John Welsh to John Welsh, August 27, 1878

No. 187. Mr. Welsh to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: Referring to your confidential instruction, No. 116, of the 24th ultimo, I have the honor to acquaint you that, although I was not directed by that dispatch to make a fresh application to Her Majesty’s Government for the pardon of Condon, it nevertheless seemed to me desirable to leave no proper effort untried to accomplish that object before engaging in the somewhat delicate attempt to investigate the circumstances which attended his conviction.

I accordingly called upon Lord Salisbury at the foreign office on the 8th instant and presented the subject to him in a manner which seemed to make a favorable impression. I afterward embodied the substance of my conversation in a note to him, a copy of which I have the honor to inclose. I am happy to inform you that on the 21st instant I received a reply from his lordship, a copy of which I also inclose, by which it will be seen that Her Majesty’s Government will recommend to Her Majesty to remit the remainder of the sentence which was passed upon Condon, and, as a necessary consequence, the remainder of that also which was passed upon Melody, under such conditions as the Queen may be pleased to prescribe, one of which would be that they shall not, during the remaining term of their sentence or such shorter period as Her Majesty may be pleased to name, reside within the Queen’s dominions.

Although the forms may not be completed before a fortnight, because of the absence of the cabinet from their offices and the necessity of sending the several papers required after them to distant points for their signatures, I am assured that the pardon is otherwise perfect, and that, about the time named, Condon and Melody will be discharged from custody provided they accept of the conditions imposed by the Queen.

Should Condon not be provided with means to go to the United States I shall furnish them to him.

I have, &c.,