while we, lookers-on, preside at the grand spectacles of your regeneration, guaranteed by order and liberty.

Thus will it be understood, we are sure, by the Supreme Government to whom we address ourselves; thus will it be understood by the intelligence of the country to whom we speak, and who, as true patriots, will not do otherwise than agree that they should all of them rest on their arms, and that they should only appeal to reason, which is that which should triumph in the 19th century.

C. LENNOX WYKE. E. JURIEN DE LA

HUGH DUNLOP.

GRAVIERE.
DUBOIS DE SALIGNY.

EL CONDE DE REUS.

No. 27.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 2) MY LORD,

Vera Cruz, January 17, 1862.

In our second conference, which took place on the 10th instant, General Prim called our attention to the fact that 200 Spanish subjects resident in Tampico had lately been expelled by the Governor, whilst the French and English living there had been allowed to continue unmolested. As he naturally considered this a very partial and unjust measure towards his countrymen, he called on us to join him in addressing a joint note to the Mexican Government announcing to them that the intervention was meant for the protection of the Spaniards as well as the English and French, and that consequently any act of injustice perpetrated against the subjects of either of the Governments would be resented by all three. We had no objection, of course, in acceding to so just a demand, and a joint note was accordingly drawn up and signed by us all, but was retained for transmission at a more fitting opportunity, for reasons which I will subsequently relate.

I have already stated that in our first conference it was unanimously agreed on that we should address a joint note to the Mexican Government stating the motives which had induced the 3 Governments to unite for the purpose of obtaining redress for our separate grievances, and that in that note each of the Diplomatic Commissioners should inclose a separate ultimatum of his own, setting forth the demands of his Government.

This subject was now again brought forward, and it was agreed on that the joint note should be addressed by us to the President of the Republic, and that the separate demands above alluded to should be inclosed therein, and directed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

We then decided that this note should be sent up to Mexico by 3 officers, one English, one French, and a Spaniard, who should be

instructed to remain 8 days, if necessary, in that city, and then to return to us with the reply.

The officers chosen for this purpose were the Brigadier Milano del Bosch, Captain Tatham, of Her Majesty's ship "Phaeton," and Captain Thomasset, Chief of the French Admiral's Etat-Major.

The next subject treated of was the powers to be conferred on the Governor of Vera Cruz, who, it was decided, should be assisted in the exercise of his functions by a Council composed of the Consuls of the 3 Powers, which Council should be called together in all serious cases, and whose decisions should be decided by a majority of votes, the Governor presiding, but, of course, having

no vote.

The Governor is to have no jurisdiction over either French or English soldiers, who in case of crime, are to be subjected to their respective military authorities. All other cases are to be decided on by the Governor alone.

Our decision relative to the garrison and command of the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, as detailed in my résumé of the first conference, was now confirmed; and it was also settled that in the absence of the French and Spanish Commanders from their forces, Commodore Dunlop should command in Vera Cruz in the name of the 3 Powers, with the same attributions as the Governor, that functionary during such time occupying the post of Sub-Governor.

The next thing decided on was that, for the sake of finding more healthy quarters for the troops, a body of the united forces should march next day to La Tejeria and Medellin, there to establish themselves if necessary, as described in my account of the first day's I have, &c.

conference.

Earl Russell.

C. LENNOX WYKE.

No. 28.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.—(Received March 2.) MY LORD, Vera Cruz, January 18, 1862. OUR third conference took place on the 13th instant, and M. de Saligny being absent from it in consequence of indisposition, France was represented alone by Admiral Jurien de la Gravière.

After a slight discussion as to whether our collective note should be addressed to the President of the Republic or to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, it was finally decided in favour of the firstnamed functionary, and agreed on that the inclosures in that note, containing the separate demands of each Government, should be delivered to the latter by the 3 officers whom we sent up to Mexico.

Commodore Dunlop then proposed that they should with them the flags of their respective nations, as a pri case of any attack upon them; but on my pointing

had learnt, by reliable information, that hostilities had actually begun here between the allied forces and those of Mexico.

