Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 8, 1885
Mr. Reed to Mr. Bayard.
Madrid, April 8, 1885. (Received April 25.)
Sir: I had the honor to duly receive Mr. Frelinghuysen’s instruction No. 305, of the 28th January last, relating to the return of the so-called cattle tax collected by the Spanish consul at Key West. As instructed, I waited a reasonable time, and not receiving a note from the minister of state, I mentioned the subject to the sub-secretary of state, who promised to attend to it. More than a month having passed and the promised note not having been received I addressed a note to the minister of state on the 4th instant, recalling his attention to the subject and expressing the hope of my Government that, as the Spanish consul at Key [Page 704] West had forwarded his report to Madrid, the money unjustly collected by him would now be returned to the interested parties without further unnecessary delay. A copy of my note is herewith inclosed for your further information.
The minister of state addressed me a note on the 4th instant (the same date as mine to him), but not received by me until the evening of of the 6th, stating that he had received the data requested of the Spanish consul at Key West in regard to the claim of Mr. Mackay, and requesting me to remit the data referred to in Mr. Foster’s note of the 11th of September last, in order to examine and reach an agreement in respect to the amount of the said claim. I also inclose herewith a copy and translation of the minister’s note. I at once prepared a statement showing the amount of all the said cattle tax collected by the Spanish consul, based upon the Department’s No. 127 to me of 12th January, 1883 (see statement which accompanied it as to number of cattle shipped), and Nos. 74, 88, 184, and 220, to Mr. Foster. These instructions appear to be the only ones in the legation bearing upon the amount of tax collected, but desiring to have my statement complete, and wishing to hand it to the minister of state so soon as possible, I deemed it proper to send you a telegram yesterday * * * asking if there were further claims to be presented.
I also beg to inclose herewith a copy of my statement. I have not as yet handed it to the minister of state, and will not do so until I receive your reply to my telegram above referred to.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Reed to Mr. Elduayen.
Madrid, April 4, 1885.
Excellency: In the note which your excellency addressed to this legation on the 2d of October last, relating to the collection by the Spanish consul at Key West of excessive charges on cattle shipped from that port to Cuba by citizens of the United States, your excellency was pleased to state that urgent new orders would be sent to said consul to remit without delay the necessary information as to the amount thus unjustly collected, with a view to return the same to the interested parties, and also that so soon as the said information was received your excellency would inform this legation thereof, and also of the corresponding action in regard thereto.
The substance of your excellency’s note having been duly transmitted to Washington, and the Department of State having been informed that the Spanish consul at Key West transmitted to your excellency on the 20th of December last a report containing the information requested of him, I am instructed to recall your excellency’s attention to the subject, and to express the hope that the money acknowledged by His Catholic Majesty’s Government to have been unjustly collected will now be returned to the interested parties without further unnecessary delay.
I gladly avail, &c.,
Mr. Elduayen to Mr. Reed.
Madrid, April 4, 1885.
My Dear Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the data requested of the Spanish consul at Key West in regard to the exportation of cattle to the island of Cuba, to which the claim of Mr. Mackay, a merchant of that place (Key West), refers, has [Page 705] been received in this ministry, and if you will be good enough to remit the data mentioned in the note of the minister plenipotentiary of the United States of the 11th of September last, they may be examined and confronted in order to reach an agreement with respect to the amount of said claim.
I avail, &c.,
Statement showing the amount of tax collected by the Spanish consul at Key West, Fla., on cattle shipped from that port to the Island of Cuba.
| Name of vessel. | Destination. | Date of shipment. | Number of head. | Rate of tax per head. | Total collected. |
| Alabama | Havana | Apr. 22, 1882 | 451 | $0 40 | $180 40 |
| do | Apr. 29, 1882 | 496 | 40 | 198 40 | |
| do | May 2, 1882 | 500 | 40 | 200 00 | |
| do | May 6, 1882 | 450 | 40 | 180 00 | |
| do | May 12, 1882 | 496 | 40 | 198 40 | |
| do | May 19, 1882 | 495 | 40 | 198 00 | |
