The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-21 00:00:00

MEXICAN BONDHOLDERS.

A meeting of the holders of Mexican bonds was
held yesterday at the London Tavern ; Mr. James
Capel in the chair.
A considerable number of bondholders were present.
The CHAIRMAN called upon Mr. Robertson to make
a statement to the meeting. He said he met them
with great satisfaction on his return from the mission
to Mexico, with which they had entrusted him—
more particularly as at one time he thought from ill-
health he should never again return to his native land.
If, however, they were satisfied with what he had done,
it would be sufficient compensation for the danger
and anxieties he had encountered. Much misconcep-
tion had prevailed as to the nature of his mission, which
he hoped before he had done to clear altogether away.
He was prepared to submit to any committee they
might think proper to appoint the whole of his let-
ters, private and others, in order that they might
report on them to the bondholders. He went out to
make the best bargain be could ; and, therefore, it
was untrue, as he had been accused, that he bad
exceeded his powers ; he went there as if he was
in Mixico on his own business. He was wrecked
whilst voyaging in the Forth, and lost all his papers
and money. He, therefore, landed almost a stranger;
he,' however, was most warmly received by Messrs.
Manning and Mackintosh, their agents. His applica-
tions to the Mexican Government, he was told on his
arrival, would be treated with a sort of derision. He
found three friends who had paid the utmost attention
to the claims of the bondholders—Mr. Mackintosh,
Mr. Doyle (her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires), and Don
Manuel Condon, a gentleman who held a number of
bonds. lir. Mackintosh introduced him to the
Foreign Minister. He knew that Mexico could not
pay 7,000,000 of dollars then overdue, and 5 per
cent. besides. He urged upon the Government the
anomalous state of the funds sent to this country.
He stipulated that an order should be sent to this
country to remove this, and it was done. A
constant change of Ministers having baffled his
negotiations with the Government, M. Aranjuez,
the new Finance Minister, proposed to buy up the
bonds at a low price, in order to save the payment of
future dividends, but he declined the offer on the part
of the bondholders.—(Hear, hear.) He made a pro-
posal to that Minister, but he declined it, saying that
he could not adopt any plan which he could not
honourably carry out.—(Hear, bear.) He con-
cluded a convention with that Government,
which had bsen published, and in which he
laid down three cardinal points: —First, that
4,500,000 dollars of indemnity money should be
paid ; secondly, that 3k per cent. should be received
on the new revenue for ten years; and thirdly, to
have the silver duties of the state set apart for the
payment of the dividends. The entire revenue of
Mexico amounted to 7,000,000 or 8,000,000
dollars, and the expenditure was 10,000,000 or
12,000,000.—(Laughter.) He at first suggested that
new taxes should be raised, but he soon saw the imprac-
ticability and danger of doing so. For the difference
between the 3} and 5 per cent. they had engaged to
paw the bondholders, he accepted 500,000 dollars.—
(Hear, hear.) The tobacco duties which had been
assigned to the bondholders would soon be worth
200,000 dollars. Funds to the amount of
from 1,800,000 dollars to 2,000,000 dollars
were to be secured for the bondholders, and
he wished the bondholders to believe that the terms
would be fully kept.— (Hear, hear) Mr. Doyle,
her Majesty's representative, would, he felt satisfied,
see the contract fully carried out.—(Hear, hear.)
The proposition or convention met with the utmost
opposition in the Congress, but he believed it would be
carried. An address which he issued led the people to
the opinion that the convention should be ratified.
He left in October, when the convention had not been
completed, and at Vera Cruz he learned that Mr.
Doyle had received instructions from our Govern-
ment to press the claims of the bondholders on the
Mexican Government.—(Hear, hear.) Since his
arrival he had been assured by Lord Eddisbury (Lord
Palmerston being out of town) that there was every
disposition on the part of the Government to
obtain justice to the bondholders ; the Go-
vernment had instructed Mr. Doyle to
interfere on their behalf. A recent letter