Mr. Romero to Mr.
Gresham.
[Translation.]
Legation of Mexico,
Washington, July 9, 1894.
(Received July 9.)
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to forward to
you, with reference to my note of the 2d instant, in regard to marking
the boundary line on the bridges over the River Bravo between Paso del
Norte, Mexico, and El Paso, Tex., a copy of a communication that Señor
Mariscal, secretary of foreign relations of the Mexican United States,
addressed on the 29th June last to Señor Don Francisco Javier Osorno,
Mexican commissioner on the Mexican and United States International
Boundary Commission, which contains the grounds of the disapproval by
the Government of Mexico of the provisional designation by both
commissioners of the boundary line on those bridges.
As this communication fully states these grounds, which to me appear
unanswerable and which determined the Government of Mexico to adopt the
decision stated, I do not think it necessary to say more on this
subject.
Accept etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Señor Mariscal
to Señor Osorno.
Ministry of State and Office of Foreign
Relations,
Mexico, June 29,
1894.
I reported to the President of the Republic your note No. 16, dated
the 22d instant, with the proceeding of the International Boundary
Commission which temporarily fixes the dividing line on the three
bridges which cross the River Bravo del Norte, called international
bridges of El Paso, pending the approval of the two Governments. In
order to decide this matter, it has been considered—
- First. That the treaty of March 1, 1889, does not confer
upon the commission the power to make temporary regulations,
as, in accordance with its articles 1, 4, and 5, it has only
the power to adjust questions which arise respecting the
dividing line on account of the change in the channel of the
rivers Bravo and Colorado, when duly submitted to it.
- Second. That although it was proposed on the part of the
United States that the commission should be authorized to
mark the line across the middle of the said bridges, the
Government of Mexico did not accept the proposition,
confining itself to authorizing its commissioner to mark the
dividing line between Juarez City and El Paso, Tex., in
strict accordance with the treaty of March 1, 1889, it
having first to be decided
[Page 415]
if the bridges are upon the dividing
line recognized in the treaties? and thus it was made known
to the Government of the United States, to avoid all future
misunderstanding whatever in the matter.
- Third. That article 4 of the first of the mentioned
treaties on which it has been erroneously desired to base
the tracing of said line is inapplicable to the case,
through not authorizing a temporary but a definitive
demarcation, in the opinion that the bridges are truly
international, they having been constructed on the true
boundaries determined by the rivers.
- Fourth. That citizen Pedro Y. Garcia, having formally
presented a claim, alleging that land called “El Chainisal,”
belonging to Juarez City, became joined to lands of the
United States through a violent change in the course of the
River Bravo, in order that it may be declared to belong
still to Mexico, the commission must examine and decide that
case, and, consequent upon the decision, not before, to
settle the dividing line between Juarez City and El Paso,
Tex.
For the reasons set forth, the President of the Republic has decreed
that the temporary designation of the boundary line which has been
made on the bridges referred to is not approved, and that this
decision be notified to the International Boundary Commission by you
and to the Government of the United States of America, through our
legation at Washington, in order that it may consider null and void
the demarcation referred to.
I renew to you, etc.,
