No. 286.
Mr. Hamlin to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

No. 51.]

Sir: Referring to your instruction, No 33, and to Mr. Reed’s No. 120, I now beg to refer yon, as the reply of the Spanish Government to the request that the governor-general of Cuba or the minister of Spain at Washington, be authorized to decide questions arising out of the imposition of fines on American vessels in Cuban and other Spanish colonial ports, to the note of the 24th instant of the minister of state, a copy and translation of which accompanied my dispatch No. 50 of today’s date.

It will be perceived that for the reasons therein given the Spanish Government is unable to comply with the request of the United States in the matter.

I have, &c.,

HANNIBAL HAMLIN.
[Inclosure referred to in No. 51.—Translation.]

The Marquis de la Vega de Armijo to Mr. Hamlin.

Excellency: I have had the honor to receive the note which your excellency was pleased to address me, dated 8th instant, relating to the incident which occurred to the American ship Ellie Knight, and in which your excellency states that a certain discrepancy appears to exist between the declaration made by the ministry of ultramar and the direction-general of hacienda of Havana.

The consul of the United States at that place says that, on applying to the direction-general of hacienda of Havana, as the charges imposed on the master of the Ellie Knight appeared to him (the consul) rather unreasonable and unjust, learned that in consequence of a royal order recently promulgated in Cuba, the director-general of hacienda was no longer authorized to determine questions of that kind.

I infer that a mistake has been made or that a misunderstanding exists.

The minister of ultramar declares, according to the statement I had the honor to make to your excellency in my note of 3d, that these cases must be decided by the direction-general of hacienda of Havana, and in support of this declaration he sends the inclosed copy of the general customs regulations in force in the Island of Cuba, in which, title 4th, chapter 3d, your excellency will see all the particulars of the administrative procedure for the imposition of fines.

The administrators impose the fine when there is a just cause for it, and if the party concerned does not conform itself thereto, and may appeal in accordance with the provisions in force, he makes the appeal to the direction-general of hacienda, which definitely determines such questions, although the “contencioso administrativo” remains as a last course.

If it were intended to remit the fines imposed or to modify in any way the procedure, which is perhaps what the consul of the United States at Havana refers, then the decision of such cases belongs to the government of Madrid. The customs legislation in the provinces of ultramar being alike applied to the native born and to foreigners, His Majesty’s Government is unable to delegate, through any authority or representative, the power to remit the penalties imposed for infringements of the customs and tariff regulations, as it can alone appreciate the circumstances which may advise the exercise of grace. Thus I have answered at the same time the note of your excellency of 13th (March), in which you requested that the captain-general of Cuba or the representative of Spain at Washington be authorized to deal with such cases of fines which might arise in the Spanish colonies, and to remit them when the facts should so justify.

I flatter myself that these explanations will be sufficient to convince your excellency that both in the case of the Ellie Knight as in other analogous ones, the Spanish administration has justly and strictly adhered to the regulations in force, it being a matter of regret that through the heedlessness or carelessness of the masters of vessels cases of this kind are of so frequent occurrence.

I avail myself, &c.,

The Marques de la VEGA de ARMIJO.