formation, when he gave me a copy of the circular of July, ultimo, and further stating that it was gratifying for your Government to find Mexico disposed, as Mr. Romero had said, to accept that invitation. The fact that no note was addressed to this Department, inviting the Mexican Government to join the Conference, and that it merely received a copy of a circular sent to the Legation of the United States here, made me believe that the invitation would be extended at a later period, and that the only thing intended at that time was to give notice that the Conference would be held. This was the reason why I did not write then to your Legation (as I have now the honor of doing, by order of the President), stating that the Mexican Government gladly accepts the invitation, and will in due time appoint the Delegates who should represent it in the said Conference, as set forth in the above-mentioned circular.

It is gratifying to me to have this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency the high consideration with which I subscribe myself,

Your obedient servant,

IGNACIO MARISCAL.

His Excellency, THOMAS RYAN, etc.

VENEZUELA.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Caracas, July 18, 1889.

SIR: On the 17th instant, at 9 o'clock p. m., I received a cablegram from the Department dated the 16th, as follows:

Ascertain why no answer has been given by Venezuelan Government to invitation to participate in Conference of American States. To which I reply by cable, July 18, as follows:

Venezuela accepts invitation, and will name Delegates to Conference of American States.

It seems that my predecessor, Mr. Scott, merely gave a verbal invitation through the then Minister of Foreign

Affairs. Hence no original acceptance was ever transmitted to this Legation. But on the 27th of March last Dr. Silva, the Venezuelan chargé in Washington, was instructed to formally notify you of the acceptance; and on the 23d of May following the Venezuelan Congress authorized the President to appoint Delegates to the Conference of American States, and likewise to the proposed International Conference of Maritime Powers.

Dr. Parejo, the present Minister of Foreign Affairs, whom I have just seen (and to whom was submitted my cablegram), assures me that the Delegates will be named in due time.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM L. SCRUGGS.

Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, etc.,

Washington.

SAN DOMINGO.

DEPATRMENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, Santo Domingo, July 19, 1889. MOST EXCELLENT SIR: The Government of the Dominican Republic, of which the undersigned, Minister of Foreign Relations, has the honor to be the organ, submitted to attentive consideration the important points contained in the invitation extended to it and to the other Governments of Central and South America, by order of your predecessor in the office of Secretary of State, to join in the International Congress to be held at Washington on the 1st day of October next. The said invitation was forwarded to this Department by the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States on the 7th of August, 1888.

If the Government of the undersigned could, consistently with its duty, regard only the dictates of its interest and its sincere desire that the seat which belongs to the Dominican Republic in the Areopagus of the sovereign nations of America should be occupied by her, she would have hastened to respond to the cordial invitation of the great Republic, the first-born daughter of democracy in

the New World, by sending her representatives to the Conference; but the Dominican Government finds itself bound to recognize that it is placed under exceptional circumstances in this matter, because many of the subjects referred to in the said invitation have been already settled between the two Republics, as shown by well-known diplomatic acts which create a status between the two countries, and which, according to international rules, can not be ignored or lost sight of either by the United States or the Dominican Republic.

The Governments of both countries concluded in 1884 a treaty of mutual privileges-arbitration and commercial reciprocity—which settled many of the points which, under the Act of Congress of the United States of 1888, will be discussed in the International Conference at Washington.

.

It may happen that a criterion different from that which prevailed in the said treaty, whether more liberal or more restricted, will be adopted by that Conference in regard to the very same points which were settled by agreement between our two Republics; and for this reason, and in view of the additional circumstance that the international compact above mentioned awaits ratification, and has not been officially withdrawn by either of the contracting parties or if withdrawn at all, then without explicit notification of the fact to the other party-the Dominican Government believes that it is not at liberty to enter into a new discussion of the subjects already settled by the treaty of 1884, no matter how proper such a discussion may be on the part of other nations, which are not bound, as the Dominican Republic is, by an international compact entered into ad referendum and awaiting ratification. As long as the political authorities representing the two nations do not finally pass upon the said convention, the Dominican Republic is not at liberty to change it.

The Government of the undersigned believes, therefore, that under the circumstances aforesaid, it can assume no other attitude, either toward the United States or toward the International Conference at Washington, than to keep within the limits of the present situation and maintain itself in a condition of expectation, watching the practical

results which the said assembly of nations may reach, and ready to adopt in relation to the Government of the friendly and powerful Republic of the United States and of the other Republics of America, as far as compatible with the national interests intrusted to it, the course of action which should prove more conducive to foster fraternal and fruitful harmony between them all, in all departments of civilization and progress.

Be pleased to accept the testimony of respect and consideration with which, sir, I subscribe myself,

Your obedient servant,

IGNACIO M. GONZALES.

His Excellency The SECRETARY OF STATE,

Washington, D C.

PARAGUAY.

REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY,

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

ASUNCION, August 12, 1889.

SIR: I had the pleasure to receive your note of the 6th of July last, informing me that, in compliance with instructions sent by His Excellency, Mr. Thomas Bayard, to Mr. Bacon, under date of the 26th of August, ultimo, the Government of this Republic was invited to join, through as many delegates as it might deem proper, the International Conference of the American States, to be held at the city of Washington, on the 2d day of October of the present year.

You state further, that your legation received a note from this Department, dated the 12th of February, 1889, through which you learned that the above said note of Mr. Bacon, inviting the Government of Paraguay to send delegates to the said International Conference, had never been received at this Department; and that, as a copy of my said note of the 12th of February had been forwarded to the Honorable James G. Blaine, in the absence of Mr. Bacon, you had received instructions to repeat the invitation.

There are some errors in these statements, to which I shall allow myself to call your attention.

Mr. Bacon's note of the 26th of August, 1888, was received, and an answer thereto, accepting the invitation to join the Conference was given on October 20, 1888. The receipt of this note was acknowledged by Mr. Bacon on the 11th of December following, and he stated at the same time that either in his former note (that of the 26th of August) or in another of about the same date, he had, by order of his Government, invited the Government of Paraguay to take part also in the other Conference, which was to be held in April 1889, on maritime subjects, but that as he feared that said note might have not reached me he would again extend the invitation for that Conference, and inclosed a copy of Mr. Bayard's circular to that effect. To this I replied on the 12th of February, and said that the invitation referred to had not been received at the time mentioned in his note, and that my Government regretted not to be able to accept, for the reasons which I then explained, the invitation to attend the Conference of April 1889, reserving, however, the right to adhere to the conclusions therein reached.

From all of this it appears that my Government has accepted the invitation for the Conference of October next, and that the one which was not accepted, referred to the Maritime Conference held in April ultimo.

I beg you to examine my note of the 12th of February, wherein you will find all that has been stated in the foregoing paragraphs. My note of acceptance dated October 20, 1888, must be found in the archives of your Legation, as is the note of Mr. Bacon acknowledging the receipt thereof, in the archives of this Department.

The inclosed copy of the Message of the President of this Republic, giving an account of both invitations, will complete the proof of what I have stated.

I reiterate to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration.

Mr. EDWARD J. HILI.

JUAN C. CENTURION.