was signed by the Queen on the 30th ultimo, and published in the senate on the 3d instant. I am informed that the necessary orders have been immediately sent out for the prompt evacuation of the island by the Spanish military and naval forces, and by the civil administration. The more recent debates on this question in both houses have elicited nothing new, and, though I have considered it my duty to follow them pretty closely, there has been no particular occasion to report to you. You are aware that I have seized every opportunity to undeceive the Spanish government as to the entravagant declamation of the orators opposed to this wise measure, tending to create the impression that the United States were constantly lying in wait to pounce upon the Spanish American colonies, and that the only way to keep Dominica out of our hands, and prevent its becoming an outpost of the United States, threatening Cuba on the one side and Porto Rico on the other, was to hold on to the coveted island, and fortify, garrison, and defend it to the last extremity as the keystone in the arch of Spanish colonial power in America. Without in any way making myself conspicuous, I have not failed to embrace every occasion to converse with deputies and senators in such a way as to show them the wholly imaginary basis of these apprehensions. My well known antecedents in opposition to the Jeff. Davis or Pierre Soulé policy of war for Cuban annexation in 1855, have again stood me in stead to produce conviction now. I said, those projects which were attributable to our slaveholding faction, and undertaken for the sake of slavery by that party which has since gone into rebellion against the government of the republic for the same cause, cannot be attributed to the goverment which is fighting these very men and which maintains me as its humble representative here. Nor is it conceivable that I should now be in the service of an administration harboring such projects, when in 1855 I made war upon the traitors who did harbor them, though it involved my separation from the service. But I had since protested against the annexation of San Domingo. True and this was in fact the only question on which it might be possible to breed serious difficulty between the United States and Spain-the former Spanish administration had made a great mistake in going into Dominica, and we had protested against it in such terms as we thought the case demanded. But if Spain would only keep within her own limits in America, she need have no apprehension at all that the United States would go out of theirs to trouble her power in her own islands. It must be tolerably evident that we could not be very ambitious to have upon our hands the question of any additional negro population now, whether slave or free. As to Dominica, it was a source not of strength but of weakness and embarrassment to any power who should possess it. Spaniards had certainly found it so, and I did not understand why they should consider the place so desirable for us. Probably, if we had had the misfortune to have an army stationed in Dominica, and our men were dying as fast as those of Spain, we should have withdrawn from that country long ago; and the point of honor whether those natives had beaten us or we had beaten those natives would not have troubled us greatly. In my conferences with Mr. Benavides on this subject I was greatly aided by your clear and most opportune instructions. Towards the last of March I received your instruction No. 70, of February 27, and immediately made a Spanish translation and placed it in Mr. Benavides's hands. You will find enclosed the translation of a paragraph of his speech, pronounced soon after, on the 29th of March, which is evidently based upon the ideas set forth by you. The vote for the bill was in the congress of deputies 157 for, to 68 against; and in the senate, on the 29th ultimo, 93 for, to 39 against the project of the government. Thus I beg to congratulate you upon the final termination of this vexed question. With sentiments of the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington. [Translation.] Extract from the speech of Mr. Benavides, Minister of State, in the congress of deputies March 29, 1865,on the bill for abandonment of San Domingo. Much has been said here also about the United States. The United States are presented as a bugbear by certain classes of persons when they talk about the question of San Domingo and the question of the existence of our West Indies. Señor Ulloa has talked to us about a new Salamy. It is said here that the day approaches of great armed conflicts; it is said that in our days we shall witness a conflict between Europe and America; a conflict which will be colossal-of such proportions that it shall have no parallel in history; and all this is said with reference to the question of San Domingo, of its annexation and of the project of abandonment which now occupies us. I, gentlemen, perhaps may be a false prophet; you will have a perfect right to say so, and I cannot answer you; but I believe that those who talk in that manner are greatly mistaken; that those great conflicts are not to be feared; that the new Salamy is not coming; that none of those conflicts is coming; none of those battles in which the