On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, Polo proposed to Fish that Spain would give up the "Virginius" and the remaining crew if the US would investigate the legal status of its ownership. Both Fish and Grant agreed to Polo's offer and that the Spanish salute to the US flag would be dispensed with if "Virginius" was found not have legal US private citizen ownership. On November 28, Polo and Fish met at the State Department and signed a formal agreement that included the return of "Virginius" and crew and an investigation by both governments of the legal ownership of "Virginius" and of any crimes committed by the Spanish Volunteers.