Kindly permit me to restate what appeared in my first communication. The committee aims at the accomplishment of three things: (1) To secure religious liberty for missionaries working in the Republics of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. (2) To secure religious liberty for native Christians who dissent from the Roman Catholic faith. (3) To secure in these South American Republics the fullest civil liberty for American citizens and native-born Protestants, especially by the legalization of marriages performed by others than clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. That the rich blessing of the Almighty God may ever rest on our country and its Chief Executive is my fervent prayer. Believe me, etc., JOHN LEE, Chairman of the Committee. BRAZIL VISIT OF THE U. S. S. “WILMINGTON” TO THE UPPER AMAZON. No. 146.] Mr. Bryan to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Petropolis, Brazil, April 18, 1899. SIR: Referring to the visit of the U. S. S. Wilmington to the Upper Amazon, I have the honor to report that on the 6th of April I received the following unsigned and undated telegram from Manaos: Wilmington cruising up Amazon. No objection by Governor Para, Amazonas. Obtain permit if necessary. Inform governor. Concluding that the message was from the commanding officer of the Wilmington, and noticing in such newspaper dispatches as the inclosed from the Paiz that the cruise up the Amazon River was by some considered unauthorized, I immediately mentioned the matter to the minister for foreign affairs, calling his attention to the decree of December 7, 1866, which opened the navigation of the high waters of the Amazon and its tributaries to foreign vessels. Dr. Magalhaes said that in answer to a telegram from the governor of Para, he had, although unnecessary, telegraphed authorization for the Wilmington to enter the Amazon, which message had not reached its destination before the departure of the American gunboat. The minister expressed gratification at the friendly visit of the Wilmington. * * On the evening of April 15 Dr. Rodrigues, the editor of the Jornal de Commercio, sought me to show a telegram from his Manaos correspondent mentioning the alleged stoning of the American consulate, which dispatch was published the following morning. Dr. Rodrigues also read me a private note written by him to President Campos Salles, conveying, with words of regret, the disagreeable intelligence. I made no comment beyond expressing doubt as to the reliability of the information. Dr. Rodrigues, however, vouched for the conservatism and veracity of his correspondent. As I had no information in advance, either from Washington or from the commanding officer of the Wilmington, of the vessel's coming, I could not prepare the way for her reception. As soon as I received your telegram of the 14th of March in answer to mine of the previous day, I sent a message commending Commander Todd to the good offices of my friend, the learned bishop of Amazonas. As the message was returned with the statement that communication by wire between Manaos and Para would be (as it has been) interrupted for several weeks, I could not send, as I had intended, notification to the two senators from Amazonas, with whom I had enjoyed pleasant relations during the last session of the Brazilian Congress. L have, etc., * * * CHARLES PAGE BRYAN. No. 149.] Mr. Bryan to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Petropolis, Brazil, April 25, 1899. SIR: Referring to the subject of my dispatch No. 146, of the 18th instant, relating to the Wilmington's cruise without license up the Amazon, I have the honor to report that during my last visit to the minister for foreign affairs for the purpose of urging upon him some reciprocity arrangements, he volunteered to mention the Manaos incident, a subject I had hoped to avoid discussing until some definite information could be received from Washington or from the consular agent, Mr. Redman. Dr. Magalhaes read me all the telegraphic dispatches received by him from Para and Manaos, referred to in his note of the 22d instant, a copy of which I inclose with translation. I merely called his attention to the fact that in our former interview on the subject he had agreed with me in deeming a permit to navigate the Amazon superfluous, in view of the decree of December 7, 1866. To this remark he gave an evasive answer. He, however, appeared to assent to the only other comment of mine, which was to the effect that it was improbable than Commander Todd had told the Manaos authorities that he intended to return to Para when he had announced at that city his intention to go to Iquitos, and had applied through the governor for a permit to navigate the upper waters of the Amazon. The minister did not seem to wish to conceal anything from me, showing me the long telegrams as he read them. He protested (as always) the greatest friendliness and an earnest desire to preserve cordial relations between our countries. I learn from Americans who have lived in Manaos that Mr. Redman, our consular agent there, has had large business transactions in which his interests and those of the leading Brazilian officials have conflicted, resulting in much acrimony on the part of an exgovernor and of a prominent Congressman. To this feud some attribute the alleged attack on the consulate after the departure of the Wilmington. The members of the legation have preserved entire silence on the subject. The Brazilian people are extremely sensitive to national slights and errors in matters of courtesy. Happily the incident has so far not been the subject of much public adverse discussion. * * * The Department will find on consulting the note of Mr. Hilliard of April 6, 1878, and the answer of the Brazilian foreign office thereto, referred to in inclosure No. 1, that in that case permission was asked to send a vessel of the Navy to make a survey, equipped for that purpose. In this connection I have the honor to send for the information of the Department a copy of Mr. Dawson's memorandum of February 24, 1898, and a copy and translation of the reply of the minister for foreign affairs, referring to the visit of the Wilmington which was contemplated last year. It will be observed that both note and reply refer to "ports" generally and that no distinction is made in them between coast and river ports. The Department's instruction No. 98, of January 14, 1898, to Mr. Conger and Mr. Dawson's reply thereto, No. 113, of February 25, 1898, refer to the same subject. I have, etc., CHARLES PAGE BRYAN. [Inclosure 1.] Dr. Magalhaes to Mr. Bryan. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Referring to the next the last conference I had with Mr. Charles Page Bryan, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, in which he communicated to me the fact that the American gunboat Wilmington intended to go up the Amazon River on a visit to our ports of that region, I informed the minister that the governor of the State of Para having, on the 16th of March, at the request of the commander of the said ship, solicited the necessary authorization to undertake the voyage, I had conceded it, acting in conformity with the sentiments of frank friendship the Federal Government has for the United States of America. On the 19th instant I was informed by the said governor that the commander of the gunboat Wilmington had left the port of Belem (Para) before receiving his answer in the affirmative. In spite of the fact that the governor was authorized to transmit to the governor of Amazonas the resolution of the Federal Government, he failed to send it in view of the irregular proceeding of the commander of the ship-of-war. The ship was received in the port of Manaos with the formalities due, and the officers entertained by the local government. The commander, when making his farewell visit, said to the governor in the palace that he intended to continue his voyage with Belem as his destination, and from there to the island of Madeira. Meanwhile the ship left the port at 10 o'clock at night on the same day, and two days afterwards, when the packet Rio Grande came there, her commander communicated to the captain of the port that he had met the Wilmington going up the Amazon River in the direction of the Peruvian frontier. I can not refrain from expressing to the minister the astonishment that these facts have caused to the Federal Government. The Government of Brazil, being consulted upon an identical matter by the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, declared in a note of the 26th of June, 1882, that "the war ships of friendly powers might enter without any restriction all the maritime ports of the empire, and that as to the river ports, their entry depends upon a special concession for each case, there being no convention to the contrary." I further ask the attention of the minister to the note which Mr. Hilliard, the diplomatic representative of his country, sent to this ministry on the 6th of April, 1878, relative to the Enterprise, a war ship of his nation, as well as to the answer which was given to him on the 13th of May of the same year. I improve the occasion to have the honor, etc., OLYNTHO DE MAGALHAES. [Inclosure 2.] Paragraph 1 of memorandum handed by Mr. Dawson to the minister for foreign affairs, February 24, 1898. 1. Mr. Dawson informs the minister for foreign affairs that the light-draft gunboat belonging to the Navy of the United States of America, which is now cruising among the ports of the Caribbean Sea will shortly enter Brazilian waters, and intends to visit in turn nearly all the ports of Brazil, beginning in the north, wherever it may not interfere with the quarantine or other regulations. The United States Navy Department has selected a vessel of suitable draft so that certain ports which have rarely been visited by foreign war vessels, and never by an American, may be reached. I bespeak for the Wilmington the same cordial reception and courtesy which your excellency's Government has always accorded to the ships of my Government, and trust that her visit will still further strengthen the feelings of friendship and good will existing so happily between the two peoples. This legation will take pleasure in informing your excellency of the date of the arrival of the Wilmington at Para as soon as definitely advised. [Inclosure 3.] MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Rio de Janeiro, April 2, 1898. Answering the memorandum which Mr. Thomas C. Dawson, chargé d'affaires of the United States of America, sent me on the 23d of February last, I have the honor to inform him, as to the subject of No. 1, that since entrance to all the ports of the Republic is free to the ships of whatever nationality, whether war ships or merchant ships, provided they subject themselves to the usual regulations of the said ports, the war ship Wilmington will meet a cordial reception in them. I improve the occasion to reiterate, etc., DIONISIO DE CASTRO CERQUEIRA. Mr. Assis to Mr. Hay. BRAZILIAN LEGATION, Washington, D. C., May 24, 1899. SIR: In consequence of what was agreed upon in the conference I have lately held with the Assistant Secretary of State, in the absence of your excellency, I have the honor of submitting to your excellency's consideration the following facts: On the occasion of the recent visit of the U. S. gunboat, the Wil mington, to the port of Belem, capital of the State of Para, the commander of this vessel visited the governor of the State and expressed to him his intention of sailing up the Amazonas to Iquitos. The governor assured him that the United States flag would be, as always, seen with great pleasure in the Brazilian waters, but observed that as the river ports were not free to foreign war ships, as are the maritime ports, it would be necessary to obtain permission from the Federal Government before undertaking the voyage. In order to save time and to be agreeable to the commander, the governor himself offered to solicit by telegraph the said permission, which has been assented to by the commander. The Federal Government answered immediately, granting the permission, but intimating that it must be demanded by the United States. consul in Para, because this was the admitted rule in Brazil. |