Mr. Pruyn to Mr.
Seward.
No. 38.]
Legation of the United States,
Caracas,
October 5, 1868.
Sir: In dispatch No. 19 I forwarded to you a
certain financial proposition of the Venezuelan government, and in
dispatch No. 31 the same question was again treated of. I now submit for
your consideration (see inclosure No. 1) a copy of a dispatch I to-day
sent to the minister of foreign relations, in reply to his note of
September 12, 1868, a translation of which was given in inclosure No. 4
of dispatch No. 31. As far as I can judge, the views you were pleased to
express in dispatch No. 18 have
[Page 978]
been borne out by subsequent events. This government have just
appointed a minister to France, who will endeavor to induce the French
government to give up their especial treaty-privileges, which of course
they will not do.
I will report in due course any further information that I may be able to
obtain on this question. Meanwhile I have the honor to remain, with
great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Pruyn to Señor Villégas.
Legation of the United
States,
Caracas,
October 5, 1868.
The undersigned, commercial agent in charge of the legation of the
United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your
dispatch No. 181, dated September 12, 1868, in which you are pleased
to reply to the collective note addressed to you by the
representatives of several foreign powers accredited to the
government of Venezuela, (including the undersigned,) dated August
12, 1868, in regard to the bases of settlement of foreign claims
proposed in the circular of the Venezuelan government, dated August
4, 1868. Your excellency has stated that the government of Venezuela
has found it necessary to prepare to recommence giving seventeen per
cent, of the import duties of La Guayra and Puerto Cabello towards
the payment of the French claims.
You are also pleased to state that you cannot give a definite
response to the collective note above mentioned until the result is
known of the negotiations in this financial question which have been
begun with the government of France.
The undersigned is gratified to observe, as the cardinal basis of the
propositions of the Venezuelan government, the declared intention of
satisfying those sacred national obligations which the former rulers
had so entirely neglected to consider. In your propositions the
undersigned has not been able to find any condition in which is
declared that they must be accepted by the chargé d’affaires of
France before they can become effective. The earnest and persistent
efforts of the representative of France for the re-establishment of
the payment of the seventeen per cent. aforementioned were well
known to the public before August 4th. So it is reasonable to
suppose that your excellency had considered the financial relations
of Venezuela towards France previously to dispatching the
propositions addressed that day to several foreign agents, including
the undersigned. If the undersigned rightly apprehends this
financial question, it appears that the government of Venezuela
proposed a basis of settlement on the 4th of August, omitting in its
communication on this subject of that date addressed to foreign
agents the statement subsequently made that it was bound by certain
solemn treaty obligations with France, and that unless these were
given up by the government of that country, the propositions in
question could not be carried into effect. The undersigned, in
reporting these matters to his government, has made particular
mention of the great desire manifested by the government of
Venezuela for the prompt payment of the just claims due
foreigners.
The undersigned has, however, up to this date, been unable to
recommend to his government the abandonment on their part of the
terms of the treaty of April 25, 1868.
The undersigned begs to renew to Señor Villégas the assurances of his
distinguished consideration.
Hon. Guillermo Tell Villégas,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, &c.,
&c., &c.
