Office of the Historian
No. 616.

Mr. Cramer to Mr. Bayard.

Legation of the United States,
Berne, May 8, 1885. (Received May 25.)
No. 225.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Gifford, the United States consul at Basle, sent me the following telegram this morning:

Seventy-five Mormons forwarded this morning from Basle to New York via Antwerp.

In reference to the contents of this telegram I beg to make the following observations:

(1)
It is not stated that any one or more of these seventy-five Mormons are polygamists. Indeed, none of them can be such, as the laws of Switzerland prohibit polygamy.
(2)
It is not stated that any one or more of them are paupers, prostitutes, or other such persons as are prohibited from landing in the United States.
(3)
Under these circumstances I did not feel myself authorized to prohibit their departure from Antwerp. Of course it was too late to protest against their departure from Basle.
(4)
This dispatch will probably reach the Department several days in advance of the landing in New York of the steamer from Antwerp, that is to carry these Mormons to our shores. Hence telegrams may easily be sent to the authorities at the place where the immigrants land in New York, requesting them to investigate these cases; and hence, too, I did not think it necessary to send you a cablegram concerning this matter.

The steamer carrying these persons (name not known to me) will probably sail from Antwerp on Saturday the 9th instant.

I am, &c.,

M. J. CRAMER.