450 AVES ISLAND. 



ciple of restricting their claim to their absolute actual losses only, is 

 approved by the government of the United States. This basis of com- 

 promise is offered upon the distinct understanding that the govern- 

 ment of Venezuela will hereafter make no opposition whatsoever to the 

 unmolested usufruct by the claimants of the guano on the island of 

 Aves. And it must be further understood, that if this compromise, 

 as offered by the claimants, should be rejected, it will not diminish 

 their right to insist upon the payment of their entire claim. 



The undersigned is further instructed to state to the government of 

 Venezuela, that the government of the United States, in justice to 

 itself and to its citizens, cannot consent that the final adjustment .of 

 this claim shall now be unnecessarily delayed ; on the contrary, it 

 will-not allow itself to believe that such an adjustment will be further 

 procrastinated by the government of Venezuela. 



The claimants, deferring to the views of their government recom- 

 mending the propriety of a large sacrifice on their part, in order to 

 avoid even the appearance of want of sympathy with the embarrassed 

 condition of Venezuela, have proposed a compromise which, the repub- 

 lic weighing all the circumstances of the case, should, in the judgment 

 of the United States, cheerfully accept; and the undersigned, therefore, 

 in pursuance of his instructions, announces to the Venezuelan govern- 

 ment the anticipation cherished by the government of the United 

 States that the early adoption of this compromise, avoiding the minute 

 and tedious examination and further proof of actual losses which will 

 otherwise be necessary, will speedily remove any occasion of further 

 embarrassment in the relations of the two countries. 



The undersigned renews to Hon. Mr. Sanojo the assurance of his 

 distinguished consideration. 



E. A. TURPIN. 



Hon. Luis Sanojo, 



Minister of Foreign delations. 



3Ir. Turpin to Mr. Cass, 



No 7.] Legation of the United States, 



Oaraccas, December 1, 1858. 



Sir : In conformity with instructions from the department on the 

 lYth September last, I addressed a note to the Minister of Foreign 

 Eelations of this government on the subject of the Aves Island case, 

 on the basis of admitted liability, presenting the reclamation as an 

 entirety, and offering a compromise for the whole at the sum of $200,000 

 United States currency, and the restoration of the island to the claim- 

 ants. That note I transmitted to the department with my No. 4, under 

 date of October 23. 



I herewith transmit the reply of the honorable Minister of Foreign 

 Eelations^ in copy, to that note. The department will perceive that 

 in the anticij^ated necessity of special conferences, the honorable min- 

 ister invites me to come on to Valencia, where the provisional govern- 



