Mr. Frey, Delegate of Switzerland, stated that he thought before the vote was taken a decision should be had upon the question, how the Delegates were to vote—whether as nations or as individuals.
The President announced that it had been the custom in all such conferences to vote as nations, each nation casting one vote, and that no other way seemed practicable; and that in conformity with this ruling the roll would be called and the vote taken by nations.
The roll was then called, when the following States voted in the affirmative:
| Costa Rica, | Guatemala, |
| Italy, | 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."