Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham.
Madrid , January 11, 1894 . (Received January 22.)
Sir: After the receipt of your No. 65, with inclosures, touching the embargo levied upon the property of Hidalgo & Co., I began to prepare a statement of the case in accordance with your instructions. In the meantime I have received your Nos. 67 and 75 on the same subject. In the last you inclose me a copy of a letter dated December 21, 1893, from Mr. S. C. Neale, covering a decision of the committee of arbitration in the matter of the fine of $2,400 imposed on the American steamer City of Washington at Havana for mere clerical errors in the vessel’s manifest. In accordance with your instructions I have transmitted a copy of this decision to the minister of state, with the suggestion that it presents a specially clear illustration of the unwarranted action so often taken by the officials at Havana in imposing fines for errors so simple and so evidently unintentional.
I beg to call your attention to the fact that a material part of this case still remains undisposed of. I refer to the fines aggregating $944, imposed in sums ranging from $10 to $304, for unimportant errors in twelve different manifests. Does your No. 65 remain in full force as to these fines not embraced in the arbitration? Shall I prepare a statement as to them, under the instructions contained in your No. 65, referring only incidentally to the fine of $2,400 already disposed of? Please cable me upon this point upon the receipt of this dispatch.
I am, etc.,