y, Mexico,
San Domingo, Salvador,
Switzerland, Venezuela.

And the following in the negative:

Austria-Hungary, Brazil,
Colombia, France,
Germany, Great Britain,
Hawaii, Japan,
Paraguay, Russia,
Spain, Sweden.
United States,

The PRESIDENT then announced that the ayes were 8 and the noes 13, and
that the resolution was lost.

Gen. STRACHEY, Delegate of Great Britain, then renewed his resolution,
which was as follows:

"_Resolved_, That the President be authorized, with the
concurrence of the Delegates, to request an expression of
the opinions of the gentlemen invited to attend the Congress
on any subject on which their opinion may be likely to be
valuable."

No discussion arose upon this resolution, and it was adopted.

Commander SAMPSON, Delegate of the United States, then offered the
following resolution:

"_Resolved_, That the meetings of this Congress be open to
interested visitors."

Mr. LEFAIVRE, Delegate of France, stated that he considered this a
subject of grave importance; that this was an official and
confidential body; scientific, it was true, but also diplomatic; that
it was empowered to confer about matters with which the general public
have now nothing to do; that to admit the public to the meetings would
destroy their privacy and subject the Conference to the influence of
an outside pressure which might prove very prejudicial to its
proceedings, and that he would object to this resolution absolutely.

No further discussion being had, the PRESIDENT, after a _viva voce_
vote of doubtful result, ordered the roll to be called, when the
following States voted in the affirmative:

Colombia, Costa Rica,
Guatemala, Paraguay,
Salvador, Spain.
Venezuela,

And the following States in the negative.

Austria-Hungary, Brazil,
France, Germany,
Great Britain, Hawaii,
Italy, Japan,
Mexico, Russia,
San Domingo, Sweden,
Switzerland, United States.

The PRESIDENT then announced that the ayes were 7 and the noes 14, and
that the resolution was therefore lost.

The PRESIDENT then said that there would doubtless be some preliminary
general discussion on the subject before the Conference, and suggested
that if Delegates desired to