| do | May 26, 1882 | 526 | 40 | 210 40 | |
| Sugua la Grande | May 30, 1882 | 442 | 40 | 176 80 | |
| Havana | June 4, 1882 | 422 | 40 | 168 80 | |
| Sagua la Grande | June 8, 1882 | 496 | 40 | 198 40 | |
| Havana | June 13, 1882 | 460 | 40 | 184 00 | |
| do | June 16, 1882 | 516 | 40 | 206 40 | |
| do | June 22, 1882 | 516 | 40 | 206 40 | |
| do | June 29, 1882 | 416 | 40 | 166 40 | |
| Sagua la Grande | July 3, 1882 | 499 | 40 | 199 60 | |
| Havana | July 5,1882 | 500 | 40 | 200 00 | |
| Cardenas | July 12, 1882 | 480 | 40 | 192 00 | |
| Sagua la Grande | July 18, 1882 | 486 | 40 | 194 40 | |
| do | July 24, 1882 | 502 | 40 | 200 80 | |
| Havana | Aug. 1, 1882 | 516 | 40 | 206 40 | |
| do | Aug. 7, 1882 | 500 | 40 | 200 00 | |
| do | May 8, 1883 | 498 | 40 | 199 20 | |
| do | May 14, 1883 | 500 | 40 | 200 00 | |
| do | May 19, 1883 | 481 | 40 | 192 40 | |
| 17,644 | 4,657 60 | ||||
| Arietes | Havana | Dec. 2, 1881 | 100 | 40 | 40 00 |
| Habanero | Nuevitas | Dec. 26, 1881 | 275 | 40 | 110 00 |
| Alice Vane | Havana | Dec. 30, 1881 | 100 | 40 | 40 00 |
| Palama | do | Apr. 1, 1882 | 97 | 40 | 38 80 |
| Lucy P. Miller | do | July 4, 1882 | 284 | 40 | 113 60 |
| do | July 9, 1882 | 320 | 40 | 128 00 | |
| do | July 11, 1882 | 320 | 40 | 128 00 | |
| do | July 20, 1882 | 277 | 40 | 110 80 | |
| Sagua la Grande | July 25, 1882 | 300 | 40 | 120 00 | |
| Havana | Aug. 2, 1882 | 208 | 40 | 83 20 | |
| Sagua la Grande | Aug. 9, 1882 | 300 | 40 | 120 00 | |
| do | Aug. 14, 1882 | 299 | 40 | 119 60 | |
| Gibaza | Aug. 22, 1882 | 289 | 40 | 115 60 | |
| Sagua la Grande | Sept. 2, 1882 | 261 | 40 | 104 40 | |
| do | Sept. 7, 1882 | 296 | 40 | 118 40 | |
| do | Sept. 14, 1882 | 302 | 40 | 120 80 | |
| do | Sept. 21, 1882 | 286 | 40 | 114 40 | |
| Havana | Oct. 3, 1882 | 211 | 40 | 84 40 | |
| do | Oct. 13, 1882 | 247 | 40 | 98 80 | |
| 4,200 | 1,680 00 | ||||
| Sarah Hall | do | Dec. 4, 1881 | 126 | 40 | 50 40 |
| do | Apr. 25, 1882 | 127 | 40 | 50 80 | |
| do | May 14, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | May 29, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | June 8, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | June 23, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | July 9, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | July 21, 1882 | 123 | 40 | 49 20 | |
| do | Aug. 14, 1882 | 123 | 40 | 49 20 | |
| do | Nov. 23, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| 1,279 | 511 60 | ||||
| Guilermo | Nuevitas | June 20, 1882 | 450 | 0 40 | 180 00 |
| do | June 26, 1882 | 425 | 40 | 170 00 | |
| 875 | 350 00 | ||||
| Ellie Knight | Havana | Dec. 26, 1881 | 98 | 40 | 39 20 |
| do | Jan. 19, 1882 | 163 | 40 | 65 20 | |
| do | Feb. 5, 1882 | 177 | 40 | 70 80 | |
| do | May 9, 1882 | 324 | 40 | 129 60 | |
| do | May 15, 1882 | 330 | 40 | 132 00 | |
| do | May 24, 1882 | 326 | 40 | 130 40 | |
| do | June 8 1882 | 325 | 40 | 130 00 | |
| do | June 12, 1882 | 325 | 40 | 130 00 | |
| do | June 16 1882 | 375 | 40 | 150 00 | |
| do | June 23, 1882 | 325 | 40 | 130 00 | |
| do | June 28, 1882 | 330 | 40 | 132 00 | |
| do | July 23, 1882 | 324 | 40 | 129 60 | |
| do | July 27, 1882 | 326 | 40 | 130 40 | |
| Sagua la Grande | Aug. 1, 1882 | 330 | 40 | 132 00 | |
| do | Aug. 15, 1882 | 313 | 40 | 125 20 | |
| do | Aug. 27, 1882 | 310 | 40 | 124 00 | |
| do | Sept. 26, 1882 | 300 | 40 | 120 00 | |
| do | Nov. 10, 1882 | 160 | 40 | 64 00 | |
| do | Nov. 19, 1882 | 255 | 40 | 102 00 | |
| do | Nov. 27, 1882 | 300 | 40 | 120 00 | |
| do | Dec. 17, 1882 | 324 | 40 | 129 60 | |
| 6,040 | 2,416 00 | ||||
| Mira A. Pratt. | Havana | Apr. 30, 1883 | 207 | 40 | 82 80 |
| do | May 14, 1883 | 214 | 40 | 85 60 | |
| 421 | 168 40 | ||||
| Asa Eldridge | do | Feb. 27, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 |
| do | Apr. 11, 1882 | 129 | 40 | 51 60 | |
| do | May 14, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | May 20, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | May 31, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | June 12, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | June 26, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | July 8, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | July 20, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | Aug. 1, 1882 | 130 | 40 | 52 00 | |
| do | Aug. 30, 1882 | 129 | 40 | 51 60 | |
| do | Nov. 17, 1882 | 107 | 40 | 42 80 | |
| 1,535 | 614 00 |
recapitulation.
| Name of vessel. | Number of head. | Total collected. |
| Alabama | 11,644 | $4,657 60 |
| Arietes | 100 | 40 00 |
| Habanero | 275 | 110 00 |
| Alice Vane | 100 | 40 00 |
| Palma | 97 | 38 80 |
| Lucy P. Miller | 4,200 | 1,680 00 |
| Sarah Hall | 1,279 | 511 60 |
| Guilermo | 875 | 350 00 |
| Ellie Knight | 6,040 | 2,416 00 |
| Mira A. Pratt | 421 | 168 40 |
| Asa Eldridge | 1,535 | 614 00 |
| 26,566 | 10,626 40 |