Mr. Hay to Mr.
Choate.
Department of State,
Washington, February 20,
1900.
No. 311.]
Sir: Referring to the Department’s No. 263, of
December 21 last, relative to the detention by the British authorities
of goods belonging to Mr. R. M. Geldart, en route from New York to
Delagoa Bay, I inclose for your use copy of a letter from Mr. Geldart in
regard to shipments of merchandise made by the Maria,
Beatrice, and Mashona, respectively,
with accompanying bills of lading1 for the same in duplicate.
[Page 590]
You will observe that Mr. Geldart’s papers are accompanied by his
affidavit, dated the 19th ultimo, in which he declares that he is the
shipper of certain goods, to wit: One hundred cases, each containing two
5–gallon tins of cotton-seed oil, placed on board the steamship Maria for delivery at Delagoa Bay.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Geldart to
Mr. Hay.
New
York, January 19,
1900.
Sir: I am duly in receipt of your favor of
the 16th and 18th instant relative to detention of goods en route
from New York to Delagoa Bay by the British authorities.
As the question of ownership comes in with respect to shipments ex
Beatrice and Mashona, I must write my correspondents at Delagoa Bay for
their permission before selling the goods in question.
The Maria’s shipments, however, covers a lot
of oil, draft against which went to protest. (See Exhibits 1 and
2.)
I prefer under the circumstances, especially as cotton-seed oil is an
article that easily spoils in a hot climate, to abandon the shipment
to the British authorities, and would be pleased to have you
exercise your good offices for the recovery of the amount of
invoice, together with a fair profit on the transaction.
Inclosed triplicate bills of lading1 and duplicate of affidavit as requested.
Respectfully,
[Subinclosure 1.]
African Banking
Corporation to Mr. Geldart.
New
York, January 19,
1900.
Dear Sir: We beg to state that we
negotiated for you on August 23 last two bills, £75 9s. and £4 2s.
3d., drawn on Patlansky Brothers, Johannesburg, for shipment of
goods per steamship Maria. These bills fell
due on October 28, and are still unpaid.
Yours, faithfully, for African Banking Corporation, Limited,
E. J. Fraser-Campbell, Agent.
[Subinclosure 2.]
Mr. Van Exter
to Mr. Geldart.
Johannesburg, October 28, 1899.
Dear Sir: I hereby beg to give you notice
that a certain first bill of exchange for a total amount of £7516s.
8d. (viz., £759s. capital +5s. 8d. exchange+ 21s.—stamp), dated New
York, August 23, 1899, and drawn by you on memorandum Patlansky
Brothers, of this town, and which fell due on the 28th instant, and
whereof my clients, The African Banking Corporation Limited,
Johannesburg, are the legal holders, has been duly presented for
payment, but was dishonored and is still unpaid. I am instructed to
request you, as I hereby do request, to make immediate provision for
the payment, either to me at my said office or to my said clients,
of the said amount of £7516s. 8d., together with interest up to the
date of payment and my costs (£113s.).
Yours truly,
T. Van Exter,
Notary Public, etc.
[Page 591]
[Subinclosure 3.]
Invoice of cottonseed oil shipped by the
undersigned per steamship Maria to Delagoa Bay, South Africa,
for account and risk of Messrs. Patlansky Brothers, of
Johannesburg.
Marks: P. B.—J. Delagoa Bay. No. 1/100.
| 100 c/s summer oil, containing 1,000 gallons and
costing 42 cents, le per cent |
$415.80 |
| Charges: |
|
|
| Freight. |
$60.27 |
|
| Bill of lading stamp |
.10 |
|
| Insurance |
4.50 |
|
| Bill stamps |
.08 |
|
| Commission |
12.02 |
|
|
|
76.97 |
|
|
492.77 |
R. W. Geldart.
E. & O. E.,
New York, August 23, 1899.
[Subinclosure 4.]
New
York, January 19,
1900.
I, the undersigned, do solemnly swear that I am the shipper of the
within-mentioned goods, to wit: One hundred cases, each containing
two 5–gallon tins, of cotton-seed oil, placed on board the steamship
Maria for delivery at Delagoa Bay. That
the merchandise was shipped in good faith to Patlansky Brothers,
British subjects, residing at Johannesburg, S. A. R., and that the
draft against said merchandise went to protest.
That the within-mentioned invoice, $492.77, represents actual cost
to-day and does not cover expenses of protest, cablegrams, etc., and
that I am a lawful citizen of the United States of America.
State of New York, City and County of New York:
Sworn to and subscribed to before me this 19th day of January,
1900.
