The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-12
COMMUNICATED.

10 THE HON. Il. IL. BAYLEY,
Chairman Of The Committee Of Ways and Means.
The part which you took in the debate on the
Indemnity bill of last session, and the manner
in which you spoke of me on that occasion, pre-
vents my communicating with you personally
have, ina written communication, addressed to
you in your official character, requested permis
sion to lay before the committee certain conf
dental documents necessary to right under
standing OF the merits of the question submit
ted by the memorial of Mr.. Marks To this let
ter you have given no reply. am thus denied
this year, as you denied to me last year, the
opportunity of placing before you the evidence
which desired to submit in support of the mp
plcation made then, and now renewed, for
authority to carry into effect the arrangement
made by Mr.. Marks, under the advice and assur-
ance of the Secretary of State, with the Mexican
government. Deprived of this right, l take the
liberty to address you through the press, hoping
that your regard for public opinion will induce
you to read what | write.
In the debate last year you urged the agency
OF the Earrings for the payment to Mexico, on
the ground that they were bankers of the United
States, and that the money would not be SO
safely or so advantageously paid through any
other agency.
refer to papers and vouchers submitted to
your committee to prove that the agency pro-
posed by Mr.. Marks is more safe, and that it
will save at lea-t sixty-four thousand dollars TO
the United States. 1t is more safe, because it
proposes that the money shall be paid in New
York upon drafts drawn by authorized agents of
Mexico; and that upon the acceptance Mr..
Marks will deliver to The United States a re-
ceipt Of the duly authorized agent of the Mex.
can government, acknowledging that The pay
ment of the drafts thus accepted shall be pay
ment in full, and discharge the United States
from the obligation TO pay in Mexico under the
treaty; and surely if the Barings can make pay
ments in advance of the time when the money
becomes due, and deliver receipt of the agent
OF Mexico in discharge OF their obligation TO
| pay to Mexico, it will not be urged as it was
| last year, that the money must be paid in Mex
leo on the day when il becomes due and if il
can be paid by the Barings before it becomes
due, on IA receipt by an agent Of Mexico, and
our government receives that receipt RS the ev-
idence that the money has been paid by the Br
ings, 1t requires some rtra appliances" to c. n
vince common minds that the government can
not itself pay the money directly to the agent
OF the Mexican government without the agency
of the Barngs. If the receipt to the Barngs
is valid and binding on Mexico as to discharge
the United States, by what argument do you
prove that receipt by That same agent for
payment directly to Mexico, would not be good
against Mexico! Yet such was the argument
last year for placing the funds in the hands Of
the Barings, and such is one of the arguments
for continuing them as the agents for the pay
| ment OF the instruments to fall due in MAY
1852. And suchis the argument by which it
| is proposed to put thirty-tour thousand dollars
into the pockets of these great bankers, which
| the arrangement made by Mr. Marks will leave
in the Treasury of the United States.
You will see that the ar angement made by
Mr.. Marks dispenses with the agency of the
Barings. 1t provides for the payment of th,
money directly to the government: of Mexico.
and saves thiity-fve thousand dollars to tho
United States on the last nstalment WI,
should you refuse TO pay the money To- Mexico
Why do you prefer to employ The Barings?
Why should you give them thirty FIVE thousand
dollars for doing That which can be better don,
without them! Whs. nave the Bulings done
for the United States that you should make
than gift of thirty.6ve thousand dollars
purposely omit TO comment now on the nse
which these bankers have made. and will make
OF the funds thus placed in their hands but IN
my next will give You some reasons why they
| should not be employed by the United States
to make this payment; and for these reasons |
bespeak your careful perusal.
Very respectfully.
DUFF GREEN.