Salomon to John Mercer Langston, December 9, 1883

President Salomon to Mr. Langston.

Mr. Minister: In your dispatch of the 1st instant, you express to me the desire to have certain information with regard to my note of the 23d of October; information which you require in consequence of a conference held at the legation of the United States of America, and where there were present the gentlemen, consuls of France, of England, of Spain, of Italy, and of the Empire of Germany.

According to the judgment of my Governmnet the events which took place at Port au Prince the 22d and 23d of September last, provoked evidently by the rioters of those days, should be the subject of a special examination, and my desire would be to put aside from such examination, occurrences which have taken place in Hayti at other periods, as well as those which may have been produced in other localities in consequence of these same events.

The principle of indemnity once recognized in favor of foreigners who had sustained real damages on the 22d and 23d days of September last, the estimate of their losses should be confided to mixed commissions, the members whereof should be named, half by my Government, half by the representatives of the countries of the claimants, who should have to present in support of their demands all the necessary justificative documents.

My secretary of state of foreign relations should give to such mixed commissions instructions as to the manner of procedure, and, in order to protect the interests of the two parties in interest, such instructions should have force only after the official sanction of the representatives of the powers interested.

As to that which concerns the mode to be adopted for the payment of the indemnities which may be accorded, I think that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to be decided, at present, in that regard. This mode of payment could only be settled after the nature of the obligations allowed and their importance shall have become known.

With common accord let us name the mixed commissions and give them full and precise instructions. Let these commissions, in their turn, call those who claim to have been injured, that they make, evidence in hand, a scrupulous and rigid examination of their claims and that they present to us their reports.

It is then, Mr. Minister, that their decisions, which shall be, I have no doubt, impressed with the seal of justice and impartiality, would be conformably to our constitutional law communicated to the legislative chambers, called to inscribe them upon our budget of expenses and to vote the ways and means applicable to such service.

The mode of payment of such obligations would then be fixed by this vote, to which force would be given, from the re-establishment of public peace.

Such is, Mr. Minister, my manner of meeting the question which occupies us, and I hope that it will have your approbation, as well as that of your colleagues.

Accept, Mr. Minister, the renewed assurances of my very high consideration.