a copy of a letter upon the subject, which has been addressed to this department by the Secretary of the Navy, to whom a transcript of your note was submitted by me. It is hoped that it may be found convenient to comply with the request of the Secretary of the Navy for the retention of the ram at Havana until the ensuing autumn. I am, sir, with high consideration, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA &c., &c., Washington. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 20, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, enclosing a copy of a note addressed to you on the 14th instant by Mr. Tassara, the Spanish minister, announcing that orders have been given by his government for the delivery of the insurgent ram Stonewall to the United States. Owing to the prevalence of yellow fever at Havana, it would seem injudicious to remove the Stonewall at this time and bring her to a port of the United States. I have therefore to suggest that a request be made for the retention of the ram at Havana until fall, if it can be conveniently done, when she will be sent for and brought to a northern port. If her retention would not be convenient, the department is ready to despatch a vessel for her immediately. Very respectfully, &c., Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, Washington, August 11, 1865. The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has the honor to state to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States that, according to a communication he has received from the captain general of Cuba, there is no inconvenience on his part to the Stonewall remaining at Havana till the approaching autumn, continuing at the arsenal, as the honorable Secretary desired by his note of 22d July last past. The undersigned avails of this occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State the assurance of his highest consideration. GABRIEL G. TASSARA. Hon. SECRETARY OF STATE of the United States, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 4, 1865. The undersigned, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of Mr. Tassara, of the 26th ultimo, relating to the late insurgent ram Stonewall, at Havana, and to state, in reply, that the facts communicated therein have been made known to the Secretary of the Navy. The undersigned offers to Mr. Tassara assurances of his highest consideration. W. HUNTER. Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., Washington. Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara. The undersigned, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to communicate to Mr. Tassara, her Catholic Majesty's envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, the accompanying copy of a letter of yesterday's date from the Secretary of the Navy, announcing his purpose to despatch a steamer to Havana, about the 20th of this month, to bring the Stonewall to the United States. He also suggests an inquiry relative to the surrendering of the Harriet Lane, a vessel belonging to this government, which had been seized and held by the insurgents, or other property recently in possession of the rebel government, that may be in the waters of Cuba. The undersigned has the honor to request Mr. Tassara to call the attention of his excellency the captain general of Cuba to the inquiry of the Secretary of the Navy. The undersigned offers to Mr. Tassara assurances of his highest consideration. W. HUNTER. Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., Washington. Mr. Welles to Mr. Seward. NAVY DEPARTMENT, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that it is proposed by this department to despatch a steamer to Havana, about the 20th of this month, for the purpose of bringing the Stonewall to the United States. In informing you of this purpose, I take occasion to suggest that an inquiry be made of the Spanish minister at Washington, whether the Harriet Lane, a vessel belonging to this government, which had been seized and held by the rebels, or other property recently in the possession of the rebel government, that may be in the waters of Cuba, will be surrendered to the United States at the same time. If so, arrangements can be made for the removal of the same to some one of our own ports. The Harriet Lane you will remember as a vessel belonging to the United States navy and captured by the insurgents at Galveston, Texas. LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has had the honor to receive the note of the 5th from the honorable Secretary of State ad interim, with copy of a communication of the 4th from the honorable Secretary of the Navy, announcing that about the 20th of this month a United States steamer will proceed to Havana to take charge of the Stonewall, and inquiring from the undersigned "whether the Harriet Lane, a vessel belonging to this government, which the rebels had taken and kept in their power, or any other property until very lately in possession of the rebel government, which might happen to be in the waters of Cuba, will be delivered at the same time to the United States." As for the Stonewall, considering the satisfactory correspondence which has passed on the subject, and the points agreed upon between the two governments, the commissioner of the United States has nothing to do but to present himself at the Havana, and the Stonewall will be delivered to him by the authorities. However, as to what affects the Harriet Lane, or any other vessel or property of like origin, which through any event may now be found in the waters of Cuba, the undersigned not only cannot answer that it may also be delivered, but that, such as the case appears, he does not comprehend what kind of jurisdiction the authorities of Cuba could have to do thus. Whatever may be the origin of said vessel or property, and whatever the understanding under which they are in the waters of Cuba, the questions which may now be raised about them must belong to the jurisdiction of the courts. To them the government of the United States can have recourse, assured that in those of Cuba justice will be done. The undersigned regrets the more that he cannot give other answers, because the more manifest has been the good will of the Spanish government in the affair of the Stonewall, in renouncing at once every question, and thus giving a proof of its friendship for that of the United States. What is allowed to the undersigned to do is to remit the matter to the captain general of Cuba, that he may examine the important points, reserving, in the last case, any solution to her Majesty's government. The undersigned avails of this occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States the assurances of his highest consideration. GABRIEL G. TASSARA. