Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr. Adee.
Washington, May 27, 1891.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday’s date, and to inform you that I have communicated the substance of its contents to the Marquis of Salisbury by telegram.
I feel assured that his lordship will greatly regret any inconvenience which may be caused to your Government by the impracticability of returning an immediate reply to the proposal contained in Mr. Blaine’s note to me of the 4th instant.
Lord Salisbury, as I had the honor to state to you verbally, is using the utmost expedition; but the lateness of the proposal and the conditions attached to it have given rise to grave difficulties, as to which his lordship has necessarily been in communication with the Canadian Government. His reply, however, may now arrive at any moment.
I have, etc.,