A resolution of the Senate of the 28th instant, calling for information relative to any proposition submitted to the United States government by that of Great Britain, to refer the difference between the two governments of the construction of the treaty of July 4, 1850, to arbitration. FEBRUARY 29, 1856.—Read and ordered to be printed, and that 10,000 additional copies be printed, 1,000 of which shall be for the use of the State Department. To the Senate of the United States: I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying papers, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of yesterday. FRANKLIN PIERCE. WASHINGTON, February 29, 1856. To the President of the United States: The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the Senate of yesterday, requesting the President, if in his opinion it be not incompatible with the public interest, to inform that body "whether any offer has been made by the government of Great Britain to the government of the United States to refer to the arbitrament of some friendly power, or otherwise, the questions in difference between the two governments, upon the construction of the convention of 4th July, [19th April,] 1850, with any correspondence touching or concerning such proposed arbitration," has the honor to lay before the President the papers mentioned in the subjoined list, which contain all the information in this department called for by the resolution. All which is respectfully submitted. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 29, 1856. W. L. MARCY. List of papers accompanying the report of the Secretary of State to the President, of the 29th of February 1856. Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Marcy, (extract,) November 21, 1854. In the course of the conversation, he intimated that it might be desirable to have the opinion of a third power on the true construction of the convention. To this I playfully observed that it would now be difficult to find an impartial umpire, as they had gone to war with our arbitrator, the Emperor of Russia. This was, however, but a mere intimation on his part. I then urged upon him, as strongly as I could, the reasons which I thought ought to induce the British government to relinquish the Bay islands to Honduras. He replied, that these islands were not of the least value to Great Britain, and the only question with them was whether the national honor did not forbid this course. According to the appointment mentioned in my last despatch, I met Lord Clarendon yesterday afternoon at the Foreign Office. * * * * * * In the course of the conversation I observed to him, that the most serious difficulty between the governments might arise out of the Central American questions. He said that when two governments disagreed about the construction of a treaty, the best and most natural mode was to refer the question to a third power. At an early period of the negotiation he had made this suggestion; but I had jocularly replied that the Emperor of Russia was the only power sufficiently independent to act as an impartial umpire in the case, and they had gone to war with him. * * Yours, very respectfully, Hon. WILLIAM L. MARCY, * * * JAMES BUCHANAN. Secretary of State. Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Marcy. [Extract.] [No. 101.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I had an interview with Lord Clarendon on yesterday by appointment. * * * * * * He then said, About these Central American questions, the best mode of settling them is by arbitration. I replied there was nothing to arbitrate. He said the true construction of the treaty was a proper subject for arbitration. I told him I did not consider it a question for construction at all; the language was plain and explicit, and I thought this would be the almost unanimous opinion of the American people; but, in writing to you, I should mention what he had now said, as I had done what he had said at our former interview. Ere this can reach Washington, you will have read the speeches of Lord Derby and Lord Clarendon in the House of Lords on Thursday evening last, which will speak for themselves. Lord Clarendon says, in relation to the Central American questions: "In such a case correspondence is useless, and I lost no time in offering to refer the whole question to the arbitration of any third power, both sides agreeing to be bound by the decision. That offer has not yet been accepted; it has been renewed, and I hope that, upon further consideration, the government of the United States will agree to it." * * * * * It is, therefore, proper for me to state, as a matter of fact, that I have reported to you, in the most faithful manner, every conversation which has passed between Lord Clarendon and myself on the subject of a reference of these questions to a friendly power. As I have never learned that the British government has made any such offer to the government of the United States through Mr. Crampton, I infer that his lordship must have referred to the general conversations between him and myself, which would by no means justify the broad terms of his statement. Thus much merely to vindicate the truth of history. [No. 120.] Mr. Buchanan to Mr. Marcy. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: On Wednesday last, the 6th instant, I had an interview with Lord Clarendon at the Foreign Office. I told him I desired to ascertain whether the statement he had made in the House of Lords on the evening of Thursday, the 31st ultimo, that the British government had made to the American government an offer, which has been recently renewed, to arbitrate the Central American questions, was founded on what had passed between him and myself in conversation; or whether he had instructed Mr. Crampton to make to you, in writing, a formal proposal for arbitration. He replied, that his statement was founded on our different conversations; and that, in these, he had several times proposed to me a reference of these questions to arbitration; and he expressed the hope that I had communicated his propositions to my government. I informed him that I had faithfully reported to you all the conversations we had held in reference to an arbitration; but I had not believed that what he had said on these occasions amounted to such an offer as could be recognised by our government as a foundation for specific action on so grave a matter. I added, that I did not doubt |