292 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



or to their representative here ; and although 

 the same right was asserted, in behalf of this 

 government, by their minister of foreign affairs, 

 inf the correspondence with Mr. Slacum, the 

 American consul, yet, as the diplomatic cha- 

 racter of that gentleman was positively denied, 

 and as he was subsequently suspended from 

 his office by this government, whatever was 

 asserted in that correspondence, is not, per- 

 haps, to be considered of a character as solemn 

 as that of direct assertions of this right, made 

 to an accredited representative of the Ame- 

 rican government here. 



Therefore, the undersigned felt some soli- 

 citude to obtain an avowal of this claim, from a 

 minister of this government, made distinctly 

 to himself, as the accredited representative of 

 the United States. 



But, as his excellency has not, as yet con- 

 descended to reply to the inquiry, the under- 

 signed thinks himself justified in the presump- 

 tion that the power and authority described in 

 his application are assumed by this govern- 

 ment. And acting on this presumption, he 

 will proceed to lay before his excellency the 