The next question discussed was that of the special claims of each nation, their amount, and the manner of presenting them; and after in vain endeavouring to persuade the French Minister to modify the demands he had drawn out, it was finally resolved, as neither General Prim nor myself could sustain them as they stood, to refer the whole question to our respective Governments, with the recommendation that a Sub-Commission of competent persons, with an Accountant, should be appointed by the 3 Governments to examine into and settle the amount of the special claims not included in the general terms of the Treaty.

We then agreed that each Commissioner should present his ultimatum to his colleagues, in order that these documents might be transmitted to our respective Governments, who would then be able to judge of their fitness, and whether they should be sustained or not.

As before said, neither General Prim nor myself could compromise our Governments by sustaining the ultimatum of M. de Saligny as it then stood. We again urged him to withdraw it, and only to present, in conjunction with ourselves, a demand for the fulfilment of all existing Treaties and engagements entered into between Mexico and the 3 Powers, leaving the others meanwhile in suspense; but he said that his instructions prohibited him from separating the recognized from the unrecognized claims: and then it was that we agreed to withhold the presentation of any sort of claim until this question should be decided on at home.

Hereon followed a conversation as to whether each of the 3 Governments was bound to see the claims of the two others satisfied as well as its own, and the Spanish and French Agents stated their conviction that such must be the meaning of the Treaty.

It having been rumoured that General Doblado had come down to Orizaba to treat with us, we all agreed that in such a case we would inform him of our intention not to press our claims at present, but to use our best efforts to secure the existence of a firm and respectable Government; and that in the meantime a more healthy and convenient position should be granted to the allied forces than Vera Cruz, where, from the agglomeration of troops, sickness was much to be feared.

If such could be peaceably obtained, Commodore Dunlop expressed his desire to accompany the allied forces with the battalion of British Marines, for the sake of removing them from the danger of yellow fever on the coast.

The conference closed by deciding to escorted by war-steamers, to the port of

hant-vessel, he coast,

for the purpose of purchasing cattle, mules, carts, harness, &c., which would be required to enable the troops to march into the interior.

Earl Russell.

C. LENNOX WYKE.

No. 30.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 2.) (Extract.) Vera Cruz, January 19, 1862. In my despatch of yesterday's date, I allude to conversations which took place at the Conferences on the 13th and 14th instant, on subjects of great delicacy and importance which should be brought to the separate notice of our respective Governments with a view to our obtaining special instructions thereon.

I will now endeavour to relate, as correctly and concisely as possible, what occurred on those occasions, in order to give your Lordship an idea of the difficulty which at present exists to cripple our combined action in a matter requiring the most perfect concord, provided always that the Treaty between the 3 Powers binds each of them to exact from the Mexican Government the acknowledgment and satisfaction of the claims brought forward by the other two. As your Lordship's instructions to me do not bear on this point, I beg to be informed whether my French and Spanish colleagues are correct in supposing and asserting, as they do, that such is really the case.

We come here, as I understand the intervention, to oblige the Mexicans to fulfil all the obligations they have contracted by their Treaties and Conventions with us, as well as to obtain from their authorities better protection for the persons and properties of our subjects residing here. So far all is clear and easily understood; but besides this, when each Agent had to send in an ultimatum embodying all the demands of his Government, it became necessary to bring forward the claims against this Government arising from losses and injuries inflicted on our countrymen for a long time past, and which still remain unsettled.

Now these claims are, as your Lordship is aware, of two sorts, that is to say, those already acknowledged by the Mexican Government as just, and those which are not so acknowledged, or which have not yet been examined into and duly presented for payment. The great difficulty an Agent has to encounter here is the management of this latter class, from the difficulty he experiences in arriving at a correct opinion as to their real validity.

Amongst the body of foreign residents in this unfortunate country, 19 out of every 20 have a claim of some sort or other against the Government: many of them are really founded in justice, whilst others have been trumped up and fabricated as good speculations to obtain money as compensation for some imaginary