hardly pronounce himself so strongly, because the French Commissioners had objected to the proclamation, and had only joined in it in order not to separate themselves from their colleagues. I have, &c. Earl Russell. COWLEY. No. 22.-Earl Cowley to Earl Russell.—(Received March 1.) (Extract.) Paris, February 28, 1862. IN conversing yesterday with M. Thouvenel on the present state of affairs in Mexico, his Excellency said that there appeared to be some misunderstanding respecting the French claims, Sir C. Wyke having told M. Dubois de Saligny that he could not support them without having first submitted them to the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. M. Thouvenel observed that he had never understood that the Commissioners were, as it were, to sit in judgment on the claims of their respective Governments. He did not suppose that Her Majesty's Government would submit their demands to the sanction of the Imperial Government any more than that they would desire to have a voice in the French claims. Besides, if these matters were to be referred to Europe, there would be no end to the delays which would ensue. His conception of the engagements existing between the 3 Governments was, that they were generally to support each other's demands. course, if any one of them put forward claims which, in the opinion of the other two, were extravagant or ill-founded, and the settlement of the claims of the two were thereby to be delayed, it could not be expected that they should join in what they might consider to be an act of injustice, to the detriment of their own claimants. It would be open to them to express their opinions, and if not listened to, to proceed with their own affairs. But this could not invalidate the claims of the third Power, who might prosecute them alone; it being, however, clearly understood that the said Power was still bound by the Article of the Convention of October 31st, abjuring all particular and special advantages. Of I said to M. Thouvenel that he would remember that I had, by your Lordship's orders (see your despatch of the 2nd of December), invited his Excellency to communicate to Her Majesty's Government on terms of reciprocity the conditions which they would think it necessary to require for the reparation of the wrongs which they had sustained at the hands of the Mexicans, and that his Excellency had informed me that he was unable to do so, and that he must leave it to the Commissioners to examine into and settle the amount; that I knew nothing of the reference to Her Majesty's Government to which M. Thouvenel had alluded, but that I should lose no time in communicating his observations to your Lordship. Earl Russell. No. 23.-Earl Russell to Earl Cowley. COWLEY. (Extract.) Foreign Office, March 1, 1862. WITH reference to your Excellency's despatches of the 28th ultimo, I have to state to you that Her Majesty's Government have not received any despatches from Sir Charles Wyke respecting the late proceedings of the allied Commissioners in Mexico. Sir Charles Wyke may possibly have considered some of the French claims extravagant. As to the existing Government, it was never understood that the Government de facto of Mexico was not to be treated with. If the Mexicans show a preference to the existing Government, it would be a violation of the Convention to interfere with the right of the Mexican people in that respect. Earl Cowley. RUSSELL. No. 24.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 2.) (Extract.) Vera Cruz, January 16, 1862. On the 6th instant, Commodore Dunlop arrived here from the Havana with a squadron consisting of 7 vessels, on board one of which, the St. George, was His Royal Highness Prince Alfred. On the following day came Admiral de la Gravière with the French squadron, and on the 8th, General Prim with two more Spanish vessels of war. Commodore Dunlop brought me a small box, containing a joint commission for Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne and myself, and the French Admiral delivered to me, on the following day, a Foreign Office bag, inclosed in which were your Lordship's several despatches dated from October 31 to November 15, 1861. Should any other despatches from the first named date to the 2nd ultimo have been addressed to me, they have not been received, and I ought, consequently, to be furnished with their duplicates. Earl Russell. C. LENNOX WYKE. No. 25.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 2.) (Extract.) Vera Cruz, January 16, 1862. On the 8th instant I received the official visits of General Prim and Rear-Admiral de la Gravière, and had long conversations with those officers as to the best means to be adopted for carrying out the intentions of the allies in our joint intervention in the affairs of Mexico. I found that the General entirely coincided with me in thinking that every measure of conciliation should be adopted with the Mexican Government before resorting to force, and they both agreed that our first duty was to aid and assist the Mexicans in obtaining such a Government as was likely to afford more efficient protection to the lives and properties of foreigners resident in the Republic, before exacting from such a Government the execution of those engagements towards foreign Powers which their present penury and hopeless state of disorganization does not permit them to fulfil. The so-called healthy season here will be over in March, when the great heats begin, and after which time it would be most imprudent to keep our troops on the coast, where they would be decimated by sickness and yellow fever. I am much pleased with both General Prim and Admiral de la Gravière, and esteem myself fortunate in having to act with such colleagues. Earl Russell. C. LENNOX WYKE. No. 26.