any person acting by authority of the late Administration or under the
auspices of the present Administration," so far as it has reference to
treaties negotiated with any of those States by instructions from this
Government, can not be complied with, inasmuch as those treaties have
not been acted upon by the Senate of the United States, and are now in
the possession of that body, to whom by the Constitution they are
directed to be transmitted for advice in regard to their ratification.

But as its communication is not liable to the same objection, I
transmit for the information of the House a copy of a treaty in regard
to a ship canal across the Isthmus, negotiated by Elijah Hise, our
late chargé d'affaires in Guatemala, with the Government of Nicaragua
on the 21st day of June, 1849, accompanied by copies of his
instructions from and correspondence with the Department of State.

I shall cheerfully comply with the request of the House of
Representatives to lay before them the treaties negotiated with the
States of Central America, now before the Senate, whenever it shall be
compatible with the public interest to make the communication. For the
present I communicate herewith a copy of the treaty with Great Britain
and of the correspondence between the American Secretary of State
and the British plenipotentiary at the time it was concluded. The
ratifications of it were exchanged at Washington on the 4th day of
July instant.

I also transmit the report of the Secretary of State, to whom the
resolution of the House was referred, and who conducted the
negotiations relative to Central America, under the direction of
my lamented predecessor.