EXCELLENT, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to E. D. Bassett, May 6, 1875

Mr. Excellent to Mr. Bassett.

Mr. Minister: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the dispatches which you addressed to me on the 3d and the 4th of the present month.

I regret infinitely, and so does the government, to learn that the respect to which you are entitled in your quality of representative of a friendly power should have been forgotten by the agents of the government, and that persons attached to your suite should have had to suffer by acts of these agents.

The government, Mr. Minister, in blaming the authors of these acts, however unintentionally they may have occurred, has given the most express orders, to the end that all the respect to which you are entitled in your aforesaid quality may be scrupulously observed by its agents, whoever they may be, and that the persons attached to your suite may be able to circulate with perfect freedom and security.

Be pleased to accept, Mr. Minister, the new assurance of my very high consideration.