Emilio Castelar to Daniel E. Sickles, May 16, 1873

Mr. Castelar to General Sickles.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you, in reply to your note of the 27th of January last, that, as appears by a communication from the minister of ultramar, the suggestions contained in your note will be taken into account, as far as possible, in reforming the customs regulations of the island of Cuba, whose revision is now in progress.

With respect to the term of one year fixed for the return of fines imposed on captains of vessels, whether such fines be declared unjustifiable or whether their return be ordered as an act of grace by the government, I must beg you to remark that such a provision does not involve the necessity of permitting the full year to elapse in all cases before effecting the repayment ordered, but that it is the limit fixed within which to comply with the orders issued to that end, and such orders are not merely obligatory in the cases of those fines shown to have been wrongfully imposed, but also in the cases of such as have been levied for real faults of the captain or supercargo of the vessel and subsequently pardoned as an especial act of grace.

I avail myself of this occasion to repeat to you, sir, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.