New-York tribune., 1873-01-23
THE SANTANA BAY LEASE.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

held a meeting at tho Office OF the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, yesterday afternoon 10 To
ceye the report OF the Commission sent out
TO negotiate the lease from the Domn-
lean Government The meeting was strictly private
representatives the Press being excluded ABB STOCK
well presided and more than two hours were occupied
in the reading Of the report. After ITS adopuon' 'no
election Of officers resulted as follows: President A. d.
sockwell; Vice President Paul N. spoford treasurer
Henry Clews; Secretary, r. Hazard Counsel Burton
N. Harrison.
The following were present: Samuel G. Howe, Paul
n spofford Fred schuchard, T. Scott Stewart Burton
N Harrison Jas p. Scott, A. b. Stockwell, C. X Gar
rison Samuel Samuels, Henry Clews. oliver Ames H.
W. Gray Thos A. Scott, r. r. Hazard, Robt. nj. FunK-
houser. wyman Jones, and G.. G. spohord'
Tho Company has already declared its intention OF
establishing weekly line OF between this port
and samans Three OF the size or tho IyDee
will at once be contracted for and large one chartered
for the purpose will shortly convey party OF tourists
TO visit the island
The more striking portions OF report win be found
| below;
THE REPORT.
NEw-YoRK. Jan. 20, 1873.
To N, gon ALDEN b. sroCKwELL Chairman OF the
Sa,nanG Bay Company Of Santo Domingo, hev-f YORK.
SIR We, the undersigned, the Commissioners ap-
pointed by you the 4h ut with directions TO pro
ceed Domingo and TO execute convention WIN
the Dominican Republic for grants and concessions to
the company OF which you are chairman, pursuant
10 your instructions that day given u.s. have the honor 10
report follows:
We sailed from New-York the 9th ult., In the
steamer Tybee. and reached Santo Domingo City tne
capital Of the Dominican Republic on the lith lnine-
datey on arrival placed ourselves in communi-
cation with the Government President Baez was him
self temporarily absent from the capital and was at
Azua, which is forty miles to tho westward ana
the headquarters Of the army Of observation OF the
Haytian frontier We therefore presented our
credentials to Mr.. Gsuter, Secretary OF State
and Mr.. Delmonte, Attorney General, who
received US with much cordialty and In
formed us that they themselves fully authorized to
negotiate convention upon the basis Of the correspond
ence which had been had with DR.. Samuel G Howe on
Boston, But consideration OF the draft submitted by US
disclosed maIy features as TO elicit from thOse
gentlemen the announcement that It was practically
new throughout and entirely beyond the limits OF any
discretion vested in the Cabinet.
In tho OF the Executive therefore, they de-
cned discuss propositions. which took them
entirely by SURPRISE and suggested apprehensions hat
accept them and TO allow contamination OF your pro-
ects would be virtually to surrender the entire country
the control of handful OF American merchants.
Courers dispatched Immediately for the President
who reached the city the morning Of the 10TH and gave
audience the same day He expressed entire read
ness to execute what he called the Howe Con-
venton but ntimsed that such hasty consideration
az he had been then give draft inclined him
of .he whole policy OF their Government
PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
He assured u.s. however, OF his willingness TO hear "a,
and TO give the most indugent consideration-re-
peang expressions of his admiration and regard for the
enterprise aud greatness OF the American people, and OF
his aspiration for CLOSER relations between them
Dominican Republic. and frankly confessing his
readiness to sacrifice his personal ambitions In the
realization OF the prosperity which he prophesed for his
native country il he should be able to inaugurae new
era material progress under the auspices Of capitalists
sagaciOus and influential as those represented Dy us
We Therefore went 10 work and for ten days had daily
and almost continuous session at the Executive once
az well as with other principal officers OF the Govern
They urged to send home the steamer and to
remain ourselves awaiting its return But to have done
50 would have ns @ deays .. he
You had particularly instructed us to avoid II pos
sble. We ayaied ourselves, therefore,, OF the dis
having board ourselves aud keeping there the pack
ages OF gold you had furnished US WITH which, IN
case OF in the negotiations to make payment IN
the first years rent and the result justified U.S.
The discussion was not always gentle and the pros,
pect of always bright but the President
his principal advisers became so well persuaded OF
the plan you had yourself after Informal discussions
you and associates beore our departure
some claims with regard to which you ad directed
to exercise discretion and which we're not essential to
execution OF the Convention which the original in
Spanish and an English translation are herewith sub
mtted.
In form it creates a cooperation aud then becomes
treaty between the Republic and plenipotenares
OF persons possessed OF many OF the attributes Of
ereignty The general laws of the Republic regulating
corporations. little known beyond its own limits, and
are based upon the French Civil Code, which ITSELF in
many essential respects different from the systems to
which English speaking people accustomed In such
matters and might be found difficult OF explanation or
proof in the Courts Exchanges Of New-York and
London the money markets Of which cities you must
of course expect negotiate most OF your securities
and your largest financial and commercial opera
We therefore insisted upon making the treaty express
IN the usual form Of such regular charter OF act Oh IN
corporation would be granted by Parament or the
LEGISLATURE OF this State to corporation authorized to
carry ordinary business operations, all the partcu-
lars with regard to the franchises OF the Company the
liabilities OF the individual oldersmakng i
complete code in itself OF the fundamental law which
the solicitors and courts OF all nations must apply to
YOU and by which only and your associates are in
those respects to be bound.
you directed procure, and which we have actually
effected, the Company exclusive jurisdiction for It's
officers and tribunals executive legislative and judicial
in the Peninsula OF Samana and over the waters islands
and reefs Of the bay and enable It to impose and collect
its own duties taxes port charges &c. for its own use
without any control interference whatever by the Do
mncan any other Government They secure traffic be-
tween any point the Republic against impe
ston OF discriminating imposts whatever, ana en-
acted from trade with any othe neighboring pors-two
advantages which must send every mercnant on the
Thomas and Curacao which have heretofore been the
entrepots OF the West Indies They insure much larger
grants OF lands than accorded by the Howe
Convention" much longer terms than were at first
asked for completion public improvements to be
undertaken and extort many other unusual CONCESSIONS
almost any OF which would be the fortune OF any Or
dipary conpany-and finally, by eIemptmg the busi- |
ness OF the Company from imposts taxes assessments
and charges OF every kind they enable the Company
through commercial agents established through
out the Republic to you choose, the entire
commerce Of country which now has nearly million
of dollars gold from its Customhouse aud can
be developed In time TO proportions many times larger
THE DOMINICAN CARRYING TRADE ASSURED
The concessions Of the right have any OF your