Republic maintains the most cordial relations, and the simple enunciation of the highly important subjects to be considered at the Conference, are sufficient reasons to cause my Government to accept the invitation with real pleasTherefore, it will appoint, in due time, its representative in the said Conference. ure. I reiterate to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration, and sign myself Your attentive and faithful servant, ADRIAN ZAVALA. Mr. MINISTER: SALVADOR. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, I had the honor to receive in due time your important communication of the 18th of August last, in which you were pleased to inform me that in pursuance of an Act of Congress of the 24th May last, the President of the United States had been authorized and requested to invite the Governments of the Republics of Mexico, Central and South America, Hayti, and San Domingo and the Empire of Brazil, to join the United States in a Conference to be held at Washington during the coming year of 1889. You add that the subjects which this International Conference is called to consider, as set forth in detail in the said Act of Congress, and in the circular of the Honorable Secretary of State of the 13th of July, copies and translations of which you had the kindness to send me with your no . may be briefly recapitulated as follows: M (1) The discussion of measures tending to promote the prosperity of the several American States. (2) The formation of an American Customs Union. (3) The establishment of regular and frequent communications between the States. (4) The adoption of a uniform system of customs regulations. (5) The adoption of a uniform system of weights and measures. 563A- -2 (6) The adoption of a common silver coin. (7) A definite plan of arbitration of questions, disputes, and differences. (8) The discussion of such other subjects of mutual and general interest as may be presented by any of the Delegates of the States represented. Under the instructions of the President, I have the honor to say to you in reply to your note, that my Government recognizes the transcendental importance of the subjects to be considered by the Conference referred to, and deems it to be its patriotic duty to accept the invitation which the Government of the United States has been pleased to extend through you. I trust, therefore, that you will be pleased to transmit to your Government this acceptance of its invitation on the part of Salvador, and set forth in addition that in due time a person will be appointed to represent this Government in the Washington International Conference. Be pleased, Mr. Minister, to accept the assurance of my high consideration and esteem. MANUEL DELGADO. ECUADOR. REPUBLIC OF ECUADOR, MINISTRY OF EXTERIOR RELATIONS, Quito, March 6, 1889. SIR: I have laid before His Excellency the Chief Magistrate of the Republic your esteemed note of the 18th ultimo, inclosing a copy of the circular of the Department of State at Washington relative to the International Conference to be held at Washington for the consideration of certain principles and rules of international law which might be adopted by the States of North, Central, and South America as a guide for their mutual relations, among which, as suggested by your own Government, arbitration as a method for the settlement of the differences which may arise between said states will be included. Ecuador has been invited by you to join that Confer ence; and as its Government has already declared its full approval of arbitration, it feels a great pleasure in seeing this subject included in the programme of the Conference. The Republics of America, being as they are united by fraternal ties and common interests, can not be silent when matters affecting the good of America come up for discussion. So far as Ecuador is concerned, I will say that if its Government can not send a plenipotentiary to attend the Conference at Washington, it will ask the representatives of some friendly republic to act also in its behalf. I avail with pleasure this opportunity to reiterate to you the expression of my consideration. Mr. OWEN MCGARR, FRANCISCO J. SALAZAR. Consul-General of the United States of America. Mr. MINISTER: BOLIVIA. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, La Paz, April 4, 1889. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your estimable note, No. 27, yesterday. The Constitutional President of the Republic, to whom I read said note, has instructed me to say in reply that he highly appreciates the invitation which the Government of the great North American Republic has been pleased to extend to the Government of Bolivia to join, through one or more delegates, in the International Conference to be held at Washington on Wednesday, October 2, of the present year, and that he considers the questions to be discussed there as intimately connected with the greater development of the foreign intercourse and prosperity of the American States; for which reason he has decided to establish a legation of first class in Washington, which shall be intrusted in due time to the proper person. You can transmit to your Government this decision of that of Bolivia; and I remain, with sentiments of very distinguished consideration, Your obedient servant, Hon. Mr. S. S. CARLISLE, M. BAPTISTA. Minister Resident and Consul-General of the United States of America in Bolivia. II. Mr. MINISTER: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, La Paz, May 18, 1889. I have the pleasure of informing Your Excellency that my Government, in fulfillment of its pledged word, has issued credentials and letters of full powers in favor of Dr. Don Juan Francisco Velarde, who has been appointed minister of the first class and representative of Bolivia in the International Congress of Washington, who shall be accompanied by Dr. Don Dámaso Sanchez, chief clerk of this department, in the capacity of secretary of the first class. The deference with which my Government has received the invitation of the enlightened Chief Magistrate of your great Republic has been proved in this way. It gives me pleasure to avail this opportunity to offer to Your Excellency once again the sentiments of my distinguished consideration. Hon. S. S. CARLISLE, M. BAPTISTA. Minister Resident and Consul-General of the United States of North America. CHILI. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, Santiago, April 4, 1889. SIR: I had the honor to receive in due time your note of December 10, 1888, transmitting the invitation which the Government of the United States has extended to all the other Governments of our continent, to attend an International Conference to be held at Washington on the 2d of October next. The nature of the Conference and the far-reaching importance of the measures to be considered forced upon us the necessity of giving serious study to the matter. Your own Government has manifestly understood that such consideration was necessary, since it has sent a special commissioner, Mr. John G. Walker, to confer with the different Governments upon the said invitation. I took advantage of the opportunity presented, and had the honor to examine, one by one, with Mr. Walker, all the points of the programme contained in act No. 1473, passed during April, last year, by the Congress of the United States. I also stated to him particularly the reasons why, in the opinion of my Government, the Conference should occupy itself only with commercial and economic questions. Upon problems of this nature the progress of our continent depends, and their wise solution will prove to be conducive to its future prosperity. I am sure that the report of Mr. Walker to his Government will bear testimony both to the sincerity of our views and to the earnestness and impartiality with which we will co-operate in the consideration of all measures which may enable the various nations of America to promote, through their industry and commerce, the progress of each other. I hope that you, when communicating to your Government our acceptance of the invitation and our purpose to be represented in the Conference at Washington, will be pleased also to transmit our views on the subject. With pleasure I avail myself of this opportunity to offer to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration. WILLIAM R. ROBERTS, DEMETRIO LASTARRIA. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. |