SIR, Lord Stanley to Mr. Gould. Foreign Office, June 22, 1868. IT is scarcely necessary for me to point out to you, with reference to the British subjects who are detained in Paraguay, that your attention should be steadily directed to the rescue of these persons; but you must be careful at the same time not to raise inconvenient questions, nor attempt to send Her Majesty's gun-boat Linnet to Asuncion, against the wish of the Brazilian Admiral. In the event, however, of the Admiral declining to allow the Linnet to proceed thither, you will state the grounds of this refusal to Mr. Mathew, in order that he may make any communication to the Brazilian Government which, pending the receipt of instructions from home with regard to the particular points which may be raised, he may deem prudent or likely to be of service. G. F. Gould, Esq. I am, &c., STANLEY. Mr. Gould to Lord Stanley.-(Received July 3.) MY LORD, Buenos Ayres, May 26, 1868. I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Lordship that, at the request of his Excellency Señor Elizalde, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I ventured to place in his hands, under the form of a note verbale, as a record of your Lordship's declaration in the House of Commons with reference to the views of Her Majesty's Government as to the hostilities in the River Plate, an extract from the note addressed by your Lordship on the 25th of March last to the Paraguayan Chargé d'Affaires in England, which forms an inclosure in your Lordship's despatch of the 7th ultimo. I, however, took the precaution of adding that the object of the communication, copy of which is herewith inclosed, was not in any way to imply that Her Majesty's Government were in the least desirous to press their good offices, but merely to acquaint the Argentine Government with their friendly sentiments towards it. I have, &c., Lord Stanley. (Inclosure.)-Note Verbale. G. F. GOULD. Buenos Ayres, May 15, 1868. WITH reference to the subject of the declaration made by Lord Stanley in the House of Commons relative to the hostilities in the River Plate, his Lordship states in a despatch of the 25th March last, addressed to the Paraguayan Chargé d'Affaires in England, "I have now the honour to state to you that, if both the contending parties should make an application with this object" (the termina tion of the war), "Her Majesty's Government would not be unwilling to employ their good offices, provided it should appear that the conditions on which either was prepared to make peace were reasonable and likely to be accepted by the other." The preceding statement is not in any way meant to imply that Her Majesty's Government are in the least desirous of offering their good offices, but merely that his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs should be fully acquainted with the friendly sentiments of Her Majesty's Government towards the Argentine Government. (Extract.) Lord Stanley to Mr. Stuart. G. F. GOUld. Foreign Office, July 7, 1868. WITH regard to the war in Paraguay, Her Majesty's Government have at present no inducement to interfere, at least as far as British interests generally are concerned; and there seems little likelihood that any tender of intervention on their part, with a view to the restoration of peace, would be sincerely accepted by both, even if it were by either, of the belligerents. The more special interest which Her Majesty's Government have at the present moment in the contest turns upon the impediments placed by President Lopez on the retirement of British subjects from Paraguay. You will keep your attention constantly directed to this matter, and omit no opportunity for the employment of your good offices to effect their extrication from their embarrassing position, though of course you would not, without special instruction, apply to the British Admiral to effect that object by force. Hon. W. Stuart. STANLEY. The Secretary to the Admiralty to Mr. Hammond.—(Rec. July 10.) I HAVE received and laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 6th instant, and its inclosures from Mr. Gould, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Buenos Ayres, relative to the proceedings of Her Majesty's gun-boat Linnet in the Paraguay. My Lords desire me to state, for the information of Lord Stanley, that it appears to them that Lieutenant Bushe, commanding the Linnet, has acted with very proper caution, so as to avoid involving himself in difficulty with either of the belligerents in the Paraguay. Lieutenant Bushe would no doubt take any requisite steps for the protection of British interests, at the proper time; and my Lords consider that there are not any grounds for complaint against that officer. The inclosures to your letter are returned herewith. Right Hon. E. Hammond. I am, &c., HENRY G. LENNOX. [For Arrangement between the Argentine Republic, Brazil, and Uruguay, for the establishment of a Provisional Government in Paraguay, of June 2, 1869, see Vol. LXIII, page 325; and for Preliminary Treaty of Peace between the Argentine Republic and Brazil and Paraguay, of June 20, 1870, see Vol. LXIII, page 322.] CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. VOL. 66. 1842. Portugal.........Correspondce. { Error. Notes. “Decima In- Great Britain.. Sept. June 18. Belgium 1850. dustrial " Tax........ Law............ Aliens Page } 931 1156 Netherlands....... Aug. 8.... Netherlands ........ Law.............. Aug. 28.. {Netherlands... Agreement ... {Surrender of Criminals, &c. Gold Coast............. 1132 { Merchant Shipping Amend- ́ 682 178 185 1073 Declaration...{War Fit Argentine Re-}1272 Apr. 16.. Argentine Rep... Proclamation. War with Paraguay 1261 public Jan. 14... {Great Britain .. Austria, &c. Apr. 11........} Agreement July 6.. Great Britain.. Notification....Blockade Merchant Shipping Amend- Armistice 740 Blockade. Cumaná and 686 Cumaná and 939 } 716 495 Convention... International Telegraphis.... 975 Jan. 14... {(Great Britain..} Règlement ... International Telegraphs ........ 1006 |