Mr. Blaine to Sir Julian Pauncefote.
Washington, February 9, 1892.
Sir: I have been informed by the American seal commissioners that in an informal meeting with their British colleagues on yesterday the latter expressed an unwillingness to enter upon conferences of any other than an official character, and they therefore proposed that their joint conferences be postponed until after the arbitration convention shall have been signed.
I beg to state to you that the Government of the United States is very anxious to expedite as much as possible the consideration of the important questions submitted to the commissioners, and, in view of the fact that it regards the arbitration convention as substantially agreed upon, the American commissioners have been instructed to make known to the British commissioners their readiness to formally arrange the joint conference and proceed without further delay to the discharge of the duties assigned to them.
I have, etc.,