AVES ISLAND. 25 



and though we shall demand pay for every ton from the Venezuelan 

 government (that so illegally and wrongfully ejected us) as well as of 

 those guilty of the asportation, and intend likewise to claim damages 

 for the detention of the isle till it is restored, we know well that in 

 such matters "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." 

 Neither the Venezuelan nor Dutch government is celehrated as good 

 paymasters. The former has perhaps the excuse of inahility; the 

 latter has not ; and the case of Mr. Seely, of New York, in the Crown 

 Diamond case is hy no means creditable to it. We trust that if justice 

 is earnestly insisted upon by our government in our case, it will be 

 yielded with less delay. 



We are, verv respectfully, your fellow citizens and obedient servants, 



PHILO S. SHELTON, 

 For self and others interested, 



Hon. William L. Marcy, 



Secretary of State. 



Mr. 3Iarcy to Mr. Shelton. 



Department of State, 



Washington, June 14, 1855. 



Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt, in due time, of your com- 

 munication of the 14th ultimo, in relation to the forcible ejectment of 

 your agents and laborers from the Aves Islands by the Venezuelan 

 government. 



In that communication the following paragraph occurs : 



''The said Dias, on the 13th December, had drawn up and signed 

 a paper, in Spanish, (on file in your department,) which our agent, 

 Captain Gibbs, was constrained, under the circumstances, to take, and 

 which Dias styled his "permit." 



Upon reference to your former correspondence upon this subject, I 

 find a letter from you of the 26th February, ultimo, transmitting a 

 "copy of a license or permit, signed by Domingo Dias, commander of 

 the Venezuelan vessel of war sent to take possession of Aves or Bird 

 Island by that government ; and the fourth article of this license or 

 permit is translated in the following words: 



4th. And to that effect, we [Nathan P. G-ibbs, agent of Philo S. 

 Shelton et als., and Carles H. Lang, agent for Lang & Delano,] place 

 our piece of artillery and armament at the orders and under the flag 

 of Venezuela, to whom the island belongs." 



The department cannot discover any expression in your letter, trans- 

 mitting this agreement, which indicates that it was not a voluntary pro- • 

 ceeding on the part of your agent, or that it was signed under duress ; 

 it is further to be remarked that, in your letter of the 15th January, 

 setting forth the grounds of your claim against Venezuela, no refer- 

 ence is made to this agreement of the 13th December, although your 

 statement of events is brought down to the 21st of that month ; nor 

 does it appear ': hat any allusion to this agreement is made in your 

 correspondence until it was transmitted on the 26th February, one 



