the 11th of January last, he was pleased to acknowledge the receipt of my note addressed to him on the 25th of November preceding, together with the documents which you had been so kind as to send me, to be transmitted to him, respecting the schooners Julius Cæsar, Champion, Louisiana, Gardiner, and Mechanic, and respecting Dennis Gahagan, a citizen of this republic. The said Secretary states in his answer, which I received yesterday, that he was about to enter upon the examination of these claims, and that he would, as speedily as possible, transmit to me the determinations of the President upon each in succession, as well as upon the others still pending. I have the honor to communicate this for your information, and to express to you, at the same time, the regret of the Mexican Government that it has as yet been able to reply on so few of the claims of the United States. We, however, trust that you will bear in mind the difficulties of procuring all the information necessary for such determinations, as the events to which the greater part of the claims refer happened so long since; and we are also persuaded that you will admit, as circumstances in excuse for the delay, the changes which took place in October last in the ministry, of which the said Señor Cuevas formed part. With this hope I have the honor to repeat to you, sir, the assurances of my respectful consideration. FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. To the Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, Secretary of State. Mr. Forsyth to Mr. Martinez. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 6, 1838. SIR: I have the honor to transmit an authenticated copy of the memorial and accompanying documents of Charles Turner, master of the schooner Mary, on a voyage from New York to Sisal, in January and February, 1824. The memorial states that Turner rescued from the wreck of a British vessel a quantity of cochineal, which was entered upon the manifest of the cargo of the Mary. The cochineal, after being landed, was seized by the authorities, on the pretext of its having been improperly introduced into Sisal, and the memorialist was arrested on a charge of smuggling. The cochineal was claimed by Julian G. Gutierrez, but was delivered by judgment of court to Jose T. Lopez, the consignee of the Mary; and the memorialist was discharged from arrest, without any allowance for salvage or damages for his detention. The particulars, for which indemnification is expected, are set forth in the memorial. No just objection to granting the relief claimed can be anticipated. The whole case depends upon the question as to whether there was or was not probable cause for the seizure of the cochineal. A correct decision of this question requires a glance merely at undisputed facts. Cochineal is not only a Mexican production, of which there is little or no consumption in that country, but is also exported from that part of Mexico to which the Mary was bound; consequently, there could have been no motive for smuggling that article into Sisal. But, even if the property saved from the wreck had been the production of some other country, the fact of its having been entered on the manifest of the cargo, which was promptly shown to the revenue officers when demanded, would alone have been sufficient to repel the imputation of a design to defraud the Mexican treasury by the clandestine introduction of the goods. The reason alleged for the seizure of the cochineal and the arrest of Turner, therefore, was not valid, and he is consequently entitled to demand reparation of the Mexican Government on account of the salvage which was withheld from him, and for the damages which he sustained in consequence of his arrest. The object of this letter being to make the demand accordingly, the necessary evidence is now sent. I avail myself of this opportunity to offer you renewed assurances of my high consideration. Señor Don FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. JOHN FORSYTH. Mr. Martinez to Mr. Forsyth. LEGACION MEXICANA, Nueva Orleans, 20 de Marzo de 1838. MUY SR. MIO: Tengo el honor de avisar á V. E. el recibo de su nota de 6 del presente, con que me transmite una copia autentica del memorial, y documentos que le acompañan, de Carlos Turner, capitan de la goleta Mary; en que pide que el Gobierno Mexicano lo indemnizé de los daños y perjuicios que sufrió, á principios del año de 1824, en consecuencia de habersele negado en Sisal la remuneracion correspondiente al salvamento de ocho zurrones de grana, que estrajo de un buque Ingles que naufragó en el Cabo San Antonio, y del arresto en que se le tuvo, como acusado de contrabandista. Por el primer buque que dé la vela de este puerto para Vera Cruz ó Tampico, enviaré á mi Gobierno la mencionada copia, y á ella añadire la de la citada nota de V. E.; á quien, con este motivo, renuevo las seguridades de mi muy distinguida consideracion. FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. Exmo. Sr. Don JUAN FORSYTH, Secretario, &c. Mr. Martinez to Mr. Forsyth. [Translation.] MEXICAN LEGATION, New Orleans, March 20, 1838. SIR: I bave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 6th instant, together with the accompanying memorial and documents of Charles Turner, the captain of the schooner Mary, in which he asks from the Mexican Government indemnification for the evils and losses suffered by him in the beginning of the year 1824, in consequence of his having been denied salvage at Sisal for eight ceroons of cochineal which he had taken from an English vessel wrecked on Cape San Antonio, and for having been arrested on an accusation of smuggling. I will send the said papers to my Government by the first vessel which sails from this port to Vera Cruz or Tampico, and I will add to it your said note at the same time, I beg leave to repeat to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration. FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. To the Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, Mr. Forsyth to Mr. Martinez. