The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1813-07-29


Washington, July IL. 1918.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
The Secretary Of State, 10 ,vho .pas rer-ef several
Resolutions The House Of Represenfasrcs the 2lsf
att requesting Information ceraia points relating
30 tie French Decree Of she 28M Of april 1911, has
she honor 10 make lhe Fresidcm the tSiorcing
REPORT IS.
-lNfurnishing the information required by the House
Of Representatives the Secretary of state presumes,
that it might be deemed sufficient br him TO state
what is now demanded. what part thereof has been
heretofore commune sted, and to supply the defc-
iencyss lie considers il however mole conformable
90 the views OF the House, to meet at this time,
without reg arding what has been ALREADY communi-
Gated, every enquiry, and TO give distinct answer
TO each. with the proper expsnatonrelating to it
The House Of representatives has requested in
tormatIon, when by whom. and in what manner,
the first intelligence given to this government Of
the decree Of the government of Fance, bearins
date on the 28th April, 1911, and purporting to be
de6nitive repeal of the decrecs Of Hrlin and Mi
Ian; whether Mr.. RUSSELL, late Charec dAfiaires Of
the United States to the government Il France,
er admitted or denied to his government the COR
rectness of the declaration of the Dule Of Bassano
Co Mr.. Barlow, as stated in Mr. Barbw's letter of
the 18th May, i8t2, to the Secretaryvf State, that
the said decree had been communicated 10 his, Mr.
Barlow's predecessor there, and to lly before the
House any correspondence with Mr.. Russell on that
cate, and also any correspondence between Mr. Bar
low and Mr. Russell in possession Of the Department
Of State whether the Minister Of Fratce to the u
nitsd States ever informed this government Of the ex.
istence OF the said decree, and to lay before the
House any correspondence with the sad Minister
relative thereto not improper to be communicated;
tth any other information in possessionof the Elk.
ecutive, which he may not deem it injuious TO the
public interest to disclose, relative to tie said de-
cree. tending to shew at what time, by whom and
T. what manner. it was first made known to this GO
vernment or to any OF its representatives agents
and lastly, to inform the House whether the govern.
ment Of the United States hath ever received from
that OF France any explanation Of the reasons of
that decree being concealed from this government,
and it's minister, for 80 long time after its date,
and If such explanation has been asked by this gov
eminent, and has been omitted to be given by that
OF France, whether this government has made any
remonstrance or expressed any dissatisfaction to the
government Of France at such conceaiment.
These enquii les embrace two distinct objects The
first relates to the conduct Of the government of
France, in regard to this decree. 1 he second, 10
that of the government of the United States In
satisfying the call Of the House, this latter point,
II seems to be proper to meet it in two.fod view;
first. as it relates to the conduct Of this
IN this transactions secondly, it relates it's
duct towards both beIligercnts in some important
circumstances connected with it. The resolutions
do not call specially for report of snch extent but
as the measures Of the Executive, and the acts Of
Congress, founded on commune ations from the Ex.
ecutive, which relate to one of the belligerents,
have by necessary consequence an immediate rela-
tion to the other, such a report seems be obvi-
ously comprised s7&hn their scope On this prin-
cpe the report is prepared, IN the expectation, that
the more full the Information given, every branch
OF the subject, the more satisfactory will it be to the
House.
The Secretary of State has the honor to report in
reply to these enquiries that the first intelligence
which this government received Of the French de-
cree of the 28th April, 1911, was communicated by
Mr.. Barlow, in a letter bearing date on the lAb
May. 1912, which was received by this department
on the 18th July following: that the first ntnation
TO Mr.. Barlow, OF the existence Of that decree, as
appears by his Communications, was given by the
Duke Of Bassano, in an informal conference on some
day between the LIST and 10th Of MAY, 1912, and
that the official communication of it to Mr. Barlow,
was made the 10th Of that month, at his request:
that Mr.. Barlow transmitted copy Of that decree,
and of the Duke If Bassano's letter announcing Il
to Mr.. Russell, in = letter Of May lith, in which
he also informed Mr.. Russell, that the Duke of Bas.
sano had stated that the decree had been duly com
municated to him that Mr.. Russell replied, in a
letter to Mr. Barlow Of the 2sth May, that his first
knowledge of the decree derived from his letter,
apd that he has repeatedly stated the same since 10
this government. The paper marked A is copyof
an extract Of Mr. Barlows letter to the Department
of State, of May IL, 1912; B, Of the Duke of Bas.
sanos letter to Mr. Barlow, of the 10th of the same
month; C, Of an extract Of Mr.. Brrlow's letter TO
Mr.. Russell of May l1th; d, Of an extract of NJ
Russelps answer Of the 29th May, and e, of Nj.
Russcs eitert the Department Of State of the 3Otb
The Secretary of State reports also that no com.
munic alton Of the decree Of the 28,h April. 1911.
was made to this government by the minister of
France other person, than is above stated and
that no explanation of the cause Of its not having
been communicated to this government and publish
ed At the time Of its date, was ever made to this
government, or, far it is informed, to the re.
presentatives agents OF the United States in Eu-
rope. The minister Of France has been asked to
explain the cause Of proceeding apparensl. SO ex-
traordinary and exceptiouabIe, VINO replied that his
first intelligence sf that decree was received by the
Wasp, in letter from the Duke of Basxano of May
10Th, 1912. in which he expressed bis surprise. ex
cded BY Mr.. Bariow'e communication, that prior
letter Of May. 1911. in which he had transmitted
copy Of the decree for the information Of this go-