No. 426.
Mr. Manning to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, December 15, 1886.
(Received December 23.)
No. 36.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith copy and
translation of the answer of Mr. Mariscal to my note of the 6th instant,
transmitting to him the complaint of Messrs. F. Alexandre & Sons
concerning the rebate of 2 per cent. of duties granted by the Government of
Mexico in favor of goods imported by the ships of the Spanish Transatlantic
Mail Steamship Company. You will see that Mr. Mariscal says that a like
franchise might have been obtained by any other company of any other
nationality under like circumstances.
I respectfully await your further instructions upon this matter,
I am, etc.,
[Page 683]
[Inclosure in No.
36.—Translation.]
Mr. Mariscal to Mr.
Manning.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Mexico, December 11,
1886.
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your excellency’s note of the 6th instant, in which you
are pleased to inform me that the Secretary of State, Mr. Bayard, had
transmitted to your excellency a complaint presented by Messrs. F.
Alexandre & Sons, of New York, regarding a rebate of 2 per cent. of
duties granted by the Government of Mexico in favor of goods imported by
the ships of the Spanish Transatlantic Mail Steamship Company.
Having carefully considered all that your excellency states to me with
regard to this matter, I should advise you that the rebate was granted
to the said company only in the form of a subvention, which the
executive could grant, in accordance with the laws, for services
stipulated in the respective contract; and that a like franchise might
have been obtained by any other company of any nationality under like
circumstances. No similar or more advantageous offers being made, the
Government of Mexico decided, after some time, to accept the offer made
by the said Spanish company.
In this connection, I renew to your excellency, etc.,