No. 246.
Mr. Gibbs
to Mr. Evarts.
Lima, Peru , May 12, 1877. (Received June 1.)
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my dispatch, No. 127, of February 3, on the political affairs of the country. After the closing of the Congress, the government commenced to make changes in many departments in the prefects and subprefects; also some other places of various classes of employés. The department and municipal councils, in making their changes, were accused of fraud by the civilists, and also of having illegally admitted some of the members, who were not, as stated, legally elected by the members of the council. These acts apparently threw the power firmly into the hands of the present administration, and [Page 442] destroying that of the civilists, the ousted members appealed to the supreme government, which decided, by decree, against them, and their only hope now will be by a tedious litigation in the supreme court.
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There now appear to be three parties: Civilists, Pradists, and Piérolists, as you will perceive, according to the proclamation referred to in this dispatch.
On the night of the 6th instant a few subaltern officers seized the best ship in the Peruvian navy, the iron-clad Huascar, in Callao Bay, and, taking some parties aboard, left the harbor about half-past 8 p.m. She is of a thousand tons capacity, built in England in 1864, plating four and a half inches, with one turret, nine and a half inch plate; has a crew of about a hundred and eighty men, capable of accommodating six hundred; formerly steamed about eleven to twelve knots, now about eight, per hour; has two 300–pound guns in her turret, and two small ones outside. When it was known here at Lima, the morning of the 7th, there was not much excitement. The papers were filled with official notes on the matter, which showed, to some degree, great negligence or criminality on the part of others in the navy. The Huascar had just come out of dock, had been cleaned, refitted, coaled, and well provisioned for a long period.
The rebels who have taken the vessel are mostly subaltern officers of no standing in the navy, and the crew did not apparently join willingly with the revolters. A few resolute, determined men could have checked the revolt. Some persons from this city joined the rebels, or rather were apparently leaders. One of them has been notorious as an adherent of Pi6rola, having been banished from the country for former political offenses. He, Col. F. Larrañaga, returned a short time ago, under bond of honor given to the minister of the interior.
On the 8th, the government issued a decreee declaring their non-responsibility for any damage that might be done by the rebels to foreign interests, a copy and translation of which I inclose.
On the 10th, I received a note from the minister of foreign affairs, with an authentic copy of the decree above referred to, of which I inclose copy, translation, and copy of my answer.
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The government, it appears to me, has been very dilatory in its movements; but this I believe is due to the cause that the other ships of war and monitors were not ready for active service. Yesterday, at half-past 5 p.m., a small squadron of war-vessels and transports left Callao, having on board two battalions of infantry and a brigade of artillery—in all, twelve hundred and seventy-five men. The vessels are the Union and Independence, with the monitor Atahualpa, towed by an English merchant-steamer, purchased at the last moment by the Peruvian government. The squadron were in sight at four o’clock this afternoon, when they appeared to have made a final start for the south.
Everything here in Lima is quiet, and, to me, apparently, an indifference to the whole affair exists 5 if there should be an uprising in the south favorable to Piérola, it may change the state of affairs here.
The minister of war, Mr. Pedro Bustamante, has taken charge of this division, and will direct the operations, if any, in the south. The inspector-general of the national guard, and general of division, Mr. Juan Buendia, will act as minister of war during the absence of Mr. Bustamante.
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England and France are well represented on this coast by fine squadrons. [Page 443] On the 7th instant, just in the right time, the Shah, flag-ship of Her Britannic Majesty’s squadron in the Pacific, anchored in Callao. She is one of the new and formidable ironclads of the British navy.
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I am, &c.,