DEATH OF AMBASSADOR MANUEL DE AZPÍROZ, OF MEXICO, AND REMOVAL OF HIS REMAINS TO MEXICO. President Roosevelt to the President of Mexico. [Telegram.] THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, March 24, 1905. For my countrymen and in my own name I offer heartfelt condolence upon the death of Ambassador Azpiroz. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The Mexican Chargé to Acting Secretary of State Adee. No. 144.] [Translation.] MEXICAN EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ESTEEMED SIR: In confirmation of what I had the honor to communicate to you yesterday verbally, with profound sorrow I advise you now by the present note that Dr. Don Manuel de Azpiroz, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Mexico near the Government of the United States of America, died yesterday afternoon at 4.40. I beg you, if possible, to be good enough to express to His Excellency the President the sentiments of gratitude which I hasten to tender in the name of my government, in that of this embassy, and in that of the family of the deceased for the personal condolence which His Excellency deigned to send last night by Colonel Bromwell. I beg you also to be pleased to accept for yourself the same sentiments for the kindly sympathy which you were pleased to show yesterday on account of the sad event which has thrown the embassy under my charge into mourning. I reiterate, etc., F. GAMBOA. The Mexican Chargé to Acting Secretary of State Adee. No. 145.] [Translation.] EMBASSY OF MEXICO IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your courteous personal note of this date, by which you are pleased to inform me that His Excellency the President has been kind enough to order the United States cruiser Columbia to convey to the border the body of the deceased ambassador of Mexico. I also noted, and at once advised the family of Señor Aspíroz, that the hospitality of the ship was extended to them. In reply I beg at once to express in the name of my government, to whom I at once reported by telegraph this new and extreme manifestation of international friendship by the United States toward Mexico, most sincere thanks as well as the gratitude of the family of the ambassador. Regarding the other details concerning which you desire information, I am pleased to say that the persons who accompany the body are: The widow of the ambassador; her two daughters, the widow de Perez and Miss Belén de Azpíroz; Mr. Rodrigo de Azpiroz, son of the ambassador and second secretary of embassy, and a female servant. The family would like, if convenient, that the date of departure be fixed for the 8th of April. I beg you, in this regard, to be pleased to indicate where the embarkation will take place. As you surmised, the port of disembarkation in Mexico will be Veracruz. Be pleased, etc., No. 587.] F. GAMBOA. The Acting Secretary of State to the Mexican Chargé. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 28, 1905. SIR: Supplementing my personal note of the 27th and your reply of the same date, I have the honor to inform you that by direction of the President the Acting Secretary of the Navy has detailed the United States cruiser Columbia to convey the remains of the late ambassador to Mexico. Owing to the time necessary to bring the vessel home from the Caribbean Sea and prepare for the voyage to Mexico, the date of sailing from New York with the remains will probably be between April 15 and 20. The Government of the United States further extends a cordial invitation to the widow and family of Señor Azpíroz to accompany the body. Accommodations to that end will be reserved on the Columbia for the family party, which, as I understand from your note, will consist of the widow of the ambassador; her two daughters, Señora de Perez and Señorita Belén de Azpíroz; Mr. Rodrigo de Azpiroz, son of the ambassador and second secretary of embassy, and a female servant. Report by telegraph date on which new monetary law relating to monetary reform in Mexico will go into effect. Desirable that Treas ury have this information by April 1. ADEE. Ambassador Clayton to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Monetary law of Mexico promulgated twenty-fifth instant becomes operative May first next, but bullion presented by private persons at the mints and assay offices of the federation for coinage will cease to be admitted after April sixteen next, and from date of publication of this law metals from abroad will not be accepted unless they shall have been imported prior to that date. No. 2736.] Ambassador Clayton to the Secretary of State. CLAYTON. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, March 30, 1905. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department's telegram of this date and to confirm my telegraphic reply, also of this date [relating to the monetary law of Mexico]. I have the honor to transmit herewith for the information of the Department a copy and translation of the law upon this subject, dated March 25, 1905. I have, etc., POWELL CLAYTON. [Inclosure. Translation.] LAW RELATING TO THE REFORM OF MEXICO'S MONETARY SYSTEM. ARTICLE 1. The theoretical unit of the monetary system of the United Mexican States is represented by seventy-five centigrams of pure gold and is denominated a peso." The silver peso which has heretofore been coined with a weight of 24.4388 grams of pure silver, will subject to the conditions mentioned in this law, have a legal value equivalent to said 75 centigrams of pure gold. ARTICLE 2. The peso is divided into one hundred centavos (cents) and the coins to be struck shall represent the values given below: Gold coins: Ten pesos, five pesos. Silver coins: One peso, fifty cents, twenty cents, ten cents. Nickel coins: Five cents. Bronze coins: Two cents; one cent. ARTICLE 3. The alloy of gold coins shall be nine hundred one thousandths (1) of pure gold and one hundred one thousandths (%) copper. The alloy of silver coins shall be: For coins of one peso, nine thousand and twenty-seven ten thousandths (1) of pure silver and nine hundred and seventy-three ten thousandths () of copper: and for coins of lesser values the alloy shall be eight hundred one-thousandths () of pure silver and two hundred one-thousandths (1) copper. The alloy of bronze coins shall be ninety-five parts of copper, four of tin, and one of zinc. The five cent coins shall be struck out of nickel commercially pure. ARTICLE 8. The national coat of arms and the inscription "United Mexican States” shall appear on all the coins which may be coined. All other emblems, wording, and requisites shall be determined by governmental provision. CHAPTER II. Coinage and circulation