Office of the Historian
No. 520.

Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Reed.

Department of State,
Washington, January 28, 1885.
No. 305.]

Sir: I inclose a copy of a letter from the Spanish consul at Key West addressed to Mr. James McKay, containing the information that the report asked of him by the Spanish Government as to the excessive cattle fees (the subject of previous correspondence) has been forwarded. If, within a reasonable time, you do not receive a note from the minister of state on the subject, you will exercise your discretion in again pressing upon his attention the matter of the return of this illegally-collected tax.

I am, &c.,

FRED’K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.
[Inclosure in No. 305.—Translation.]

Mr. Igúzquia to Mr. McKay.

Consulate of Spain,
Key West, Fla., January 14, 1885.

Dear Sir: In reply to your favor of this date, in which you inquire whether I have reported to my Government the amount of the fees collected by this consulate on neat cattle shipped in past years in American vessels to the island of Cuba, I hasten to inform [Page 684] you that, in obedience to orders received, I sent, under date of December 20, 1884, to his excellency the minister of state of His Majesty, a general statement of those fees which had been improperly collected, by mistake, and, also, of the amounts which are to be returned to the interested parties, in pursuance of the royal order.

I take pleasure, &c.,

FRANCO. FERNANDEZ IGUZQUIA.