instant, relative to the vessel of your nation, I. F. Chapman, ordered to the port of Vigo to perform quarantine.

I will hasten to communicate to you the reply which I receive on this subject, and avail myself of this occasion to renew to you the assurance of my most distinguished consideration.

SIR: It is known to the belligerents that the war which has for some time been carried on between Spain and the allied republics of Peru, Chili, Bolivia, and Ecuador, is attended with deep concern to the people and government of the United States. On more than one occasion the President has called the attention of the belligerents to this interesting fact and has rendered such good offices as seemed practicable with a view to bring about a pacification. These tenders have not hitherto been definitely accepted by the parties. The House of Representatives of the United States, concurring with the sentiments of the President, on the 17th of December, instant, adopted the following resolution : Whereas wars destructive of commerce and injurious and prejudicial to republican institutions have for some time been carried on between Spain and several of the South American states on the Pacific coast; and also between Paraguay and Brazil, Uruguay and the Argentine republic, on the Atlantic coast: now, therefore,

Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the executive department of the government, that the friendly offices of this government, if practicable, be offered for the promotion of peace and harmony in South America.

The President is thus called upon by the most numerous branch of the legislative department of the United States government to renew the efforts which he has heretofore made. I have, therefore, the honor to submit, by means of this circular letter, to the several parties concerned the following propositions on the part of the United States, namely:

1. That a conference be held at the city of Washington on the 1st day of April next, to consist of plenipotentiaries of Spain, Peru, Chili, Ecuador, and Bolivia, authorized to treat of all matters in difference between the belligerent parties jointly and severally, and to consider and agree upon terms of a permanent peace which shall be equal, just, and honorable to all the belligerents.

2. That Spain shall appoint one of said plenipotentiaries, and each of the allied belligerent republics before named shall appoint one; but each of the belligerent republics may, if it choose, confer its powers upon a plenipotentiary who shall be named by any other of those republics, so that it shall be within the option of the allied republics, to appear either by one or more plenipotentiaries.

3. That each of the plenipotentiaries may act under the direction of the government or governments by which he is appointed; that no resolution of the conference shall be effectual or obligatory for a determination or suspension of the war, or the establishment of peace, unless agreed to by all the members of the conference, and to be afterwards sanctioned and ratified by the governments of each and all the belligerent parties; and that in any protocol or other paper which the conference may think it expedient to submit to their respective governments or to the President of the United States; the representative of Spain may act on her part, and a majority of the plenipotentiaries of the other belligerent republics on their part.

4. That the President of the United States will designate some person to attend and preside in such conference, and use good offices, in the forms of

information and advice,. in facilitating the objects thereof; but he will have no power to vote therein or to assume any obligation on the part of the United States.

5. That the President of the United States will, in case of disagreement of the plenipotentiaries, designate some state or sovereign, not the United States nor one of the belligerents, to be an umpire to decide all questions which shall be referred to him by the conference, and the decision of that umpire, he consenting to act as such, shall be made upon the protocols and other documents and proceedings of the conference, and shall be conclusive and binding upon all the parties.

6. The expenses of each plenipotentiary attending the conference will be defrayed by the state by which he is appointed. The conference will have accommodations, as to a place for transacting its business, furnished by the President of the United States.

7. An armistice shall take place so soon as all the belligerent states shall have communicated to the government of the United States their acceptance of these propositions, and shall continue until the termination of the conference. I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JOHN P. HALE, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward.

No. 74.]

LEGATION OF the United STATES OF AMERICA, Madrid, January 7, 1867. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 52, dated December 20th, 1866.

It was received yesterday, and to-day I called on General Calonge, the minister of state and communicated the same to him. He expressed himself highly gratified at the offer therein made by the government of the United States for the arrangement of the difficulties pending between Spain and the South American states with whom she was at war, and he wishes me to express to you, in his name, on behalf of the government of her Majesty, their sincere and hearty thanks for the offer of mediation thus made. At the same time he suggested that the peculiar situation of Spain in this affair was embarrassing, owing to the mediation of France and England, of the result of which they had had no official or certain information; and while that was open and pending, and the Spanish government had no official knowledge of what had been done or was being done, perhaps it would hardly be decorous or proper for Spain to close at once with the offer thus made by the United States.

There was, he said, another embarrassing circumstance in this affair, and it was this that while hostilities had been measurably suspended pending the mediation, the allied republics were improving the time for making preparations for recommencing the war with more vigor, and that imposed on Spain also the necessity of making preparations for such a contingency.

General Calonge, however, remarked that he only spoke for himself; but that to-morrow he should submit the matter to the council of ministers for their judgment and decision. He manifested a good deal of impatience at France and England not having given him any account of the result of their mediation, and said he would prefer to have that result stated, whether unfavorable or not to the present embarrassing position of uncertainty.

I have not pretended to give the precise language of General Calonge, nor indeed, would that be possible, writing in English, for he spoke in the Spanish

language; but I am entirely confident that I have given you fairly the substance and import of what he said.

If I may be permitted to add my own opinion, from the manner in which the proposition which you made was received, it is that the offer was very acceptable and grateful to the Spanish government, and but for the embarrassing circumstances before mentioned, would be promptly accepted.

I presume I shall hear from General Calonge after the propositions have been submitted to the council of ministers and they have acted thereupon.

Whenever I learn anything more on the subject, I will lose no time in advising you.

With much respect, I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

JOHN P. HALE.

Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward.

No. 78.]

LEGATION OF the United STATES OF AMERICA,

Madrid, January 21, 1867. SIR: I have the honor herewith to enclose a circular, which I received from the Spanish minister of state yesterday, relative to some recent modifications of their very stringent quarantine regulations hitherto enforced by the Spanish government.

With much respect, I have the honor to be your most obedient servant,
JOHN P. HALE.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

[Circular.-Translation.]

To the PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS:

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT, SANITARY DIVISION,
· Madrid, January 9, 1867.

The sanitary condition of Europe and of some portions of America has recently improved, and as it is no longer necessary to continue stringent health regulations, the Queen (may God protect her) has deigned to order

1. That vessels coming from the Papal States may be admitted without quarantine if their captains present clean bills of health, signed by our consular agents, and show there has been no death on board during the voyage.

2. Vessels from France, England, Italy, Denmark, the United States, Hamburg, Holland, Sweden, and Norway, shall perform only three days' quarantine in the ports of Cartagena, Cadiz, and Santander, designated for that purpose, where the marine boards of health are charged to examine their certificates and crew-lists, to know if the vessels have touched at other ports where infectious diseases prevail, or if deaths have occurred on board, and to see that all the legal requisites have been complied with.

3. Vessels from Austria are subject to the same regulations, with all the formalities required in such cases; and,

4. In cases of doubt about the proper interpretation of this supreme decree, the chief board of health in this department must be consulted by telegraph.

I communicate this by royal order, charging you, in her Majesty's name, to use the greatest zeal and diligence in the execution of this important service.

God save you many years.

GONZALES BRABO.

No. 79.]

Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Madrid, January 28, 1867.

SIR Last evening I received a note from General Calonge, minister of state, requesting an interview with me at his room at 2 o'clock this afternoon. On going there I found, as I supposed I should, that his purpose was to have some conversation with regard to the offer of mediation recently made by the government of the United States between Spain and the republics of Chili, Peru, &c. The first question which he asked me was if I was authorized to agree or consent to any modification of the conditions of the conference proposed to be holden at Washington. I told him I had no authority in the premises at all further than to submit the proposal, and I had no authority or instruction to consent to any modification whatever. General Calonge then remarked that his answer had been delayed thus far by the pending of the offers of mediation heretofore made by England and France. That they had heard from both these powers, and Spain was now entirely free to accept or not the offer made by the United States. That they appreciated the same with gratitude, and were ready to accept it in principle, but that they felt it necessary to propose some modifications, not in substance, but in form, of the basis or condition of the conference proposed by the government of the United States to be holden at Washington, and he had hoped that I had authority for arranging that matter with him here. But I added, as that was not so, it occurred to me that the better, and indeed the only course to be pursued, was to communicate to you and await your

answer.

What the modifications were which he desired to have made he did not explain, further than to say that they were formal, merely; and although he should have preferred that it might have been so that it could have been arranged here, still, in deference to your judgment, he was willing that it should be done either here or in Washington.

He further added that while Spain was ready to accept the proposed mediation of the United States in principle, and was ready to accept it entirely with the modifications which they might suggest, still, they held themselves entirely free to accept or decline the mediation then offered in case no modification should be assented to by the United States. I think I have now given you the substance of the conversation between General Calonge and myself; but that there may be no mistake, (and this despatch relates entirely to this interview,) I shall submit it to General Calonge before I send it.

JANUARY 30, 1867.

The above portion of this despatch, as I suggested I should, I submitted to General Calonge for his inspection, and I send herewith, marked A, a copy of my note to him accompanying the same. To-day, the 30th, I received the same from him, with an accompanying note, a copy of which, with a translation thereof, I also herewith enclose. I have lost no time in sending you all that. has occurred in relation to this matter as fast as it has come to my knowledge. I do not know that I exactly and fully comprehend the precise import of all of General Calonge's letter, but as I send both the original and the translation, you can form your own judgment in the premises.

In regard to the translation which I send you of it, I will remark that I am not entirely satisfied with that of the second modification proposed by him, nor do I think that the idea which he intends to convey is very explicitly expressed in the Spanish. If I may venture an opinion as to the sense intended to be conveyed, it is this, viz.: he wants to propose some restrictions in regard to the person or State to be selected as umpire or arbitrator, which arises, I apprehend,

from the disinclination of Spain to have any of the South American States, formerly her colonies, selected as an arbitrator in this war between herself, Peru, Chili, &c. I may be mistaken, but I think I am not. The copy of General Calonge's letter enclosed herewith is marked B, and the translation C. With much respect, I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, JOHN P. HALE.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

A.

Mr. Hale to General Calonge.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Madrid, January 29, 1867.

The minister of the United States has the honor of submitting to the minister of state the rough draught of a despatch to the Secretary of State of the United States, in order to ascertain if he has correctly stated the purport of the interview he had the honor to have with him yesterday. If there are any statements which the minister of state deems important to be made, and which are omitted, Mr. Hale will be glad to add them upon suggestion of what they are.

Mr. Hale will be much obliged if the minister of state will examine the enclosed as far as he wishes, and return the same to him this evening, if practicable, as it is desirable that it be sent to Washington by to-morrow's mail.

Mr. Hale hopes the minister of state will pardon him if he suggests that it may have a tendency to facilitate and hasten the conclusion of this matter if he deems it practicable to furnish, in writing, the nature of the modifications which the government of her Catholic Majesty will propose to the propositions of the United States, so that they may be submitted to Mr. Seward with the despatch which Mr. Hale proposes to send him to-morrow. Mr. Hale improves the present occasion for renewing to General Calonge the assurances of his most distinguished consideration.

C.

General Calonge to Mr. Hale.
[Translation.]

MINISTRY OF STATE, PALACE, January 30, 1867.

The minister of state of her Catholic Majesty has the honor to return, enclosed herewith, to the minister plenipotentiary of the United States in Spain the draught of a despatch which Mr. Hale is about to send to the Secretary of State of the United States, and in which there is accurately related the conference which took place between them on the 28th of the present month. General Calonge desires that Mr. Hale shall represent, in the most explicit manner, that the government of her Catholic Majesty not only is disposed to accept, but that at once she accepts, in principle, the mediation proposed by the government of the United States, provided that in the form in which it is offered there may be introduced, by common consent, some modifications which she thinks indispensable to the better direction of the conference and for its most speedy termination.

General Calonge, receiving with the consideration which they merit the suggestions of Mr. Hale, is ready to declare that the government of her Majesty, besides accepting, in principle and at once, as he has just informed him, the mediation of the United States, accepts also the time fixed, viz., the 1st of April, for the meeting of the conference of the plenipotentiaries of all the belligerents for treating on the matters or points which directly have produced the state of war which actually exists between Spain and the American republics of the Pacific.

She also agrees that the said conference shall be holden in Washington, as it is proposed; also she agrees that the said conference shall be presided over in the manner proposed, by the individual designated by the President of the United States; further, she admits the proposition for the appointment of the plenipotentiaries which are to constitute the conference, and the manner in which they are to act in it among themselves with respect to their own several governments; further, she accepts at once the armistice which is proposed to last during the existence of the conference, and that the points upon which the plenipotentiaries shall not be able to agree shall be submitted to an arbitration, binding upon all parties.