Señor Aspíroz to Mr. Hay.

[Translation.]
No. 85.]

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note No. 78 of to-day’s date, in which—after referring to the legislative and judicial proceedings which resulted in the affirmation by the Supreme Court of this country of the judgment rendered by the Court of Claims, in virtue of which it was determined that the award of the mixed claims commission in favor of La Abra Silver Mining Company was obtained by means of fraud and that neither that company, its representatives, nor assigns are entitled to receive any part of the amount which the Government of Mexico delivered to the Government of the United States in payment of that claim—your excellency informs me that of said sum there remains in the control of your Department the sum of $403,030.08, and that, by direction of His Excellency the President of the United States such sum is at my disposition by means of the check inclosed with your excellency’s note, payable by the United States treasurer at New York.

I hasten to express to your excellency my most sincere recognition of the high principles of justice and equity which have guided the Government of the United States in returning to Mexico the aforesaid sum so soon as the obstacles to such action were removed. I do not doubt that my Government, on receiving this agreeable intelligence, will see in this act a new proof of the friendly spirit with which the illustrious Chief Magistrate of this country and your excellency personally cultivate the pacific relations happily existing between our two Republics upon the basis of honor, morality, and benevolence, with the wise cooperation of the legislative and judicial branches, which is illustrated particularly in the act of exemplary probity to which I have just referred, and for which to a singular degree the Mexican people will always be grateful.

I return to your excellency the copies, in original and duplicate, of the receipt of the check referred to, bearing my signature and official seal, and I retain the third copy.

Be pleased, etc.,

M. de Azpíroz.
[Inclosure.]

Received of the Secretary of State of the United States the sum of $403,030.08, being the balance of the award given in favor of the La Abra Silver Mining Company by the United States and Mexican Mixed Claims Commission, under the convention of July 4, 1868, which award by the decision of the Court of Claims, and, upon appeal, by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, upon action brought by the Attorney-General of the United States under the authority of an act which took effect December 28, 1892, was declared to be obtained by fraud. This amount is paid by check No. 4015, drawn upon the assistant treasurer of the United States at New York, dated March 28, 1900, and made payable to my order.


[seal.]
M. de Azpíroz.