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State of the United States, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 21, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to communicate a copy of a letter of this date, addressed to this department by the Secretary of the Navy, on the subject of the insurgent ram Stonewall, which is now at Havana in the custody of her Catholic Majesty's authorities, for delivery to the proper officer of this government. It appears that the United States steamers Rhode Island and Hornet, the former under command of Alexander Murray, will leave here on Monday next for the purpose of receiving the Stonewall. Any communication which you may have occasion to address to the captain general of Cuba on the subject will be borne by Commander Murray, as indicated by Mr. Welles. I am, sir, with high consideration, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., Washington. Mr. Welles to Mr. Hunter. NAVY DEPARTMENT, October 21, 1865. SIR: Referring to the subject of the surrender of the 1am Stonewall to the United States, I have the honor to inform you that the United States steamer Rhode Island, accompanied by the United States steamer Hornet, will sail from Washington on Monday next for Havana for the purpose of bringing the Stonewall to Washington. Commander Alexander Murray, commanding the Rhode Island, is charged with the duty of receiving the Stonewall from the Spanish government, and has been authorized and directed to reimburse all reasonable expenses that have been incurred by the Spanish authorities in 37 D C * connexion with the surrender and custody of that vessel, among them the item of sixteen thousand dollars referred to in the note of Mr. Tassara addressed to the Secretary of State on the 14th of July last, and communicated to this department. As you may wish to communicate with the minister of Spain, or with the consul general of the United States at Havana, with regard to the delivery and reception of the Stonewall, I advise you of the proposed departure of the Rhode Island, by which vessel any communicstion that you or the Spanish minister may have to send to Havana can be transmitted. Commander Murray's orders have reference to the reception of the Stonewall only; and if any additional instruction from you to the consul general, or from the Spanish ministers to the authorities at Havana, is necessary to insure the delivery to Commander Murray of the Stonewall, it should be sent to the department in season to be forwarded by the Rhode Island on Monday next. The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has the honor to receive the note of this date from the department, informing him that the United States steamer Rhode Island and Hornet are about to depart next Monday from this port to go to Havana, to take charge of the Stonewall, whose surrender was made to the Spanish authorities, and which the government of her Majesty has agreed to deliver to the United States, and that Commander Alexander Murray will be the bearer of any communication which I may think proper to address to the captain general on the subject. Annexed the honorable Secretary of State will find a despatch for the authorities of the island, giving him knowledge of the commission with which these vessels go charged, and introducing their commander. The undersigned avails of the occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States the assurance of his highest consideration. GABRIEL G. TASSARA. Hon. SECRETARY OF STATE of the United States. Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has the honor of informing the honorable Secretary of State that the captain general of Cuba received his note of the 5th of October, from the department, announcing the intention of sending a United States vessel to Havana to take charge of the Stonewall, and alluding also to another vessel, the Harriet Lane, previously seized by the rebels of this country and said now to be in Cuban waters. In regard to the Stonewall, the captain general of Cuba answers on the 21st that, according to orders from the government of her Majesty, it would be delivered to any one presenting himself with proper authority, which most likely was done when Commander Murray appeared at Havana with the Rhode Island. As to the Harriet Lane, the captain general says he does not know and he believes it is not his duty to inquire where she is, or how she was taken, nor whether she was sold by her captors or exists yet under another name, referring, on this point, to her Majesty's government. The captain general furthermore observes, that in treating of an act which occurred, in any case, during the war with the south, and which, of course, comes under the head of neutrality, any question that may arise about the Harriet Lane, through private negotiations since her capture, must be decided by a civil tribunal, and any one whom the government of the United States may empower to bring suit in our courts will be properly received; and the honorable Secretary of State may rest assured that the said attorney will have all necessary aid from the supreme authorities in Cuba, and that a faithful and impartial decision will be rendered by the court. The captain general adds that this reclamation, as well as that relating to other property and goods of the same origin, referred to in the note of the 5th, may have no other foundation than various other reports of the acting consul general of the United States, Mr. Savage-reports of no better foundation than that of the vessel Maria Agnes, represented to have on board a cargo of confederate arms, which goes to show how hastily certain falsehoods are disseminated. Finally, the captain general insists that, if the government of the United States thinks there is a good reason for it, an attorney be appointed to bring suits in the Cuban courts; and he will afford all possible facilities, as he has always done, to every application of the honorable Secretary of State. The undersigned embraces this occasion to repeat to the honorable Secretary of State the assurances of his distinguished consideration. GABRIEL G. TASSARA. Hon. SECRETARY OF STATE of the United States, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Seward to Mr. Tassara. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 7, 1865. The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of Mr. Tassara, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, upon the subject of the steamship Harriet Lane, now lying in the port of Havana. In reply, the undersigned has the honor to inform Mr. Tassara that the matter will receive due attention, and that the consul general of the United States there has been empowered to set on foot proceedings, on behalf of this government, against the vessel in question in the courts of Cuba. The power is herewith enclosed, and the undersigned will thank Mr. Tassara to attest the same and return it to this department. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer to Mr. Tassara a renewed assurance of his very high consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., Washington. Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has the honor of informing the honorable Secretary of State of the United States that he has received despatches from the commanding general of the Spanish squadron in the Pacific, General Pareja, according to which, in consequence of the declara |