AVES ISLAND. 235 



of the United States the passport to those States asked for in his note 

 of yesterday, which was not received until this day. 



The government regrets that it should have heen impossible for it 

 to communicate, as it desired to do^ to Mr. Eames the pending answer 

 in relation to the Aves question previous to the period of his return to 

 his country, for the reason that the compendium of the case,, a form 

 which the executive power has deemed proper to give to the claim, 

 could not be completed in time. But, although this difficulty compels 

 it to defer this communication, it hopes that it will not be for any 

 long period, and then, should there be no legation of the United 

 States in Caracas, both cabinets will confer through the medium of 

 the charge d'affaires of Venezuela, in Washington. 



His excellency the President of the republic has specially ordered 

 the undersigned to reiterate to Mr. Eames the assurance of his desire 

 to maintain the most amicable relations with the United States, one of 

 which he has at all times given proofs, and of which he never will 

 lose sight. 



Having thus complied with the directions of his excellency, the un- 

 dersigned tenders to Mr. Eames renewed assurances of his distin- 

 guished consideration. 



JACINTO GUTIEEREZ. 



Hon. Charles Eames, 



Minister Resident of the United States. 



Mr. Sanford to Mr. Cass. 



Willard's Hotel, 

 Washington, August 10, 185T. 



Sir: The present position of the claim of Philo S. Shelton and 

 Sampson & Tappan against the Venezuelan government for the out- 

 rage and spoliation committed in December, 1854, at Shelton' s Isle, 

 seems to require this communication. 



The demand for redress, I would remind you, was made by the 

 claimants on the 15th January, 1855. It has been incessantly fol- 

 lowed up by them since. No neglect, no delay, can be imputed to 

 them. On the contrary, their importunity and the pertinacity with 

 which they urged their claim received from the late administration 

 more than one significant intimation that it was not altogether neces- 

 sary, as the claim was being enforced by the government. The accu- 

 jmulation of depositions by these claimants was as early as July 8, 

 1856, hinted, as quite superfluous, until the Venezuelan government 

 should make some response. 



The claimants, dissatisfied with the unaccountable delays at Car- 

 acas, with the assent, nay, at the instance of this government, dis- 

 patched an agent to Caracas early last winter, who remained there 

 nearly four months, urging the justice of the claim upon the Vene- 

 zuelan government. 



Whilst there that government was informed that if justice was con- 



