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(PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.)
_Buenos Ayres, June 8th,1842._
MY DEAR M. DE VIDAL,--Although I have not received any official answer
to the proposals which I transmitted by your Excellency's desire to
her Majesty's Government, on the 6th of December last, as a basis for
the conclusion of a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the Republic of
the Uruguay, I am led to believe and know that they will not be
accepted, for the reasons which I stated to your Excellency at the
time these proposals were made to me--namely, that the acceptance of
this offer would be at variance with the policy and practice of her
Majesty's Government, whose wish, in matters of commerce, is to stand
on the same footing as other nations, and to enjoy no advantages but
such as would, upon similar terms, be conceded to any other friendly
power, and that accordingly her Majesty's Government have no intention
of availing themselves of this proposal.
I therefore again most pressingly renew, to your Excellency, the
proposals I made when I first had the honour to see your Excellency,
to negociate with me a Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, upon
the basis which was presented to the Monte Videan Government by Mr.
Hamilton, in the year 1835, and brought forward by me at a later
period.
I am enabled to assure your Excellency that Her Majesty's Government
is not indifferent to the welfare and prosperity of the Republic of
the Uruguay, as your Excellency will shortly see by the measures which
will be taken for its preservation, and to which I am sure you will be
a willing party, and I beg your Excellency to believe that nothing
will strengthen these good intentions on the part of Her Majesty's
Government so much as a frank and cordial acceptance of the terms of
the above mentioned Treaty.