submit themselves to daily roll-call, and if they should refuse I will commence hostilities against them without delay. Knowing that these Indians have been a terrible scourge to your State, I take the liberty of requesting you to place strong detachments near the line, to prevent them taking refuge in Sonora if they escape the pursuit of our soldiers. Do me the favor to keep this secret until the date mentioned above. Your obedient servant, GEORGE CROOK, Brevet Brigadier-General, United States Army. [Inclosure 3.] Lieutenant-Colonel George Crook to the governor of Sonora. HEADQUARTERS CAMP GRANT, Arizona Territory, February 9, 1873. ESTEEMED SIR: Your favor of the 27th ultimo has been received. I regret that I am not authorized to hold the conference proposed by you. I must inform you that I have met with obstacles which I did not foresee when I wrote my last letter, and this circumstance prevents me from taking any further measures against the Indians until I shall have received additional instructions from my Government. When I shall have received such instructions, I shall have the honor to communicate them to you. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, His Excellency I. PESQUEIRA, GEORGE CROOK, Lieutenant-Colonel Twenty-third Infantry. Governor of Sonora. [Inclosure 4.-Translation.] [From the Official Journal of Sonora.] SAVAGE INDIANS. MORE ROBBERIES AND MORE MURDERS. Arize. No depredations have been committed by the Apaches in this district during the first fortnight of the present month. Magdalena.-The same may be said of this district, referring to the week which ended on the 12th, (July.) Sahuaripa.-In this district the citizen prefect also reports that no damage was done by the Apaches during the week ending the 11th instant. Moctezuma.-According to a report from the municipal president of Bavispe, two Apaches stole ten asses on the 28th of June last from the estate of Messrs. Samaniego, and Bustamante. The commandant of Bavispe was going to send ten men in pursuit of the Indians, but the president was unable to report the result. The municipal president of Tepachi reports to the prefect of Moctezuma, under date of the 8th instant, that six Apaches, on the 4th, attacked the citizens Benito Chaves, Francisco Fimbres, and a companion. They killed Fimbres and wounded the companion, who died of his wounds the next day. As soon as Chaves reached the highway he met twelve Mexicans, who accompanied him to the spot where Fimbres lay. They found the latter still alive, although he died a few moments after their arrival. The wounded companion, whose name was Ruiz, lay there also. As it was necessary to take up the body of Fimbres and the wounded man Ruiz, the party were obliged to return with them, reporting that the Apaches had escaped, running off the horses of Fimbres. On the following day the authorities of Tepachi sent out a force of fifteen men in pursuit, but, rain having fallen during the night, the trail of the savages was destroyed, and the pursuing party were therefore obliged to return Eight days afterward the prefect was informed of this occurrence, but, in view of the time which had elapsed, he deemed it useless to send a force in pursuit of the sav ages. Fimbres was a resident of Guásavas, and Ruiz of Los Broncés. Magdalena. In the official part of our paper we print in full a report of the prefect of this district. It will thereby be seen that among the articles that were abandoned by the Apaches in their flight were three blankets, bearing the stamp of the Government of the United States, which fact furnishes unmistakable evidence that these Apaches were of the number of those who are at peace on the Arizona reservations, and who cross over into Sonora for the purpose of robbing and murdering, Ures.-The citizen prefect of this district yesterday sent in the reports, which we condense below. The municipal president of Rayon writes, under date of the 23d, that the Apaches stole ten horses at El Pima, on the 21st, from the citizen Guadalupe-Fernandez. The Indians were seen by some citizens of Rayon, but they were so well dressed, wearing black hats and overcoats, like those worn by the soldiers in Arizona, that 'they supposed them to be travelers from California. When, however, they saw them go in the direction of the mountains with the herd of horses, one of those who saw them notified the herdsman of Fernandez, who at once went out to reconnoitre, and reported, on his return, that they were really Apaches. Fourteen citizens organized at La Paz and started in hot pursuit, but as they had not yet returned on the 23d the result was unknown. The municipal president of Opodepe says that on the 20th instant the Indians (Apaches) attacked Doña Maria Flores, who was on the Realito estate with another woman named Cecilia, and with her little son, ten years of age. The lady and her child were killed, and Cecilia received two wounds, but at the date of the report (23d instant) was still living. A force of thirty citizens started at once from Opodépe. and pursued the Indians until nightfall, when they were obliged to return for provisions. They were then joined by twenty-three more citizens, and started again, well supplied with provisions and munitions of war. They had not returned on the 23d, and the result of the chase was therefore unknown. [Inclosure 5.