No. 381.
Mr. Birney
to Mr. Evarts.
The Hague , October 30, 1879. (Received November 11.)
Sir: Referring to your No. 114 and to my No. 125, both relating to the migration of inhabitants of the Netherlands to the United States with the avowed purpose of joining the Mormon community at Salt Lake, in the Territory of Utah, I have the honor to inform you that I have this day received a second letter from His Excellency Baron Van Lynden van Sandenburg, the minister of foreign affairs, upon this subject. He kindly informs me of the result of inquiries he had caused to be made through certain of the officials of the country. He states that in 1878, from the port of Rotterdam, the immigrants of this character were 119 from Switzerland, accompanied by 17 from the Netherlands; that during the months of May and June of the present year there were 103 Swiss, but no Dutchmen; that no such immigrants during the same period have left the ports of Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Flushing, or of Harlingen.
His excellency assures me that the commissioners at Rotterdam have undertaken to do all in their power to discourage the migration of Mormons to Utah, by pointing out to them the severe penalties prescribed by the laws of the United States against polygamy. He gives me these facts as to what has been done since I first brought this topic before him, with the belief that the Government of the United States will be fully convinced that the Government of His Majesty the King is sincerely desirous of concurring in the object proposed.
I annex hereto a copy of the letter of the minister of foreign affairs, herein referred to, together with a translation of the same.
I have, &c.,