No. 363.
Mr. McLane
to Mr. Bayard.
Paris, February 14, 1888. (Received February 27.)
Sir: On the 2d of December last Messrs. Black & King, of 71 Wall street, New York, attorneys in the case of Lefevre Bougon against Anthony Drexel and others, and Amedée Jourdain against the same, transmitted to the consul-general here letters rogatory issued by the court of common pleas for the city and county of New York to the civil tribunal of first instance at Paris, with the request to have them duly presented to the said tribunal and properly executed.
The practice here being not to take any notice of such letters unless they come through the diplomatic channel, Mr. Rathbone handed them to this legation, and on the 19th of December they were transmitted to the foreign office in the usual manner.
On the 11th instant they were returned with a request for the precise address of the parties to be examined, and with the inquiry whether our Government would be in a position to have letters of this character, issued by a French court of justice, executed by American courts.
I have returned the papers to Mr. Rathbone, who will communicate with Messrs. Black and King with reference to the addresses applied for; but as the main information desired by the French judiciary can not be furnished through that channel, I submit the matter for proper consideration to the Department.
I have, etc.,