Evarts , Secretary of State to Evarts, June 18, 1878

Mr. Sherman to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a letter of the 10th instant, from the collector of customs at Richmond, relative to the British bark Annie Mark, Hamburg, master.

It appears that this vessel cleared from the port of New York for Bahia, Brazil, via Richmond, Va., with a part of her cargo on board. The practice at Richmond in such cases is to take up the New York manifest for tile in the custom-house, its contents being transcribed on the general outward manifest from Richmond, thus making the manifest sworn to there on clearance for Bahia contain all the cargo on board the vessel. The collector states that the Brazilian vice-consul objects to his practice of retaining the New York manifest; but giving no satisfactory reasons, the case is submitted for decision.

The accompanying manifest and papers from New York relating to the cargo of the Annie Mark are those referred to by the collector, and attention is called to the vice-consul’s certificate, which is sealed fast to the clearance and manifest, and which must be detached from the certificate, or the whole of the documents kept intact at the custom-house.

The subject is brought to your notice in order that you may bring it before the Brazilian minister to this government, and some general rule be agreed upon that shall prevent a recurrence of this question.

I will thank you to return the inclosures to this department.

Very respectfully,