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Cruz sera opérée par l'Administrateur Espagnol commissionné au nom des Représentants des Puissances alliées.

XVI. Deux Délégués, l'un Français, l'autre Anglais, exerceront auprés de la Douane Maritime et du Resguardo de Vera Cruz les fonctions de Contrôleur-Inspecteur.

Ils seront donc chargés de surveiller les recettes et les dépenses de l'Administration. A cet effet ils prendront part, quoique indirectement, à cette administration, leurs droits d'intervention allant aussi loin, sauf l'application du tarif, que les attributions de l'administrateur.

Dans le but de surveiller les recettes ils se feront présenter au Bureau du Contrôle qui leur sera affecté dans le local de l'administration, les livres courants et journaliers, grands livres, registres, facteurs, feuilles d'expédition, et tous documents qu'ils jugeront utiles pour les éclairer dans leur mission.

L'Administrateur sera même tenu de leur donner des explications, quand ils les réclameront. Ils auront aussi le droit d'inspecter les actes du Resguardo.

Ils demanderont et obtiendront la révocation de tous employés dont la conduite présente ou passée ne leur offrirait pas de suffisantes garanties de moralité.

Ils jugeront avec l'administrateur toutes les questions de saisie de marchandises quel qu'en soit la cause, et aussi celles relatives à la classification des marchandises si la contestation est d'import

ance.

Ils interviendront en un mot dans toutes les circonstances où ils croiront leur intervention utile sans que l'administrateur puisse leur contester ce droit.

Dans le but de surveiller la dépense il leur sera remis copie du budget des dépenses arrêté conformément au paragraphe ci-après et à l'Article XVIII. Les pièces justificatives à l'appui des dépenses leur seront également produites.

Dans les cas où il y aurait des dépenses imprévues, elles ne pourront être faites par l'administrateur qu'après s'être mis d'accord avec les délégués.

Les délégués seront aidés dans l'exercise de leurs fonctions d'un secrétaire spécial nommé par eux.

Leurs fonctions commenceront par la révision des comptes à partir du 1 Janvier, 1862.

XVII. Il sera procédé chaque mois à une liquidation des recettes et des dépenses, et l'excédant de ces recettes, les depenses de l'administration payées, sera versé dans une caisse fermant à 3 clefs différentes, dont une restera entre les mains de l'administrateur et les deux autres seront remises à chacun des délégués de manière à ce que la dite caisse ne puisse être ouverte qu'en présence des 3.

Il sera tenu un livre exact des entrées et des sorties de la caisse.

Quant à la caisse courante du mois elle restera entre les mains de l'administrateur, qui en sera responsable.

XVIII. Il ne sera rien changé à l'organisation du personnel de la Douane Maritime et du Resguardo. Il sera alloué aux employés en exercice les traitements fixés par le Gouvernement Mexicain.

Il sera attribué à chaque délégué les honoraires de "Oficial Primero," et au Secrétaire ceux de "Oficial Segundo."

Ces divers traitements seront payées sur les recettes de la Douane.

L'administrateur devra dans un but d'économie, si les délégués le jugent à propos, supprimer les postes inutiles, comme aussi diminuer les traitements ci-dessus fixés.

XIX. La quotité des droits à payer au comptant lors du dédouanement des marchandises sera fixée par l'administration et les deux délégués.

Notaires.

XX. Si les notaires publics ne viennent pas exercer leur ministère, les actes sous seings privés, écrits sur papier libre enregistrés au Greffe du Tribunal de Première Instance sur un registre spécial, seront réputés authentiques.

Etat Civil.

XXI. Les fonctions d'officier de l'Etat civil seront, en l'absence du magistrat qui en est chargé, remplies provisoirement par le troisième Alcalde ou la personne qui en tiendra lieu.

Compétence exceptionnelle donnée à la Commission Administrative.

XXII, et dernier. Si la pratique des affaires démontrait que quelque omission eût été faite dans le présent règlement, comme si la sécurité publique obligeait des modifications d'urgence, l'initiative des propositions pour ces additions ou modifications reviendrait à la Commission Administrative; ces propositions aurait force d'exécution provisoire si elles étaient d'urgence et qu'il y eût impossibilité d'en référer à la Conférence de Plénipotentiaires des Puissances alliées.

No. 73.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.—(Received March 31.) MY LORD, Vera Cruz, February 26, 1862.

In my despatch of the 22nd instant I informed your Lordship that the Agreement come to between General Prim and Señor Doblado had been sent to Mexico for the President's ratification, after it had received that of the allied Commissioners.

This morning a courier arrived with despatches from Señor Doblado, informing us that the President's approbation of what had been done had been received, and that, consequently, the English, French, and Spanish forces could be moved up to more healthy quarters without further delay.

The French marched this morning, and our men and the Spaniards will follow them almost immediately, as the Commodore has just received from the Havana mules and carts enough to transport his heavy baggage.

Señor Doblado was anxious to have an interview with General Prim and myself at Jalapa prior to his return to Mexico, but as the English mail will leave this so soon, we neither of us could at present accept his invitation, but have asked him to meet us at Orizaba on the 8th of next month if he can manage to remain away so long from the capital.

