Office of the Historian

No. 231.
Mr. Noyes to Mr. Evarts.

Legation of the United States,
Paris, April 29, 1880. (Received May 13.)
No. 341.]

Sir: On the 26th of March last, in pursuance of your instruction No. 217, of date March 3, 1880, I addressed a communication to Mr. de Freycinet, requesting a copy of the regulations recently adopted by the minister of the marine and the colonies in regard to the right of sailing under the flag of the French protectorate among the Society Islands, [Page 359] and allowing foreign captains of all nationalities to command vessels fitted out under the flag of the protectorate.

I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy and translation of the reply of Mr. de Freycinet, from which it appears that the prescriptions alluded to have not been clothed with the form of an administrative regulation, and there is no text of them outside of the instructions sent, “to this effect,” to the French commandant in Oceanica. The tenor of these instructions, he says, was communicated to the Government of the United States in Mr. Outrey’s letter of September 29, 1879.

* * * * * * *

Shall I inquire of the minister of foreign affairs, specifically, whether the discrimination against foreign captains is authorized or not?

I have, &c.,

EDWARD F. NOYES.
[Inclosure in No. 341.—Translation.]

Mr. de Freycinet to Mr. Noyes.

Paris, April 28, 1880.

General: I did not fail to make known to Admiral Jauréguiberry the desire you were pleased to express to me by your letter of the 26th of March last, to obtain communication of the text of the new regulations adopted by his department governing the exercise of the right of navigation under the flag of the protectorate of the Archipelago of Society Islands.

It appears from the information furnished by the minister of the marine that the prescriptions to which you allude have not been clothed with the form of an administrative regulation. There is no text of them, therefore, whatever, outside of the instructions which have been sent to this effect to the commandant of our establishments in Oceanica, and the tenor of which was brought to the knowledge of the Government of the United States September 29, 1879, through the medium of our representative at Washington.

Accept, &c.,

C. DE FREYCINET.