Office of the Historian

Mr. Prevost to Mr. Seward.

No. 16.]
Legation of the United States of America, Guayaquil, June 10, 1866.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s despatch, dated May 4th, directing me to make a peremptory demand for the immediate payment of the instalment now over-due by the government of Ecuador, under the convention of November, 1862.

I enclose herewith copy of my note directed to Mr. Bustamente, the minister for foreign affairs, making the demand, marked A.

I remain, sir, your most obedient servant,

L. V. PREVOST, Acting Secretary of Legation.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

A.

Mr. Prevost to Mr. Bustamente

Legation of the United States of America, Guayaquil, June 3, 1866.

The undersigned, consul and acting chargé d’affaires of the United States, has the honor to inform your excellency Don Manuel Bustamante, the minister of exterior relations of the [Page 472] republic of Ecuador, that the undersigned has been instructed by his government at Washington to make a peremptory demand for the immediate payment of the amount of the first instalment of the awards of the mixed commission under the convention of the 25th November, 1862, due by the government of your excellency on the 17th of February last, with interest due thereon.

The undersigned takes the liberty to enclose herein a copy of the awards taken from the official records of the proceedings of the mixed commission, marked U. S. and E., which amounts in the aggregate to $94,799 56. The ninth part thereof being $10,533 28, is the sum which the government of your excellency is at once expected to forward, with interest, to the undersigned, as the representative of the government of the United States.

With distinguished consideration, I have the honor to subscribe myself, your excellency’s most obedient servant,

L. V. PREVOST.

Don Manuel Bustamente, Minister of Exterior Relations, &c., &c., Quito.