Doc. No. 15. 



315 



cumstances lead us to believe that the seizure of the territory of Honduras 

 on that ground is a pretext for aggression on the part of Mr. Chatfield. 

 If Mr. Chatfield be indeed a proper exponent of the views of the British 

 cabinet, which we will not believe until so informed from an authentic 

 source, the sooner we are apprized of their intentions the better. You 

 will; therefore, on the receipt of this, forthwith address a note Lord 

 Palmerston, setting forth the proceedings of the British naval and njilitary 

 expeditions, and the conduct of Mr. Chatfield mentioned by our charge 

 d'aflfaires; and you will ask him, in firm but respectful language, for a 

 disavowal of all acts of interference by Mr. Chatfield or others, which 

 have for their object to extend the British jurisdiction to any part of the 

 Central American States. Should Lord Palmerston avow the seizure or 

 intention to occupy any portion of Central America, under any pretext 

 or for any purpose, you will immediately enter the protest of this gov- 

 ernment against it. 



That part of the treaty with Honduras relating to the canal negotiated 

 by Mr. Squier (of which I herewith send you a copy) was made by him 

 without instructions from this department; but if the British aggression 

 upon Honduras be not promptly disavowed, that treaty will be speedily 

 submitted to the Senate for ratification, without awaiting further negotia- 

 tion. 



It is now palpable that our charge d'affaires at Guatemala was right in 

 his conjectures as to the intention of the British authorities in Guatemala 

 to seize upon, and assert British jurisdiction over, other parts of Central 

 America. We have not desired to annex or colonize any part of that 

 country, but we shall not be restrained by any act of the British govern- 

 ment from treating with Honduras or Nicaragua, and from the assertion 

 and maintenance of any rights we may lawfully acquire by such treaties. 

 We have frankly avowed to Great Britain, and she must have fully un- 

 derstood it, that our object is to protect a canal across the isthmus. She 

 is fully aware that the lakes of Nicaragua and Leon furnish the most 

 eligible route and means for feeding such a canal; and whether that canal 

 should terminate in the Pacific, at Realejo, within the confines of Nica- 

 ragua, or at the gulf of Fonseca, within those of Honduras, we mean to 

 protect it, with the consent of the States through which it may pass. 



Sir Henry L. Bulwer has been most cordially received by the Presi- 

 dent; but I regret to learn from him that he has no instructions from Lord 

 Palmerston in reference to this subject. As he has no authority to treat 

 with us, we must submit to the delay of communicating with the British 

 government across the Atlantic I await your despatches by the next 

 steamer, hoping you have brought the negotiation to a close. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JOHN M. CLAYTON. 



Abbott Lawrence, Esq., (^c, i^c.y fyc. 



Mr, Lawrence to Mr. Clayton. 



[Extract.] 



[private and confidential.] London, February 8, 1850. 



My Dear Sir: Since I wrote to you on the 25th ultimo, I have held 

 an interview with Lord Palmerston, the particulars of which you will 



