No. 32.
Mr. Partridge to Mr. Fish.
(Petropolis,) Rio Janeiro, Jan. 22, 1873. (Rec’d Feb. 24.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit in this mail the report of the Brazilian department of foreign affairs presented to the General Legislative Assembly (first session fifteenth legislature) on the 24th December, 1872.
It contains (pp. 8 and 81) the terms of the convention between Brazil and the Argentine Republic of 19th November, (see No. 84,) and the answer of Brazil (p. 102) to the reclamations of Bolivia against that convention, (on the ground that the question between Bolivia and the Argentines as to the ownership of the “Gran Chaco” was prejudged thereby;) that Brazil took no part in that question, the settlement of which pertained to the Argentine Confederation, Bolivia, and Paraguay, all of which countries claimed that territory.
It notices the letters of thanks addressed by the United States and Great Britain, respectively, to Brazil, acknowledging the services of the Brazilian arbiter at Geneva, gives account of the extradition treaties made with Portugal, Italy, and Great Britain, and the surrender of one Moos, a Frenchman—notwithstanding the non-existence of such a treaty with—to France, and his having claimed German protection as an Alsatian.
The present consular conventions with France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal are to terminate 20th August, 1873, as I have already advised in my No. 65. No new negotiations are yet begun with those powers, but are now proceeding for one with Great Britain.
The boundaries agreed on with Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, are being marked by monuments.
Brazil declines to pay Denmark the quota assigned her by the convention of 14th March, 1857, (in which she had no part,) for the capitalization and abolition of the sound dues.
The Brazilo-Paraguayan mixed commission to ascertain the indebtedness of Paraguay for indemnities to Brazilian subjects, for damages, &c., during the war, has been appointed and probably begun its sessions at Asuncion.
It will be interesting to know the amount which will thus be declared [Page 94] due by Paraguay—a sum, in any event, probably far beyond her ability to meet.
The British minister here is endeavoring to arrange for an Anglo-Brazilian commission to decide upon claims of the subjects of each of those countries against the other. The difficulty hitherto has been to admit the demand of Brazil, that the condemnation of certain Brazilian vessels by English commissions or courts, under what was known as the “Aberdeen” act, and other acts of Parliament, in virtue of which vessels taken (even in Brazilian ports in some cases) were declared good prize, as slavers, under the Anglo-Brazilian treaty for the suppression of the slave-trade, shall still be subject to re-examination, and that Brazilian claims for such vessels shall be admitted to adjudication.
I have, &c.,