flooded by the lake. There has been perhaps 2,000, but mostly by Mexicans who live in jacals, and it is not of any great value.

Now, the middle third of the Rio Grande, from a point about Albuquerque to the Presidio del Norte, has no confluents that throw water into it to maintain its flow. The flow comes from Colorado and the headwaters in the high mountains from the drifted snow on the mountains melted by rains in the spring. The river has confluents above and below these points which are living streams and furnish the flow, but have none intermediate.

Mr. LANHAM. This dry portion extends down the Presidio del Norte about 200 miles and the river is absolutely dry?

Major MILLS. Yes, sir; in 1888 the river was dry for sixty days during a portion of August, September, and part of October. Last year the river ceased to flow entirely about the 5th day of August, and did not commence its flow until December 20, one hundred and twenty-seven days.

Mr. LANHAM. How far did that extend above El Paso?

Major MILLS. To near Albuquerque.

Mr. LANHAM. How far in distance?

Major MILLS. About 200 miles.

Mr. LANHAM. It became dry for 200 miles above, and how much below?

Major MILLS. Two hundred miles.

Mr. LANHAM. General Stanley estimates in his report to the War Department that there is about 500 miles in all.

Major MILLS. That would depend upon whether he takes the meandering line of the river or whether he takes a straight line.

The CHAIRMAN. After this long period of drought, during which the river ceases to flow, and there comes a flood, does the river remain in the same channel as it did before the drought commenced?

Major MILLS. I will come to that. The prime object in this project is to correct the boundary line between the United States and Mexico. I have maps here, and I will show you how this river changes. Within two months this river shifts its channel 4 to 5 miles, flooding the country so as to render the best bottom lands wholly valueless for cultivation, and it mixes up the boundary question between the United States and Mexico. There are tracts of thousands of acres now over which it is not positive which country has jurisdiction. This condition renders it very feasible to smuggle and to carry on thefts of horses from one country to the other, for a refuge for murderers and other criminals, who are a constant menance to the peace and good order of the people on both sides. It is a matter that must be remedied. There are two great troubles there; one is when the spring floods come, which begin about the first to the middle of April and last about three months. I have seen the Rio

Grande when it appeared to be as large a stream as the Mississippi and to cover as much area. I have seen it flooding all over the whole country. This water, by the way, comes from the mountains in Colorado and from a part of New Mexico at seasons when they do not need irrigation. On account of the early frosts they are unable to plant there at that time, and these waters come unobstructed. Another difficulty is the dry season, when the people lose their crops. We have had two such seasons, and the indications are that this year will be dry.

*

The Mexican Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF MEXICO, Washington, August 13, 1892.

Mr. SECRETARY. The Minister of Foreign Relations of my Government addressed a note to Don Matias Romero, on the 4th day of May last, informing him that, on the 19th of May, 1890, the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America had addressed a communication to Mr. Mariscal, whereby he submitted to the consideration of the Executive the resolution passed by the Congress of this Republic, April 29, 1890, requesting the President to enter into negotiations with the Mexican Government with a view to securing the adoption of measures in regard to the irrigation of the dry lands adjacent to the Rio Grande (Bravo), the international limits, and the relations with Mexico. The said Secretary first deputed the licentiate, Don Jose Maria Gamboa, to examine various plans for the construction of irrigating works in New Mexico and Colorado, and subsequently requested the Department of Public Works to report concerning several bills which had been introduced in the United States Congress for the utilization of the fluvial waters in the vicinity of the Colorado and the Bravo and their affluents. He received two reports on the subject, one from the aforesaid lawyer, and the other from the licentiate, Don Ignacio L. Vallarta; of these a careful examination was made by the Department under his charge, as a reIsult of which he submitted to the President, for his approval, the measure proposed by the representative of the United States, in the name of his Government, whereby it was proposed to authorize Mr. Romero to enter into negotiations with the Secretary of State for the purpose of making a preliminary arrangement for a convention between the two Governments that should carry out the views of the United States Congress as expressed in its joint resolution of April 29, 1890, in the interest of both countries, leaving their respective treaty rights unimpaired. The Chief Magistrate of the Republic saw

fit to sanction the measure in question, and he did so with the unanimous approval of his Cabinet.

As Mr. Romero is now in Mexico, discharging the duties of Secretary of the Treasury, and as his absence from Washington will still be somewhat prolonged, the Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico instructs me to state to you, as I hereby have the honor to do, that the interest which both Governments have in the matter renders it very desirable that the United States Government should instruct its Minister in Mexico to make there, as speedily as possible, the preliminary arrangement proposed, with the sanction of the American Government.

I gladly avail myself of this occasion, to renew to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most respectful and distinguished consideration.

