The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-09

The following is a detailed account of the Sc
rious difficulty between this government and
the Russian minister:
In June last the President, through the Sec
rotary of State, requested the recall of Mr..
Catacazy, placing the request on the ground
that his Conduct, official and personal, had for
sometime been such as materially to i'm pair his
usefulness to his own government and to rem
der intercourse with him. for either business or
social purposes, highly disagreeable, and the
President also expressed the opinion that the
interests of both countries would be promoted,
and those relations OF cordially with the gov
eminent of the Gar, of the Importance of
which the Gar was we'll aware, would be pIac-
ed upon much surer footing il the head OF the
Russian Legation here we're to be changed
Our Minister, Mr.. Curtin, pursuant to instruc-
tons, communicated these views to Mr.. West
man, the Vice. Chancellor of the Russian EN-
pire, who, in reply to our Minister. expressed
himself to the effect that this was, in his opin-
ION, an IMPROPER time to recall Mr.. Catacazy,
in view OF the visit of the Duke Alexis to the
United States, as in such event there would be
no Minister to attend the Duke as the properly
accredited representative of the Russian gov
eminent. 1t was very serious matter, and
he, for the reasons stated, declined to bring the
matter to the notice of the Emperor. A sue
cessor, he added, could not be appointed in
time to meet the Duke on his arrival in the
United States. Our go Jernment, however, un-
Influenced by the arguments of the Vice-Chan-
ceiior, in the further progress of the cores
pondence, continued to insist on Mr. Cateca-
zy's recall. In the meantime, on the 18th of
august, the Sec etary of State had an inter-
view with Mr.. Catecazy, the only one since
June, when the first note was sent to Mr.. Cur
tin. At that meeting the Secretary informed
him that his recall mad been requested. 1t will
be recollected that on the 9th of September
letter was published purporting to have been
written at st. Petersburg, and dated the 18th
of August, or four days before that interview,
in which it was stated that MIR. Catecazy was
thoroughly sustained by his government, and
that during the interview similar assertion
was made by theiSecretary himself. 1t would
seem from what has already been stated, who
ever may be suspected of being the author OF
that letter, that the assertion therein was in
correct. After various notes to the Vice-Chan-
cellor. that officer finally brought the subject of
recall to the notice of the Emperor, who re-
quested, in the language reported, that Mr.
Catecazy should be tolerated by the President
until the visit of Grand Duke Alexis is over
On the 18th or 10th of September, on receiving
information of the request, the President,
through the proper official channels, acceded to
it, coupled with the expression of desire to
manifest friendship for the Grand Duke, as
we'll as tor his Imperial father and Mr. Cate
cay was informed by Secretary Fish that if,
when the visit of the Grand Duke is concluded
he shall not be recalled, his passports will be
sent to him, and that the President will not re-
ceive him unless accompanied by the Grand
Duke; and, further. that the President will at
no time hold conversation with him.