaty with Guatemala respecting the boundary of British Honduras; and also, if required, to take the place of Sir William Gore Ouseley in the still pending negotiations with the Republics of Central America; a business which must, however, depend on the time of session of the Congress in those States. My despatch dated the 30th ultimo, which goes home by this mail, will have informed your Lordship that I have, on certain conditions therein specified, concluded the Convention with Guatemala for fixing the boundaries of our settlement of Belize; so that, in as far as that question is concerned, there is nothing now to require my prolonged stay at Guatemala. With regard to my taking the place of Sir William Gore Ouseley in the still pending negotiations with the Governments to which he is accredited-a business which, as before said, depends on the time of session of the Congress in those States-I regret to say that the state of my health precludes the possibility of my remaining on here for an indefinite time, as my medical adviser considers that it is absolutely necessary for me at present to have rest and a change of climate, after an uninterrupted residence of 7 years in the tropics. Should I eventually be destined to take Sir William Ouseley's place, I consider that I could only do so with advantage to the public service by, first of all, communicating verbally with your Lordship on the proper manner of conducting these negotiations, as well also as on the actual state of affairs in Central America at the present moment. Hoping soon to have the honour of waiting on your Lordship, and offering all the information I am able to afford with reference to these matters. I have, &c. The Earl of Malmesbury. CHARLES LENNOX WYKE. No. 211.-The Earl of Malmesbury to Lord Lyons." MY LORD, Foreign Office, June 16, 1859. WITH reference to your Lordship's despatch of the 30th ultimo, I have to observe that Sir William Ouseley's health having suffered from the climate of Nicaragua, Her Majesty's Government did not consider it desirable that his stay in Central America should be prolonged, and that they consequently instructed him to return home so soon as he should have concluded the Treaties which he had been charged to negotiate with the Republics of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They at the same time, however, sent to Mr. Wyke full powers. to conclude a Treaty with Guatemala, defining the limits between that State and the Settlement of Belize, and they subsequently informed Mr. Wyke, in a despatch of which a copy is inclosed, that it was their intention to confide to him the negotiation of the other pending Conventions with the States of Central America. Her Majesty's Government have learnt by the West India mail which has just arrived, that Mr. Wyke has concluded the Treaty with Guatemala respecting British Honduras, but the state of his health having obliged him to avail himself, as you will see by the inclosed despatch, of the permission which he had previously received to return home, some little delay must, much to the regret of Her Majesty's Government, take place before the further negotiations to which I have adverted can be carried through. I am, &c. Lord Lyons. MALMESBURY. |
