No. 387.
Mr. Evarts
to Mr. Comly.
Washington, May 12, 1880.
Sir: I am in receipt of your No. 95, of the 15th of March last, in relation to the case of Patrick Quinn, an American citizen, arrested for nonpayment of taxes illegally imposed.
In your No. 91, of February 16 last, you gave a résumé of this case, detailing your action thereunder, which action was approved in an instruction of March 5, 1880. As it now appears, from Mr. Consular-Agent Spencer’s dispatch to you, a copy of which dispatch forms Inclosure No. 2 in your No. 95, that the tax money (and costs) has been returned to Mr. Quinn, it is not thought necessary to take any further steps in this particular case.
You furthermore state, however, that two other cases of a similar nature to that of Mr. Quinn have since been brought to your notice, and that you have entered your protest against the exaction of this repeated illegal taxation through the Hawaiian foreign office, but that the reply of the minister of finance thereto has not yet been received.
When you have communicated the substance of this reply to the Department, the expediency of taking further action in the premises, and the nature of such action, will be considered.
I am, &c.,