No. 218.
Mr. Lowell
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
London, November 17, 1882.
(Received December 1.)
No. 446.]
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 475, of the
21st of October last, regarding the proposal of Mr. W. W. Corcoran to
transport the remains of John Howard Payne from Tunis to the United States,
I have now the honor to inclose herewith copies of my note to Lord Granville
with relation to this subject and of Mr. Lister’s answer for Lord Granville.
Mr. Lister’s answer is to the effect that he has caused instructions to be
issued to the British consul at Tunis in conformity with your request, and
that upon learning the result of his application to the Tunisian authorities
he will address me a further communication on the subject.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 446.]
Mr. Lowell to Lord
Granville.
Legation of the United States,
London, November 3,
1882.
My Lord: At Mr. Frelinghuysen’s request, I have
the honor to ask your lordship’s attention to a letter to him from Mr.
W. W. Corcoran, a copy of which I inclose. Mr. Corcoran, whose
liberality and public spirit are well known in Washington, desires to
provide for the disinterment of the remains of John Howard Payne, author
of “Home, Sweet Home,” at Tunis, and their removal to the United States
for burial. He makes this application to Mr. Frelinghuysen, because Mr.
Payne died while acting as the consul of the United States at Tunis, and
there being now no descendant or collateral kindred of his who might be
consulted on the subject, the Secretary of State seemed to be the proper
custodian of his remains.
There is, however, no representative of the United States at Tunis, and
on this account Mr. Frelinghuysen asks me to bring the matter to the
attention of your lordship, and to suggest, if there should be no
objection, that you will kindly request Her Majesty’s consul there to
apply to the proper authorities for permission to exhume Mr. Payne’s
remains, and to make arrangements for their transportation to the United
States.
The Department of State will take charge of the necessary reimbursement
when informed of the amount.
I have, &c.,
[Page 409]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 446.]
Mr. Lister to Mr.
Lowell.
Foreign
Office, November 16,
1882.
Sir: I have received your communication of the
3d instant stating that it is the wish of Mr. Corcoran, a United States
citizen, that the body of the American poet, J. H. Payne, now interred
at Tunis, should be exhumed and removed to the United States for
reinterment, and I have the honor to state to you in reply that I have
caused instructions to be addressed to Her Majesty’s consul-general at
Tunis in the sense indicated in your communication now under reply.
Upon learning the result of Mr. Reade’s application to the Tunisian
authorities, I shall address a further communication to you on the
subject.
I have, &c.,
T. V. LISTER,
For Earl
Granville.
