REPLIES FROM THE SEVERAL GOVERNMENTS. To the above invitation the following replies were received: GUATEMALA.` DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, Mr. MINISTER: Guatemala, August 10, 1888. I have had the honor to receive your esteemed note of the 6th instant, transmitting the circular of the Department of State of Washington, of the 13th of July, and a copy of the Act of Congress, approved on the 24th of May relating to an International Conference to be held at the Capital of the United States on Wednesday the 2d of October, 1889, for the purpose of discussing the subjects set forth in your note, and in the circular and Act of Congress upon which it is based. The Legation of Guatemala at Washington had informed this Department, by dispatch No. 113, of the 23d of March last, of the subjects to be discussed at said Conference, and since then they have been under study, with all the interest demanded by their importance. The President of this Republic, before whom I have laid the courteous invitation which the President of the United States of America has been pleased to extend through you and the State Department at Washington to the Government of Guatemala, has authorized me to say in answer that the invitation is accepted, and that in due time he will appoint the Delegates who shall represent this Government at the said Conference. The Government of Guatemala, Mr. Minister, considers such future meeting as a happy opportunity for the nations. of the American continent to join in a fraternal embrace, and it trusts that if they all are animated by the same earnest sentiments and wishes as Guatemala, in favor of rendering their cordial international relations stronger and closer, the initiative taken by the Government so worthily represented by you will be crowned with brilliant success. I avail this opportunity to subscribe myself, with renewed proofs of high consideration and esteem, I have had the honor to receive your polite letter of the 18th of this month, informing me that in virtue of an Act of Congress of the United States, approved May 24 of this year, the President has been authorized and requested to invite the Governments of the Republics of Mexico, Central and South America, Hayti, Santo Domingo, and the Empire of Brazil, to join the United States in the Conference to be held at Washington during the coming year, 1889. You explain the purposes of said Conference, and in the name of your Government and under its instructions, extend an invitation to the Government of this Republic to be represented at the said Conference, which will be opened on the 2d of October in the above-mentioned year, 1889. It is gratifying to me to say in answer that my Government, fully appreciating the importance of the objects which the said International Conference proposes to attain for the good of all America, will not fail to send its representatives on the date mentioned, and that it rests assured that all the conclusions reached by said Conference under the auspices of the enlightened and powerful Government of the United States, will become practical facts and prove greatly beneficial. While answering in this way to your esteemed note, I beg to return the most sincere thanks of my Government to that of the United States for the cordial invitation kindly extended to it through you. I avail of this opportunity to renew the expression of my sentiments of high esteem and distinguished consideration with which I subscribe myself, Your obedient servant, JERÓNIMO ZELAYA. COSTA RICA. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, Mr. MINISTER: I had the honor to receive your polite note of the 8th of August last, and the copies and translations therein inclosed of a communication of the honorable Secretary of State and of an Act of Congress of the United States. You inform me that your Government has been pleased to invite the nations of the American continent to join in a Conference to be held at Washington on the 2d of October of the coming year, and that it hopes that Costa Rica will be represented in said Conference, thus accepting your courteous invitation. I reported to the President of the Republic the contents of the documents above referred to, and he instructed me to say to you that this Government accepts with real pleasure the invitation which the United States extends to it to take part in a Conference which has to prove beneficial to all Americans, cause the commercial relations of our countries to be closer, and prevent force from being used for the settlement of the questions which may arise between them. This Government, therefore, will take great pleasure in accrediting at the proper time its Delegate for the above-mentioned Conference. Be pleased, Mr. Minister, to transmit to your Government the foregoing answer, and accept the assurances of distinguished consideration with which I subscribe myself Your obedient servant, P. PEREZ Zeledón. URUGUAY. OFFICE OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF THE Uruguay, Mr. CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: Montevideo, October 6, 1888. I have had the honor to receive your note of the 24th of August last, in which you are pleased to invite the Government of the Republic, in the name of the United States of North America, to attend, by plenipotentiaries named for that purpose, the American Congress which shall meet in Washington in October, 1889, for the discussion of subjects relating to the peace, the progress of commercial relations, and the welfare of the American nations. His Excellency the President of the Republic, having been made acquainted with the contents of your communication and its inclosures, has instructed me to say to you in reply, that he is greatly obliged for the invitation which you have been pleased to extend to him, and that he, sincerely applauding the noble idea which has occurred to the Government of the United States of calling the said Congress to convene, promises to comply with the pleasant duty of naming, at the proper time, the Delegate who shall represent this country in the International Conference at Washington. Be pleased to transmit this answer to your Government, and accept the assurances of my distinguished consideration. ILD. GARCIA LAGOS. ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Mr. MINISTER: Buenos Aires, October 10, 1888. His Excellency the President has received with satisfaction your note of September 1, in which, in compliance with instructions from your Government, you have in vited the Argentine Republic to send Delegates to the International Congress to be held at Washington on the 2d of October, 1889. The President has decided to accept the invitation, and has issued to that end the decree, a copy of which I have the honor to inclose. I avail of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my high consideration. NORBERTO QUIRNO COSTA. DECREE. Whereas, an invitation has been extended by the President of the United States to the Argentine Republic to appoint Delegates to an International Congress, to be held at Washington, October 2, in pursuance of an act of the Congress of that country, whereat some commercial matters, and others of reciprocal importance to the American States, will be considered. Therefore, the President of Republic decrees: (1) That said invitation be accepted, and that representatives of the Republic, to be appointed hereafter, be sent to the said Conference. (2) That the decree be duly published, communicated, etc. Buenos Aires, October 10, 1888. By the President, NORBERTO QUIRNO COSTA, I received in due time your very courteous communication of the 8th of August last, and the copies therein inclosed, in which you are pleased to extend to my Government, in the name of the President of the United States, a cordial invitation to take part in the International American Conference to be held at Washington, on Wednesday, the 2d of October, 1889, in pursuance of an act of Congress of the 24th of May last. The fact that the invitation comes from the Government of the United States, with which the Government of this |