Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1879

No. 328.
Mr. Hunter to Mr. Smyth.

Department of State,
Washington, September 8, 1879.

No. 35.]

Sir: Referring to your dispatch No. 30, of 30th May last, relative to overtures reported to have been made through the “Liberian consul-general” to the Liberian Government looking to the extension of French protection to that government, I have to inform you that inquiries having been made in high official quarters in regard to the matter, it has been ascertained that the French Government has never proposed or expressed a desire that Liberia should be placed under its protectorate, but has on the contrary declined to entertain any scheme looking to such a result.

W. HUNTER,
Acting Secretary.