crews of vessels of their respective countries, provided that (Art. 15) When a foreign merchant vessel shall be lying within any of the ports of Brazil the criminal and police jurisdiction of the respective consular agents shall not extend to high crimes or to those that may in any manner disturb public tranquility or particularly affect any inhabitant of the country. Whether this concession might be construed as a partial or complete surrender of jurisdiction to consular officers by the local authorities seems not to be well settled, but when the seamen mentioned herein were turned over to the consul general upon his demand that they be released the local officers appear to have recognized the authority of the consular officer in such cases, in accordance with the decree hereinbefore cited. The consul general's action, therefore, appears to have been proper under the circumstances. It is desired that this matter be brought to the attention of the Brazilian foreign office, in order that an undesirable precedent may not be claimed for the arbitrary act of the revenue officer in forbidding the captain of the vessel to place the dangerous seaman in irons. There appears not to have been any pretense of exercise of local jurisdiction. The seamen were arbitrarily taken from the captain's jurisdiction by the police on the revenue officer's order, without judicial process, and were promptly returned to the ship when the circumstances were made known to the competent authorities. The department considers that this was sufficient amends and you are further requested to advise the Brazilian Government that it is so accepted, but that the arbitrary interference of the revenue and police authorities with the internal discipline of a vessel and with the rights of the master thereof, as generally recognized by international law and usage, having been disavowed and corrected by the return of the men to the captain's jurisdiction, the incident is satisfactorily ended, and the case can not, from any point of view, be deemed to create a precedent for similar unwarranted interference in the future. I am, etc., HUNTINGTON WILSON. File No. 17753/4. No. 460.] Ambassador Dudley to the Secretary of State. 1 AMERICAN EMBASSY, Petropolis, December 18, 1909. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the department's Serial No. 169 of the 4th ultimo (file No. 17753/3) and to inclose herewith a copy of a note which, pursuant thereto, I have addressed to the Brazilian foreign office, bringing to its attention, with a view to preventing the claim of a precedent, the circumstances attending the arrest and removal from the American sailing ship, Margaret Thomas, on December 25, 1908, of two members of the crew by Brazilian police at the instance of a customs officer in the course of his attempt to thwart the proper exercise of ship discipline by the captain. I have, etc., IRVING B. DUDLEY. 1 Not printed, as note is same as instruction under acknowledgment. The President of the United States to the Vice President of Brazil. [Telegram.] THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, June 15, 1909. In the name of my countrymen, and my own, I offer heartfelt condolence to the stricken family and to the Brazilian people in their great personal and national bereavement. WM. H. TAFT. File No. 2372/30. The Secretary of State to the Brazilian Ambassador. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, MY DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: On the receipt of a telegram from the American Ambassador at Rio de Janeiro reporting the death on June 14 of His Excellency President Penna, the President on yesterday by telegram to His Excellency Vice President Pecanha offered in the name of his countrymen and in his own, heartfelt condolence to the stricken family and to the Brazilian people in their great personal and national bereavement. In advising you of this I beg that you will assure Baron Rio Branco of my own deep regret at the loss which the Brazilian Nation has sustained and will convey to the bereaved family the expression of my personal sympathy. I am, my dear Mr. Nabuco, File No. 2372/39-40. P. C. KNOX. Ambassador Dudley to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy and translation of a telegram from the Brazilian Foreign Minister, received after my dispatch of the 17th instant reporting President Penna's death had gone forward, acknowledging the receipt of the condolences extended by this embassy and expressing grateful appreciation of the action of the United States in the premises. I have, etc., [Inclosure-Telegram-Translation.] IRVING B. DUDLEY. The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Ambassador Dudley. The Brazilian Government and the family of the lamented President, Affonso Penna, are profoundly grateful for the condolences and the words of sympathy which, by direction of President Taft and in the name of the Government and the people of the United States, your excellency addressed to them in a telegram of the 15th instant in my care. We are honored by the part the great Republic took in our affliction. RIO BRANCO. BULGARIA. RECOGNITION OF INDEPENDENCE OF BULGARIA. File No. 5072/33. Chargé Hutchinson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Reports communication from Bulgarian minister for foreign affairs stating that protocol was signed April 19 in which Turkey expressly declares that she recognizes new State of Bulgaria. The minister seeks recognition by United States, saying independence has already been recognized by all great European powers. File No. 5072/43. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria to the Secretary of No. 536.] State. [Translation.] MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND WORSHIP, Mr. MINISTER: I have the honor to apprise your excellency that the great powers signatory to the treaty of Berlin have seen fit to recognize the political act accomplished at Tirnovo September 22/October 5/1908, by which Bulgaria was proclaimed independent and its sovereign King of the Bulgars. I am glad of the opportunity thus afforded me to transmit to your excellency the most sincere thanks of the Bulgarian Government for the warm felicitations the Government of the United States was pleased to address to it on the occasion. I cherish the hope, Mr. Minister, that the Government of the United States will continue to maintain friendly relations with the new Kingdom in the future and kindly contribute to its further development. Be pleased, etc., File No. 5072/33. S. PAPRIKOFF. The Secretary of State to Chargé Hutchinson. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 3, 1909. Informs him that the President directs that he express to His Majesty, the Czar, felicitations of the President upon the admis sion of Bulgaria to the community of sovereign and independent States. Adds that the Government and people of the United States, in cordial friendship for Bulgaria, offer good wishes for the welfare and happiness of His Majesty and the people of Bulgaria. File No. 5072/42. The Turkish Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Translation.] IMPERIAL OTTOMAN EMBASSY, Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have the honor to advise your excellency that His Excellency Rifaat Pasha, minister of foreign affairs, exchanged to-day with the Bulgarian delegate the protocol by which we recognize the new political State of Bulgaria. Be pleased, etc., File No. 5072/43. H. KIAZIM. The Secretary of State to the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 2, 1909. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 2/15 ultimo, by which you are so good as to inform me that the powers signatories to the treaty of Berlin have recognized Bulgaria as independent and its sovereign as King of the Bulgars. In thanking your excellency for the courtesy of your note I gladly avail myself of the opportunity to renew to you the felicitations of the United States and the assurances of the cordial friendship of this Government and people, which the diplomatic representative of the United States accredited to your Government was instructed by the President to convey to His Majesty the King. Accept, etc., P. C. KNOX. TERMINATION OF COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND BULGARIA. File No. 1195/5A. The Acting Secretary of State to Chargé Hutchinson. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Communicate immediately to the Bulgarian Government the following: The Congress of the United States has effectively declared its intention to supersede the present customs tariff law of the United States by a new law, which is now under discussion and which will probably be enacted within a few weeks. One of the necessary results of this change will be that the commercial |