The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-06


The Commissioners made careful and prolonged
investigation into the important subject of the in
all the Information that could be Communicated by
the officials whose special duty It was to know
every detail OF the finances and the liabilities of
the government, all that could be obtained from
the records in the public offices, from the state
ments Of claimants of every kind who could be
heard of and found, and from the explanations of
the president and his chief officers in regard to the
y0 tS snS eaeh Item lem thereof They also received
amounts pending before that body, which is APP
pended.
The following summary statement exhibits briefly
the results of those inquiries to the debt of the
government and its obligations, whether funded
and ascertsined and admitted, OF unadjusted and
under discussion schedule of items In detail,
with remarks, will be found among accompanying
documents. The receipts of the last three years
have been mostly used for previous war debts and
for the cancelling of outstanding paper money. The
latter, which originally amounted to the sum of
S2,62s,300, left in circulation by Cabral has been
nearly all redeemed by customs receipts, was
also the amount of S243, ,67O in Spanish war bonds
First. The salaries due amount to S6)0,O00.
Second. Bonds, treasury notes, Sc, first Spanish
ceed, s24S,O7O; amount outstanding, sSi,O9
Second. Treasury notes, nominal balance in cir
rial decree, S400 for one dollar in silver, gives
really S36,9S3 10.
Third. Notes of credit new paper money, nomi-
nal balance out of the Controllers Office s88 s32 80;
at 80 for one silver dollar, So, ,961 OF.
Fourth. Obligations of the present administration,
ssued by the Controller, S9,761 SO.
Fifth. Obligations of the present administration,
issued by the Controller, at per cent, Sl5,3OO.
sixth; Sundry debts and loans due towns and in
dividuals, 4 944302 80.
Seventh. Debts and obligations of Cabrals ad-
ministration, unpaid because of doubtful origin,
the gross amount of which is 1921 845 II.
(This debt is now in process of consolidation, and
may be reduced to less than one third of its nomi-
nal sum-
treasurer, $780, six sundry loans bearing interest
(back interest not ncluded) S2 ,51 49, seven loans
without interest, subject to rebate for advances
800 223 20. Eighth. Debt of 1859, amount not
known, because it is not known whether any was
redeemed during the Spanish administration; it
cannot exceed $50 $50 000 reckoned at O0O
Total debt, S133448 25. Ninth Pending claims
of Jesuren & Son. Claim before the Senate for
loan of 100000 in 1851, protested since and now
under consideration by the Chamber of Accounts
Ameea in 1867; less than $4,000; of Rofman Low
enthall, and others $4,000; of General Baez for
ton in 1868, $40 600; total S2O4 OOO Ten of j. c.
Castillanos, francs 13l 719 4O of A Postel francs
50O7. Total Of debt and claims, 1,538,48 SOY; in
88i 30. '' " ''''-O "''' "'''''
decentralization first unpaid salaries $780,
000; item second bonds and and treasury notes, S9
533 436 10; item third, debts and loans 81 302 50
item fourth obligations of Cabral, 1921 ,S45 n; item
fifth, national bank notes countersigned, $780,
item SIXTH interest bearing loans, $293 51 49, item
seventh loan without dt6 Int interest $40 2o item
claims, C4,00O; item tenth, pending claims lin
francs), 1879 40, or SA 3i4. Sum total of debt
and claims, Sl5, ,659,3l5 25.
The following statement of the receipts for 1870
is here presented in order to give, far possi
BILE, complete view of the financial condition of
the Dominican republiC
Results of the income of the government for 1870
First. Customs receipts-Tonnage, 1927 ,2O6 co. en-
rance fees, S146,995; lighthouses, S67 9O; anchor
age, .Sl46995; pilotage, sl42,927 lighterage, s21
GEO; interpreter, 42o so; signal men, s59,416 5O
quarantine, 943,06 80; wharfage, S679 1885, recargo,
municipal, Sl1O,536 so; recargo, for steamer,
$3.50 IA; water, S24 100; import Dues S69 l39,
364 25; export Dues 81 800 so; coast fees S75 11
deposits. slS 24S; additional entrance fees,s4OO.
Second. Direct and Indirect Taxes-Registry and
mortgages, S2l47O6 so; licenses, S1,272,1S6 rs;
posta income 92 81 Is. Tota ss s5iss55 oiO0' 09
Third. Public PToperty.-Sales and rents S15, 900.
SIS 5i'H' a5 'u"u''''' e''O'-0- 1' i0'A'' S''N'4'
The Commissioners believe that the statement of
the public debt given above includes all the ndebt-
edness and obligations for which the Dominican Re-
public is in any degree LIABLE as we'll that which
it considers valid and binding that which it re-
CARDS as unfounded overstated by the claimants
Throughout the inquiry it was urged on the Domi-
nican authorities that every claim known to exist
of whatever character, should be exhibited to the
Commission, whose object was not only to determ
the precise amount that was Justly due and binding
but to get at the bottom and lind the utmost limit of
these obligations setting forth everything which
the government could, under any circumstances, be
The above account contains much that the Do
minican government believes to be partly or wholly
groundless, and some which upon inspection will
appear questionable. There was brought to the
notice OF the commission a claim OF Messrs. Jes-
suren q Son, of Curacao, for upward of $500, 900
for money advanced to the Dominican government,
with interest, this being the same loan Of $780,
in 1857, mentioned in the preceding list of the pend
ing claims by the same parties. On being asked if
he had any statement or explanation to make re-
declined to make any. This claim has been al
lady for a considerable time before the Domni-
can government, which refuses to consider more of
IL than the amount named in the foregoing list and
Of that it is believed but small portion will be
allowed.
The debt was incurred for arms and provisions in
tine of war, when the property furnished was es-
timated at 300, 900, which compound interest
at 18 per cent. was to be allowed 1t is claimed by
the Dominican government that, soon after the
original contract was made, the government turned
over TO these claimants ship and cargo valued at
$4,000, and that subsequently other payments
were made, which, taken together, reduce the
amount to sum much below that named in the
foregoing list The claim is now pending before the
Dominican Senate, and undetermined. Among the
pending claims is one of President Baez for de-
1t is alleged by the claimant that the Spanish
government recognized this claim valid, and
ordered an examination to fix the amount but the
Commission cannot understand how this claim could
be valid against the Dominican government.
Another claim for damages amounting to $40 900,
made by W. l.. CaZeneau, seems to be of a similar
nature. question has been raised in our own
country whether the government and people of the
Dominican Republic having once been under the
rule of the Haytens, might not be liable for por-
ton of the indemnity exacted by France from Hayti
for the interest of Frenchmen who had been driven
out of the island and their property conscated by
the Haytens during the revolution of 1871.
The Commission made inquiries on this subject
of the Dominican government, and also in Hayti,
and they could not learn that the Haytien govern
ment had ever made this claim upon the DOmini-
can Republic, ana they think that if made il would
be wholly without foundation BY the so-called
treaty of 1926 which was not treaty at all, but in
form and fact a royal ordinance, issued by the
King of France and forced upon the Haytens by
arms, the payment of one hundred ID fifty mil
lions of francs was imposed to .demnify such
former planters may claim indemnity, which
imposition, in the express language of the ordi-
nance, was upon the present Inhabitants of the
French portion of San Domingo, and upon these
conditions independence was granted to the inhabi
tants of the French portion of the Island of Sar
Domingo.