Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay.

No. 783.]

Sir: Acting in accordance with instructions conveyed in Department’s dispatch, No. 410, of May 18, 1900, I had an interview with Mr. St. Victor, the minister of foreign relations, in reference to that feature of their laws in regard to civil cases arising in this Republic, in which both parties were foreigners, in which the courts of Haiti declared their inability to take cognizance of the same when one of the parties in litigation objected to the jurisdiction of the court. I at the time informed the secretary that my Government could not approve of this interference with the sovereign rights of Haiti, nor would it be a party thereto, stating also that this Government had the sovereign right to establish its tribunals, enact such laws as it deemed necessary for their Government, and the adjudication of such cases as might be brought before them without interference in so doing from another state. I suggested to the secretary, in accordance with the instruction, the advisability to enact such laws to cover the defect complained of by the German minister. That while I made this statement or suggestion, I desired him to understand that it was not the desire of my Government to interfere with the judicial system of this Republic in any way; this suggestion was simply made to remove an objection that might cause trouble to the Republic in the near future; that the best way to prevent it was the enactment of such laws as would remove the objection.

The minister in reply requested me to express the thanks of his Government to the Department for the interest that it has shown on many occasions in the welfare of this Republic and for the statement made that it could not approve of any measure taken by a foreign power that would interfere with the inherent and sovereign rights of this Republic. He also assured me that before the present chambers concluded its labors a law would be passed to clothe its courts with such power that they could judicially treat the cases complained of on the part of the German minister.

Again thanking me for the statement made, the interview ended.

I have, etc.,

W. F. Powell.