No. 70.
Mr. Blair to Mr.
Fish
No. 91.]
Legation of the United States, San José, Costa
Rica, June 25, 1871. (Received July
14.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your No. 54, of the 15th ultimo.
I have communicated with the secretary of foreign relations on the subject
therein referred to. A copy of my note and a copy and translation of his
reply thereto, I inclose herewith, the former marked inclosure No. 1, the
latter No. 2.
You will observe, on reading the note of Mr. Montufar to me, that he copies a
note written by him, on the 25th ultimo, to the consul general for Costa
Rica in New York and Philadelphia, in which they are directed to make an
arrangement with the claimants to pay off at once their entire claim, if
they will make a discount for the amount advanced. It is probable that some
such arrangement as this has by this time been made. As to that, however,
the Department is of course fully advised.
[Page 251]
I desire to add a word in reference to the conference spoken of by Mr.
Montufar, with me on this subject. Some four months ago, during a conference
I had with Mr. Montufar on some other matters, he casually remarked that his
government was considering the propriety of paying off those claims, if a
proper discount was made for the advanced payments.
I said to him that if his government concluded to do so he had better write
me a note to that effect, and state the terms upon which the advanced
payments would be made, that I might lay the proposition before my
Government. This he promised to do in a day or so. Since then I have not
heard from him on the subject; I had supposed the idea had been
abandoned.
I make this explanation in justice to myself, lest the Department might infer
from his note that a definite proposition had been made to me by him, to
settle these claims, and that I had failed to advise my Government of the
fact.
I have, &c.,
No. 1.
Legation of the United States,
San José,
June 20, 1871.
Sir: I am directed by my Government to call
your excellency’s government’s attention to the fact that the
installment due in March last, under the convention of Costa Rica of the
2d of July, 1880, remains unpaid, and that greater punctuality in the
payments is desirable, from the fact that most of the claimants are in
indigent circumstances.
Accept the assurances of the high consideration with which I have the
honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. Lorenzo Montufar, Secretary of Foreign delations, &c.
[Translation.]
National Palace, San José, June 20, 1871.
Sir: In reply to your highness’s esteemed note
of this day’s date, I have the pleasure of transcribing a note
addressed, under date of 25th May last, to our consul general at New
York, and Philadelphia, as follows:
“I have learnt, with concern, that delay is attributed to this republic
in the payment of the American debt. This debt has gone on being
religiously paid.” “On 10th October, four hundred pounds were sent to
Mr. G. Theisen.” “Little was then wanting to the total payment, and in a
conference which I had in this bureau with the Hon. Mr. Blair, minister
resident of the United States, in Costa Rica, I represented that it
would be convenient to pay the whole sum at once, the corresponding
discount on prepayment being allowed.”
“No result whatever followed in consequence of this point in that
conference.”
“The treasury of Costa Rica has always a cash surplus, and there is no
creditor, who, on presenting his document, is not paid immediately.”
“If you are pleased to make with the creditors referred to, the
arrangement which I proposed to Mr. Blair, and to pay them off under
corresponding discount, such operation will be very satisfactory to the
government, and you will be reimbursed on your draft at sight.”
This opportunity affords me the honor, &c.,
Hon. Jacob B. Blair, &c.,
&c.
