730 | FOREIGN RELATIONS.

ever owned in the counties in question; that the entire official valuation _
of real estate in those counties forms but a fraction of the alleged losses,
and gives as speeimens several instances of persons who have alleged |
losses of thousands of cattle, when, in the years in question, they either
_ paid no taxes on cattle, or paid them upon but a few scores or hundreds.
The commission has given a. historical sketch of the frontier troubles.
since the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, showing the fluctuations of
crime, its methods, causes, and consequences, and has entered into
_ humerous personal and topographical details concerning the most notable
criminal organizations. It has devoted especial research to the antece-
dents of General Juan N. Cortina, (now, 1874, mayor of Matamoras,)
upon whom a great part of the odium of these crimes has fallen for the
last fifteen years. It asserts that at the time of the famous “ Cortina
raid” of 1859, that person was a private individual, an American citi-
zen, and a resident in Texas, as were most of his companions; that his
movement had a quasi-political character, being caused by the injustice
with which persons of Mexican origin were habitually treated in Texas; _
and that during the recent period when Cortina exercised military com-
mand on the frontier, far from protecting crime, he attacked and
destroyed several bands of cattle-thieves; that the numerous accusations
brought against “soldiers of Cortina” for robberies committed during
the years 1871 and 1872 are generally entirely false, and when true in
some degree, the criminals did not at the time belong to the forces of

Cortina, but were deserters therefrom. a |

_ The conclusion of the commission is, that although robberies of cat-
tle are still frequently committed on both sides of the Rio Grande, the
proportions of this crime are now much less than in former years.

The excitement upon this subject, promoted for two or three years

‘past by the residents of the American frontier, is attributable, in_great
_ measure, to a desire to involve the two republicsin war, for purposes of
annexation. As practical remedies, the- commission proposes the
amendment of the penal laws of Texas and of the frontier States of
Mexico, so as to facilitate the conviction and punishment of the crimi-
nals, and especially the revision of the extradition treaty of 1861, so as
to inake it applicable to all cases of cattle-stealing, and similar crimes.
on the frontier, as also to the deserters from the armies of both repub-
lics. It calls attention to the fact that many of the criminals live alter-
nately, and exercise political rights on. both sides of the frontier; it
therefore proposes that persons who: thus exercise the attributes of
citizenship in either republic be subjected to the effects of the extradi-
tion treaty on demand of the authorities thereof.

Iam, &., | a
JOHN W. FOSTER.
No. 465.
Mr. Fish to Mr. Foster.
No. 80.] - - - DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

?
: Washington, February 16, 1874.
Sire: Your dispatch No. 99, of the 27th ultimo, relative to the rais-
ing of the consular flag in Mexico, has been received. This is a matter .
subject to municipal law, unless a privilege in respect to it should have
been granted by treaty. We have no other privilege than that of
equality with other. nations, which will. always be. insisted on. It ap-