appointment of a third Commissioner, and my instructions relating thereto.

Having received no reply, on the 13th of January last, I again verbally called the matter to his attention and reminded him of the conclusions reached at our last interview. He informed me that, upon further reflection, he did not think, in view of the fact that the question involved national territory, that it ought to be submitted to any private individual. He took the position that if a third person was added to the commission the result of its action would have to be submitted to the two Governments for ratification and that the probabilities were we would be no nearer a settlement of the case than heretofore. He expressed his willingness to submit the case to the Chief Executive of a third nation, to be agreed upon. I raised the question of the probable delay of such an arbitration, referring to the fact that the two Governments were at great expense in keeping up this joint commission, and that it seemed to me desirable that their labors should be brought to an end as soon as possible. After some further discussion, as he seemed to adhere to his views, I requested him, in reply to my note of December 30th, to place his suggestions in writing, and I would submit them to the State Department, which he agreed to do.

Still receiving no reply, I called upon Mr. Mariscal upon the 12th instant, and again brought the matter to his attention. He informed me that a reply had already been framed and would be sent immediately. The same was received on the 14th instant, copy and translation enclosed, embodying his views as verbally expressed in the interview above referred to, and referring to article 21 of the treaty of February 2, 1848 as the basis of the proposed arbitration, and proposing as arbitrator any one of the Chiefs of the following named states: Chili, Columbia, Ecuador, the Swiss Confederation and Belgium. It will be observed that Article 21 of the treaty of February 2, 1848 looks not only to arbitration at the hands of a friendly nation, but also by commissioners appointed on each side.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Yours obedient servant,

Enclosures:

POWELL CLAYTON.

1. Mr. Clayton to Mr. Mariscal, Dec. 30, 1897.
2. Mr. Mariscal to Mr. Clayton, Feb. 11, 1898.
3. Translation of No. 2.

Referring to our conversation of to-day relative to the inability of the International Boundary Commission to agree upon a settlement of Case No. 4, El Chamizal, and their recommendation that a third Commissioner be selected to act as arbitrator upon the points upon which they are unable to agree, I am instructed by my Government to propose to the Mexican Government the addition of a third Commissioner for the sole purpose of determining the Chamizal case without prejudice to the Question of eliminating the "bancos," which can be considered after the preliminary sketch to the river mouth shall have been completed.

Awaiting your reply to this proposition, I have the honor to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my high consideration. POWELL CLAYTON.

[Inclosure 2.]

Señor Mariscal to Mr. Clayton.

SECRETARÍA DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES,

MEXICO, 11 de Febrero de 1898.

A Su Excelencia POWELL CLAYTON,

Enviado Extraordinario y Ministro Plenipotenciario
de los Estados Unidas de América.

Señor Ministro:

En nota fechada el 30 de Diciembre último, Vuestra Excelencia se sirvió proponer, por instrucciónes de su Gobierno, que se aumente la Comisión Internaciónal de límites entre Mexico y los Estados Unidos con un tercer Comisionado para resolver únicamente los puntos relativos al caso número 4 "El Chamizal", en los cuales no pudieron ponersedde acuerdo los actuales Comisionados.

En respuesta, tengo la honra de manifestar á Vuestra Excelencia que, en concepto del Gobierno, el nombramiento de un tercero entre los Comisionados que forman la Comisión Internacional, aun para el caso especial de que se trata, tendría varios inconvenientes,

siendo los principales, que tal nombramiento sería contrario á la Convención ajustada entre ambos países para el establecimiento y funciones de la Comisión, y á la cual tienen que ajustarse los dos Gobiernos; porque, según dicho tratado, la Comisión no tiene la facultad de decidir las cuestiones que se le someten, sino sólo emitir su dictamen, el cual necesita de la aprobación posterior expresa ó presunta de las dos Altas Partes Contratantes, para tener fuerza de sentencia; además, el tercer Comisionado no podría ser sino un individuo particular.

Por ser este caso, cuya resolución inapelable se busca, una controversia sostenida entre dos gobiernos de pueblos soberanos, y la materia de ella una fracción del territorio que el uno y el otro pretenden pertenecerles en virtud de su dominio eminente, dichos gobiernos sólo pueden dignamente someter la controversia á la decisión definitiva de un Jefe de Estado soberano.

