No. 587. Mr. Valera to Mr. Bayard. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, Washington, September 28, 1885. (Received October 2.) The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of Spain, has the honor to inform the Hon. Thomas F. Bayard, Secretary of State of the United States, that, as he is informed by the consul general of his nation at New York, the Cuban revolutionists are preparing to celebrate in that city the anniversary of the outbreak of the insurrection of 1868, for which purpose they have already appointed a committee of arrangements. The undersigned minister, in bringing this matter to the knowledge of the honorable Secretary of State, does so solely in order that the administration may be prepared to repress any expedition against the peace and tranquillity of the island of Cuba that the insurrectionists may, perchance, desire to set on foot as a concomitant to their aforesaid celebration. The undersigned, &c., No. 588. JUAN VALERA. Mr. Bayard to Mr. Valera. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 28th ultimo, relative to the threatened inauguration in New York, by Cuban revolutionists, of proceedings against the peace and tranquillity of the island of Cuba, and to inform you that the Attorney-General has been requested to take such steps in the matter, through the United States district attorney at New York, as may be necessary to preserve the neutrality of this Government, and secure the enforcement of its laws in that regard. Accept, &c., No. 589. T. F. BAYARD. Mr. Bayard to Mr. Valera. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR Referring to your note of the 28th ultimo, as to a possible expedition to be set on foot in this country, against the peace of the island of Cuba, I have the honor to say that the attorney of the United States at New York has been directed to exercise all possible vigilance to discover and use means to prevent any violation of the neutrality laws in the direction indicated. Accept, &c., T. F. BAYARD. No. 590. Mr. Valera to Mr. Bayard. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, Washington, October 10, 1885. (Received October 12.) The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of Spain, has the honor, referring to his note of the 6th instant, to send to the honorable Thomas F. Bayard, Secretary of State of the United States, the inclosed check for $7,987.80, being the amount of the claims presented by the United States Government to that of His Majesty the King in behalf of several American exporters of cattle to the island of Cuba via the port of Key West. The accompanying table shows the names of the vessels, the number of head of cattle exported, the duties collected by the consulate of Spain, and the amount refunded to each exporter. The undersigned minister begs the honorable Secretary of State to be pleased to acknowledge the receipt of this amount, and he gladly avails himself, &c. JUAN VALERA. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 10th instant, and of the check on Messrs. Riggs & Co. for $7,987.80 which it inclosed, being an amount of taxes or fees on shipment of cattle (over and above a certain charge) exacted by the Spanish consul at Key West in 1882, and paid by certain American shippers, James McKay and others. The amount returned will be delivered to the persons thereto entitled. Accept, &c., T. F. BAYARD, No. 592. Mr. Valera to Mr. Bayard. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, November 18, 1885. (Received November 18.) The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of Spain, referring to his note of the 6th of October last, has the honor to transmit to the Hon. Thomas F. Bayard, Secretary of State of the United States, the inclosed draft, indorsed to his order, for $52,939.72. This amount is sent by way of indemnity for the fine imposed by the central custom-house board of the Philippines upon Capt. Osman S. Nichols, of the American bark Masonic, and includes interest at 6 per cent., payable from the 27th of June last, on which day the decision was rendered, up to the 23d instant, when payment was made. The undersigned begs the honorable Secretary of State to be pleased to acknowledge the receipt of the amount in question, and gladly avails himself, &c. JUAN VALERA. No. 593. Mr. Bayard to Mr. Valera. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 18th instant and of the draft which it inclosed, to the order of the Secretary of State, for $52,939.72, sent by way of indemnity to the claimant in the case of the Masonic, the amount named including the sum of $1,265.65 interest on the award of the arbitrator. The high sense of honor shown by His Majesty's Government in dealing with this case is appreciated by the Government of the United States. I inclose the claimant's receipt. Accept, &c., No. 594. T. F. BAYARD. Mr. Valera to Mr. Bayard. