Cleveland signs Venezuela–Britain arbitration recommendation

Background. The dispute over the Essequibo territory had persisted for half a century, with Britain claiming it as part of British Guiana and Venezuela viewing it as its own. Diplomatic relations had been severed for seven years prior to 1895. The crisis intensified when Venezuelan lobbyist William Lindsay Scruggs argued that British actions violated the Monroe Doctrine, using his influence in Washington to pursue arbitration.

Legislative Action. A congressional resolution recommended that Venezuela and Great Britain settle their boundary dispute by arbitration. The resolution passed both houses of the United States Congress. President Grover Cleveland, in his second term spanning 1893 to 1897, signed the bill into law on 22 February 1895, formalizing the recommendation for arbitration.

Scruggs Advocacy. William Lindsay Scruggs, a former US ambassador, was recruited by the Venezuelan government in 1893 to operate as a lobbyist in Washington D.C. He published a pamphlet in October 1894 attacking British aggression and claiming Venezuela was anxious to arbitrate the border dispute. His efforts in Washington influenced the legislative push for arbitration, linking the dispute to the Monroe Doctrine.