Augusto Ulloa to the chargé d’affaires of Great Britain, August 14, 1874

The minister of state to the chargé d’affaires of Great Britain.

Dear Sir: I have received the note of your lordship, dated 5th instant, in which, by instruction of Lord Derby, your lordship has the goodness to represent to me that, many months having elapsed since the deplorable event of the Virginius, the families of the British subjects captured on board of her, and executed at Santiago de Cuba, had reiterated their solicitations to Her Majesty’s government, in order to obtain some indemnity that should alleviate their misfortunes.

The British government is not ignorant of the motives which have until now obliged the government of Spain not to refuse, but to postpone, the arrangement of the respective indemnity to the British subjects; but, as your lordship very justly supposes in your note, the consideration of the miserable state in which the families of those unfortunates are placed can have no less weight in the mind of the Spanish government, and will induce it to anticipate the time when the above-mentioned families shall receive, in a formal and definite manner, some amount of money.

To this end the executive power of the Spanish Republic will, without prejudging the foundation of this matter, have no objection to give timely orders that an amount be forwarded for distribution among the families of the British subjects captured on board the Virginius and executed at Santiago de Cuba, reserving to itself the option of sending as much as necessary until the total amount of the indemnity, to be agreed upon by both governments, is completed, when the principal question shall have been settled in this manner.

Your lordship can, if you think it convenient, inform the government of Her Britannic Majesty of this proposition, which has been inspired by the best desire not to delay the sending of assistance to those interested, without, however, precipitating the official course indispensable for proper settlement of the question which is before us.

I avail myself, &c.