Mr. Curry to Mr.
Bayard.
No. 155.]
Legation of the
United States,
Madrid, December 9, 1886.
(Received December 27.)
Sir: Referring to my telegram of the 30th ultimo,
reporting that the Spanish Government had offered $1,500,000 in settlement
of the claim of Antonio Maximo Mora, to be charged upon the Cuban budget of
next year, with details of payment to be arranged, I have the honor to state
that I received on the 7th instant your telegram in reply, and have notified
the minister of state of the acceptance of the offer by the Government of
the United States. I beg leave to inclolse copies and translations of the
correspondence with the Spanish Government in reference to the subject, as
well as of the telegrams exchanged with the Department.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
155.—Translation.]
Señor Moret to Mr.
Curry.
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs,
Palace,
November 29, 1886.
My Dear Sir: In reply to the note of your
excellency, dated the 20th instant, referring to the settlement of the
subject which we know by the name of the Mora claims, I have the honor
to inform your excellency that the council of ministers has been
occupied in detail with the matter, and animated by the desire of
fulfilling the engagements formerly contracted and of responding to the
claims of the United States, has decided upon the following terms of
settlement, of which I have the honor of informing your excellency:
- (1)
- To fix as a definite amount of the value of the embargoed
property of Messrs. Mora, which the Government decided to return
in 1873 and 1876 the sum of $1,500,000. In this sum is included
all indemnity that can be claimed for the principal as well as
interest, damages, and injury.
- (2)
- The sum to be paid by a charge upon the Cuban budget and the
minister of Ultramar will propose to the Cortes the means of
payment in the next budget of 1887–’88.
I must add that as the colonial budget is not in a condition to support
at one time the considerable sum of $1,500,000, especially after the
arrangement just made for the payment of the debt and outstanding
obligations, the Government has naturally reserved the determination of
the most practicable method of paying the amount, of which I shall have
occasion to give to your excellency due information.
If your excellency, as I hope, will find these conclusions to be just and
will be good enough to express to me your assent to them, we can
consider as terminated a matter which your excellency aptly qualifies as
protracted and annoying to both governments, on the express condition,
as I have already had the honor of informing you in my note of June 30
last, that the Messrs. Mora and the Government of the United States in
their name shall renounce all further claim for the embargo of their
property and everything concerned therewith.
I avail myself of this occasion to renew to your excellency the
assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
The Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 155.]
Mr. Curry to Señor
Moret.
Legation of the United States,
Madrid, December 7,
1886.
Excellency: In reply to your excellency’s note
of the 29th ultimo, offering the amount of $1,500,000 in settlement of
the claim presented by this legation to the Government of Spain in
behalf of the American citizen Antonio Maximo Mora, for the [Page 369] embargo of his property in Cuba, I
have the honor to state that I have communicated with my Government in
regard to the matter, and have been informed that the above offer is
accepted by it. I also take pleasure in repeating the statement made in
the note which I had the honor to send to your excellency on July 1
last, that the amount of indemnity agreed upon and paid will be accepted
by my Government as a full discharge of all demand against the
Government of Spain growing out; of the claim of this citizen of the
United States.
While expressing to your excellency the gratification felt by the United
States Government, at an action so much in accordance with the well
known sense of honor of the Government of Her Majesty, I beg to inform
your excellency that I am ready at any moment, as your excellency
suggests, to arrange the details of payment in order that this question,
which your excellency admits to have been tedious and annoying, may, as
soon as possible, be finally removed from the consideration of both
governments.
I avail myself of this occasion to renew to your excellency the
assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency S. Moret, etc.
