Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1876
No. 96.
Sir Edward
Thornton to Mr. Fish.
Sir: In compliance with an instruction which I have received from the Earl of Derby, I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the information of the Government of the United States, a copy of a dispatch addressed to Lord Derby by Her Majesty’s minister at Guatemala, and of its inclosures, in regard to the question of Her Majesty’s consul at Grey Town being authorized to act as agent for the Mosquito chief, in connection with the arrears of subsidy due by the governments of Nicaragua and Honduras.
I have, &c.,
My Lord: I have had the honor to receive your lordship’s dispatch, No. 55, of the 13th November, by which I learn that your lordship has authorized Her Majesty’s consul at Grey Town to act as agent for the Mosquito chief in regard to the arrears of subsidy due by the governments of Nicaragua and Honduras. Mr. Consul Gollan has also written to me intimating that he would prefer that the announcement of his appointment should be made to both governments by this legation.
I have accordingly addressed to the two governments the respective notes of which I have the honor to transmit copies. Your lordship will see from these notes that I have taken this opportunity, which seemed to me to be a fitting one, to address to both governments a few words of warning in the sense of your lordship’s dispatch No. 33, of the 23d July.
I have, at the same time, addressed to Mr. Consul Gollan h dispatch of which I have likewise the honor to inclose a copy.
[Page 180]In the absence of the United States minister, I am prevented from acquainting him with the step I am taking, a course which I should otherwise most certainly have pursued, not only because Mr. Williamson has shown a friendly readiness to use his influence to persuade the Nicaraguan government to act up to her treaty engagements and thereby avoid the possibility of trouble with Her Majesty’s government, but also because I know it to be your lordship’s wish that nothing should arise to disturb the perfect understanding and confidence which exists between Her Majesty’s government and that of the United States on all questions connected with Central America.
I have, &c.,
The Earl of Derby,
&c., &c., &c.
Guatemala, December 31, 1875.
Sir: I do myself the honor officially to inform your excellency that Her Majesty’s consul at Grey Town, Mr. A Gollan, has been appointed by the chief of the Mosquito reserve as his agent, duly empowered by him to receive on his behalf from the Nicaraguan government the arrears due to him under the treaty of Managua with Great Britain, and has received authority from Her Majesty’s government to act in that capacity.
As the government of Nicaragua have recently manifested a wish to disembarrass themselves of the claim which the Mosquito chief has against them, on account of the arrears so long due to him under the treaty of Managua, they will probably learn with satisfaction of the appointment of an agent of the official position and character of Mr. Gollan, through whom they can effect their payment to the Mosquito chief in all security.
The last two communications on the subject of the arrears due to the Mosquito chief, which were addressed by my predecessor in 1872 and 1873 to the government of Nicaragua, not only having failed to meet with the attention to which representations on such a subject from Her Majesty’s government were entitled, but having further been suffered to remain without even the acknowledgment which is customary in diplomatic correspondence between foreign governments and their agents, I find myself placed under the necessity of requesting that your excellency will be so good as to honor me with some reply to, or acknowledgment of, the present communication.
It may be well, in order to prevent any further misconception, that I should remind your excellency that, inasmuch as the payments to which these communications refer were promised by the Nicaraguan government, in formal treaty engagement entered into with Great Britain, as one of the conditions on which Great Britain relinquished the protectorate which, before the date of the treaty of Managua, she had exercised over the Mosquito territory, Her Majesty’s government possess an incontestable right to see that the stipulations of that treaty are faithfully carried out, and that if it becomes evident, either from the neglect with which their representations are treated or from other circumstances, that Nicaragua is not making proper effort to redeem her pledges, they may find themselves compelled, however reluctantly, to interfere in order to obtain the fulfillment of those engagements.
I avail, &c.,
His Excellency Don Tomas Ayon, &c., Nicaragua.
Guatemala, December 31, 1875.
Sir: In consequence of instructions I have received from Her Majesty’s secretary of state for foreign affairs, I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Alexander Gollan, who holds the office of Her Majesty’s consul at Grey Town, has been formally appointed agent for the chief of the Mosquito territory, to receive on his behalf the arrears due to him by the government of Honduras under the treaty of Comayagua, and has been authorized by Her Majesty’s government to undertake the agency.
It is not my intention at the present moment to renew, through your excellency, to the governor of Honduras applications which have hitherto not only proved useless, but which have on the most recent occasions met with a disregard from which Her Majesty’s government had a right to expect that courtesy alone would have protected them.
[Page 181]It should, however, be borne in mind that the payments to the Mosquito chief were promised by the Honduras government, in formal treaty engagement, as one of the conditions on which Great Britain relinquished her protectorate over the Mosquito territory. It is the unquestionable right of Her Majesty’s government to see that those treaty stipulations are not so lightly disregarded by the government of Honduras as they hitherto have been; and although it is not the intention of Her Majesty’s government at this moment to take any action in the matter, the time may come when they may feel themselves compelled, however reluctantly, to interfere, in order to obtain the fulfillment of those treaty engagements which Honduras contracted toward them.
I avail, &c.,
His Excellency Don A. Zuringa, &c., Honduras.
Sir: I received a few days ago a dispatch from the Earl of Derby informing me that you had been authorized by his lordship to accept the agency which had been offered to you by the chief of the Mosquito territory, for the purpose of receiving the arrears of subsidy due to him by the governments of Nicaragua and Honduras, but that you had been instructed to be careful to take no step in that capacity which might hereafter hamper you in that of Her Majesty’s consul.
I have now to inform you that I have this day officially communicated the fact of your appointment and of its approval to the governments of Nicaragua and Honduras.
As far as the latter is concerned, there is too much reason to fear that it will be long before you are invited to receive any payment on this account; but if the government of Nicaragua are really in earnest in their wish to come to a settlement with the chief, it is probable that they will either directly or through their authorities at Grey Town enter into communication with you shortly on the subject.
In such case you will of course be careful to carry out the instructions of Lord Derby; and, with this object, I would suggest that in treating with the authorities on this subject, it may be well that you should limit your action to that of simple agent for this particular purpose of the Mosquito chief, and that you should as far as possible refuse discussion as to his recent proceedings, bearing in mind that, whatever may be his present conduct, it can in no way serve as an excuse or palliation to Nicaragua in her past neglect to execute treaty engagements formally entered into by her with Great Britain.
I am, &c.,
A. Gollan, Esq., &c.,
Grey Town.