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

Mr. Burton to Mr. Seward

No. 273.]

Legation of the United States, Bogota, September 13, 1866.

Sir: In connection with my Nos. 244 and 255, I beg to invite the careful attention of the department to the annexed correspondence between the late Colombian minister in London, now president of this republic, and the British government, in relation to a guarantee by the latter of the neutrality of the isthmus of Panama, and the transit of British mails over Colombian territory.

I would call especial attention to the decree of President Mosquera regulating the latter and imposing tonnage duties on certain vessels. Said papers will be found in El Diario Oficial, Nos. 727 and 728.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

ALLAN A. BURTON.

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

[Translation.]

Decree declaring what foreign vessels are subject to the payment of tonnage and which are not subject to the same.

T. C. DE MOSQUERA, GREAT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF COLOMBIA,

By virtue of my constitutional powers, and considering, 1. That it duly appears in the executive power that the government of her Britannic Majesty has deemed at an end the postal connection between Colombia and Great Britain; 2. That by that act the privileges conceded by said convention are also ended; I decree:

Article 1. The vessels of those nations with which postal conventions do not exist will be subject to the payment of tonnage duties and to deliver their mail bags to the proper post offices, without which said mail bags cannot be forwarded for their destination.

Art. 2. The vessels of the French St. Nazaire line, of the nations with which postal treaties exist or a special treaty guaranteeing the isthmus, shall enjoy the privileges granted by said treaties.

Let this be communicated to whom it may concern.

Given in Bogota August 17, 1866.

T. C. DE MOSQUERA.

Bernado Espinoza, Secretary of Finance and Public works.

B.

[Translation.]

Note.

UNITED STATES OF COLOMBIA—EXECUTIVE POWER OF THE NATION—DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND PUBLIC WORKS—SECTION OF MAIL SERVICE—NUMBER 30.

Bogota, August 17, 1866.

The government of her Britannic Majesty having declared at an end the postal convention of 1847, between New Granada and Great Britain, the executive power of the Union has ordered me to inform you that as to the Royal Mail Company the exemption from the payment of tonnage dues and also the other privileges granted by said convention will cease, and that from and after the 1st of November next, in the absence of a new understanding with said company, its boats will have to pay tonnage dues, and the mail-bags from and to Europe must be deposited in the proper post offices of the country to be forwarded to their destination. I make this communication to you as a notice of the results which may follow.

I am your attentive servant,

BERNADO ESPINOZA.

The Superintendent of the Royal British Mail Company, London.