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FOREIGN RELATIONS.


the Virginius the rights and considerations to which they are entitled
by treaty stipulations, I have now to transmit his excellencyIs reply,
in which it is intimated that the matter is one which does not concern
me; that the representatives of the United States in Madrid, and of
Spain in Washington, will-see that the stipulations of the treaty of 1795
are respected, and that the good relations existing between the two
countries will facilitate the solution of any doubt which mayarise in
this affair.
   His excellency does not seem to be aware that the., peculiar relations
 of Cuba with the United States make it indispensable that their con-
 sular officer at Havana, in the absence of any diplomatic agent, should
 have the right of addressing him on other subjects than those of a
 purely commercial nature.
       I have, &amp;c.,
                                             BENRY C. HALL,
                                                   Vice- Co nsul- General.

                            [Inclosure.-Translation.]
                                   SUPERIOR POLITICAL GOVERNMENT,
                                SECRETARY'S OFFICE, POLITICAL BUREAU,
                                                 Havana, November 7, 1873.
  It is a vessel of the Spanish marine which has captured the Virginius,
and the per-
sons who came on board of the same are subjected to being tried by a competent
tribunal.
  As soon as the capture of said vessel was brought to my knowledge I telegraphed
to
the supreme government of the nation, near which the United States have a
worthy
representative, who, being also acquainted with what has occurred with the
Virginius,
will see, as in like manner will the representative of Spain in Washington,
that the
stipulations of the treaty of 1795 are respected.
  The good relations which happily exist between the United States and Spain
will
facilitate the solution of any doubt which may arise in this affair.
                                                  JOAQUIN JOVELLAR,
  The CONSUL OF THE UNITED STATES'in this capital.


                                No. 723.

                         Mr. fHall to Mr. Davis.

No. 302.]                UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL,
                    Havana, November 12, 1873. (Received Nov. 18.)
   SIR: Referring to my No. 294 and No. 295 of 5th instant, 297 of 7th,
298 and 301 of 8th instant, relating to the capture of the Virginius by
a Spanish vessel of war, off the coast of Jamaica, I now transmit here-
with copies of correspondence received from Santiago de Cuba, to which
I respectfully call the Department's attention.
  From the statement made by the governor of Santiago de Cuba, in
his reply to Mr. Schmitt, the vice-consul, it appears that Ryan did not
allege his American citizenship.   The consul at Kingston, Jamaica, in-
forms Mr. Schmitt that the Virginius was under the flag of the United
States, and was regularly cleared at that port for Colon, (Aspinwall.)
  Late last evening the news was published of another massacre. It
appears that on the 7th and 8th instant the captain and thirty-six of
the crew of the Yirginius and sixteen others were shot.


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