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 2.) MY LORD, Vera Cruz, January 16, 1862. THE first meeting of the Commissioners took place on the 9th instant, at which, on my presenting Commodore Dunlop to the French and Spanish Commissioners, it was unanimously agreed ou that, in the absence of Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, he should act as Joint Commissioner with myself on the part of Great Britain in the Conferences about to take place. General Prim having made a short summary of the events which had taken place, compelling the 3 Powers to intervene in the affairs of Mexico for the due protection of their respective subjects, as well as to compel the rulers of this Republic to fulfil the Treaty obligations which they had contracted towards our Governments, dwelt on the necessity of pointing out to the Mexican people the justice of the intervention and the amicable spirit towards them in which it was offered, and would be acted on if properly received by them. He then presented to us the project of a proclamation to the Mexicans, which, after being duly discussed and slightly modified, was finally adopted in the form which I have the honour now to transmit to your Lordship. The next proposal was that we should address a short note to the Mexican Government explaining the views of our respective Governments, and at the same time inclosing a separate ultimatum in the name of each Commissioner, which was to be accepted without discussion by the Government of this Republic. This project was also approved of, and the communication of our respective demands to each other at a future meeting agreed on. The future government of the town, in the absence of all Mexican authorities, was next discussed; and the occupation of the Castle of Ulloa by the forces of the 3 nations in succession, decided on as follows: That each party should relieve the other at the end of every 14 days, under the command of successive captains of the navy, and that the flags of the 3 nations should continue to wave together whatever might be the nationality of the garrison occupying the fortress for the time being. The next questions brought forward were the collection of the Custom-House revenue and the appointment of civil authorities, which were adjourned for future consideration, and it was then decided, without discussion, that all local charges and expenses should be defrayed out of such revenues to be so recovered. The question of an occupation of the Pacific ports by the allied naval forces was left for future consideration. It was then decided that it would be necessary to look out for some more healthy location for the troops than the town of Vera Cruz, for which purpose a reconnaissance towards Medellin and La Tejiria by the allied troops was proposed, with a view of occupying those posts, should they be found suitable for our purpose. At this stage of the proceedings both Commodore Dunlop and myself stated that the nature of our instructions prevented us from allowing the marines to engage in any operations removing them from the coast, both on account of the nature of the force as well as its being totally unprovided with tents and all other equipage necessary for a campaign away from their ships. Admiral de la Gravière and General Prim both strongly urged the necessity of the marines accompanying their respective forces on this first expedition into the interior, as were they not to do so, the Mexicans would be sure to attribute their absence to some disunion among the allies. As there was great truth in this remark, and the places named above were only 4 leagues distant from Vera Cruz, the Commodore finally consented that one company should accompany the expedition, but on the express condition that the men were to return to Vera Cruz on the following day, and not to go out of it again unless our allies were attacked at these outposts, when, of course, the whole marine force, if necessary, would march out to their assistance. The battalion is now on shore, and, through the kindness of General Prim, is quartered in by far the best barrack in the town. The united French and Spanish forces now occupy La Tijeria with 2,400 men, and Medellin with 1,800 men. Besides this, the Spaniards have about 2,000 more men under canvas close to the gates of this city, so that the troops now remaining here are not so dangerously crowded together as they were immediately after the landing of the French. Earl Russell. I have, &c. C. LENNOX WYKE. (Inclosure.)-Proclamation of the Allied Commissioners to the Mexican People. MEXICANS! (Translation.) THE representatives of England, France, and Spain fulfil a sacred duty in letting you know their intentions as soon as they set foot upon the territory of the Republic. The faith of Treaties, broken by the various Governments which have succeeded one another in your country, the personal safety of our countrymen continually menaced, have made this expedition necessary and indispensable. Those deceive you who would have you believe that, behind demands as just as they are legitimate, are hidden plans of conquest, of restorations, or of intervention in your polity of administration. Three nations, who with loyalty accepted and recognized your independence, have a right to expect that you should believe them animated by no illegitimate thoughts, but rather by more noble, elevated, and generous ones. The 3 nations which we come here to represent, and whose primary interest may seem to be satisfaction for the outrages inflicted upon them, have a higher interest, and one that has more general and beneficent consequences. They come to stretch a friendly hand to the people on whom Providence has showered all its gifts, and whom they see, with grief, wasting their strength and destroying their vitality, under the violent action of civil war and perpetual convulsions. This is the truth, and we, who are charged to lay it before you, do not do so as a war-cry or menace, but in order that you may build up the edifice of your prosperity, which interests us all. It is for you, exclusively for you, without the intervention of foreigners, to constitute yourselves in a solid and permanent manner; your work will be the work of regeneration, and all will have contributed to it, some with their opinions, with their intelligence, others, with their conscience all! The evil is serious, the remedy urgent; now or never you may make your happiness. Mexicans! Listen to the voice of the Allies, the anchor of salvation in the dreadful tempest before which you are being driven; intrust yourselves with the greatest confidence to their good faith and upright intentions. Fear nothing on account of the unquiet and restless spirits, who, should they present themselves, your determined and decided uprightness would know how to confound, |