two parts of the world, America and Europe, will come into collision. I believe that nothing of that kind is about to happen; and it is clear. Deputies will ask me what data, what motives, have you to think in that agreeable way? for it is agreeable, undoubtedly, to think in this way. I, gentlemen, on this occasion cannot say much, but I have reasons to believe, I am intimately convinced that the day the war ends between the States of the north and south of America, the day those great battles terminate-would to God it were to-morrow for the good of humanity-the United States are not going to make war on Europe. They are going to do something greater, something which great people love better to do. They have a need greater than that of fighting, and it is not certainly the need of more territory. Gentlemen, they are going to work to strengthen the union of the United States: that is their passion-that is and must always be their strength; that is always their idea, and that is always their necessity. That is what is going to happen. They will strengthen their union undoubtedly, and to that end they will dedicate all their political work, and I have a most intimate conviction of this. This agreeable way of thinking, gentlemen deputies may credit it or not; to me it belongs to speak thus because I have data which warrants me. I cannot explain myself further upon this point. Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward. No. 197.] LEGATION OF the United STATES, SIR: Yesterday I had an interview with Mr. Benavides, in which I took occasion to speak upon the subject of your instruction No. 78, of March 21, this being the first opportunity on which a secretary of state for foreign affairs has been visible in Madrid since your instruction was received. Mr. Benavides immediately said that he thought Admiral Pareja was disposed to be a little hard upon Chili, though, in fact, that government had given serious motive for complaint. But Mr. Benavides said it was his policy and the wish of his government to avoid all possible complications with the republics on the Pacific coast, and he had sent out instructions to the Spanish representative in Chili not to insist on indemnity for the damages suffered by the Spanish fleet because of the refusal of Chili to allow their ships to coal in her harbors, though that damage was positive and the refusal of Chili an unwarrantable act. He had instructed the Spanish representative not to ask any pecuniary indemnity for any of these unfriendly acts. But the Spanish consul had been assaulted, his consulate rifled, and the Spanish flag insulted. He had instructed the Spanish minister to require the disapprobation of these acts from the Chilian government, and that the flag of Spain should be saluted by order of the gov ernment of the republic, with which customary act, in such cases never refused, the Spanish representative was to announce all disagreeable incidents between the two governments terminated satisfactorily. Mr. Benavides explained to me that in this case Admiral Pareja would not have the conduct of the negotiations, but the ordinary diplomatic representative of Spain resident in Chili. I expressed to Mr. Benavides my own hope that on this basis cordial relations between Spain and the Chilian government would be promptly restored. Your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington. HORATIO J. PERRY. Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward. No. 198.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Mr. Benavides has so far recovered his health as to be able to resume the discharge of his official duties as minister of state. Yesterday was his first reception of the members of the foreign diplomatic corps since his return to Madrid, and I took this occasion to read to him your important instruction No. 86, of April 4, concerning the project for the neutralization of Hayti and San Domingo. Mr. Benavides said he was not surprised by your decision, which was in complete consonance with the traditional policy of the United States in such matters. Some days previous I had seen Mr. Madíon, Haytien minister at this court, to whom I also read your instruction. Mr. Madíon was pleased with the tone of it, but thought that your decision would be the cause of the failure of the plan, as the other powers were all dependent upon what the United States should consent to do. The fact was, that the agreement of the United States to the project was the one thing essential on which the success of the whole project hinged, and this failing, though the United States should look with pleasure upon the realization of the plan by other powers, none of these would move. He therefore considered that the whole project would have to be abandoned without more trouble in the matter. Mr. Benavides also said that, in his opinion, in the absence of the co-operation of the United States, nothing would be done. Sir John Crampton, the English minister at this court, who had also been consulted in this business, expressed to me in conversation, also, that there would nothing come of it. With the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington. HORATIO J. PERRY. No. 199.] Mr. Perry to Mr. Hunter Legation of the United States, SIR: Your circular instruction