Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1896 — VENEZUELAN BLUE BOOK. [ARTICLE]

VENEZUELAN BLUE BOOK.

Is Composed of Documents and Cons- —- . spondenee on Disputed Boundary. . j ? London, March 7. The ejected ] Venezuelan blue book, which is entitled “Documents and Correspondence Relating to the Question of the Boundary of Guiana dud Venezuela,” Was ; issued by thegovernment Friday night, j The volume consists of 443 folio pages j with a separate book containing nine j map*. The book opens with 40 pages i comprising a preliminary statement dealing with the history of the territories from 1520 until the issuance of her majesty’s memorandum to Venezuela in March, 1890. The statement concludes as follows: The above examination shows that the main grounds upon which the claim of Venezuela Is supposed to bo-based, so far as It has been presented to Great Britain at different times during the last 60 years, have been as follows: First—The original discovery and tho first exploration of the South American continent by Spain, which are clearly Irrelevant. " *" Second—The bull of Pope Alexander VL, which cannot be considered as having any real bearing upon the question. Third—The allegation that the occupation of Guiana by the Dutch was a violation of tho treaty of Munster. This allegation has been shown to be unfounded. Fourth—Possession aiul occupation by the Spaniards of tho territory south of the Orinoco, including the rivers of Barima. Morocco and Pomeroon. It has been shown that the only Spanish settlements there at any time were San Thome de Guyana, which was situated on the Bouth bank of the Orinoco, and which had -been moved from time to Ume higher up the river/is it was destroyed by the British and Dutch successively, and the Capuchin settlements, situated between the Orinoco and the Tumerimo; as has bean, previously described. __ Fifth—That the Dutch had never had any possessions north of the Essequibo. This statement has been shown to bo equally erroneous, as perusal of the whole diplomatic correspondence will show that the British government, while Insisting that the Just claims of Great Britain would entitle her to a boundary practically embracing the whole water shed of the Essequibo, the jCuyuni, the Yuruari, the Pomeroon, the Watni and the Barima, has been willing to agree to a boundary within those limits, which would give Venezuela far more territory than that to which she can show any title.