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 7, 1838. SIR: I transmit an authenticated copy of papers relating to a claim of John Belden on the Mexican Government, for the forcible occupation of his house at Matamoras, by Mexican troops, in December, 1836, in disregard of the treaty between the two countries, which promises special protection to the property of the citizens of either party residing in the territories of the other. Requesting you to be so kind as to forward these papers to your Government, I embrace this opportunity to offer you renewed assurances of my great consideration. Sr. Don FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. JOHN FORSYTH. List of papers referred to above. Mr. Curtis to Mr. Forsyth, 5 February, 1838. Augustin Frixins to the general-in-chief, 11 February, 1837. Order to deliver the house, 10 July, 1837. D. W. Smith to Powhatan Ellis, 9 December, 1836. Certificate of D. W. Smith. Mr. Martinez to Mr. Forsyth. LEGACION MEXICANA, Nueva Orleans, 7 de Abril de 1838. MUY SR. MIO: Por la nota que en 23 de Diciembre de 1837 tube el honor de dirijir á ese Departamento, se impuso V. E. de la ley espedida por el Congreso General Mexicáno, en 20 de Mayo del propio año, auto rizando competentemente al Ejecutivo para proponir el arbitrage de que habla el articulo 1. Penetrado el Sr. Presidente de que este medio es el mas á proposito para poner de una vez termino á los males que ya resienten Mexico y los Estados Unidos, y restablecer sobre bases solidas las relaciones de amistad y buena vecindad de ambos paises, me manda ofrecerlo. En tal viroud, y cierto de que los Estados Unidos se hallan animados de los mismos sentimientos que Mexico, tengo la honrosa satisfaccion de dirirgime á V. E., y protestarle, desde luego, que mi Gobierno se sujetará, gustoso y con la mejor buena fé, á la decision de la Potencia que de comun acuerdo se nombrare: él sigue siempre dispuesto á un'arreglo definitivo y formál, que prevenga nuevas dificultades entre ambas naciones, y que corte de raiz las diferencias que han venido á turbar la buena armonía. Si el Gobierno de V. E. se conviene en adoptar el arbitrage, y si se aviene á dar seguridades de que continuará tomando eficácias providencias para que durante la guerra de Texas se observe la mas estricta neutralidad, y se impiden por cuantos médios sean posibles los aucsilios que pudieran proyectarse en estos Estados; en ese caso, tendré el honor, con arreglo á lo que se me ha prevenido, de nombrar á V. E. la Potencia á cuyo juicio está pronto México á someter la decision de las diferencias que desgraciadamente ecsisten. No debe dudarse que el señor Presidente admita sin hesitar el médio filantropico que se propone, para restablecir las relaciones entre dos pueblos que deben ser amigos; ni que rehuse dar la garantia, á que justamente tiene derecho mi Gobierno, de una rigurosa neutralidad respecto de Texas. Pero como sobre ambos puntos tenga yo órden esprésa para pedir una respuesta pronta y categórica, me permitirá V. E. que al suplicarle que dé inmediatamente cuenta con esta nota al Sr. Presidente, solicite tambien de su bondad el que se sirva hacerme saber, con toda la brevedad posible, el resultado que ella produzca. Aprovecho esta oportunidad para tener el honor de renovar á V. E. las seguridades de mi muy distinguida consideracion. FRAN. PIZARRO MARTINEZ. Exmo. Sr. Don JUAN FORSYTH, Secretario, &c. Mr. Martinez to Mr. Forsyth. [Translation.] MEXICAN LEGATION, New Orleans, April 7, 183s. SIR: By the note which I had the honor to address to your Department on the 23d of December, 1837, I communicated to you information of the law passed by the General Congress of Mexico on the 20th of May of the same year, fully authorizing the Executive to propose the arbitration mentioned in the first article. His excellency the President being convinced that this is the most effectual means of terminating at once the evils to which Mexico and the United States are now subjected, and of re-establishing, upon solid bases, the relations of friendship and good neighborhood between the two countries, has ordered me to propose it. Therefore, in virtue of such order, and feeling certain that the United States are animated by the same sentiments with Mexico, I have the honorable satisfaction to address you, and to assure you that my Government will with pleasure, and with the utmost good faith, submit to the decision of the Power which may be chosen by common accord. It is always disposed to a definitive and formal settlement, by means of which new difficulties between the two nations may be avoided, and the differences which have disturbed their harmony may be eradicated. If the Government of the United States should agree to adopt this arbitration, and should think proper to give assurances that it will continue to take effective measures for the preservation of the most strict neutrality during the Texan war, as well as for preventing, by all possible means, the supply of such aid as may be projected in these States, in such case I will have the honor, agreeably to my instructions, to name to you, sir, the Power to the judgment of which Mexico is ready to submit the decision of the differences now unfortunately subsisting. There can be no doubt that the President will admit, without hesitation, the philanthropic means now proposed for restoring the relations. between two nations which should be on friendly terms; nor that he will refuse to give the guaranty, to which my Government is justly entitled, of vigorous neutrality with regard to Texas. But, as I have express orders to demand a prompt and categorical answer upon both points, you will permit me, sir, to request, earnestly, that you will immediately submit this note to the President, and that you will entreat him to be so kind as to let me know the result as speedily as possible. I avail myself of this opportunity to have the honor to repeat to you, sir, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration. FRANCISCO PIZARRO MARTINEZ. Hon. JOHN FORSYTH, Secretary of State. Mr. Forsyth to Mr. Martinez. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 21, 1838. SIR: I have had the honor to receive, and have laid before the President, your note of the 7th instant, proposing a reference to a third Power of the reclamations of the Government of the United States on the Mexican republic. I am directed to acquaint you, in reply, that whatever may be the anxiety of this Government to obtain satisfaction for wrongs inflicted upon its citizens, it appreciates too highly those principles of philanthropy to which you allude, to be desirous of proceeding to extremities, when they can be honorably avoided, and without doing injustice to those whose interests it is bound to protect. Your proposition, which you state is based on the first article of the law of the Mexican Congress of the 20th of May, (a copy of which was communicated with your note to this Department of the 23d of December last, which is in these words: "Se autoriza al Gobierno para que pueda transigir en las |