[Translation.]

Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward

Mr. Secretary: In a note which I addressed from New York to your department on the 6th of Novemher, 1865, I mentioned that I had sent your note of the 3d of that month, relating to duties collected from American citizens by General Alvarez in Acapulco, to my government. I now send you a communication from Mr. Lerdo de Tejada, minister of foreign affairs of the Mexican republic, dated at El Paso del Norte, the 22d of January, and numbered 22, in which I am informed that your note had been sent to the Secretary of the Treasury for his decision, as the affair belongs to that branch of the government.

I avail myself of the occasion to express to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

M. ROMERO.

Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.

[Page 92]

[Translation.]

Department of Foreign Relations and Government, Office of Relations–American section–Duties collected in Acapulco.
No. 22.]

I have received the duplicate of your note, No. 554, of the 6th of November last, containing a copy of Mr. Seward’s to you, on the 3d of November, in relation to duties collected by the governor and military commander of the State of Guenero from citizens of the United States who said they had paid them once to the French when they first occupied that port.

I have also received the original note, No. 629, 1st of December following, in which you inform me that you had sent my note of the 28th October previous, on that subject, to the Department of State.

Notwithstanding the particular reasons the governor of Guerrero informed you he had for collecting those dues, stating that he was forced to do so in punishment of the course of the persons from whom the duties were collected, and assuring that in the future no custom-house duties should be collected twice, Mr. Seward said he hoped the money would be returned to those citizens of the United States by the authorities of the port of Acapulco.

As this business belongs to the treasury department, I have sent copies of your note, No. 554, and Mr. Seward’s to that department, to decide the case according to the evidence of the enclosed documents.

Accept the protects of my attentive consideration.

LERDO DE TEJADA.

Citizen Matias Romero, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Mexican Republic in Washington.