No. 688.
Mr. Bayard to Mr.
Baker
.
Department
of State,
Washington
,
April 21,
1885.
No. 58.]
Sir: Referring to the correspondence on file at
your legation concerning the deposit of ships’ papers, and especially to
your No. 768, of October 15, 1883, I have now to inclose a copy of a
dispatch, No. 204, of the 18th ultimo, from the United States consul at La
Guayra relative to the embarrassing and inconvenient practice of the
Venezuelan authorities in retaining the registers of American vessels while
in the ports of that Republic.
You will at once take occasion to press upon the Venezuelan Government the
necessity for a modification of the law complained of for the conclusive
reasons already advanced.
You may, if you deem it necessary, confer with your British colleague in the
matter and act in concert. But the subject is one which should receive early
and attentive consideration.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure I in No. 58.]
Mr. Bird to Mr.
Hunter
.
United
States Consulate,
La
Guayra
,
March 18,
1885.
No. 204.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a
copy of a communication received this day from the United States
consular agent at Carupano.
The custom of retaining possession of registers of vessels, as practiced
by the Venezuelan authorities, therein complained of, causes annoyance
and inconvenience to masters and consuls, and the attention of the
Department of State has been called to the subject in dispatch No. 12,
of date March 22, 1881, from Mr. Siler, my predecessor in office, as
well as in my dispatch numbered 12, of date September 21, 1881.
I am, &c.,
WINFIELD S. BIRD,
Consul.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 58.]
Mr. Quesnel to Mr.
Bird
.
Carupano
,
March 16,
1885.
Sir: I send you by safe way vouchers directed
to the United States minister to Caracas, and pray you to use same very
safe way to have them forwarded to Mr. Baker. By reading my letter to
him you shall be quite informed of what is going on.
[Page 913]
I have now to inform you that in the last thirty days we have had four
American schooners carrying corn, and that the two last ones went away
without taking their papers in the consulate nor filing the requested
documents. These schooners are the Willie A. McKay, Capt. Angus K.
Mathison, started for Barracoa, Puerto Rico, and the Wide Awake,
Winfield, master, started for Maracaibo, where she could be seized. This
proves once more that it is inadmissible that the custom-house
authorities in the ports of Venezuela take the papers of an American
vessel, and give them back to the captain without passing through the
consul. It should be negotiated with the Venezuelan Government that the
papers must be remitted to the custom-house by the consuls and give back
to them. If such had been the case when the Ethel A. Merritt arrived
here, I am confident that no struggle would have arisen.
Yours, &c.,
