Zealand for the observation of the transit of Venus, I have the honor to forward to you herewith a copy of a letter and its inclosures which I have just received from Lord Granville, showing that the government of New Zealand will permit all instruments required for the observation to be admitted duty free. 1 am, &c., [Inclosure.] ROBT. C. SCHENCK. Lord Granville to General Schenck. FOREIGN OFFICE, February 2, 1874. SIR: With reference to your letter of the 7th of June last, respecting the establishment by your Government of stations in New Zealand for the observation of the transit of Venus, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith, for your information, copy of a letter and of its inclosures which I have received from the secretary of state for the colonies on this subject. I am, &c.. [Inclosure 1 in inclosure in No. 558.] GRANVILLE. Sir H. T. Holland to foreign office. DOWNING STREET, January 27, 1874. SIR: With reference to the letter from this office of 10th of July last and to previous correspondence respecting the application of the United States Government for permission to establish stations in Tasmania and New Zealand for the observation of the transit of Venus, I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, for the information of Earl Granville, a copy of a dispatch from the governor of New Zealand, stating that the instruments required for the observation will be admitted free of duty. I am, &c., H. T. HOLLAND. No. 86.] [Inclosure 2 in inclosure in No. 558.] Governor of New Zealand to Lord Kimberley. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, November 6, 1873. MY LORD: With reference to your dispatch No. 47, of 11th July, 1873, transmitting copies of correspondence with the foreign office respecting the proposed establishment by the United States of stations in New Zealand for the observation of the transit of Venus, I have the honor to inform you that my government gladly comply with the request of General Schenck that the instruments required for the observation should be admitted into the colony free of duty, and that all government officers have been directed to afford the expedition any assistance in their power. I am, &c., No. 561.] General Schenck to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, February 10, 1874. (Received February. 28.) SIR: The negotiation-or rather promise of negotiation-of a consular convention drags slowly. My last communication to you on the subject was my No. 504, on the 15th. of October last. Since then the almost continual absence of mem. bers of the government from London may give some explanation of the delay; but no counter-projet or proposal in any shape has been submitted to me, and yet I have not failed to give reminder whenever opportunity has offered. Yesterday I called formally again at the foreign office to bring the matter up. I desired, in anticipation of a change of ministry soon, to ascertain, if I could, with what temper and disposition my reasonable urgency on this subject was to be treated still by the present government, or whether it was to be left over to their successors. I found only at the office Lord Tenterden, the permanent under secre tary. He could but promise that he would bring my mention of the subject again to the attention of Lord Granville, who is in the country, at Walmer Castle. He would only say himself that the matter was now "in a forward state;" that it had been before the board of trade and considered by them; that much material was prepared and points were ready to be settled; that on these the law-officers of the Crown would have to be consulted; and, finally, that there might in a short time be sent to me a proposal for an agreement, not answering to all the details contained in the projet presented by Mr. Motley, but covering as much ground as they were authorized to under the existing acts of Parliament. Lord Tenterden was of course silent as to the question how far this promise of an early communication might fail from a change of minis ters. My own conviction is that the whole negotiation is now to be remitted to a new government. I have, &c., No. 297. ROBT. C. SCHENCK. No. 569.] General Schenck to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, February 18, 1874. (Received March 9.) SIR: In my No. 552, on the 24th of last month, I announced to you the sudden dissolution of Parliament and an impending general election for Great Britain and Ireland. I have now to inform you that the last poll took place yesterday, and the returns from all the counties, boroughs, and universities foot up a clear majority of not less than fifty for the conservative party. I may be excused for having predicted a somewhat different result, inasmuch as this overwhelming overthrow of the liberal party has been a surprise even to their successful opponents. Until the elections had proceeded for several days, with almost uninterupted and steady gaius to the conservatives, they did not themselves hope to do more than greatly reduce the majority of Mr. Gladstone's supporters. A change of ministry of course follows, the only question for several days having been whether the present cabinet would decide to await the meeting and an adverse vote of Parliament before going out, or would offer to surrender the government at once. Yesterday that point was settled. Mr. Gladstone proceeded to Windsor, where the Queen had just arrived, and tendered to Her Majesty the resignations of himself and his colleagues, and to-day Mr. Disraeli has received her command to form a new ministry. Besides the premiership to Mr. Disraeli, it seems to be quite settled that the place of principal secretary for foreign affairs will be confided to Lord Derby. But though it is pretty generally understood that places will be assigned to a number of other gentlemen, whose names are mentioned, yet the actual cast of parts will not probably be completed for several days. It is useless to speculate on what the full arrangement may be. The telegraph will have given it all to you before this can reach Washington; and next week Mr. Moran, in my absence, will probably be able to furnish you in a dispatch a formal and official list. I will content myself now, without indulging in any speculation on the causes that may have helped to bring about this change of government, by saying only that there does not appear to be any reason for supposing that it is likely to produce any alteration in policy or dispo sition toward the United States. I am, &c., ROBT. C. SCHENCK. No. 452.] No. 298. Mr. Moran to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, February 25, 1874. (Received March 11.) SIR: General Schenck, in his No. 569, of the 18th instant, reported to you the resignation of the Gladstone ministry and the formation of a new government by Mr. Disraeli. The majority of the new ministers received their seals of office at Windsor on Saturday, the 21st instant, and with few exceptions the cabinet offices were filled up that day. There has been the usual delay in selecting persons for the minor offices, such