C. ROMERO.

The Secretary of State to the Mexican Chargé d'Affaires.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 23, 1892. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of 13th instant wherein you refer to the interest taken by your Government in the matter of reclaiming arid lands near the Rio Grande, the subject of a concurrent resolution of the United States Congress, dated April 29, 1890, and submit the request of Mr. Mariscal that, owing to the absence of the Minister, Senor M. Romero, from this capital, the desired negotiations touching a convention to carry out the views of the above-named resolution may be conducted with our Legation in Mexico.

I have instructed Mr. Ryan accordingly.
Accept, etc.

JOHN W. FOSTER.

The Mexican Minister to the Secretary of State.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF MEXICO, Washington, October 26, 1893.

Mr. SECRETARY: I have the honor to inform you that I have received instructions from the Mexican Government to make a proposition to that of the United States, to wit:

The grounds no longer exist on which was based the suggestion made to the Department of State by this legation's note of August 13, 1892, viz, that the negotiations should be conducted in the City of Mexico which were contemplated by the joint resolu

tion passed by the United States Congress April 29, 1890, for the conclusion of a convention between the two Governments relative to the irrigation of arid lands lying contiguous to the Rio Grande, international limits, and commercial relations, which joint resolution was communicated by Mr. Ryan to Mr. Mariscal with his note of May 19, 1890. It is therefore proposed by my Government that those negotiations be conducted at this capital, in accordance with the suggestion made by the representative of the United States in Mexico in his aforesaid communication.

This change will be the more readily effected, inasmuch as the United States Legation has made no progress in its negotiations on this subject with the Government of Mexico, and it may consequently be said that the matter is in the same state in which it was when the representative of the United States suggested that the negotiations should be commenced at Washington.

If this suggestion of the Mexican Government shall meet with the approval of that of the United States, I will thank you to acquaint me with your views concerning this matter, or, if you have not yet had time to inform yourself with regard to it, if you will advise me when you are prepared to consider it.

Be pleased to accept, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

M. ROMERO.

The Merican Minister to the Secretary of State.

[Translation.]

MEXICAN LEGATION,

White Plains, N. Y., September 10, 1894. Mr. SECRETARY: Referring to our previous correspondence on the subject, I have the honor to forward you a copy of a statement addressed to me by the principal residents of Paso del Norte, Mexico, dated August 26 last, in which they call attention to the very serious damage suffered by the inhabitants of the Mexican bank of the upper part of the River Bravo del Norte, in consequence of its waters having been taken almost entirely for irrigation and other purposes, in the State of Colorado and the Territory of New Mexico of the United States of America, and that new irrigating enterprises of this country theaten to exhaust the very little amount of water remaining in the river.

The facts referred to in this statement are of such a serious nature and they affect to such a degree the relations of the two countries, based upon the treaties in force between the two, that it has seemed to me expedient to communicate it to you at once, and even before

receiving the instructions which my Government may think proper to send me in view of it, in order that this, added to the others which I have communicated to your Department, may facilitate the investigation of this subject with a view to arriving as speedily as possible at a solution acceptable to the two countries interested.

The statement comes accompanied by telegrams from Washington and Albuquerque, published by the Times of El Paso, Tex., of August 14 and 21 last, and two articles from the Irrigation Age for the month of July, 1894, which I do not think it necessary to forward to you at present, and a notice of the person in charge of the Meteorological Observatory at El Paso, Tex., dated August 25, a copy of which I inclose, stating that the rainfall in that region from August 15, 1893, to August 14, 1894, inclusive, was 4.97 inches. Accept, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

M. ROMERO.

Enclosures: Statement of residents of Paso del Norte, Mexico, of August 26, 1894. Notice of the agent of the Meteorological Observatory at El Paso, Tex., with regard to the rainfall of the past year.

[Enclosure 1-Translation.]

Senor Don MATIAS ROMERO,

CIUDAD JUAREZ, August 26, 1894.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister

Plenipotentiary of Mexico, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: On the receipt of your letter of December 13, 1893, in which you informed us that the Supreme Government of Mexico had directed you to discuss with the United States Government the question of the use of the waters of the rivers on the boundary, we immediately endeavored to have a report of the municipal government of Ciudad Juarez sent to you; but, as there have been frequent changes in the personnel of that body, and other obstacles occurred, we have not succeeded in having such official report made, and to avoid delaying the matter any longer, we comply, so far as is in our power, with the request made you in your said letter.

We will repeat what is a fact, that by the construction of many canals in the State of Colorado, especially in the San Luis Valley, the waters of the Rio Bravo and its tributaries are being drawn off, with the result that, unless there are extremely abundant rains, we have no water here from June of one year to March of the next.

In the present year, the river was entirely dry by the 15th of June, and there was no rain until day before yesterday, when a little water came which had fallen in New Mexico.