PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O. 885/
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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Given at Our Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the 2nd day of August, 1880, in the forty-fourth year of Our Reign.
Commission appointing
Sir,
By Her Majesty's Command,
(Signed)
The Right Honourable the Earl of Camperdown and Samuel Whitbread, Esquire, M.P., to be
KIMBERLEY.
Commissioners to inquire into the state of the Defences, &c., of the Colonies.
No. 49.
Circular to all Colonies.
Downing Street, August 3, 1880. WITH reference to my predecessor's Circular despatch of the 21st October, 1879,* I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of a Commissiont which the Queen has been pleased to issue under the Royal Sign-Manual and Signet appointing the Right Honourable the Earl of Camperdown and Samuel Whitbread, Esq., M.P., to be Commissioners to inquire into the state of the defences of the more important colonial ports and coaling- stations, and to consider the apportionment of the cost of such defences, in the place of the Right Honourable Hugh Culling Eardley Childers. M.P., and Thomas Brassey, Esq., M.P., who have been discharged by Her Majesty from further service as such Commissioners.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir,
No. 50.
Foreign Office to Colonial Office.
KIMBERLEY.
Foreign Office, August 5, 1880.
I AM directed by Earl Granville to transmit to you, to be laid before the Earl of Kimberley, the accompanying copy of a Report from Captain Dennistoun, of Her Majesty's ship "Tourmaline," relative to the establishment of coaling-stations by the United States on Columbian territory.
Sir,
I am to request that the inclosed document may be returned when done with.
"
I am, &c.
(Signed)
JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE.
Inclosure I in No. 50.
H.M.S." Tourmaline," Colon, May 21, 1880.
I HAVE the honour to report that during my stay here I have endeavoured to gain as much information as possible regarding the movements of American men-of-war at Chiriqui and the Gulf of Dulcea.
2. On or about the 29th March Her Majesty's ship " Dulcea, according to orders received from Rear-Admiral Stirling, and found the United Penguin" visited the Gulf of States' corvette "Adams at anchor in Golfito Harbour, where she had landed 5 tons of coal, and established a coaling-station. The Captain of the "Adams Commander Paget that he had received orders to do so, and not to quit the place until informed relieved by another ship. There are no local authorities within 50 miles of Golfito, and the Government of Columbia has sent down orders from Bogota to request the "Adams to leave at once, as it is not a commercial port.
This order has had to be repeated, showing that the first was not attended to.
3. The United States' corvette "Kearsage" is reported at Shepherd Harbour, in Almirante Bay (see chart of Chiriqui Lagoon), engaged in surveying the different entrances, utterly ignoring the expressed wishes of the authorities that she should desist from doing so. Up to the present time the Columbian officials here have no news of her having landed coal anywhere in the Chiriqui Lagoon, but no doubt is entertained that her orders are identical with those of the "Adams" stationed on the other side, and that she will eventually do so.
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* No. 42 of "Miscellaneous No. 39."
+ No. 48,
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4. On the 4th instant the United States' frigate "Tennessee" arrived at this port from the United States with Mr. Diechman, the United States' Minister to Columbia on Ioard, who was on his way to Bogota.
Á conference was held with the President of Panama, at which were present also the two Secretaries of State and the American Consuls at Panama and Colon, and attach hereto a copy of a résumé of what was said on that occasion, furnished me by Mr. Bennett, Her Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul at Panama, who received his information from two of the Columbian authorities present. I also attach a supplement of a local paper, dated the 8th May, 1880, referring to it, as well as an issue of the same paper, dated the 20th May, 1880.*
5. Í have been informed by the Prefect of Colon that during the conference, in the heat of debate, Mr. Diechman, to prove the truth of what he had said, offered to show the President the orders for both the ships before mentioned.
The offer was accepted, and it was then discovered that both ships were ordered to form coaling-stations.
The Prefect tells me also that before leaving here Rear-Admiral Wyman visited him, and expressed his surprise that the "Kearsage" should be ordered to cease surveying at Chiriqui, but promised that on his arrival at that port (whither he purposed going) he would order the "Kearsage" to leave at once.
6. The feeling against the American Government, both here and at Panama, is no doubt very strong, and the general belief is that America intends to form a coaling-station at each place, even against the remonstrances of the Columbian Government, but what ulterior measures will be adopted by her is a mere conjecture.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Commodore the Hon. W. J. Ward, A.D.C.,
Senior Officer.
R. P. DENNISTOUN, Captain.
Inclosure 2 in No. 50.
Resume of the Proceedings at a Conference between his Excellency President Cervera, two Secretaries of State, and the American Minister and Consuls of Panama and Colon on May 5, 1880.
MR. DIECHMAN stated that his chief object was to calm all anger or suspicion at the supposed occupation by American vessels of war of parts of Columbian soil, to prove the proceedings of these ships to be of a perfectly harmless and usual character, and such as America herself would have received with perfect indifference if transacted by ships of another Power in her own territory, and to assure the United States of Columbia that America desired that the most cordial relations should exist between the two Republics.
Mr. Diechman proceeded to explain his views by saying that the Commanders of the "Kearsage " and the "Adams had followed their instructions, which were to act in conjunction with the local authorities, but that in one instance they had been unable to find any that the proceedings of these ships should not be looked upon with suspicion, as the United States of America had no right to make any seizure of Columbian soil, and did not intend to, having guaranteed the independence and the neutrality of the isthmus. After reiterating the same views in various forms, Mr. Diechman turned to the Canal question, and attempted to prove that the building of the canal across the isthmus would be the very worst thing possible for the interests of Columbia, entailing certain ruin to the country and loss of its sovereignty. The Minister then hinted that although America had most cordial relations with the United States of Columbia, as a Republic whose constitution was framed on the same model as her own, there were times when Columbia appeared to be ungrateful to a Government which was the main support of the South American Republic, and without whose aid they would run every risk of losing their independence and nationality under pressure of some European Power whose institutions favoured classes and not the people. He added that the circumstances of the case might change, and that then the policy of America, "a slumbering lion with 500,000 men under arms," must necessarily change too.
His Excellency replied that though he was not entirely satisfied with the Minister's explanations, he must act according to his instructions from Bogota, which were to request the "Adams" and "Kearsage" to desist from their surveying labours, and the former * Not printed.
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