Mr. Francis to Mr. Bayard .
Vienna , July 28, 1885. (Received August 17.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on July 21 of your instruction of the date of July 1, 1885, treating of the appointment of Hon. A. M. Keiley to be my successor at this post, and inclosing your correspondence with Baron von Schaeffer, the Austrian minister at Washington, relative to objections urged by Count Kalnoky, the Imperial and Royal minister of foreign affairs, to such appointment.
In conformity with the instruction referred to I immediately made application at the foreign office for audience of his excellency, Count Kalnoky, who was then out of town, but returning on July 25 he promptly granted me audience on that day. I presented to Count Kalnoky the substance of your instruction referred to, together with memorandum embracing the inquiry you had made in your note to Baron v. Schaeffer of the date of June 11, 1885, with respectful request for reply as to whether the wish of the Austrian Government, that Mr. Keiley may not arrive “just now,” is intended temporarily to delay Mr. Keiley’s presentation at Vienna, or is to be taken as constituting a final refusal to receive him at any time. I also gave expression to the wishes of Mr. Keiley in the premises as he had communicated them to me, with statement of his desire for a prompt decision of the case. I said to Count Kalnoky that it seemed to me only simple justice that such decision should be rendered soon as convenience would permit.
I announced to his excellency at the same time that it was my wish to present at the earliest practicable day my letter of recall to His Imperial and Royal Majesty the Emperor, and I would be glad to have a time fixed for this purpose.
Count Kalnoky said he was only awaiting the arrival of Baron v. Schaeffer, now due in Vienna, for conference with him in regard to the Keiley case, and its decision by the Imperial and Royal Government would be promptly given after such interview.
His excellency said in reply to my request for an early opportunity to take leave of His Majesty, that the Emperor would not return to Vienna until September, but His Majesty would depute him (Count Kalnoky) as had been done in other similar cases to receive the letter of recall. He intended to leave town for the Emperor’s summer residence at Ishl that day, but would return to Vienna so as to be here on the [Page 36] 31st instant. Then he would be able, he thought, to give me the desired audience in behalf of the Emperor.
I may say in this connection that Baron v. Schaeffer arrived in Vienna the day I had this interview with Count Kalnoky (July 25), and I have therefore reason to believe the case of Mr. Keiley, so far as the Austro-Hungarian Government is concerned, will very soon be decided.
I have, &c.,