No. 257.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Evarts.
Port au Prince, Hayti, October 23, 1877. (Received Nov. 5.)
Sir: Referring to my No. 490 of the 26th of March last, and to that portion of inclosure B to my No. 503 of May 28, 1877, which touches upon the lack of good harmony between the government of Hayti and the government of France, I have the honor to state that this government has recently appointed a minister plenipotentiary to France, and that the new minister, Mr. Sauveur Faubert, sailed for his post of duty by the royal mail steamer which left this port for Southampton the 11th instant.
Mr. Faubert was Haytian minister to Spain under the administration of President Geffrard in 1885 and 1866. He has twice been a minister of state during my residence here, once under President Saget, and again under President Canal, and was also senator during the Saget administration. He is a gentleman of character, of unquestioned intelligence, polished education, and about sixty years of age.
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It is understood that that mission has for its chief object to endeavor to dissipate the coldness now existing between the two governments, to secure his own official recognition and consequently that of his government by the Government of France, and to bring about the return of a French minister to Hayti.
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I am, &c.,