ETHÉART, Secretary of State, &c., &c., to Bassett, July 27, 1872

Mr. Ethéart to Mr. Bassett.

A.

Mr. Minister: At the same time that your dispatch of the 25th instant came to hand relative to the arrest of Mr. Charles F. Teel, consular agent of the United States at Miragoâne, and merchant doing business at that place, the secretary of state of interior expedited to me certified copies, 1st, of a letter addressed to him by the commander of the arrondissement of Nippes, and, 2d, of the minutes of two investigations held in relation to the same subject. I have the honor to send you these different documents under cover of this communication. It will be easy for you to see thereby that Mr. Teel has not been ill-treated by the authorities of Marigoâne. The visit made to his house, the search that was effected there, the seizure of counterfeit notes, the arrest of Mr. Teel, were all accomplished in legal form; and if Mr. Teel has been sent to Anse-à-Veau, instead of being imprisoned at Miragoâne, it is because the civil tribunal of that arrondissement has its seat in the former locality; it is consequently there that are found the judges competent to take cognizance of his case.

You will agree with me, Mr. Minister, that if Mr. Teel is consular-agent of the United States, he is at the same time a merchant, and the privileges which surround him, certainly, as consular-agent cannot extend to him in his quality of merchant.

If there had been any violence exercised against Mr. Teel, he would have had the right to complain, but, as it appears to me, such is nowise the case. Mr. Teel is suspected of possessing counterfeit money; the authorities go to his house, verify and seize on a sum of twenty-five thousand gourdes in counterfeit treasury-bills, cause him to be arrested and delivered to judges competent to take cognizance of his case. I do not think that in these facts we can detect any reprehensible proceedings.

Permit me to observe, Mr. Minister, that legitimate suspicions had already been established against Mr. Teel, from the moment that the authorities had been informed that Messieurs E. Sievers and Company had refused to receive this money from Mr. Teel, and had returned it to him.

The affair in question being now legally in the hands of the judiciary, I do not think that it belongs to the executive power to order the immediate release of Mr. Teel before the case shall be tried and decided.

As a proof, however, of the steady desire of my government to maintain the good relations which exist between the United States and Hayti, the secretary of state for justice has written to-day with the view of hastening the investigation of the case.

The forms of law will be religiously observed, I assure you, Mr. Minister, and no pains will be spared to avoid as much as possible all tedious delays.

I count upon having an interview with you on the subject contained in the last paragraph of your dispatch, and I pray you to inform me when it will be most convenient for you to receive a visit from me for that purpose.

Accept, Mr. Minister, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration.