Mr. Romero to Mr. Gresham.

[Translation.]

Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to forward to you, with reference to your note of the 17th of January last, copy of a note from Señor Mariscal, secretary of foreign relations of the United States of Mexico, dated City of Mexico, the 5th instant, which I received to-day, in which he communicates to me the reply of the ministry of Hacienda (treasury) to the efforts made in order that the Government of Mexico should determine what is proper with regard to the decree approved by the Congress of the United States on the said 15th of January to permit the reimportation, duty free, of Texan cattle that may pass to Mexican territory for pasture.

Accept, etc.,

M. Romero.
[Inclosure—Translation.]

Mr. Mariscal to Mr. Romero.

The secretary of the treasury (de Hacienda) tells me in a communication dated the 2d instant, as follows:

Your polite notes of 2d, 20th, and 22d of January last have been received at this office, in which you are pleased to transmit copies of those of our minister at Washington relative to cattle that cross the frontier to pasture on our territory and concerning the passage of the draft of a law presented to the Congress of that nation by Mr. Thomas M. Paschal, one of its members.

In reply I have the honor to inform you that as there is still pending before the Senate a convention concluded in 1888 between Mexico and the United States for the reciprocal crossing of cattle from one country to the territory of the other, the President of the Republic does not consider it opportune to make any decision at present with regard to the decree approved by the American Congress on motion of the member, Mr. Thomas M. Paschal, because it would seem that the Executive was endeavoring to prejudge in some way an affair which the Senate has not found it convenient to take into consideration; thus the President thinks he should with all the more reason abstain from a determination in the matter, so marked is the opposition to that proposed convention by the inhabitants and representatives in the federal Congress of the frontier States, and on the other hand the same American citizens who initiated the said convention state that in May next will cease the reasons which serve as the basis of their claim.

I copy this for you, referring to your note No. 666 of the 19th January last.

I renew, etc.,

Mariscal.