Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Congress

The Minister of France in Mexico to the Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mexico, September 28, 1865.

Mr. Minister: I have received the despatch you have done me the honor to address to me, dated 14th August last. Your excellency having pleased to approve the mode of settlement in gross which I had proposed to the adoption of the government of the emperor Maximilian, for the purpose of arriving at a prompt conclusion of the affair of the claims of France, I resumed with renewed activity this important negotiation, which I had not meantime lost sight off or a single moment. I have to-day the satisfaction of being able to announce to you that my efforts have not been altogether fruitless, and that I signed yesterday the 27th, a convention which will give, if I do not deceive myself, satisfaction to all the interests in the case.

Please accept, &c.,

DANO.

The modifications of form to be given to the convention of the 27th September, 1865, having retarded the ratifications, we limit ourselves here to giving a summary of the principal Provisions of this diplomatic act.

The total amount of indemnities due to Frenchmen for damages caused directly to their properties or persons by Mexican governments or their agents, is fixed at the sum of forty millions of francs. This sum shall be paid in bonds of the Mexican annuity (rentes) at par, and the French government will carry into effect such repartition among its subjects as shall deem proper.

The French government is already the depositary, under the head of “for account,” of a sum of twelve millions of francs in bonds, of the first loan contracted in Paris, at 63 percent., which should represent at par—that is to say, six per cent, each 100 francs—a sum of 16,440,000 francs.

The 23,560,000 francs remaining due will be delivered in bonds of the same nature at par by the Mexican commission of finance instituted at Paris. After having effected the entire delivery of the sum of 40,000,000 francs, the Mexican government shall be considered as released from any responsibility to the French in relation to reclamations they have put in to this date, and the French government engages not to interfere in favor of those which may be made for the time past.

In consequence of putting in execution of this convention, article 12 of the convention concluded at Miramar, the 10th of April, 1864, is abrogated in whatever has relation to French reclamations.