In a private letter to me he expresses the wish that we should give up the Vera Cruz Custom-House again to the Mexican Government, on the condition of retaining only half of its receipts, and placing an Interventor there to see that the consignments due to foreign Governments were fairly distributed amongst their Consular agents.

To this I replied that I could only consent to return the CustomHouse to Mexican authorities on the distinct understanding that all consignments due to us by agreements and Treaty stipulations should be paid in monthly instalments, as was the case before the suspension of payments by the Law of the 17th of July last, and that the Consuls of the 3 nations should be appointed Interventors, so as to secure the due payment of what was owing to the clients of each.

This would only, of course, be a temporary measure until we had, by future negotiations, secured the acknowledgment and payment of those claims to be supported by each of the 3 allied Powers.

Señor Doblado is anxious to get hold of the Custom-House again, more for the sake of bringing about a better feeling amongst the Mexicans towards us than from any other reason, as he thinks that by this means the friendly nature of the intervention will be proved to the satisfaction of the most sceptical amongst his political opponents who have hitherto been advocating a war of extermination against the allies.

The French and Spanish Commissioners fully agree with me in seeing the advantage to be gained at present by giving up the Custom-House on the conditions above described, not only for the sake of what Señor Doblado wishes to bring about, but also because by so doing the importations would soon largely increase, and we should thereby benefit our interests as well as those of our debtor

whose resources we ought to try and augment by every means in our power.

I will report further to your Lordship with reference to this matter, which, up to the present moment, has only been treated of privately. I have, &c. Earl Russell.

C. LENNOX WYKE.

No. 74.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 31.) MY LORD, Vera Cruz, February 28, 1862.

As your Lordship will have seen by the inclosure in my despatch of the 22nd instant, it was agreed on in the last of the Preliminary Articles signed by General Prim and Señor Doblado, that the Mexican flag should be hoisted here alongside those of the allies, on the same day that the first body of our troops marched into the interior.

The French having started on the 26th instant, the Mexican flag was then hoisted and immediately saluted by an American frigate that arrived off Vera Cruz some days ago.

When the Spaniards took possession of this place immediately after their arrival here, they found no flag flying, as the Mexicans themselves had lowered it on deserting the town; consequently there was no necessity for its being saluted by the allies when it was rehoisted again.

When all the troops shall have marched into the interior, the town will be garrisoned by 300 men from the fleet, each nation furnishing 100 men, besides 50 men for the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa, which, as I have already stated, is to be occupied in rotation by English, French, and Spaniards, under the command of an officer holding Post-Captain's rank. I have, &c.

Earl Russell.

C. LENNOX WYKE.

P.S. I should have mentioned that the American frigate, before saluting the Mexican flag, had already saluted those of England, France, and Spain, now flying here.

No. 76.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 31.) (Extract.) Vera Cruz, March 1, 1862. IN the despatch dated the 27th of January last, your Lordship instructs me not to make any objection to the withdrawal of the Marines from Vera Cruz when the unhealthy season shall arrive.

Far from objecting to such a measure, I most gladly avail myself of the permission thus granted to carry it out, as both the Commodore and myself had assumed a great responsibility in allowing them to advance as far as Orizaba, from a desire to save the men

from the fatal effects sure to be produced on them by the climate of the coast during the sickly season.

As the Commodore's instructions with reference to this matter tally with my own, we have determined at once to remove the battalion from Vera Cruz, where they have already suffered much from sickness, and ship them off to Bermuda as soon as the necessary means for transporting them there can be provided.

Earl Russell.

C. LENNOX WYKE.

No. 77.-Sir C. Wyke to Earl Russell.-(Received March 31.) (Extract.) Vera Cruz, March 1, 1862.

IN your despatch of the 27th of January, your Lordship informs me that the Emperor of the French has decided to send 3,000 more troops to Vera Cruz, and that it is probable these troops, together with the Spaniards already here, will march to the city of Mexico.

Your Lordship also mentions the rumour apparently current in Europe that the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian will be invited by a large body of Mexicans to place himself on the throne of Mexico, and that this people will gladly hail such a change.

There never was a greater fallacy than this!

Mr. Corwin's reputation in his own country stands so high that his opinion is worthy of every respect, and I have found him since his residence in Mexico always thoroughly well acquainted with what is taking place in the Republic.

It is his opinion, as well as my own, that the actual Government, since it has had Señor Doblado at its head, unites the only elements in this unfortunate country that afford a hope for its future regeneration under a régime supported by what remains here of public opinion.

Earl Russell.

SIR,

C. LENNOX WYKE.

No. 78.-Earl Russell to Sir C. Wyke.

Foreign Office, March 31, 1862, HER Majesty's Government approve your proceedings with regard to the intervention in Mexico, as reported in your despatch of the 26th ultimo.

Sir C. Wyke.

SIR,

I have, &c.

RUSSELL.

No. 79.-Earl Russell to Sir C. Wyke.

Foreign Office March 31, 1862.

I HAVE received your despatch of the 23rd ultimo, and I have to inform you that Her Majesty's Government concur in the views with regard to Mexico stated in that despatch.

Sir C. Wyke.

I am, &c.

RUSSELL.

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