No. 89.] Minister Russell to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Caracas, July 8, 1906. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that General Castro entered Caracas on July 4, and the next day, July 5, anniversary of Venezuela's independence, resumed charge of the presidency. The day of General Castro's entrance was made a national holiday, and on his way from the station to his residence he passed under five triumphal arches. At Washington Square an immense arch was erected, and the President left his carriage and placed a wreath at the foot of the statue of George Washington. The Government had sent me a wreath of beautiful design for Washington's statue, and this wreath I placed at the same time that General Castro placed his. The Federal District of Caracas also gave a wreath for the statue. On the 5th General Castro issued a proclamation to the Venezuelans in which he stated that all the political prisoners would be set free, with the exception of "traitors," and this includes two prominent generals who were tried and sentenced by court-martial. Up to this time there have been liberated about 85 prisoners, and the list includes the celebrated General Rolando, who operated for a time so successfully in the east. The confiscated property of General Matos and Ortega Martinez have been returned. On the 5th an executive decree was issued to the effect that the present cabinet ministers would remain in charge of their respective portfolios until the government was reorganized. The only appointments so far have been a new secretary-general and a new governor of the Federal District. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that on the 16th instant General Castro named a new cabinet, as follows: Interior-Dr. Julio Torres-Cardenas. Foreign affairs-Dr. José de J. Paúl. Finance-Dr. Eduardo Celis. War and marine-Gen. Manuel Salvador Araujo. Fomento Jesus M. Herrera Irigoyen. Public works-Juan Casanova. Public Instruction-Dr. Laureno Villanueva. Governor of the Federal District-Dr. Luis Mata Illas. The new minister of interior, Doctor Torres-Cardenas, has been secretary-general to the President ever since the latter came to power and is one of his most trusted advisers. The new minister for foreign affairs, Dr. José de J. Paúl, holds over from the last cabinet. The new minister for finance, Doctor Celis, was formerly collector of the port at La Guaira, and is said to be a very capable man. The new minister of war, General Araujo, was one of Castro's fighters in the last revolution and has lately been commandant of arms of the Federal District. The new minister of fomento, Mr. Herrera Irigoyen, is the owner and editor of El Cojo, a Caracas illustrated monthly magazine. The new minister of public works, Mr. Casanova, is a rich planter, and a member of one of the prominent families of Caracas. The new minister of public instruction, Doctor Villanueva, was rector of the university before he was called to the cabinet. The new governor of the Federal District, Dr. Luis Mata, was minister of public works in the old cabinet. Caracas, January 21, 1906. SIR: Your cable of the 10th instant, in regard to the decision of the French Government to sever diplomatic relations with Venezuela, was received by me the same day, and was immediately followed by an official note from the French chargé d'affaires here advising me to the same effect. I accordingly wrote an official communication to the Venezuelan Government (inclosure 1) and handed it in person to the minister for foreign affairs in the afternoon of the 10th. This note was answered the next day (inclosure 2). On the morning of the 11th, I had a long interview with the minister for foreign affairs and told him as there were no passenger steamers leaving at once, Mr. Taigny might be delayed here two or three days, and that in all probability a man-of-war would call at La Guaira. I explained that if a war vessel was coming I would notify him in due time when it was expected and when Mr. Taigny would leave Caracas. It was also arranged that upon my request the Government of Venezuela would give Mr. Taigny a salvo conducto (safe conduct). On the morning of the 11th the La Guaira cable office was closed. On Saturday, the 13th, Mr. Taigny and his vice-consul went to La Guaira, in order to be in the port on the arrival of the French steamer Martinique, due on Sunday, 14th. On Sunday morning, about 9 o'clock, I was advised from La Guaira that Mr. Taigny had gone on board the French steamer and was to be arrested and taken off by soldiers; the Venezuelan Government alleges that he forced his way past the custom-house guards, who had requested from him the necessary permission. I immediately communicated with the minister for foreign affairs, but in the meantime I had been advised that Mr. Taigny had been detained on board the ship, and that the vessel had been made to haul off from the dock. I again made an earnest appeal to the minister for foreign affairs, but could do nothing; the only answer I could get was that Mr. Taigny had defied the laws of the Republic. I kept in close communication with our consul in La Guaira, but could get no communication with Mr. Taigny until Monday morning, when our consul went on board. Late Sunday afternoon the consul informed me that Mr. Taigny had informed the agents of the steamship line that he would leave on the Martinique, and I instructed the vice-consul, Mr. Desmartis, to prepare his baggage and take it down to La Guaira on Monday morning. The Government had been advised of the arrival of a French manof-war, and had sent notification to this effect to the captain of the Martinique, and that the transfer of Mr. Taigny could take place outside of the harbor. No war vessel having arrived up to midnight on Monday, the Martinique left and carried Mr. Taigny to Curaçao, where he arrived on the 17th instant. The first communication I had from Mr. Taigny was delivered to the American consul, who went aboard the Martinique on Monday morning. Mr. Taigny delivered to the consul two letters, one for me (inclosure 3) and one for the dean of the diplomatic corps (in closure 4). I had instructed the consul not to deliver these letters to anyone, but to bring them to Caracas himself; but the consul could not leave La Guaira, and sent the letters to me on Thursday by his clerk. A meeting of the diplomatic corps was held on Thursday afternoon, and it was agreed to address a communication to the Government (inclosure 5). This communication was answered by the minister for foreign affairs (inclosure 6), and on the same day the diplomatic corps was again called in reunion, and the note of the minister for foreign affairs was answered (inclosure 7). I inclose you the report of the French vice-consul, Mr. Desmartis, to the French minister for foreign affairs (inclosure 8), and the report of the American consul (inclosure 9). The Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs takes the strange position that Mr. Taigny's immunities ceased when I wrote my note of the 10th instant, and that he was merely a French citizen. I await your instructions before taking any other action with the diplomatic corps, and I trust that my course so far in this matter will meet your approval. I am, etc., W. W. RUSSELL. [Inclosure 1.] Minister Russell to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. AMERICAN LEGATION, Caracas, January 10, 1906. MR. MINISTER: I have the honor to inform you that, in accordance with instructions from Washington received this morning and an official note just received from the French legation in Caracas, the French Government has decided to discontinue diplomatic relations with the Government of Venezuela and to withdraw its representative from Caracas. I have also been instructed to take charge of the property and archives of the French legation and to assume the friendly care of the interests of French citizens in Venezuela temporarily. I take, etc., WILLIAM W. RUSSELL. [Inclosure 2.