Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1872, Part I

No. 45.
Mr. Partridge to Mr. Fish.

United States Legation,
Rio de Janeiro, September 23, 1871. (Received October 21.)

No. 13.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose to you a translation of the note just received this evening from the minister of foreign affairs, by which it will be seen that Mr. Correia informs me that Her Highness the Princess Imperial Regent/in the name of the Emperor, has been pleased to appoint the Baron de Itajubá, now the Brazilian envoy, &c, in France to be a member of the tribunal of arbitration, under the first article of the treaty of Washington, (of May, 1871.)

The Baron de Itajubá is over sixty years of age, was educated for the bar, was professor of law in one of the schools in this empire, and he has been for more than twenty years resident in Europe as envoy to Prussia (where he married) and France. He has never served in, or lived in, England, and, from what I can learn, is a gentleman of learning, impartial disposition, excellent good sense and judgment. He has the complete confidence of the Emperor, who, of course, made the appointment, although it is communicated to us as having been made by the Princess Regent in his name. I do not know of any Brazilian who could have been chosen whose reputation for fitness and fairness would be better than that of Baron de Itajubá.

I hope it may be as acceptable in Washington, as it is certainly well-approved here.

Yours, &c,

JAMES R. PARTRIDGE.

[Inclosure.]

Rio de Janeiro, Department of Foreign Affairs,
September 23, 1871.

In compliance with the promise expressed in my note of the 25th of last month to Mr. James R. Partridge, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States, I have the satisfaction to announce to him that her highness the Princess Imperial, Regent, in the name of His Majesty the Emperor, has seen fit to appoint the Baron de Itajubá, of the council of His Majesty, and now his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary in France, member of the tribunal of arbitration, to which the governments of the United States and Great Britain are to submit, in conformity with the stipulations of the treaty signed in Washington on the 8th of May of the present year, all the reclamations generally known as the “Alabama claims.”

In making this communication to Mr. Partridge I avail myself of this opportunity, with pleasure, to reiterate the assurances of my high consideration.

MANGEL FRANCISCO CARREIA.