AYES ISLAND. 379 



United States that tlie liability of Venezuela in the case is too manifest 

 to justify further discussion ; that discussion on that point is, therefore, 

 considered by the United States as closed ; and that the acknowledg- 

 ment and adjustment of the claim cannot be longer delayed without 

 serious injury to the friendly relations of the two governments. These 

 assurances, moreover, were repeated and emphasized in the note ad- 

 dressed, under date of 11th September last, by the honorable Secretary 

 of State of the United States to the Venezuelan charge d'affaires in 

 Washington, which, after expressing the expectation that the Vene- 

 zuelan government, regarding its liability as settled, will at once pro- 

 ceed to investigate the damage done and the amount of indemnification 

 proper in the case, concludes with the declaration that "the 'United 

 States feel it to be due to their self-respect that the forcible injury done 

 to their flag and to their citizens should no longer remain unacknowl- 

 edged." 



In such a state of facts all previously made known to the Venezue- 

 lan government and placed in record before it, the only appropriate 

 basis and purpose of the special mission upon the subject which it has 

 now announced cannot be considered as doubtful. 



In regard to the reply of the Venezuelan government in the Aves 

 case which appears to have been sent to Washington, but which has 

 not yet been communicated to this legation, the undersigned now 

 deems it proper to repeat what he had the honor to state to the Hon.' 

 Mr. Gutierrez in the official conference of the 29tli ultimo on the sub- 

 ject, that the undersigned arrived in Caraccas specially charged and 

 instructed by his government to receive in its behalf that reply, par- 

 ticularly in respect to the point of liability of Venezuela. The sub- 

 sequent and recent instruction which in view of the representations 

 and requests made by the Venezuelan charge d'affaires at Washington, 

 authorized the undersigned to delay for a brief period the presentation 

 of the subject in the definitive form presented by his government, also 

 announced its assured expectation that the decision of Venezuela in 

 the case would be duly communicated to this legation, and further 

 directed the undersigned, in case it should not be so communicated to 

 him, to inform the government of Venezuela that he has been instruc- 

 ted to receive "that decision in behalf of his government before pre- 

 senting in formal terms its demands for the adjustment of the claims." 



Eeferring to the express mention in his note of the 2d instant, of 

 such prompt communication of that decision to the undersigned, as 

 constituting a part of the "satisfactory disposition" of the case then 

 contemplated, and referring also to the specific request in his note of 

 the 21st instant, to be so informed of that decision, the undersigned 

 now presents this state of facts upon that point to the attention of the 

 government of Venezuela in order that it may take such course in the 

 premises as may appear regular and proper and most conducive to the 

 good understanding of the two governments upon the subject. 



The undersigned renews to the Hon. Mr. Gutierrez the assurance of 

 his distinguished consideration. 



CHAKLE8 EAMES. 



Hon. Jacinto Guiterrez, 



Minister of Foreign Relations. 



