Sir Frederick W. A. Bruce to William H. Seward, February 19, 1866

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 16th instant, in reply to mine of the 30th December, on the expediency of a reciprocal arrangement between the United States and Great Britain, for the maintenance and transport hence of pauper lunatics of the two countries.

The observations contained in it, on the authority to make such arrangements being vested in the individual States composing the Union, and on the necessity of defining clearly the persons designated as “British pauper lunatics,” seem to me well worthy of consideration, and I venture to request you to take no further steps in the matter until I have had the opportunity of drawing the attention of my government to the statements in your note, a copy of which I forward by this opportunity.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,