Office of the Historian

No. 232.
Mr. Langston to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, Oct. 30, 1884. (Received Nov. 14.)
No. 680.]

Sir: I have the honor to transmit, as herewith inclosed, with its translation, severally, a copy of the law, proposed by the President and passed, on the 3d instant, by the Legislative Assembly of Hayti, with regard to the settlement of the indemnities connected with events of the 22d and 23d days of September, 1883, at Port au Prince, as published in the official section of Le Moniteur of Saturday, October 18, 1884.

This law recognizes a debt against the state for the payment of indemnities, as therein prescribed, amounting to $588,418.

This sum is to be paid upon coupons of indemnity commencing with November 30 next, when $98,069.16 shall be paid; and thereafter on September 30 of each year, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890, one-sixth of the amount remaining shall be paid.

The amount is to be raised, as provided, by a surtax of 10 per cent, on exports, which is to be collected according to existing laws. Any annual surplus shall be carried to following year, to be employed for the purpose named, or to pay the claims of any persons whose right has not yet been determined.

It is provided in the last two articles of the law that the reports of the commissions, the documents and the diplomatic correspondence pertaining to the claims shall be published, and that its provisions shall be executed by the secretary of state of foreign relations and of finances as regards that which concerns the one and the other.

It will be perceived from article 1st of the law that the indemnities specifically mentioned as having been verified and admitted are the English, German, Belgian, Danish, French, and Spanish.

Ours have not as yet been settled, as up to this time I have refused to [Page 330] accept the terms of settlement offered by the Haytien Government. It has been stated to me, however, by the secretary of state of foreign relations that the appropriation is ample to include our claims when settled as his Government proposes.

It has been stated also that the representatives, diplomatic and consular, of the several nations mentioned in the law, are not willing to accept the settlement as far as the term of six years for the payment of the indemnity is concerned. In fact, the gentleman who is at present representing the English Government has made written formal protest against it. I await the result thereof, and in the mean time I shall insist upon the settlement and payment of our claims in the manner heretofore demanded of this Government, and of which I have fully advised you.

I am, &c.,

JOHN MERCER LANGSTON.
[Inclosure in No. 680.—Translation.]

Law.

salomon, president of hayti.

Whereas it is necessary to regulate in an equitable manner the indemnities agreed by the mixed commission in connection with the events of Port au Prince of the 22d and the 23d of September of the year 1883, upon the proposition of the secretary of state of foreign relations, and upon the advice of the council of secretaries of state, has proposed and the legislative body has enacted the following law:

  • Article 1. The sum of $588,418 (gourdes), the amount of the English, German, Belgian, Danish, French, and Spanish indemnities already verified and admitted by the mixed commissions conformably to the table annexed to the present law, shall be recognized as the debt of the state.
  • Art. 2. There shall be delivered to those having the right thereto six equal coupons of indemnities at maturities fixed at the 30th November of this year and the 30th September of each of the years 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890.
  • An ulterior regulation of the public administration shall determine the drawing, the modes of delivery, and of withdrawal as well as the signers of these bills.
  • Art. 3. There shall be open to the secretary of state for foreign relations, in the budget of the year 1884–’85, a credit of $98,069.16 (goudes) for the payment of the maturity of the 30th November next.
  • Art. 4. This sum shall be covered by an additional duty of 10 per cent, upon exports, which shall be collected conformably to the existing laws.
  • Art. 5. The proceeds of this surtax shall be specially set apart to the payment of the bonds of indemnities, and the annual surplus, if there be any, shall be carried to the following year, to be employed in like manner, or to indemnify claimants whose right has not been determined up to this time.
  • Art. 6. Publicity shall be immediately given as well to the reports of the mixed commissions as to the documents relating thereto, and to the diplomatic correspondence pertaining to such indemnities.
  • Art. 7. The secretary of state of foreign relations and the one of finances shall be charged each in that which concerns him with the execution of the present law.

Done at the Chamber of Representatives, at Port au Prince, the 3d of October, 1884, the eighty-first year of Independence.