En el caso presente, el Ejecutivo de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y el de los Estados Unidos de América se fundarían para ajustar el arbitraje en la prevención del articulo XXI del tratado de paz y límites concluido en Guadalupe Hidalgo el 2 de Febrero de 1848.

En cumplimiento de este pacto internacional, por las consideraciónes expresadas, el Señor Presidente de la República ha acordado que por la Secretaría de mi cargo se proponga al Gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América, para árbitro en la cuestión del Chamizal, á cualquiera de los Jefes de Estado que siguen: Presidentes de las Repúblicas de Chile, de Columbia ó de El Ecuador; al Presidente de la Confederación Suiza, ó al Rey de los Belgas. Esta Secretaría hace formal propuesto de dichos Jefes de Estado; y si el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos acepta el nombramiento de alguno de ellos, desde luego firmaré con Vuestra Excelencia el protocolo correspondiente.

Renuevo á Vuestra Excelencia las protestas de mi muy distinguida consideración.

IGNO. MARISCAL.

[Inclosure 3.]

[Translation.]

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS,

MEXICO, February 11, 1898.

Το His Excellency POWELL CLAYTON,

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Mr. Minister:

of the United States of America.

In the Note dated the 30th of last December, Your Excellency was pleased to propose, in accordance with instructions from your Government, that the International Boundary Commission between Mexico and the United States be increased by one Commissioner, to resolve only the points relative to Case No. 4, “El Chamizal", in which the present Commissioners were unable to agree.

In reply I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that, in the opinion of this Government, the nomination of a third Commissioner among those who form the International Commission, even for the special case in question, there would be various objections, the principal ones being that such nomination would be contrary to the Convention entered into between both Countries for the establishment and the functions of the Commission, and by which the two Governments have to be regulated; because, according to said treaty, the Commission has not the faculty to decide the questions that are submitted to it, but only to emit its opinion, which necessitates the ultimate approval, expressed or presumed, of the two High Contracting Parties, in order to have the force of a decision; moreover, the third Commissioner could be nothing more than a private individual.

This case, for which an unappealable decision is looked for, being a controversy between two Sovereign Governments, and the subject matter of which a portion of the territory which one and the other pretends to own by virtue of its sovereignty, said Government can with propriety only submit the controversy for a definite decision to the Chief of a Sovereign State.

In the present case, the Executive of the United States of Mexico and that of the United States of America would take as a foundation for an adjustment of the arbitration the provisions of Article XXI of the Treaty of Peace and Boundaries concluded in Guadalupe Hidalgo the 2d of February, 1848.

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In compliance with this international compact, for the reasons hereinbefore expressed, the President of the Republic has determined to propose to the Government of the United States of America, through the Department under my charge, as arbiter in the Chamizal question, any one of the Chiefs of the followingnamed States: The Presidents of the Republics of Chile, of Columbia or of Ecuador; the President of the Swiss Confederation, or the King of Belgium. This Department makes a formal proposal of said Chiefs of State, and if the Government of the United States accepts the nomination of any one of them, I will forthwith sign with Your Excellency the corresponding protocol.

I renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my very distinguished consideration.

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 292 of the 15th ultimo, with which you enclose copies of correspondence had with the Mexican Government in regard to the proposition made in my instruction No. 242 of December 22, 1897, that an additional commissioner be added to the existing Water Boundary Commission of the United States and Mexico for the purpose of determining the Chamizal case without prejudice to the further question of eliminating the bancos, which can be left for consideration after the preliminary sketch of the river from El Paso to its mouth shall have been completed.

I observe by Señor Mariscal's reply that, while accepting the proposition in principle, he appears to desire to give to this particular matter the status of an international arbitration by proposing that the third commissioner, whom he styles as arbitral in the Chamizal question, shall be the chief of a friendly government as, for example, the President of the Republic of Chile, of Colombia, or of Ecuador, the President of the Swiss Confederation, or the King of Belgium.

This counter-proposal gives to the matter an extension which was not at all contemplated in the original proposition of this government. My suggestion was, that the machinery for the