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, Washington, November 28, 1885. (Received December 2.) I perform a painful duty in communicating to your excellency the following telegram, which I received on the 25th instant, at 11 o'clock p. m. It officially confirms the sad news which we already knew from common report: The minister of state to the minister of Spain at Washington. EL PARDO PALÁCE, November 25, 1885. In the discharge of the saddest duties, I have to inform your excellency of the premature death of His Majesty Don Alfonso XII, which took place to-day, at this royal palace, at a quarter before 9 o'clock in the morning. The cabinet ministers at once respectfully tendered their resignations to the Queen, expressing their readiness to continue in office until Her Majesty should reach such a decision as she might deem best suited to the interests of the nation and of her august daughter. I have delayed transmitting the foregoing communication to your excellency, awaiting the receipt of official information with regard to the changes that might be made in the personnel of the Government, inasmuch as Mr. Cánovas, president of the late cabinet, had tendered his resignation to the Queen regent. The latter has accepted it, and has requested Mr. Sagasta to form a new ministry, which, as I am officially informed, has now been done. The names of the new ministers are given in the following dispatch: The ambassador of Spain at Paris to the minister of Spain at Washington. PARIS, November 28, 1885. The ministry of which Mr. Cánovas del Castillo was president having resigned, Her Majesty the Queen regent has intrusted the formation of a new cabinet to Mr. Sagasta, and it has been formed as follows, the members having taken the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty last night: President, Sagasta; state, Moret; grace and justice, Alonso Martinez; war, Jovellar; government, González; public works, Montero Rios; colonies, Gamazo. I communicate to you the foregoing by order of the minister of state. CARDENAS. I avail, &c., No. 595. JUAN VALERA. Mr. Bayard to Mr. Valera. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 5, 1885. SIR: I had the honor to receive, on the 30th ultimo, your note of the 28th, whereby you communicated to me the sad intelligence which had reached you of the death of His Majesty Don Alfonso XII, and acquaint me with the organization of the Government of Her Majesty, the Queen regent. Immediately upon the receipt of the like intelligence from the legation of the United States at Madrid, the envoy was instructed by telegraph to tender the sincere condolences of the Government and people of the United States with Her Majesty the Queen regent in her deep bereavement, and to express their wishes for the continued welfare of Spain under the wise rule of Her Majesty. Accept, &c., No. 596. T. F. BAYARD. Mr. Bayard to Mr. Valera. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: With reference to the information recently communicated by you, of an intended violation of the neutrality laws, by the fitting out of au expedition at Key West against the peace of Cuba, I have the honor to say that according to telegrams of the 2d instant from the United States attorney and collector of customs at Key West thorough precautionary measures have been taken to prevent any attempted departure of suspected persons upon such an expedition. Accept, &c., T. F. BAYARD. No. 100.] SWEDEN AND NORWAY. No. 597. Mr. Thomas to Mr. Frelinghuysen. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Stockholm, February 2, 1885. (Received February 19.) SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the doctrine of protection of home products by the imposition of duties on imports is gaining ground in Sweden. The most active protectionists in this kingdom at present are the large landed proprietors, and their efforts are chiefly directed to the protection of the products of their estates. The Swedish Diet was opened on January 19; the committees were chosen on January 24, and already motions have been made, in both the upper and lower house, that duties be placed on the agricultural products imported into Sweden. These motions propose the imposition of duties on pork, wheat, maize, peas, barley, oats, flour, groats, butter, and cheese. All these articles are now duty free, except cheese, on which there is a duty of 7 öre per kilogram. The amount of duty asked for varies greatly in the different motions, being from 1 to 12 crowns per 100 kilograms on wheat, 2 to 15 crowns per 100 kilograms on flour and meal, and 10 to 15 crowns per 100 kilograms on pork. These motions have all been referred to the committee on ways and means, a joint standing committee composed of members of both houses of the Diet. The committee will give the subject a careful and thorough investigation, and will probably not report thereon for several weeks, perhaps not till the latter part of March. The matter will be fully discussed and excite an earnest contest both in committee and in the Diet between the protectionists and the free-traders. Sweden until very lately has been inclined towards free trade. At the present moment, however, it is impossible to predict whether the attempt to place duties upon the necessaries of life will succeed or not, still less what will be the amount of such duties. It is certain that the contest will be close, and it is well that American farmers and exporters be warned of an impending danger. The proposed duties are for protection, pure and simple. The exigencies of the Swedish treasury demand no new tax. Not only that, but in so large measure do the present revenues of Sweden exceed her expenses that the King in opening the Diet recommended a reduction of 30 per cent. in some of the chief taxes of the realm. The significance of the proposed duties to America will be appreciated when it is recollected that the import of pork alone into Sweden amounts in value to $2,000,000 a year, and is almost exclusively the product of the United States, |