Office of the Historian

File No. 1199/227A.

The Acting Secretary of State to Minister McCreery.

Department of State,
Washington, August 8, 1907.

Sir: I confirm my telegram of this day’s date, reading as follows:

For sake of regularity, inform Dominican Government William E. Pulliam and James H. Edwards appointed, respectively, general receiver and assistant receiver of customs under convention. Appointments taking effect August 1, now on way to them.

I inclose for your information and that of the Dominican Government a copy of the regulations promulgated by the President for the government of the customs receivership under the convention.

Referring to item 2 of the regulations, you may say to the Dominican Government that the President has fixed the compensation for Mr. Pulliam at the rate of $6,000 per annum and of Mr. Edwards at the rate of $4,500 per annum, and that in addition thereto the former will receive a per diem allowance of $9 and the latter a per diem allowance of $4, in lieu of quarters, light, and fuel.

I am, etc.,

Robert Bacon.

[Inclosure.]

The White House,
Washington, July 25, 1907.

[EXECUTIVE ORDER.]

Whereas the convention concluded on the 8th of February, 1907, between the United States of America and the Dominican Republic has been duly signed and ratified by the Governments of said countries, the following regulations are hereby promulgated for the government of the customs receivership established thereunder:

General regulations for the government of the Dominican customs receivership under and in pursuance of the convention of February 8, 1907, between the United States of America and the Dominican Republic.

1.
In accordance with the provisions of article 4 of the convention, the accounts of the general receiver shall be rendered to the contaduria general of the Dominican Republic and to the State Department of the United States, and referred for examination and verification to the Bureau of Insular Affairs, which shall have immediate supervision and control of the receivership, pursuant and subject to such directions in regard thereto as shall be received from the President directly or through the Secretary of State.
2.
The President of the United States will appoint and fix the salaries of the general receiver of Dominican customs, of the deputy general receiver of Dominican customs, as well as of all other customs employees under the receivership. In cases of emergency, provisional appointments and removals for cause may be made in the discretion of the general receiver, subject to the approval of the President of the United States.
3.
The accountable bonds to be required by the receivership, except as herein otherwise provided, shall be fixed by the general receiver, subject to the approval of the chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs.
4.
Under the Bureau of Insular Affairs, the general receiver shall have full charge and control of the Dominican customs receivership within the scope of the convention of February 8, 1907, between the United States of America and Dominican Republic, and shall enforce and comply with the provisions thereof. He shall give bond in such form and amount as may be determined by the chief of said bureau.
5.
The deputy general receiver shall assist the general receiver in the performance of his duties and in matters pertaining to the receivership in such manner as the general receiver shall direct, and in the absence or disability of the latter the deputy general receiver shall perform the duties of the general receiver, and assume, without formal transfer, the corresponding accountability. The deputy general receiver shall give bond under the same conditions as the general receiver.
6.
The general receiver shall pay all necessary and authorized expenses of the receivership as they arise, within the limitations of the convention. The allowance not exceeding 5 per cent “for the expense of collecting the revenues,” under article 1 of the convention, shall be considered as available only for the payment of the customs expense of the central office of the receivership, its special customs agents and the several customs houses of the Republic as authorized by the said general receiver or other proper authority of the United States Government.
7.
All of the expenditures and disbursements of funds handled by the receivership shall be covered by complete vouchers in duplicate; one copy of each such voucher shall be retained as a part of the permanent files of the central office of the receivership, and the other transmitted to the Dominican Government, together with the corresponding accountable returns.
8.
All books, records, and accounts of the receivership shall be kept available and accessible for examination, inspection, and audit at any time by officers designated for that purpose, in accordance with the convention, by either the Dominican or the United States Government. Such books, records, and accounts shall constitute permanent archives of the central office of the receivership, and shall not be removed therefrom.
9.
The general receiver, or in his absence, the deputy general receiver, shall submit the following reports to the Bureau of Insular Affairs, and to the Dominican Government:
I.
On the 1st of each month, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the accountable returns covering all transactions of the receivership during the preceding mouth.
II.
On the 1st of each month, or as soon thereafter as practicable, a consolidated report of the receipts and expenditures of the Dominican customs service during the preceding month, accompanied by the corresponding statement for each entry port of the Republic separately.
III.
For the six months ending June 30 and December 31 of each year, and as soon as practicable after those dates, statistical reports of the commerce of the Republic.
IV.
At the end of each fiscal year of the receivership, starting from the date upon which the operations of the receivership begin under the convention, and as soon thereafter as practicable, a general report of all transactions of the receivership during each such year, together with such collateral data and remarks as may be deemed pertinent thereto.
10.
The general receiver shall prepare and promulgate from time to time such additional regulations as he may deem necessary for the proper conduct of the service under his direction. Copies of all such regulations and formal orders issued shall be transmitted, as soon as practicable after their issuance, to the Bureau of Insular Affairs, and shall be subject to the approval of the chief of that bureau.
11.
When deemed necessary, and at least once in each fiscal year, a personal inspection and examination of all accounts and records of the receivership shall be made in Santo Domingo by a representative of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, who shall file with said bureau a full report of his findings for such action as may be required.
12.
From and after August 1, 1907, upon which date these regulations shall become effective, and until such time as the provisions of the convention, through the completion of the corresponding financial arrangement, become fully operative, the general receiver shall, in his own name as such general receiver, in a new account, continue to make the same disposition of the funds received by him as heretofore.
Theodore Roosevelt.