No. 216.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Port au Prince, Hayti, May 16, 1872. (Received May 29.)
Sir: Referring to my dispatches, No. 119, of the 25th of March last, and No. 123 of the 8th ultimo, both relating to occurrences between the United States consular officer and the Haytian authorities at Saint Marc, in March, 1872, I have the honor to state that at an interview recently had with the minister of foreign affairs he expressed to me, as he said he had expressed to the President and his colleagues in cabinet meeting, his great regret at the delay which had occurred in bringing [Page 274] the matter to a conclusion, charging this delay entirely upon the irregularity of the mails and the lack of ready inland communication. From the statements which he made to me with much apparent earnestness, I judge that he will in a very few days hand me his reply to my principal dispatch on the subject. In this view I have concluded to delay until next steamer, which is advertised to leave this port for New York in about two weeks, the sending forward of all my correspondence with the government here upon the subject, as I will then probably be able to forward it to you all under one cover and one comment.
I have, &c,