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COLOMBIA, UNITED STATES OF. 



population, 2,794,473, not including the un- 

 civilized Indians, whose number is estimated 

 at 126,000. The republic consists of the nine 

 States of Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca, Cauca, 

 Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Panama, Santan- 

 der, and Tolima. 



The relations of the Federal Government and 

 the governments of the several States were, ap- 

 parently, disturbed during 1869. The Colom- 

 bian Senate annulled, in March, a law of the 

 State of Panama for the confiscation of the 

 property of political offenders. 



A report was brought before Congress on 

 March 31st, recommending the indictment of 

 the President of the republic, Santos Gutier- 

 rez, before the Senate of plenipotentiaries of 

 the nation, together with the Ministers Santi- 

 ago Perez, Miguel Samper, Narciso Gonzales 

 Lineros, and Serjio Camargo, upon charges 

 arising out of the President's action in depos- 

 ing the President of the State of Cundinamarca. 

 Congress, however, acquitted the President. 



The proposition for an amnesty, allowing 

 ing General Mosquera to return to the country, 

 was rejected in the Senate by fourteen votes 

 against thirteen. It had previously passed the 

 House of Representatives by thirty-two votes 

 against twelve. The Senate refused to recon- 

 sider the proposition, though urged to do so 

 by the lower House. 



The most important subject in the history 

 of Colombia, during the year 1869, is the nego- 

 tiations concerning the construction of the 

 Darien Canal. In January, 1869, a treaty for 

 the building of a ship-canal across the Isthmus 

 of Panama was concluded between General C. 

 Gushing and the Colombian plenipotentiaries. 

 The negotiation had been lingering for several 

 months in the hands of Mr. Sullivan, the Amer- 

 ican minister, and was finally brought to an 

 end about the middle of December, 1868, when 

 the Colombian Commissioners, satisfied that 

 they could not conclude any thing, resigned 

 their commission, and the whole subject was 

 decided to be laid before the Senate in consul- 

 tation. It seems that the most important 

 point of difference arose from the neutrality 

 of the canal in time of war, Mr. Sullivan main- 

 taining that the right should be stipulated 

 for Colombia and the United States to close it 

 to the vessels of a nation with whom either of 

 them was at war; while the Colombian com- 

 missioners strenuously advocated a perma- 

 nent neutrality of the canal. 



Mr. Gushing arrived in January. An agree- 

 ment was finally obtained, and a treaty sub- 

 mitted to the President's approval, which was 

 readily granted. The stipulations of this im- 

 portant document were as follows : 



AimcLE 1. Grants to the United States of America 

 the right to effect the necessary surveys and explora- 

 tions on the isthmus, after which, if the project is 

 found to be feasible, to draw the proper maps, etc. 

 employing therefor the requisite civil and military 

 superintendents, engineers, accountants, and paymas- 

 ters, and other agents and laborers, and the war and 



transport vessels that may be required. The military 

 force not to exceed at any one time five hundred men, 

 officers included, without first obtaining the express 

 consent of the United States of Colombia, and all per- 

 sons so employed, both civil and military, shall pay 

 due respect and obedience to the civil authorities of 

 Colombia. And, when the explorations and drawings 

 shall be completed, the President of the United States 

 of America shall certify the fact to the other high 

 contracting party, accompanying the maps and speci- 

 fications ; such explorations, maps, and descriptions, 

 to be filed in the archives of both governments. The 

 route and projects thus fixed upon may subsequently 

 be altered by the Government of the United States 

 of America giving due notice to the Republic of Co- 

 lombia. But the canal shall not be constructed on 

 the route of the Panama Eailroad, unless the consent 

 of the company owning the same has been obtained. 



ART. 2. Colombia agrees to grant, detach, and 

 apply for the works of the canal all the territory, in- 

 cluding sea and tributary waters, that may be pointed 

 out for that purpose and be necessary, and besides, 

 ten miles of public lands, uncultivated and without 

 population, on each side of the canal, through all its 

 length, and all the materials for construction found 

 within such grants, private parties to be paid for such 

 materials as they supply the Colombian Government 

 will establish the requisite expropriations in con- 

 formity to her laws. The ten miles of land given on 

 each side of the canal are to be measured and divided 

 into equal lots ; their front upon the canal or its 

 annexes not to exceed three thousand three hundred 

 yards ; said lots to be equally distributed between 

 the two governments in such a manner that to neither 

 of them shall belong two adjoining lots, nor the two 

 first lots of either of the extremities of the canal ; and 

 both governments may dispose at will of their own 

 lots, but with the condition attached that they are to 

 be applied to the uses of transit by the canal and for 

 its annexes. The Government of the United States 

 of America will choose the first lot to commence the 

 distribution, and will return to that of Colombia such 

 lots or portions thereof as they may not have trans- 

 ferred to private parties at the end of the term of this 

 contract, without claiming any sum for improvements 

 or any other cause. 



ART. 3. The United States of Colombia binds her- 

 self not to open nor permit to be opened any other 

 interoceanic canal, or railroad, through her territory 

 from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, without having 

 first obtained the consent of the Government of the 

 United States of America. 



ART. 4. The disbursement, cost, and expenses ot 

 the explorations^ drawings, construction, and ar- 

 rangement of said canal and its ports, way stations, 

 depots, and bays, including the indemnities paid for 

 private property, and the proper indemnity to the 

 ranama Railroad Company, should the case arrive, 

 in accordance with the contract made by the Govern- 

 ment of Colombia and approved by the Congress on 

 the 15th of August, 1867, will be at the expense of the 

 United States of America, but exclusively with refer- 

 ence to the objects of this convention. The materials 

 furnished by the United States of Colombia for the 

 works of the canal will remain in charge of the United 

 States of America, but exclusively for the objects of 

 this convention. 



ART. 5. The United States of America will con- 

 struct the said canal and its dependencies in such a 

 manner that it will be capable of being adapted fo!r 

 all kinds of vessels to cross the same, ancl will em- 

 ploy the necessary number of workmen, artisans, and 

 laborers to that end. The said government may also 

 maintain the necessary naval and military force, 

 which at no time is to exceed one thousand men, 

 without first obtaining the consent of the United 

 States of Colombia. Said force to be removed as 

 soon as the canal shall be in operation, should the 

 latter-named government so ask it. The United 

 States of America binds herself to see that the em- 



