Bassett to Spencer St. John, March 26, 1873

No. 212. Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.

Sir: On the night of the 23d ultimo, three Dominicans took refuge in the British vice-consul’s residence at Puerto Plata, San Domingo. On the following morning the Dominican authorities made a demand that these refugees be delivered over to them. This demand was refused. In the afternoon of that day the demand was repeated, and again refused. Thereupon the Dominican authorities, among whom was the Dominican minister, Ricardo Curiel, against the protest of the British vice-consul, forcibly entered his house, and wrested therefrom the refugees, who were taken to San Domingo City, where they are supposed now to be incarcerated.

Inclosure A is a copy of the statement of the occurrences which was sent to my colleague, the British minister resident here, by his vice-consul at Puerto Plata. Inclosure B is a dispatch sent by the governor of the district of Puerto Plata to the governor of Turk’s Island, in which an explanation of the circumstances, from a Dominican stand-point, is made. It may be inferred from this explanation that a view taken by the Dominican authorities of the proceedings is, that they were in accord with the law of that republic, and that there was in them no violation of the British vice-consulate, but only a forcible entry, made in proper form, upon the premises of the private residence of a person domiciled in Puerto Plata, who happened to be the British vice-consul.

As soon as these communications had reached my colleague, who is also Her Britannic Majesty’s chargé d’affaires to the Dominican Republic, he sent a statement of the occurrences to his government, asking for definite instructions by which he might be guided in regulating the somewhat delicate question which has been raised. At the same time he wrote to his vice-consul at Puerto Plata a dispatch, which he requested to be read to the Dominican authorities. In this dispatch he seems to consider the proceedings complained of as an outrage on the rights guaranteed to Her Britannic Majesty’s vice-consuls in San Domingo, and demands of that government full satisfaction for the alleged offense. His demands, as I have gathered them from what he has himself said to me, are that the refugees taken from the vice-consular residence shall be immediately returned, or at least released temporarily from custody; that the Dominican authorities who violated the consular residence shall be made sensible of the displeasure of their government, and that a national salute be given by that government to the British flag.

In his dispatches relating to the affair my colleague has laid down the doctrine that wherever the flag of a consular officer of Her Britannic Majesty floats, there is his consulate.

The British admiral commanding Her Britannic Majesty’s West India squadron, whose principal station in these waters is at Kingston, Jamaica, having learned of the occurrences, placed at the disposition of my colleague Her Britannic Majesty’s war-steamer Niobe, commanded by Sir Lambton F. Lorraine, which arrived here on the 13th instant, and after ample conference had with my colleague, sailed for Puerto Plata and San Domingo City on the 16th instant. I learned while dining with Sir Lambton and my colleague that the mission of the former to San Domingo is to inquire into the facts of the alleged outrage on the British flag, and to gather the disposition of the Dominican government to accede to the terms of settlement already stated.

I availed myself of the opportunity to write by the Niobe to our consular officers at Puerto Plata and San Domingo City personal letters, asking for full information of all that may have transpired in regard to the event under consideration up to the Niobe’s sailing for Port au Prince.

I do not think it likely that there will be any receding from the demands which my colleague has preferred on the government of San Domingo. And if, as he has said to me, that government has already taken the lives of the persons wrested from the consular dwelling at Puerto Plata, or shall take them before the affair be regulated, there will then arise a circumstance somewhat similar to that which caused the bombardment of Cape Haytien in 1865. I trust that there may be no further violence growing out of the affair, as in that case serious embarrassments must arise, at least for the Dominican government, and I think, in any issue which it may have, the right of asylum to political refugees in the British vice-consulates in San Domingo, which has hitherto existed, will be withdrawn.

On the return of the Niobe I shall probably be put in possession of further advices concerning the issues which may grow out of the affair referred to, and I will then promptly convey to the Department any features of importance which these advices may contain or suggest.

I have, &c.,