No. 30.
Mr. Hall to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

No. 18.]

Sir: With reference to your instruction No. 4 of the 9th ultimo, relating to the postponement of the Congress of American States which it was proposed to hold in Washington on the 19th of November of the present year, I have to inform you that, in accordance therewith, I have delivered to the minister for foreign affairs of Guatemala, and have forwarded to each of the ministers for foreign affairs of the other states, a copy of the instruction referred to. My communications to Honduras, Salvador, and Nicaragua, respectively, were addressed on the 9th, and to Costa Rica on the 19th instant, after I had forwarded my credentials as reported in my No. 17. Copies of these communication are transmitted herewith.

Although it was well understood by the Government of Guatemala that the proposed Congress of American states would not be realized, the minister for foreign affairs expressed great regret that a project of such vital importance, to the Central American States especially, should have failed even temporarily. He could but express the hope, however, that the project would be revived at no distant day, and that under the auspices of the United States it would be successfully carried out.

I have, &c.,

HENRY C. HALL.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 18.]

Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras.

Sir: Through the medium of this legation the President of the United States, some months since, extended to the several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was proposed to hold at Washington City in November, 1882. The invitation was addressed to your excellency on the 4th January last, and under date of the 20th February your excellency communicated the acceptances of His Excellency the President [Page 48] of Honduras, and at the same time expressing a high appreciation of the humane object and elevated purposes of the proposed Congress. In that invitation the confident hope was expressed that, by the remote date fixed for the meeting of the Congress, all conflicting questions between the republics of the southern continent would have terminated, and that all would be able to participate in its discussions. Unhappily, that peaceful condition, contemplated as essential for carrying out successfully the object of the proposed Congress, does not exist. These, and other reasons which are set forth in the accompanying copy of a communication from the Secretary of State, by whose instruction I have the honor to transmit it to your excellency, have constrained the President to postpone the projected meeting until some future day.

I would respectfully invite the attention of your excellency to that part of the Secretary’s communication in which is expressed the belief of the President, that the fact of such a Congress having been called has not been without benefit; in this belief I am persuaded the government of your excellency will concur.

I improve, &c.,

HENRY C. HALL
[Inclosure 2 in No. 18.]

Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua.

Sir: Through the medium of this legation, the President of the United States, some months since, extended to the several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was proposed to hold in Washington on the 22d of November next. That invitation was communicated to your excellency on the 4th January last, and its receipt was acknowledged under date of 14th February; I find no other communication on the subject from your excellency on the files of this office. The Secretary of State no w instructs me to inform the governments of the Republics of Central America that the meeting of the projected Congress has been postponed until some future day. The reasons therefor are set forth in the accompanying copy of his dispatch of the 9th ultimo, addressed to this legation, and which by his instruction, also, I have the honor to transmit to your excellency.

I embrace, &c.,

HENRY C. HALL.