stated to be within the limits of the State of Nicaragua. It is understood that this town claims its independence under a charter from a personage at the head of a tribe of Indians, called the Mosquito King. The United States have never recognized the government of the Mosquito King; and does not recognize the validity of his charter to the few settlers in Greytown; but, at the same time, you are expressly instructed to respect the police regulations of any temporary organization there, and not to molest them in the slightest degree, except under the contingencies previously mentioned. It is not understood by the United States that Great Britain has any greater interests or rights in that or any other portion of Central America than the United States, but on the contrary it is understood that by the convention of the 19th of April she retired from the Mosquito Protectorate, and agreed "not to assume or exercise any dominion over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part of Central America." It is, therefore, to be assumed that the interest manifested by Commander Thomas Wilson, of Her Majesty's ship Geyser, in his communication to you of the 28th of March last, was not with a view to interfere with your interposition in behalf of American citizens, nor to exercise any peculiar guardianship over the authorities of Greytown, but merely with a view to the single point of inquiry as to the duty of both Great Britain and the United States, under the convention of April, 1850, to protect the Accessory Transit Company. Until the contrary appears you will, therefore, in any further communications with Commander Wilson, assume that to be the position of her Majesty's government. A portion of the property attempted to be destroyed is on Point Arenas. Now Point Arenas is either a part of Costa Rica, or Nicaragua. If it be within the limits of Costa Rica, it is manifest that the authorities of Greytown, in the State of Nicaragua, have no right to molest persons or property there. If it be within the limits of Nicaragua, then the authorities of Greytown have no right to interfere, because of the privilege granted by the State government of Nicaragua prior even to any attempted separate organization at that town. It is not apprehended, however, that any further difficulty will occur with the authorities of Greytown, nor is it supposed that her Majesty's government will improperly interfere. So soon as there is no apparent necessity for your remaining at San Juan, the health of your crew would, perhaps, be promoted by cruising from that station to Pensacola. Commodore Newton will be instructed as to the future movements of the home squadron. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Commodore GEORGE N. HOLLINS, J. C. DOBBIN. Commanding U. S. Ship Cyane, San Juan de Nicaragua. Mr. Dobbin to Commodore Newton. [Enclosing the foregoing despatch.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, April 15, 1853. SIR: For your information and guide you will receive, herewith enclosed, copy of a letter addressed to Commander George N. Hollins, of the U. S. ship Cyane, at San Juan de Nicaragua, touching his duties and the state of events at that port. The department has deemed it proper in approving the conduct of Commander Hollins, as indicated in his despatches from San Juan de Nicaragua, to state to him the views and policy of the Government in relation to certain questions bearing on the subject matter, and the grounds on which that approval is based. Further instructions to the Commander-in-chief of the home squadron are not considered necessary at this time, but your attention is again invited to the orders of the department requiring occasional visits, by the vessels of the home squadron to the port of San Juan de Nicaragua, for the purpose of affording full protection to the rights and interests of all our citizens engaged in lawful trade between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Commodore J. S. NEWTON, Commanding U. S. Home Squadron, U. S. Frigate Columbia, Pensacola, Florida. U. S. SHIP CYANE, BIN. San Juan de Nicaragua, April 16, 1853. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 4th instant. Enclosed, I send you a communication from our commercial agent, marked A,* and my reply marked B. A enclosed the documents C and D, which Commander Hollins in B declined to receive from Mr. Henry L. Stevenson, the United States Commercial Agent. His never having called upon, or written to, me during all these difficulties, under the pretence of sickness, and as I am well informed did not use any means to stop the depredations upon the Accessory Transit Company, furthermore, having been one of those who, on a previous occasion, signed a petition from an English man-of-war to fire into the Prometheus, and his conduct altogether being so notorious, I decline having any thing to do with him in his official capacity. The document marked C is a correct copy of the rosolutions passed by the people of Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, on the evening of the 31st ultimo; the one marked D is the Mayor's letter, enclosing the resolutions and my answer to the same, marked E. At present all is quiet, but I have heard they threaten the destruction of the property as soon as I leave the harbor. Under such a threat, I do not deem it advisable to leave the harbor before being relieved, or some positive arrangement can be made with the authorities, by which the property of the company will be respected. The English commanders in this region have received orders from their minister at Washington, not to permit the property of the company to be molested, but at the same time their orders from the commodore of the station are for them not to remain in port over forty-eight hours, on account of preserving the health of their crew. There are men in San Juan so determined on the removal or destruction of the company's property, for their own personal interests, that little or no faith can be put in any promises they may make, so long as there is not some force to keep them in check. It is with great regret I have to inform you that several of the crew have been sick, but under the kind and constant attention of the surgeon, Dr. Spotswood, who has thus far kept the disease under his control, it has not proved fatal; but persons suffering from sickness in this climate require a long time to recover their usual strength. