No. 482.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Fish.
Mexico, May 14, 1874. (Received June 2.)
Sir: On the 27th of January last, upon information furnished me by the consul at Mazatlan, I made application to the Mexican government for the return of tonnage-dues illegally collected previous to February 15, 1873, from the American vessels Good Templar, Ada May, Montana, Three Sisters, and Louisa Simpson. On the 27th of April, not having obtained any decision of the question, I again directed the attention of the minister of foreign affairs to my previous note, and on yesterday I received his reply, stating that the department of finance had, on the 10th instant, ordered the return of the dues collected from the Good Templar, Ada May, and Montana, but that, as there is no information in that department of the payment of said dues by the Three Sisters and Louisa Simpson, the order for their return could not, at present, be made.
I have sent the consul at Mazatlan a copy of the order of the minister of finance for his information.
I am, &c.,