FOREIGN RELATIONS.


                              No. 660.

                     Mr. Fish to General Sickles.

                             [Telegram.1

                                 WASHINGTON, November 28, 1873.
  When your dispatch of 5 afternoon of 26th was received, it was sup-
posed here that you had left Madrid, inasmuch as you informed.me you
had then demanded your passports. I therefore gave the reply of this
Government in a written memorandum to Admiral Polo, the substance
of which was that it would not assent to the proposition which allowed
Spain to hold the vessel and survivors while seeking evidence to justify
the capture, assigning reasons therefor to him to be communicated to
his government. Admiral Polo informs me this morning that his gov-
ernment says that negotiations are renewed in Madrid. Since then I
received at 4 this afternoon your telegram of this morning announcing
that you should request your passports at 3 to-day. The supposed ne-
gotiations must therefore drop at Madrid and be conducted hereafter
here.
                                                           FISH.


                              No. 661.

                     General Sickles to -Mr. Fish.,
                             [Telegram.]
                                       MADRID, November 29, 1873.
  Your telegram of 28th received this morning.
  Note dated yesterday from minister of state, mentioned in my tele-
gram of 9 last night, contains folowwing statement:
  "'Admiral Polo, duly authorized by Mr. Fish, informs me that the
United States Government would admit an accommodation on the basis
of the immediate return of the Virginius and the survivors, reserving
the salute of the flag to be performed if the Spanish government do not
prove to the satisfaction of the United-States, before the 25th of Decem-
ber next, that the Virginius had no right to carry the American flag."
  Minister adds that the initiative in this proposition was taken by the
Spanish government, founded on assurances received from you, through
Admiral Polo, that the United States Were disposed to entertain any
reclamations or complaints Spain might ,have to make for the acts of
the Virginius, and, on being informed that you accepted their bases, the
executive power had telegraphed the admiral yesterday afternoon con-
firming the arrangement. Mr. Carvajal concludes with congratulations
on this happy termination of the affair.
  I have to remark that, this government having been advised by the
most eminent jurists of Spain and by the European powers that the rec-
lamation of the UnitedStates was supported by public law, the nego-
tiations would have been terminated here yesterday before 3 in the after-
noon on the basis of your instructions to me if this government had
not supposed that it had obtained better terms in Washington pending
the negotiations in Madrid. If you -are not too far committed, you
have only to insist upon your original terms to obtain them.


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