No. 99.
Mr. Evarts
to Mr. Logan.
Washington, November 3, 1879.
Sir: Information has been received from Mr. Burchard, the consul of the United States at Truxillo and Ruatan, that the American schooner Santos Oteri, Capt. Henry Pizzati, arrived at Utilla on the 3d ultimo, from New Orleans, with a cargo of merchandise; that the vessel was boarded by some of the local officers, who ordered the captain to leave the island immediately, as the port was closed by order of the governor; that the captain refused to obey the order on the ground that he had been regularly cleared for the port of Utilla, and that his papers were duly authenticated under the seal of the consul of Honduras in New Orleans; whereupon the officers threatened him with a fine, imprisonment, seizure of the vessel, &c., but finally allowed him to go to Ruatan in company with the commandante of the island; that upon the arrival of the captain he called on the governor and exhibited to him the manifest and other papers, and asked his permission to have the schooner discharged at Utilla, which, after some discussion upon the subject, was granted by the governor, with permission also for the vessel to receive a return cargo and clearance from the island.
Information has also since been received from Mr. Burchard that the American schooner Susan Scranton, which arrived at Bonaca about the same time, was not permitted to enter, but was ordered to leave the island immediately, notwithstanding her manifest and other papers were made out for that port and duly authenticated by the consul of Honduras in New Orleans; that the schooner did not go to Truxillo as was reported, but that her cargo was sold in Bonaca, and that her master, offered to pay the duties and port charges according to the new tariff, but there was no one authorized to receive the money, and consequently loaded his vessel with fruit and cocoanuts and sailed for New Orleans without a clearance; that the governor on showing him a communication from the commandante of Bonaca, giving a history of the case, and a list of the merchandise sold and landed from the vessel, intimated that on the return of the schooner he should demand not only the full amount of duties, but also the payment of a fine for violation of the revenue laws; that the commandante was told by him that the duties would probable be paid, but nothing more would be paid; and that in order to avoid a repetition of such irregular proceedings the Government of Honduras must reopen the ports of Bonaca and Utilla, or instruct the, consul of that government in New Orleans not to dispatch vessels foil those islands.
You will communicate the foregoing facts to the Government of Honduras, and ask an explanation concerning the action of the consul of Honduras at New Orleans in clearing vessels for ports reported to be closed. This government cannot admit that the closing of such ports by local authority should operate to involve shipmasters in fine or penalty for violation of the revenue laws of Honduras, unless due public notice were given through the consuls of that country in the United States as well , as through the usual diplomatic channel, and clearances for those ports duly, with held. Information is desired as to whether the ports adverted to are closed now or open.
I am, &c.,