as the under-secretaryships, but this work will soon be accomplished and the organization be completed in all its parts. The following are the names of the members of the new cabinet so far as at present known: Mr. Disraeli, first lord of the treasury; Lord Cairns, lord chancellor; Duke of Richmond, lord president of council; Lord Malmesbury, lord privy seal; Lord Derby, foreign affairs; Lord Salisbury, India; Lord Carnarvon, the colonies; Mr. Gathorne Hardy, war; Mr. R. A. Cruss, home; Mr. Ward Hunt, admiralty; Sir Stafford Northcote, chancellor of exchequer; Lord John Manners, postmastergeneral. On the 21st instant, Lord Granville communicated the fact of his resignation of the office of principal secretary of state for foreign affairs to the legation in a note addressed to General Schenck, and the same day Lord Derby announced his accession to that post. I inclose copies of these letters and of my replies dated the 22d instant. In accordance with the invitation in Lord Derby's note of Saturday, he formally received the heads of the various embassies and legations now in London, at the foreign office at 3 p. m. yesterday. My interview was of short duration, and his lordship was courteous and friendly. I told him that I had no special business to bring to his notice. The only thing in my mind was a report which you had sent to General Schenck, from the consul of the United States at Tripoli, about the slave-trade which has, until recently at least, been carried on between that place and the Levant ports of Turkey and Egypt via Malta. I stated that General Schenck had brought this to Lord Granville's notice informally in July last. His lordship expressed surprise at the existence of such a traffic; but said that he would be glad to receive any information on the subject I might be pleased to communicate to him. He described the civil government of Malta as being in a measure locally independent, and the island as being merely a military station; but promised to look into the matter after receiving a note from me in regard to it. FOREIGN OFFICE, February 21, 1874. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept my resignation of the office of Her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confer the seals of that department upon the Earl of Derby. I have, &c., [Inclosure 2 in No. 452.] GRANVILLE. Mr. Moran to Earl Granville. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, MY LORD: In the absence of his excellency General Schenck, who sailed from Liverpool yesterday for the United States, on leave for three months, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's note of the 21st instant, announcing that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept your resignation of the office of Her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confer the seals of that department upon the Earl of Derby. At this moment, in closing the term of official intercourse which I as the occasional head of this legation during the last three years and upward have had the honor to hold with your lordship, I cannot withhold the expression of my high sense of the friendship, promptness, and courtesy by which that intercourse on your part has been uniformly distinguished. And I feel sure that General Schenck would express the same sense of your lordship's urbanity were he here to acknowledge the receipt of your above-mentioned note. I have, &c., BENJAMIN MORAN. [Inclosure 3 in No. 452.] The Earl of Derby to General Schenck. FOREIGN OFFICE, February 21, 1974. SIR: I have the honor to acquaint you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept Lord Granville's resignation of the office of Her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confide to me the seals of that department. I shall be happy to receive you at this office on Tuesday the 24th instant, at 3 o'clock, in order to confer with you on any business upon which you may have received instrnctions from your Government. I have, &c., DERBY. [Inclosure 4 in No. 452.] Mr. Moran to the Earl of Derby. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, MY LORD: In the absence of his excellency General Schenck, who left Liverpool yesterday for the United States, to be away three months, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's note to him of the 21st instant, stating that the Queen has been graciously pleased to accept Lord Granville's resignation of the office of Her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, and to confide the seals of that department to your lordship. To this communication is appended an intimation that your lordship will be ready to receive General Schenck at the foreign office on Tuesday the 24th instant, at 3 o'clock, in order to confer with him on any business upon which he may have received instructions from his Government. As chargé d'affaires ad int. in the absence of his excellency General Schenck, I beg to offer my felicitations upon this act of Her Majesty, and to express the readiness with which I shall be prepared to meet your lordship at the time and for the purpose designated. I have, &c., No. 299. BENJAMIN MORAN. No. 460.] Mr. Moran to Mr. Fish. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, March 7, 1874. (Received March 20.) SIR: The first session of the ninth Parliament of Queen Victoria was opened on the 5th instant by commissioners, consisting of the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Richmond, Earl Beauchamp, the Marquis of Hertford, and the Earl of Bradford. The principal business transacted was the election of the speaker of the House of Commons, and the swearing in of members of both houses of Parliament. The Right Honorable Henry Brand was re-elected to the speaker's chair without opposition, his proposer being Mr. H. Chaplin, the conservative member for MidLincolnshire, and his seconder Lord George Cavendish, the liberal member for North Derbyshire. The proceedings were conducted with great dignity, and the speeches (copies of which I inclose, taken from the Times of the 6th instant) were much to the point. Yesterday this election was formally approved and confirmed in the House of Peers by the lords commissioners on behalf of the Queen, and the organization of both branches of the legislature was completed. But it is understood that Her Majesty's speech will not be delivered for a fortnight, as the necessary re-elections of the members of the government in the House of Commons cannot all take place at an earlier period. The new writs will not be issued till Monday or Tuesday next, the 9th or 10th instant, and the actual business of Parliament will probably rot commence before the 19th or 20th of this month. The absence at the election of the speaker of Mr. Disraeli, Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. Ward Hunt, Mr. Gathorne Hardy, and others who will be the new occupants of the treasury benches in the House of Commons, was noticeable; but their non-presence was owing to the fact that they cannot take their places until they shall have been re-elected. I have, &c., BENJAMIN MORAN. |