§ MR. R. CRAWFORDsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with reference to the Convention recently concluded between Her Majesty and the Republic of Guatemala relative to the Boundary of British Honduras, to state out of what fund it is intended to defray the expenses of the proposed Survey, and the cost of constructing the Road to connect the capital of Guatemala with the Atlantic coast.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL—Sir, in answer to my hon. Friend I have to state that it was justly considered very important by Lord Malmesbury that the boundary between the British territory and the Republic of Guatemala should be thoroughly defined, and, accordingly, instructions were given to Mr. Wyke to negotiate for the settlement of that boundary. Mr. Wyke succeeded in that negotiation, but it was found that the Government of Guatemala were very desirous to have some assistance towards surveying the country for the purpose of making a road, that road being entirely in the district within the boundary of the Republic of Guatemala According to the Convention between the two countries it was agreed that officers should be sent out for the purpose of marking out the boundary of our colony, and at the same time surveying the country for the purpose of making this road. The expense of the survey by the officer sent out, and six others who accompanied him, will be borne by the British Government. It is supposed that the operations in which they are engaged will take about eighteen or twenty months; and with regard to any further expenses beyond the survey they will be defrayed by the Government of Guatemala. The whole of the expenses of 262 the construction of the road will be borne by the Government of Guatemala, it not being intended that the British Government should be at any expense for that purpose.