No. 638.
Mr. Evarts to Mr. Farman.
Washington, March 24, 1880.
Sir: Your dispatch No. 371, of the 14th ultimo, transmitting a copy of a note from the minister of foreign affairs, urging upon you the necessity of obtaining the assent of the Government of the United States in favor of the full and immediate payment of arrears of tribute, pensions, and pay of employés out of the balance of the Rothschild or domanial loan, has been received, and as you seemed to be in doubt as-to the exact construction to be placed upon the telegraphic instruction of October 12, 1879, I have now to state that as both tribute and salaries seem to come within the description of floating debt, and as there would appear to be no provision in the terms of the decree of November 15, 1879, for pro rata payment, or indeed for specific payments of any sort, and as the simple non-objection on the part of this government seemed to hardly meet the requirements of this case, I have now to inform you that the Government of the United States hereby gives its assent to the proposed payment, and that this assent has already been conveyed to you, according to request, in a telegram of the 22d instant, couched in the following language:
Three seventy-one received; give desired assent.
I am, &c.,