REPUBLIC OF PANAMA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 400, 8 January 1909, Page 5

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA.

6 RECOGNISED BY COLOMBIA. (bt AssociiTioK—coryEiairr.) ; (Rec. January 7, 11.30 p.m.) • Now York) January 7. • 1 Tho Republic of Colombia (situated' partly in Central and partly in has 'recognised ;the.;ijidependence, of tho Republic ; of Panama. Colombia receives h.ilf a million (.sterling,;'representing" Panama's share of the Colombian debt befort seces- , : sion in .1903. . . .'. THE.SECESSION EXPLAINED. ' The Eejriiblicibf ,Panama ;was constituted .on ; Novembei' 3, 1903,. havinf previously .been a . 'department-of:the.Republic df Colombia. ' The' . mhabitante , 'o( tlie''lsthmus of Panama bcing ' ' strongly ' in favour - of ' the - acquisition, of • the Panama' Cttnal Concession by tlie United States ; land ;the - 'constrnction.' by them of the canal, declared their indepondenee. - The; United States ; ;Gbverhmentrat oncetrecognised the'.new Repub- ; iie,'and..doiiolnded with itra treaty: on. Noyem-. 1 . bor 18, 1903, guaranteeing and agreeing to'main-' , ;tain.ite; independence. ;then .ratified. ' . ,tho,;treafr. ,;-. There Vi 9.a ,elected for ifour'i yearai;3 : .*The> vChamber. ,of - 'Deputies con;sistsVof. 32.members; elected for two years, The ' Ropublie is divided into seven provinces,' each 'under a governor, n-ith other eubordinate/offi--1 eials. The "Atlantic ■ ports, are' Colon,- Bocas del Toro, and Puerto Bello;'and the! chief Pacific . ports Panama: and : Pedregel ; : -but" the British Consol '.in ; ; Panama..reported ; !in .1904 that the apeement. delimiting ;the: zone for the'canal 'had .left' both'Pahapia ■and-Colon praotieally without a port, and had '■made;tho-'-AmonoahsVmast9rs'-.of -the' situation I'so. far. : as.' foreign' trade :was';ooiioerncd,' since it : 'would' be 'praotieally 'iruposiiblo to, enforce any ; Customs^rei^lWiohs, of,: their; own, wliioli were not in'.harmony mth those , prevailing aerosß the . 'border. ; ' ,Thp .Taft - Agreement of November, 1903,! however,, provides that all imports, except supplies for canal construction, whioh pay no duty, shall bo taxed -at: 10 per'cent, ad valorem. The railway runs from Colon to ' . Panama across;the isthmus, 1 a, distance of 47 .miles, and is worked by- the Panama- Railway ■ Co:, whose ohief offices,aro at NAw York.- ;