Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-31

State to-day informed Sir Sackville West
that for causes heretofore made known
to Her Majesty's Government, his con-
tinuance in his present official position
in the United States is no longer accept
able to this Government, and would con.
sequently be detrimental to the relations
between the two countries.
The grounds of this action on the part
of the United States are stated in re-
port by the Secretary OF State to the
President, dated October 29th, which is
as follows:
MR.. BAYARD's REPORT.
To the President:
The undersigned has the honor to
submit for your consideration the follow
ing statement with view to receive our
direction thereon. On the 4,h of Sep
tember last, letter purporting to be
written by one Charles F. Murchison,
dated Pomona, California, was sent from
that place to the British Minister at this
capital, in which the writer solicited an
expression of his views regarding certain
unsettled diplomatic questions between
the United States and Great Britain,
stating at the same time that such ex-
preston was sought by him for
the purpose of determining
his vote at the approaching
Presidential election. He stated that he
was a naturalized citizen of the United
States, of English birth, but still consid-
cred England the mother country, and
this fact led him to seek advice from the
British representative to this country.
He further stated that the information
he sought was not for himself alone, but
to enable him to give certain assurances
to many other persons in the same situa.
ton as himself, for the purpose of influ-
encing and determining their political
action as citizens of the United States of
English birth, but who still regard their
original obligations Of allegiance as para
mount.
The letter also contained gross refec-
tions upon the conduct of this Govern
ment IN respect to the question now in
controversy and unsettled between the
United States and Great Britain, and
both directly and indirectly imputed the
insincerity of such conduct.
To this letter the English Minister at
once replied from Beverley, Mass. under
date of the 14th of September. In his re-
ply, he stated that any political party
which openly favored the mother coun-
try at the present moment would lose
popularity and that the party in power is
fully aware of that fact, and, sin respect
to the questions with Canada, which
have unfortunately been reopened since
the rejection of the Fisheries treaty by
the Republican majority in the Senate
and by the Presidents message to which
you allude; all allowances must there
fore be made for the political situation as
regards the Presidential election" The
Minister thus gave his assent and sane
ton to the aspersions and imputations
above referred to.
Thus under his correspondents assur-
ance OF secrecy, in which the Minister
concurred by marking his answer "Pri-
vate," he undertook to advise citizen
OF the United States how to exercise the
franchise of suffrage in the election close
at hand for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency of the United States, and
through him, as the letter suggested, to
influence the votes of many others.
Upon this correspondence being made
public, the Minister received representa-
tives of the public press and in frequent
interviews with them intended for pub
lication, added to the Improvements
which he had already made of the good
faith of this Government in it's public
action and international dealings. AL
though ample time and opportunity has
been afforded him for disavowal, modi-
fication or correction of his statements.
to some of which his attention was
called personally by the undersigned.
yet no such disavowal or mobilization
has been made by him through the
channels in which his statements first
found publicity.
it is compatible with the dignity, Sc
curity and independent sovereignty of
the United States to permit representa-
tive OF foreign government in this
country, not only to receive and answer
without disapproval, and confirm by his
repetition, aspersions upon it's political
action, but also to interfere in it's domes-
tic affairs by advising persons formerly
his countrymen as to their political
course as citizens of the United States as
between this country and Great Britain.
There can be no question as to the COM
plete severance of the ties of original al
legiance, by naturalization. The dis
putes on this point were finally put at
rest by the treaty of naturalization con.
concluded by the two countries on the
18th of May, 1870. Therefore it will not
be contended, nor was such contention
ever admitted by US, that citizens of the
United States of Brisish origin are sub.
ject in any claim of the country of their
original allegiance.
The undersigned also has the honor to
call attention to the provision OF Section
1886 of the revised statutes of the
United States, by which severe penal |
lies are visited upon a citizen of the |
United States, who without authority or |
permission Of this Government, com
mences or carries on any verbal or writ.
ten correspondence or intercourse with
any foreign Government, or any officer
Or agent thereof, either with intent to in
duence the action of such Government
Or officer in relation to any disputes or
with the United States, or
with an intent to defeat measures of the
Government of the United States. These
penalties are made equally applicable to
,very citizen Of the United States, not
luly authorized, who counsels, advises
'r assists in any such correspondence
With similar unlawful intent.
The undersigned respectfully advises
hat the attention of the. Attorney-Gen.
'ral of the United States be directed to
hese enactmeDts, in order that an in.
'estigation may be made with view to
whether they have not been I,
.iOlatod in the present caRa nv the corro-