374 AVES ISLAND. 



announce that the immediate necessity for a special audience of his 

 excellency the president of the republic for the purpose of making that 

 communication which, under the instructions of the undersigned, ex- 

 isted when his note of the 31st ultimo, to Mr. Gutierrez, was written, 

 has now been, for a short time at least, removed, and that the request 

 for such audience as contained in that note, is for the present waived. 



It will be highly agreeable to the undersigned, and he permits him- 

 self now to hope, that by a prompt and satisfactory disposition of the 

 "Aves" question, duly made known to him by the Venezuelan gov- 

 ernment, all necessity for a formal presentation of that communication 

 may be finally removed, in a manner conformed to the justice of the 

 case and the dignity and friendly relations of the two governments. 



The note of the 11th September last, addressed by the honorable 

 Secretary of State of the United States to Mr. Ribas, defines the un- 

 changed position of the government of the United States in respect to 

 the ' ' Aves ' ' reclamation in terms exactly coincident with the expres- . 

 sions used by the undersigned upon the same subject to Mr. Gutierrez^ 

 in the conference of the 29th ultimo ; and the fact that that note has 

 doubtless been for some days known to the Venezuelan government, 

 when taken in connection with the statement made at that conference 

 by Mr. Gutierrez, that the answer of his government in the case would 

 be immediately forwarded to Washington, seems to the undersigned 

 to justify the hope that this long pending question now approaches 

 that satisfactory solution which its gravity and urgency clearly demand. 



Though the undersigned had the honor yesterday to mention briefly 

 to his excellency the President the substance of most of the above ob- 

 servations in a personal and informal interview, and though they were 

 this morning, at the first practicable opportunity, also briefly stated in 

 conversation to the honorable minister of foreign relations, the under- 

 signed yet deems it proper to request that this note may be also laid 

 before his Excellency, with the note of the 31st ultimo, to which it 

 refers. 



The undersigned renews to the Hon. Seiior. Gutierrez the assurance 

 of his distinguished consideration. 



CHARLES EAMES. 



Hon. Jacinto Gutierrez, 



Minister of Foreign Relations. 



Mr. Cass to Mr. Gutierrez. 



Department of State, 

 Washington, Novemher 12, 1857. 

 Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on the 4th instant, 

 of your excellency's note of the 21st September, ultimo. 



The communication on the subject of the Aves Island claim, to which 

 it refers as having been completed, has not yet reached the Depart- 

 ment, but whenever it arrives, it shall receive all that respectful con- 

 sideration to which the views of your excellency must always be 

 entitled. 



