No. 286.
Mr. Walker
to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Bogotá, June 7, 1888.
(Received July 10.)
No. 116.]
Sir: I have the honor to state that your No. 78, of
April 28, last, was received at this legation on the 30th ultimo, and that
on the same day I addressed a communication to the minister of foreign
affairs, a copy of which I herewith inclose, and that on the 2d instant I
received the minister’s reply, a copy of which I have also the honor to
inclose, with a translation.
As soon as any further information on the subject of these communications is
received at this legation, I shall hasten to lay it before you.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 116.]
Mr. Walker to Mr.
Restrepo.
Legation of the United States,
Bogota, May 30,
1888.
Sir: The undersigned, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the United States, presents his
compliments to his excellency the minister of foreign affairs, and
invites his attention to the following statement:
It has been brought officially to the knowledge of the undersigned that
the local government of the department of Panama has ordered the levy
and collection of a capitation tax on citizens of the United States
residing in that department from which the subjects of Great Britain are
exempt.
The undersigned is therefore directed by his Government to call the
attention of that of Colombia to these facts, and to say that it insists
that there shall be no discrimination against the citizens of the United
States, wherever they may reside,” since such discrimination is in
violation of the provisions of the 7th article of the treaty of 1846,
and of the general principle of the law of nations.
The undersigned trusts, therefore, that the supreme Government of
Colombia will take early measures to remove this just cause of
complaint.
The undersigned avails, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
116.—Translation.]
Mr. Restrepo to Mr.
Walker.
Republic of Colombia,
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs,
Bogotá,
May 2, 1888.
The compliments of the minister of foreign affairs to the honorable
chargá d’affaires of the United States, and he has the honor to reply,
by means of the present communication, to your polite note of the 2d of
May last.
As there are no antecedents in the ministry of foreign affairs which
enable it to determine the nature of the contribution of which you
speak, and which you say has been levied upon the citizens of the United
States in Panama, it is necessary to make inquiry of the administrative
authorities of that department.
With this object, the undersigned has just dispatched a telegram to the
administrator of customs at Buenaventura, directing him to send, by the
first mail steamer, a dispatch to the governor of Panama, requesting
information as to the character of the tax, upon whom levied, under what
form, and all the circumstances, which will enable us to determine its
compatibility or incompatibility with treaties, and with the universal
rules of the law of nations.
I promise your honor that as soon as this information is received it
shall be communicated to the honorable legation of the United States,
together with the resolution in the case.
The undersigned has the honor to renew, etc.,
