Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1880

No. 350.
Mr. Hay to Sir Edward Thornton.

Department of State,
Washington, June 29, 1880.

Sir: Referring to previous correspondence in relation to the revised international regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea, and particularly to your note of the 8th of October last, proposing the 1st of September next as a suitable date for the taking effect of the revised regulations in question, I now have to inform you that the executive branch of this government does not consider it expedient to take any further action in regard to this matter at present, owing to the fact that the whole subject is now before Congress.

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Congress having adjourned without completing its consideration of this important matter, any action of the executive branch of this government in regard to it must of necessity be deferred until after the reassembling of the national legislature in December next. Meanwhile this country must be considered as outside of the proposed international regulations until such time as Congress may see fit to take action upon the subject.

I have, &c.,

JOHN HAY,
Acting Secretary.