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE N. HOLLINS, Commanding United States Ship Cyane. Hon. J. C. DOBBIN, Sec'ry of Navy, Washington, D. C. · C. GREYTOWN, OR SAN JUAN DEL NORTE. DEAR SIR: The following are true copies of the resolutions passed by the people of Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, on the evening of the 31st March inst. T. J. MARTIN, Mayor elect. TO GEO. N. HOLLINS, Esq., Commander United States ship Cyane. Respectfully, yours, &c., [Copy.] "Whereas, we, the citizens of San Juan del Norte, in convention assembled, consider our present unsettled condition and want of government as injurious to our interest, daily subjecting us to great inconvenience and to future evils, and in view of the necessity which may shortly arise for a government of this city, do "Resolve, That the citizens of San Juan del Norte, or Greytown, do hereby authorize and ratify the organization of a provisional government; and that the former members of the government, who resigned, be hereby appointed by the people to resume their functions, and that the said provisional government be governed by the constitution. Resolved, That the vacancies occasioned by the resignation of Mr. J. V. Perrez, and the departure of S. S. Wood from this territory, be filled by Messrs. F. Mancho and A. Sigaud. "The preamble and resolutions were accordingly put to vote and carried by universal acclamation. "Resolved, That the provisional authorities commence their government tomorrow morning. "Messrs. Sigaud and Mancho signified their willingness to act. "On motion, the meeting adjourned. "SAN JUAN DEL Norte, or GREYTOWN." D. "W. H. DE FORREST, Chairman. GREYTOWN, OR San Juan del NoRTE, April 1, 1853. SIR: Having received notice from H. L. Stevenson, Esq., United States commercial agent, that you are ready to receive communications direct, I have the honor to enclose you a copy of resolutions passed by the citizens of Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, last evening, March 31, 1853, also a list of officers of the provisional government, and I am desirous of knowing if the same meets your approval. I have already communicated the above to her Brittannic Majesty's consui and the commander of her Brittannic Majesty's ship Geyser. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, T. J. MARTIN, Mayor elect. To George N. HOLLINS, Esq., Commander of United Sates ship Cyane. Mayor.-T. J. Martin. LIST OF OFFICERS ELECT: City Council.-W. Geering, B. Mooney, W. P. Kirkland, A. Sigaud, and F. Mancho. Judges of Supreme Court.-F. Cody, J. Reddy, and P. Castillan. E. U. S. SHIP CYANE, Off Point Arenas, April 1, 1833. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, enclosing the resolutions passed by the citizens of San Juan on the evening of the 31st of March, 1853. I will acknowledge your authority and the officers named in your letter, as elected by the citizens of San Juan, so far as my instructions will allow, and no further. That there may be no misunderstanding between us, I send you the words of the late Daniel Webster, by which I am guided: "Meanwhile a temporary recognition of the existing authorities of the place, sufficient to countenance any well intended endeavors on its part to preserve the public peace and punish wrong doers, would not be inconsistent with the policy and honor of the United States." I am pleased to hear you have again formed a government. The persons selected to fill the various offices are their own choice, of course I make no objection to them. I am, sir, very respectfully, &c., GEORGE N. HOLLINS, Commanding U. S. ship Cyane. T. J. MARTIN, Esq., Mayor elect of San Juan del Norte. THE CENTRAL AMERICAN QUESTION. THE OCCURRENCES AT SAN JUAN, AND THE TREATY OF 1850. [The following correspondence, which treats of the preceding transactions at San Juan de Nicaragua, was communicated to the Senate in compliance with a resolution of that body calling for any communication or correspondence with the British government growing out of the treaty of Washington of July 4, 1850, since the message of the President of the United States of January 4, 1853; and also copies of all instructions to our minister in England and all correspondence in relation thereto, that could be transmitted compatibly with the public interest. The negotiations on the subject to which they relate are still pending. President's Message, page 10. 33d Cong. 1st Sess., Senate Doc. Ex. No. 8.] THE TREATY OF 1850. Mr. Crampton to Mr. Marcy. BRITISH LEGATION, Washington, May 19, 1853. MY DEAR SIR: With reference to our conversation, yesterday, I enclose, for communication to the President, a copy of the dispatch from Lord Clarendon, which I had the honor to read to you, in regard to the Central American question. I also send you a copy of the opinion of the queen's advocate, in relation to the construction of the 1st article of the treaty of April, 1850, of which I spoke to you. I would desire that the communication of these papers should be regarded, for the present, as confidential. In compliance with your wish, I send you all the documents of which I am in possession in regard to the proposed canal, from ocean to ocean, by the Isthmus of Darien; these are, the engineer's report, his journal, a map of Central America, with notes and a prospectus of the company. Believe me, my dear sir, with much respect, yours very faithfully, JOHN F. CRAMPTON. Hon. W. L. MARCY, &c., &c. OPINION OF THE QUEEN'S ADVOCATE. Mr. Harding to the Earl of Clarendon. DOCTORS' COMMONS, April 15, 1853. MY LORD: I am honored with your Lordship's commands, signified in Mr. Addington's letter of the 7th instant, stating that he was directed to transmit to me a dispatch from Mr. Crampton, her Majesty's minister at Washington, enclosing a report of a speech made in the Senate of the United States by Mr. Clayton, by whom, when Secretary of State for the |