of April 17, giving me official information of the horrible crimes committed in Washington on the night of the 14th of April, your printed circular of same date, ordering crape to be worn for six months, and your instruction No. 92, of April 18, in which, among other things, you transmit the welcome intelligence that the condition of the Secretary of State and of the Assistant Secretary was improving, have been received. You will have learned by my recent despatches, Nos. 193, 194, and 195, that this intelligence was long since anticipated by the telegraph, and I have not hesitated to take official action based on a telegram from Mr. Adams, our minister at London, dated the 26th ultimo. My own dispositions have been communicated to the department, as well as the action taken by the Spanish government, Queen, and legislative bodies, in presence of these events. The full mourning ordered by me will be preserved in this legation and consulates during the thirty days, and afterwards reduced to the crape upon the left arm for six months from the 15th April, in compliance with your printed orders to that effect. I beg to congratulate you with all my heart upon the improved state of both the Messrs. Seward, which I am happy to find fully confirmed by more recent telegrams, and I trust, indeed, the permanent and complete recovery of both may now be reasonably anticipated. În this belief I beg to enclose the accompanying private letter, which, if he be able to receive it, I beg you will be so good as to have delivered into Mr. Seward's hands. The occasion also permits me to offer to yourself the sincere expression of my personal respect. Your obedient servant, SIR: Your several despatches, from No 188, of the 21st ultimo, to No. 191, of the 24th ultimo, together with your private note, dated April 8, have been received. The thrilling account given in your No. 190 of the effect produced in the Spanish capital by the news of the fall of Richmond is highly interesting. No. 201.] : LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR General Prim left Madrid yesterday at one o'clock, on the northern line of railway. General Milans del Bosch, who will be remembered as the gentleman who went to Mexico to treat directly with President Juarez before the rupture between the Spanish and French commanders, left also by the same line at half past eight o'clock last evening. There are certain persons in Madrid who are persuaded that a revolutionary movement is about to break out in this country, and that the throne of Queen Isabel is seriously threatened. In this connexion I hear it mentioned that Señor D. Salustiano Olozaga, former prime minister and a prominent leader of the progresista party, is now in Italy, after having been in Paris, and it is understood that money proceeding from Italy has been received by other prominent men in Madrid. At the same time, General Chialolini, of the Italian army, is on a visit here to his wife's relatives, who are Spanish, but I see no indications that the people in Madrid are preparing for a popular insurrection-certainly not at present; and it is to be supposed that this event, if it occur at all, is not so near as it is represented to be. I have the honor to remain, with high respect, sir, your obedient servant, HORATIO J. PERRY. Hon. W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary of State. No. 100.] Mr. Hunter to Mr. Perry. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 30, 1865. SIR: I enclose herewith, for your information, a copy of a note of this date, addressed to Mr. Tassara, on the subject of the surrender of the ram Stonewall to the authorities of her Catholic Majesty at Havana. I take this occasion to acknowledge the receipt of your very interesting despatches Nos. 194, 195, and 196, together with one not numbered, dated April 29. Your proceedings are approved. I am, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. HORATIO J. PERRY, Esq., &c., &c., Madrid. Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 30, 1865. The undersigned, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, is directed by the President to accquaint Mr. Tassara, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, that official intelligence has been received at this department, from the consul of the United States at Havana, that the insurgent ram Stonewall, alias Olinde, which has been a subject of recent correspondence between this department and Mr. Tassara, was, on the 19th instant, surrendered by the person in charge of her to the authorities at that port, in whose custody she is supposed to remain. As this surrender must have been made for the purpose of evading the capture or destruction of this vessel by the naval forces of the United States, on her leaving Havana, which it is believed were entirely competent for either of these purposes, the proceeding must have been actuated by a desire to defraud the United States of their incontestable belligerent rights. It is not conceived how, by the law of nations, Spain could acquire from the commercial possession of the Stonewall any title to that vessel, if the person who made the deposit with the captain general of Cuba had been, in fact, at the time of deposit a belligerent rebel. Yet he could convey no title in an |