of money. ARTICLE 9. The power of coining money appertains exclusively to the Executive of the Union, who shall exercise it in accordance with the present law, on the occasions and in such amounts as said law authorizes. In consequence, the right of private persons to introduce gold and silver bullion into the mints for coinage is abolished. ARTICLE 10. The mintage of new gold coins shall be confined, unless otherwise ordered, to the quantity required to effect the exchange of the present gold coins, which shall cease to be legal tender on July 1, 1906. Nevertheless, in the special circumstances laid down in the first section of article 12, the free coinage of gold may be authorized by a decree specially issued by the Executive of the Union. ARTICLE 11. From and after the date on which this law becomes effective, and save and except the case of recoinage, as provided by article 14, new silver coins will only be coined and issued in exchange for gold coin or bullion at the rate of seventy-five centigrams of pure gold per peso. The gold thus received may be employed in the purchase of silver bars on the scale necessary for the mintage of the silver coins applied for. ARTICLE 16. Any inhabitant of the Republic is entitled to exchange subsidiary coins for dollar (peso) pieces and vice versa, provided that the amount presented by him for exchange is one hundred dollars or an exact multiple thereof. In these cases the department shall make terms with the persons in interest as to the charge for coinage and will take steps to satisfy itself as to the exportation of the pesos coined. ARTICLE 18. With the exception of the case provided for in the preceding article, the charge for coinage of money of all kinds shall be levied by the Nation. ARTICLE 20. The obligation of paying any sum in Mexican coin is satisfied by handing over coins of the issues which may be current for the value which they represent. Therefore, the public offices, of the federation and the states, as well as establishments, companies, and private persons are obliged to accept said coins in payment of moneys owed to them without any other limitation than that laid down in the following article: ARTICLE 21. Gold coins of any value and silver pesos are unlimited legal tender. As to the other silver coins, the nickel coin and the bronze coins, their acceptance in one and the same payment is only obligatory for a sum not exceeding twenty pesos, as regards the silver coins, and for a sum not exceeding one peso with respect to the nickel and bronze coins. ARTICLE 22. Foreign coins are not legal tender in the Republic, save and except the cases wherein the law expressly provides the contrary. Engagements to pay in foreign coins, contracted within or outside of the Republic, will be fulfilled therein by delivering the equivalent in native coin at the rate of exchange prevailing on the day and at the place where the payment has to be effected. ARTICLE 23. The terms of the three foregoing articles are not relinquishable so that any agreement to the contrary will be absolutely void before the law, articles 1423 and 2690 of the civil code of the federal district being thus derogated. ARTICLE 1. This law shall become effective on May 1, 1905. Nevertheless, from April 16, next, bullion presented by private persons at the mints and assays offices of the federation for coinage will cease to be admitted, and from the date of publication of this law metals from abroad shall not be accepted, unless they shall have been imported prior to this date. ARTICLE 2. So long as gold coins coined up to the present time, with a nominal value of $20, be considered as legal tender, the same shall be accepted by public offices and private parties as the equivalent of thirty-nine pesos and forty-eight cents; and also ten dollar coins shall be considered as the equivialent of nineteen pesos and seventy-four cents; five dollar coins shall be the equivalent of nine pesos and eighty-seven cents; those of two dollars and fifty cents will be considered as equivalent to four pesos and ninty-three cents, and one dollar coins will be the equivalent of one peso and ninety-seven cents. I, therefore, command that the present law be printed, published, circulated, and faithfully complied with. Done in the palace of the federal executive power, at the City of Mexico, on the 25th day of March, 1905. PORFIRIO DIAZ. ABOLITION OF THE "FREE ZONE” OF MEXICO. The Mexican Chargé to the Department of State. [Memorandum of an oral communication.] WASHINGTON, July 18, 1905. In the Diario Oficial of June 30 there was published a governmental decree abolishing the Free Zone on the Mexican frontier adjoining the United States. Have the goodness to say orally to the Department of State that in taking this action the Mexican Government took into consideration, among other reasons of internal policy, the representations made by the Government of the United States in regard to the frauds committed against the United States Treasury under cover of the exemptions from the payment of duties granted by virtue of that institution. The Mexican Government considers that in taking this step it has given an additional proof of its friendly feeling for the Government of the United States, with which it maintains the most cordial relations. I renew, etc., MARISCAL The Department of State to the Mexican Embassy. [Memorandum.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, The Department of State has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the memorandum of an oral communication from his government concerning the abolition of the Free Zone adjoining the United States with which the chargé d'affaires of Mexico favored it on the occasion of his personal call of the 18th instant. The Government of the United States has received with sincere gratification the assurances of the friendly motives which actuated the Mexican Government in taking this step, and begs to assure the chargé d'affaires of its cordial reciprocation of the good will and friendship of his government and its high appreciation of its obliging courtesy. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO TO THE MEXICAN CONGRESS. No. 89.] Chargé McCreery to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, September 21, 1905. SIR: I have the honor to inclose a copy and translation of the semiannual message delivered by President Diaz at the opening of the Mexican Congress on the 16th instant. That the number of pupils attending the primary schools of the federal district and territories alone has increased 10,000 during the past year is an indication of the successful educational policy of the Mexican Government. |