Minister O’Brien to the Secretary of State.

No. 121.]

Sir: I beg to acknowledge receipt on this date of your No. 42 of the 26th ult.

The Mr. Bahncke referred to in your dispatch and the inclosure has been in this country for some little time, and I have been in correspondence with the minister for foreign affairs touching his right [Page 69] to act as representative of South Carolina and some other states in respect to emigration from this country.

It seems to be the policy of this country to discourage active efforts along the line in question, and under date of September 29 I have a communication from the foreign minister directing my attention to two provisions of the Danish law, which, if enforced, would greatly limit, if not entirely prevent, any activity on the part of Mr. Bahncke. I saw the latter on the 6th inst., and am still intending to press the matter for a modification of the rule. He has written Mr. Watson, the commissioner of South Carolina, to visit Denmark, and it is hoped that he may be able to do so.

I have, etc.,

T. J. O’Brien.

[Inclosure—Dispatch No. 121.]

Translation of a part of act of May 1, 1868:

“No person shall act as an emigration agent without special permission.

“Any person shall be regarded as an emigration agent who, on his own account or on account of others, undertakes the transportation of emigrants to foreign parts of the world. No one except authorized agents and their subdelegates shall be permitted to make contracts concerning transportation with emigrants, nor offer his assistance to the making of the same. This act shall, however, have no reference to the direct transportation from Danish seaports as long as the number of passengers does not exceed 25 persons.”

A part of act No. 52 of March 25, 1872, amending the foregoing:

Section III.—Without such authority nobody shall solicit emigrants, nor publicly offer his assistance toward emigration, nor give any advice in regard to emigration.”