No. 370.
Mr. Hoppin to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of the United States,
London, February 14,
1880. (Received February 24.)
No. 150.]
Sir: Referring to my Nos. 143 and 147, of the
7th and 10th instant, I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a
note which I received late in the evening of the 13th instant from Sir
Julian Pauncefote, desiring me to convey to you the regrets of Her
Majesty’s Government for their unavoidable delay in answering your note
in relation to the Fortune Bay claims. It will be observed that he gives
the same reasons for his delay, and announces the same intention to
expedite the action of the government here in this matter, which he
stated to me at our interview on the 7th instant, and which I had the
honor to communicate to you in the dispatches above mentioned and in my
telegrams of the 11th and 13th instant.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 150.]
Sir Julian
Pauncefote to Mr. Hoppin.
Foreign Office, February 12, 1880.
Sir: With reference to the telegram
addressed to yon by Mr. Evarts relative to the Fortune Bay question,
a copy of which you communicated to me, I have the honor to request
that you will convey to Mr. Evarts the regret of Her Majesty’s
Government at the delay which has unavoidably occurred in answering
the claim of the United States Government. On receipt of the report
upon the case, which had been called for from the Government of
Newfoundland, it was found necessary to refer certain points to the
law officers of the Crown for their opinion, and owing to the great
pressure of business after the Parliamentary recess, and on the
reopening of the law courts, as well as from the volumnious
character of the documents submitted to them, they have been unable
up to the present time to complete their examination of the
case.
They will be immediately requested to expedite their report, and as
early as possible after the receipt of it I shall not fail to make
known to you, for communication to your government, the views of Her
Majesty’s Government on the question.
I have, &c.,
In the absence of Lord Salisbury:
JULIAN
PAUNCEFOTE.
