FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



293 



views which his government have taken of this 

 question, and to present some facts, having 

 relation to the question in issue, for the con- 

 sideration of his excellency, which he sincerely 

 hopes may produce a happy termination of this 

 unpleasant controversy. 



To simplify the investigation upon which the 

 undersigned proposes to enter, he will, in the 

 commencement, take the liberty to state the 

 question in this manner. 



The Argentine republic claims sovereignty 

 and jurisdiction over the Falkland Islands, 

 Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, and the islands 

 adjacent in the Atlantic Ocean, by virtue of 

 having succeeded to the sovereign rights of 

 Spain over those regions. 



As these sovereign rights, thus claimed, are 

 altogether derivative from Spain, the first in- 

 quiry naturally divides itself into two branches. 



1. Had Spain any sovereign rights over the 

 above-mentioned places ? 



2. Did the Argentine republic succeed to 

 those rights ? 



If it can be shown that Spain had no such 

 rights, the question is terminated, unless the 



