Mr. Sherman to Mr. Powell.
Washington, October 23, 1897.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 43 of the 7th instant, inclosing copy of the proposed law requiring all persons leaving Haitian ports to provide themselves with passports.
In reply I have to state that the requirement of a passport or permit to quit a country is common and is enforced at the present time by important States, such as Russia, Turkey, and Spain, in the Spanish Antilles. The right to prescribe such a formality can not well be disputed, but the amount of the fee (6 gourds) may warrant friendly representations against so onerous a charge.
Respectfully, yours,