Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward
Sir: It has been reported in the Paris correspondence of some of the continental journals, that a contract had been entered into with the French Transatlantic Steamship Company to transport such Austrians as may be recruited under the supplementary article of the convention of Miramar, from Trieste to Very Cruz. As there were but three parties with which such a contract could have been entered into, Austria, Mexico, and France; as Austria would not be likely to make a contract for a heavy expenditure in an enterprise in which she had no corresponding interest, and as, f she had, she would be more likely to employ her own transports than those of a foreign state; and finally, as Mexico is notoriously without means to fulfil her part of such a contract, I inferred that France was the only power at all likely, in the present state of affairs, to spend any money in providing troops for the occupation of Mexico. My suspicions were so much strengthened from other sources, that I availed myself of the first suitable opportunity to invite the attention of Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys to these reports, and to ask what, if any, credit deserved to be given to them. His excellency replied that he had seen it started in the public prints that the Transatlantic Company had undertaken the transport of some Austrians to Mexico, about eleven or twelve hundred, he thought, but he understood that it was a private contract between Mexico and the company. He could not say positively, without inquiring, that the contract had not parsed through the ministry of marine, but he thought it highly improbable that a step so irregular should have been taken without his knowledge. He then proceeded to take a note of the matter, and promised to let me know the result of his inquiries. Unless I have an answer shortly, it will be safe to infer that my suspicions were well grounded. Should such prove to be the case, I shall consider myself instructed by your despatches to Mr. Motley of the 19th March and 6th and 16th of April last, and by your previous despatches to our consul general at Alexandria, in reference to the levy of Egyptian troops for Mexico, to protest against any further steps being taken to execute the contract.
I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.