Francis J. Blair to Lorenzo Montufar , Secretary of Foreign delations, June 25, 1871

Mr. Blair to Mr. Fish

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 54, of the 15th ultimo.

I have communicated with the secretary of foreign relations on the subject therein referred to. A copy of my note and a copy and translation of his reply thereto, I inclose herewith, the former marked inclosure No. 1, the latter No. 2.

You will observe, on reading the note of Mr. Montufar to me, that he copies a note written by him, on the 25th ultimo, to the consul general for Costa Rica in New York and Philadelphia, in which they are directed to make an arrangement with the claimants to pay off at once their entire claim, if they will make a discount for the amount advanced. It is probable that some such arrangement as this has by this time been made. As to that, however, the Department is of course fully advised.

I desire to add a word in reference to the conference spoken of by Mr. Montufar, with me on this subject. Some four months ago, during a conference I had with Mr. Montufar on some other matters, he casually remarked that his government was considering the propriety of paying off those claims, if a proper discount was made for the advanced payments.

I said to him that if his government concluded to do so he had better write me a note to that effect, and state the terms upon which the advanced payments would be made, that I might lay the proposition before my Government. This he promised to do in a day or so. Since then I have not heard from him on the subject; I had supposed the idea had been abandoned.

I make this explanation in justice to myself, lest the Department might infer from his note that a definite proposition had been made to me by him, to settle these claims, and that I had failed to advise my Government of the fact.

I have, &c.,