No. 58.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your despatch of the 10th instant, No. 27, relative to the effects produced by the reading of the encyclical letter of the Pope by certain bishops of France to their congregations, in defiance of the warning issued by the imperial government, has been received. I consider it a very interesting paper upon an important question in the domestic politics of France. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 59.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 6, 1865. SIR: Your despatch No. 26, of the 10th ultimo, announcing to me as a propitious omen the transfer of the inquiry which had been instituted by the minister of marine into the circumstances connected with the appearance of the Olinde off the French coast, to the department of his excellency the keeper of the seals and minister of justice, has been received. I reserve the consideration of the subject until we receive more accurate information. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your very interesting despatch of the 9th ultimo, No. 24, informing me of the opinion entertained by Prince Murat of the sudden departure of the King of Italy from Turin for Florence. I am, sir, your obedient servant, SIR Referring to your despatch of the 10th ultimo, No. 28, I have the satisfaction of informing you that the Secretary of the Navy, in a letter of the 6th instant, has notified me that, in compliance with your suggestion, instructions will be given to the commanders of our vessels in European waters to communicate freely with the respective legations. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq, &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 49.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to your despatch, No. 43, relative to the removal of one hundred barrels of blasting powder from the United States schooner William L. Richardson, at La Paz, by the commander of a French vessel-of-war, I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter on the subject, which I placed in the hands of his excellency the minister of foreign affairs to-day. As the statement of Captain Goodwin is on the files of the State Department, I omit it here. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys. JOHN BIGELOW. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: It appears from information which has reached my government from F.B.Elmer, United States consul at La Paz, in Mexico, that the United States schooner William L. Richardson was arrested on her voyage from San Francisco to the mouth of the Colorado river on the 30th of October last, and one hundred kegs of blasting powder taken from her hold, by the commander of the French war steamer Diamant, under circumstances which, if correctly reported to us. cannot, I am persuaded, receive the approval of the Emperor's government. The powder is represented to have been consigned to Paul Hillen, at Tucson, in Arizona Territory, for mining purposes. It was on board a vessel belonging to a line contracted for to ply between San Francisco, La Paz, Bajir, and the station near the mouth of the Rio Colorado, whence passengers and freight are embarked for Fort Yuma and points beyond in the Territory of Arizona. The facts, as understood by my government, are fully set forth in the annexed statement, made and sworn to by Captain Goodwin, the master of the William L. Richardson, before the United States consul at La Paz, on the 2d day of November last. While the United States government is not disposed to contest the belligerent right of France to prevent contraband of war from reaching Mexico during the existing hostilities, it assumes that the Emperor's government will be equally indisposed to interfere with perfect free trade in all communities between the several ports of the United States. I have, therefore, to request your excellency to inform me whether the Emperor's government is in possession of any information conflicting with the statement of Captain Goodwin which would invalidate a claim by our government on his behalf for indemnity for the value of the powder taken from his ship and for her detention at La Paz. I beg to renew to your excellency the assurances of the very distinguished consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency's very obedient and very humble servant, JOHN BIGELOW. His Excellency Mr. DROUYN de Lhuys, Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. No. 67.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 11, 1865. SIR: I have received your interesting despatch of the 23d of February, No. 37, and I approve of your proceedings therein mentioned. I trust that the course of events in this country is such as to warrant you to say, in answer to inquiries about peace, that the end of the war is believed to be at hand, and that it will be attended with the extirpation of slavery and the salvation of the Union. In regard to apprehension of aggression by the United States on the restoration of peace, you are authorized to say that no such policy is entertained by this government, and that just so far as such apprehensions prevail, by reason of a belief that the national will, under high excitement, may overrule the peaceful purposes of the executive government, each European state has the control of the question in its own hands. A due concession of our national authority over all our territory and all our citizens would disarm all popular animosities against any foreign state. Friendship tendered to us will, in any case, be reciprocated as it always has been. SIR: I have the honor to enclose a copy and a translation of a communication this day received from his excellency the minister of foreign affairs, announcing the appointment of the Marquis de Montholon to represent the Emperor of France in the quality of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Washington. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, JOHN BIGELOW. Secretary of State. Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys to Mr. Bigelow. PARIS, March 7, 1865. SIR: Considerations altogether private placing an obstacle to the departure of M. le Marquis de Chateaurenard, the Emperor has called upon, to represent him in the quality of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Washington, M. le Marquis de Montholon, to whom I have just transmitted the order to proceed without delay to his new post. It gives me pleasure to announce to you this appointment, in order that you may immediately inform the federal government thereof. It will learn, I think, with satisfaction, that the choice of his Majesty has fallen upon an agent who, during his former long residence in America, has been able to establish there numerous and sympathetic relations, the influence of which will be turned, as we do not doubt, to the advantage of the relations of good friendship which we are anxious to entertain with the government of the United States. Receive, sir, the assurances of the most distinguished consideration with which I have the honor to be, your very humble and very obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. DROUYN DE LHUYS. Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. No. 60.] LEGATION of the United States, SIR: A few weeks since Mr. J. Zumpstein, an accredited agent for Europe of the American Emigration Company, of which Mr. A. G. Hammond, of Hartford, Connecticut, is president, called upon me to say that an application which he had made for an authorization to contract for the transport of emigrants through Havre to the United States had been refused by the minister of the interior, and requesting my mediation. As this unexpected obstacle disarranged all the plans of the company very seriously, I called upon Mr. Behic, the minister of the interior, to know if his refusal rested upon facts or impressions which were susceptible of explanation or modification; if so, I said I should be happy to mediate in behalf of Mr. Zumpstein, who represented an enterprise for which France, I was persuaded, had no reason to feel otherwise than kindly. Mr. Behic remembered having signed the letter I referred to, but the motives of his refusal had passed from his mind, and he requested me to send him a written communication on the subject, when he promised to look into it. I replied that I had no authority nor intention to make a diplomatic question of the matter; if I had, I should have addressed myself directly to the minister of foreign affairs. I came to his excellency, not to discuss the right or the propriety of refusing the privilege solicited by Mr. Zumpstein, but simply to offer such explanations as might do away with erroneous impressions, if any existed, in regard to his enterprise. Mr. Behic then suggested that Mr. Zumpstein should address a note to him, through me, and he would send me his answer. I promised that Mr. Zumpstein should avail himself of this proposal, and in a day or two addressed to his excellency enclosures Nos. 1 and 2. After the lapse of a couple of days, the head of one of the bureaus of the ministry of the interior called and said that Mr. Behic had instructed him to say, in reference to the subject of my communication, that I must address myself to the minister of foreign affairs. I replied by stating the circumstances which led me to make my communication of the 8th instant to Mr. Behic; that I had no instructions to make a diplomatic question of it, and, without instructions, I did not feel authorized to bring it to the attention of the minister of foreign affairs. There the matter now rests. I shall not renew the subject, unless you instruct me to do so. If the ministers should revive it, I presume I can satisfy them of the harmlessness of Mr. Zumpstein's enterprise, unless it should seem to them likely to interfere with recruiting for Mexico. Should the weather continue so unfavorable for another fortnight as for some time past, I think this government will feel grateful to any company that will relieve them of a few thousand of their surplus population before another New Year's,day is past. I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. JOHN BIGELOW. Mr. Bigelow to Mr Behic. LEGATION OF the United STATES, DEAR SIR: In compliance with the intimation which I had the honor to receive on Thursday last from your excellency, I take leave to enclose a note I have received from M. Zumpstein, agent for France of the American Emigrant Company. Will your excellency have the goodness to inform me whether the grounds upon which Mr. Zumpstein's application was denied are of a nature to be modified by any explanations as to the character and objects of the company which I might be able to make? If so, I should be most happy of an opportunity to wait upon your excellency at your convenience. I embrace this occasion to assure your excellency of the high consideration with which I His Excellency the MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Commerce, aND PUBLIC WORKS. Mr. Zumpstein to Mr. Bigelow. GRAND HOTEL, March 9, 1865. SIR: The American Emigrant Company, chartered under the act of Congress of July 4, 1864, for the promotion of foreign emigration, appointed me in December last its general agen for the empire of France. My authority and my instructions require me to reside at Havre to organize agencies and correspondencies in France, Belgium, and Switzerland, and through them, and by the circulation of information in regard to the United States, to invite and encour age emigration thither. A copy of my instructions, and of the power under which I am to act, are enclosed for your better information. On my arrival, and under the advice of M. commissioner imperial de l'emigration au Havre, I addressed to his excellency the minister of agriculture, commerce, and public works a request for an authorization to engage and transport emigrants from the port of Havre to the United States, that being the most convenient port of departure for emigrants from Belgium, Switzerland, and France. On the 19th of February last I received a note from his excellency the minister of agriculture, commerce, and public works, informing me, briefly, that he was not able to accede to my request. But for the conviction that his excellency is laboring under some erroneous impression in regard to the nature and motives of the agency with which I am charged, I should feel that my business at Havre was closed, and should have retired without troubling you further than, perhaps, to notify the legation of what had occurred. But, as the company which I represent consists of some of the most distinguished and philanthropic men in the United States, as it was organized to operate under the laws and institutions of foreign nations, and not in conflict with, any of them, as its ends are all humane, and as, in the opinion of its projectors, it reserves the special encouragement of the more populous countries of Europe, where land is dear and labor cheap, I have deemed it my duty to bring my situa tion to your notice, that you may determine whether it would serve any useful purpose for you to invite an opportunity of explaining the character and objects of the American Immigrant Company, and of ascertaining whether the ports of France are irrevocably closed against such passengers as this company may undertake to send to the United States. If, upon the oral explanations I have already given you, and after a perusal of the papers which I leave with you, you think it worth while to inquire whether the motives of the imperial government for refusing my request originate in an incorrect or an imperfect view of the facts, and that with proper explanations his excellency the minister of agriculture, commerce, and public works might be disposed to reconsider his decision, I take leave to invite your media tion with his excellency in our behalf. I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. JOHN BIGELOW, Chargé d'Affaires. J. H. ZUMPSTEIN. No. 61.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. LEGATION of the United STATES, SIR Reports having reached me from various quarters that the rebels were counting upon having the ram Cheops the consort of the Stonewall at sea, and under their control within the current week, I asked Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys today what value I may attach to these reports. His excellency thanked me for giving him an opportunity of stating the exact situation of that matter for the information of my government. Arman had applied for an authorization to send the Cheops to Prussia, and had produced a bill of sale of the vessel to the Prussian government. “I was unwilling to be caught again as in the case of the Stonewall," said Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, "and I told Mr. Arman that that was not sufficient; I must have proof of the highest official character from the Prussian government, not only that the vessel has been purchased by them, but had been taken into their possession." I thanked his excellency for his forethought, and begged him to see that the sale was completed by an absolute and unconditional delivery. He said he should; that the delivery must be made to some officer of the Prussian government fully authorized to take possession of her in its name, or she should not leave Bordeaux. He then made a memorandum of the matter, and said he should meet the minister of marine in the council of state to-morrow, and would impress the subject upon him anew. I availed myself of the occasion to refer to the use made of the Rappahannock, and to a new report that she was about to be sold. His excellency informed me that the minister of marine had recently told him that there had |