-Translation.] The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Minister Russell. CARACAS, January 11, 1906. MR. MINISTER: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your courteous. note of the 10th instanț, and the constitutional President of the Republic has been informed of the contents thereof. I take, etc., [Inclosure 3.-Translation.] ALEJANDRO YBARRA. The French Chargé to Minister Russell. ́ ON BOARD THE MARTINIQUE, MR. MINISTER: You being charged with the care and the protection of French interests in Venezuela by reason of the rupture of diplomatic relations between France and this country, I come as the representative of France and French citizens to formulate the most energetic protest against the treatment which was inflicted upon me yesterday, January 14, by the Venezuelan Government, preventing me from leaving the mail boat Martinique, on which I had been called by my professional duties. I have been kept prisoner on board up to this hour, without being able to communicate with the consular agent of France, nor the mail agent, nor the vice-consul with whom I came down from Caracas, and who was prevented from coming on board. I am forced to embark, on the war vessel which is coming to look for me, in a clandestine manner and contrary to the importance of the functions which I have exercised for eight months at Caracas and the courtesy professed by all civilized nations as regards diplo matic representatives, as well as nations with whom relations have been broken off. I shall be very much obliged to you if you will bring to the knowledge of your Government the arbitrary and unworthy proceedings of a people who count amongst themselves-qui compte dans son sein-so many persons friendly to my country, and I leave the responsibility of this violation of the law of nations to the executive power who has dictated its orders without, however, caring to leave any written trace of them. Believe, etc., OLIVIER TAIGNY. [Inclosure 4.-- The French Chargé to the Diplomatic Corps in Venezuela. ON BOARD THE PACKET BOAT MARTINIQUE, January 15, 1906. MR. DEAN AND DEAR COLLEAGUES: In your quality as dean of the diplomatic corps of Caracas I address to you my very strong and formal protest against the proceedings of which I was a victim on the part of the Venezuelan Government in La Guaira on January 14. The fact of retaining arbitrarily a diplomatic representative, whose person should have been the more sacred as relations had just been broken between his country and Venezuela, should be called to the attention of all the nations who have representatives in Venezuela. I pray you to make this fact known to all my colleagues in order that their respective Governments may be informed of the little protection which agents accredited to the Government of General Castro find in the fulfillment of their mission. I pray you to give my respects to all my colleagues and to tell them how much I regret not being able to bid them good-by as I should have desired. Please accept, etc., OLIVIER TAIGNY. [Inclosure 5.-Translation.] The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF Brazil, Caracas, January 18, 1906. Mr. MINISTER: The diplomatic corps accredited to the Venezuelan Government, having learned of an incident which happened last Sunday, the 14th instant, in the port of La Guaira to the chargé d'affaires of France, Mr. Olivier Taigny, who writes us in a letter received to-day that he was detained aboard the French steamer Martinique, deprived of his liberty, and even obliged to leave on said steamer before he had received his passports, and without any delay being granted him, which would not be in accord with his diplomatic immunities, have requested me in my character of dean to beg your excellency to please furnish to the chiefs of mission the details of the incident and the reasons for the measure taken against the above-mentioned chargé d'affaires by the Government of this Republic, in order that they may refer the matter to their Governments and explain to them the motives for this action which, in accordance with what has been told them, seems strange to said foreign representatives. In thanking your excellency in advance for a reply which your habitual good will and courtesy will not refuse to a request which seems so justifiable to all, I gladly, etc., M. DE OLIVEIRA LIMA. [Inclosure 6.--Translation.] The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. CARACAS, January 20, 1906. Mr. MINISTER: I acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's note of the 18th instant. I am instructed to say to your excellency, in order that you may likewise inform the honorable diplomatic corps, that the Government regrets to find itself obliged to excuse itself from answering the question asked of it, as Mr. Taigny, on the date on which he forcibly went aboard the French steamer anchored in the port of La Guaira, had no diplomatic character after Minister Russell, in charge of the negotiations between Venezuela and France, passed to this ministry his official note of the 10th instant, and of which note the national executive was immediately informed, and to which note said American Minister Russell received an official answer on the 11th instant, both of which notes the diplomatic corps will have seen published laterly; so that the affair is one of mere internal police. The Government of Venezuela laments, moreover, this incident, as the note of your excellency was entirely diplomatic in character, and as the Venezuelan Government is extremely anxious to maintain and preserve its correct and sincere relations of good friendship which it cultivates as well with the nations represented as with their worthy representatives. I reiterate, etc., [Inclosure 7. Translation.] ALEJANDRO YBARRA. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF BRAZIL, Mr. MINISTER: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's note of to-day, which I immediately made known to my honorable colleagues of the diplomatic corps, who charge me in my character as dean to say to your excellency that they will forward the contents of your note to their respective governments; but at the same time to say to your excellency that they can not agree with the statements made in the above-mentioned note of your excellency, viz, that an agent loses his diplomatic character and the immunities inherent thereto from, the fact of a rupture of relations and with |