Marquis Imperials to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, April 2, 1891.
Mr. Secretary of State: I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of the note which your excellency did me the honor to address to me on the 1st instant in reply to that whereby Baron Fava informed you of his departure on leave.
I have laid the contents of your excellency’s aforesaid note before the Government of the King, and his excellency, the president of the council, His Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs, has just directed me to address the following communication to you:
The Government of the King of Italy has asked nothing beyond the prompt institution of judicial proceedings through the regular channels. It would have been absurd to claim the punishment of the guilty parties without the warrant of a regular judgment. The Italian Government now repeats the same demand. Not until the Federal Government shall have explicitly declared that the aforesaid proceedings shall be promptly begun can the diplomatic incident be considered as closed. Meanwhile His Majesty’s Government takes note of the declaration whereby the Federal Government recognizes that an indemnity is due to the families of the victims in virtue of the treaty in force between the two countries.
I have therefore the honor to bring the foregoing to the knowledge of your excellency, and I avail myself of this occasion to offer you, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurances of my highest and most respectful consideration.