Baron Fava to Mr. Hay.
Washington, November 30, 1899.
Mr. Secretary of State: By my note of the 4th instant I had the honor to request you, in pursuance of the express instructions of my Government, to be pleased to send officially to Mr. Farquhar a severe and suitable admonition, provided that he should not be able to furnish valid and irrefragable proof of the charges made by him against officers of the Kingdom, who, according to him, were encouraging the padrone system of the United States in order to divide the profits accruing therefrom.
On the 21st instant your excellency was pleased to reply to me as follows:
The executive department of the Government has no power of supervision or control over questions which a legislative tribunal charged with the duty of conducting an inquiry may, in the exercise of its direction, allow to be propounded to witnesses with a view to a searching investigation of the facts.
Your excellency added that, out of deference to me, and as an act of courtesy, you had called the attention of the Industrial Commission to this matter, and that said commission had kindly informed you that, even before the reception of my aforesaid note, the assertions to which I took exception had been stricken from its reports, in which no unsupported reflection against the Italian Government would be allowed to appear
[Page 430]I thank your excellency for this communication, which I shall hasten to bring to the knowledge of my Government without prejudice to the view that may be taken by the latter with regard to the solution of a case which has been reported by the leading newspapers of the United States and thus rendered public property, and which emanated from a person holding his appointment as chairman of the Industrial Commission from the head of the state. This origin of his functions rendered him, perhaps, responsible to the Federal Administration for the lack of regard publicly shown to the Government and officers of a foreign state.
Accept, Mr. Secretary, etc.,