PERIOD FROM 1871 TO 1905. 679 



Mr. Hoppin to Mr. Evarts. 



No. 143.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 



London, February 7, 1880. 



(Received February 24.) 



SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt yesterday of your 

 dispatch in cipher relating to the great delay of the British Govern- 

 ment in answering our claim for the Fortune Bay damages. I knew 

 that Lord Salisbury had been seriously ill for some time past at Hat- 

 field, and I ascertained at the foreign office, where I made immediate 

 inquiries, that his illness still continued and that he was not attend- 

 ing to business. I therefore made an appointment with Sir Julian 

 Pauncefote, who is in charge of the foreign office, Lord Tenterden 

 being absent, for an interview to-day. I have just returned from 

 this interview. 



I called his attention in the course of it to the fact that our claim 

 was presented as early as the 13th of August; that Lord Salisbury 

 promised on the 16th it should receive immediate attention ; that his 

 lordship assured us on the 24th of November that an answer should 

 be sent at as early a date as possible, and that nearly two months and 

 a half had now elapsed without our having been favored with one. 

 I then expressed the chagrin you felt at this delay, and gave him a 

 copy of the translation of your cipher telegram. 



Sir Julian admitted the delay, and said that it arose in part from 

 the importance of the questions involved in the discussion ; that after 

 the claim had been received it was thought advisable to consult the 

 authorities in Newfoundland; that some time elapsed before their 

 answer arrived, when the matter was placed in his (Sir Julian's) 

 hands to prepare a case upon it for submission to the law officers of 

 the crown; that these gentlemen had the case before them still, the 

 reason for their delay being the great importance of the points in- 

 volved, and also the accumulation of references in other matters 

 which had been made to them during the recess of Parliament. 



Sir Julian promised that he would communicate with them immedi- 

 ately and press for a report, and would send them a copy of your 

 telegram to hasten their action. He said, also, that he should send 

 a copy of this to Lord Salisbury, notwithstanding his physician's 

 injunctions that his lordship should abstain from all business. Fin- 

 ally he declared that I might expect to receive on Monday, for com- 

 munication to yourself, something more definite in relation to this 

 matter. 



I have, &c., W. J. HOPPIN. 



Mr. Hoppin to Mr. Evarts. 



No. 147.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 



London, February 10, 1880. 



(Received February 24.) 



SIR : Referring to my No. 143, of the 7th instant, I have the honor to 

 state that up to this time I have not received any further communica- 

 tion from the foreign office as to when we may expect an answer to our 

 Fortune Bay claims, although, as I informed you both by that dis- 



