Mr. Plumb to Mr.
Seward
No. 18.]
Legation of the United States,
City of Mexico,
October 18, 1867.
Sir: I was called upon yesterday for the first
time by Mr. A. Gr. Farine, in charge of the chancellerie of the French
legation here, who placed in my hands the document of which a copy is
annexed hereto, and desired me, as the present representative of the
United States in this country, to place my indorsement and authority
upon it. Without specially examining the document at the time, as he
proposed to leave it, I replied that I could not do so without looking
over the records of my legation to see what instructions had been given
upon the subject.
On afterwards examining the paper, I was surprised to find it bearing
date the 10th of July last, and to be of a character that I had not
supposed any representative of the United States was authorized to give;
nor do I find any reference made to it in the records of the
legation.
Under these circumstances I deemed it my duty to transmit a copy of the
document to the department, and to refrain from any action in the
premises until I shall have received your instructions with reference
thereto.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Otterbourg to Mr. Farine
Legation of the United States in
Mexico,
July 10, 1867.
Mr. A. G. Farine, First Clerk of the Chancery of
the French Legation:
In view of the request of the minister of France to Mexico, by which,
on leaving the capital, he placed French subjects under our
protection, and the decision on which he formed a special bureau
charged with the despatch of affairs which concern French subjects,
we, the undersigned, considering that the acts and divers papers
which French subjects will ask for from such bureau should be issued
in our name and under our signatures, and that this formality may
cause delay prejudicial to the prompt despatch of affairs and the
good of the service, have delegated, and do
delegate specially, M. A. G. Farine, chief clerk of the chancery of
the legation of France, chief of bureau, to
sign in our name all acts and papers which may be asked for by
French subjects.
MARCUS OTTERBOURG, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States.
The document, of which the foregoing is a verbatim copy, is written on United States official
paper, in the French language, and is enclosed in an official
envelope of the legation of the United States at this city,
dated also the 10th of July, 1867, and addressed “Mr. A. G.
Farine, ler commis de la
chancellerie de la legation de France, Mexique,” which envelope
has been sealed with the seal of this legation.