-Translation.] [Extract.] Mexican Indian agent to Mexican minister of foreign affairs. SAN FRANCISCO, December 31, 1-73. During this month advices have been received of the continuance in the State of Sonora of hostilities committed there by savage Indians from Arizona Territory. It is known that many new-comers have settled on the reservation of Cochise's band, among them not a few individuals belonging to those bands whose settlements are at San Carlos, Jularosa, and White Mountain. Cochise accuses these of being the invaders of Sonora, declaring that he has no power to restrain them. Mr. Delano, in his report of this year to Congress concerning the business of the Interior Department, which is under his charge, takes care not to mention the Arizona Apaches, thus giving ground for the belief that he does not propose to change the pol icy that has thus far been observed toward those Indians, notwithstanding the knowl edge which he has of the depredations committed by them in Mexico. This unjustifiable persistence is vexatious to the republic. If the United States Government is powerless to prevent the outrages of its savage Indians in the neighboring country, it should remove them to a distance from the latter, but the fact is that it has not yet been shown that its efforts to restrain and punish them are unavailing, for the reason that it has made no efforts at all, hearing, perhaps, with contempt the complaints of our unfortunate people on the western frontier. To the Citizen MINISTER OF FOREIGN RELATIONS, No. 129.] NETHERLANDS. No. 496. Mr. Gorham to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The Hague, March 12, 1874. (Received April 14.) SIR: The most engrossing subject the Netherlands government has had under consideration for some time past, next to that of the war in Sumatra, has been the question of changing the money system of the country. In October, 1872, a commission was appointed to consider the change that was taking place in neighboring states by substituting gold for silver as currency, and to suggest such remedies as might seem expedient to counteract any influence prejudicial to the Netherlands likely to arise therefrom. The commission reported in January of that year, recommending substantially the system in use previous to 1847; i. e., one standard of sil ver and one of gold, with a relative value of 15.5 to 1. But in October, when the policy of Germany had become more apparent, the committee made a second report, in which they strongly urged the adoption of the gold standard only. On the basis of the committee's second report the government, through the minister of finance, submitted to the Second Chamber a bill making gold alone the standard, and the gulden, or florin, the unit of account, 0.60561 grammes fine, valued, as against silver, at the rate of 1 to 15.604. In supporting the bill the minister urged that silver was likely to depreciate in consequence of the amount being offered in the market. Germany was selling largely, and Belgium was preparing to do so, with an evident intention to discontinue its use as a standard of eurrency; that being démonétisé in neighboring states, it would naturally accumulate where it was legally recognized as the circulating medium, and that the Netherlands, already financially isolated, by adhering to their present system would experience a growing inconvenience from which relief would become more and more difficult. On the other hand, objection was made that the bill did not apply to the colonies; that the old standard for them and a new and different one for the mother-country was equally unnecessary and unwise, and that it would be better to defer action until an expression from the colonies could be obtained. The widest difference prevailed, however, in regard to the fineness of the contemplated issue. That proposed by the government corresponded neither with the Anglo-German standard nor the so called Latin league, being above the one and below the other. Some of the members had weighty reasons for joining the first named, others were equally strenuous for conforming to the last, while not a few clung to the standard named in the bill, mainly, it would seem, because it was identical with or came nearest to one used by their fathers at some former period. Having repeatedly discussed the project, and lastly for a number of days in succession, it was finally resolved to divide article 1 so that the seuse of the chamber might be taken on the proposition to introduce a gold standard and on the rate of alloy separately, and that the second should be the first tried. Accordingly, after several amendments had been offered and rejected, the question of alloy was put to the test; 29 voted for it and 40 against it. On learning the result, the minister immediately withdrew the bill, observing that further discussion would be of no avail. There is therefore little probability of an immediate change in the monetary system of the Netherlands. I am, &c., CHARLES T. GORHAM. No. 131.] No. 497. Mr. Gorham to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The Hague, March 28, 1874. (Received April 21.) SIR: When war was declared by the Netherlands government against the Sultan of Acheen it was urged, as I had the honor to inform you at the time, that His Majesty was willfully disturbing the territorial relations of the Dutch, that he was unfaithful to treaty obligations, that all attempts to secure friendly intercourse through peaceful means bad proved abortive, and that the maintenance of authority in the Nether lands East Indies depended on the ability and disposition of the gov ernment to assert it in the punishment of the Acheenese. In the spirit of this conclusion an expedition was ordered. Its first attempt was a failure, as will be remembered. The second, under a different commander, had invaded the country and placed itself in a position to dictate terms to the enemy, and the question of importance now under consideration by the government relates to the disposition of the country and its troublesome inhabitants. Shall the people be charged with the expense of their chastisement and let off on its payment and a promise of better behavior in future, or shall their country be annexed to other possessions of the Dutch and themselves restricted henceforth to limited rights as colonial subjects? On the 21st instant Mr. Van Vollenhoven, member of the second chamber of the States General, by permission of the chamber, put to Mr. Van de Pulto, minister of colonies, the three following questions, viz: I. How does the government provide for the pecuniary necessities of the war? II. What is the object aimed at? III. What are the intentions and purposes of the government for the future? The minister replied that, in regard to the first question, he had the satisfaction of knowing that the surplus to the credit of the East Indies colonies, on the 31st of December last, amounted to 39,000,000 of florins, and that up to that period a trifle under 14,000,000 had been expended in the prosecution of the war, leaving over 25,000,000 to be used if need be. He hoped the whole sum would not be exhausted by the requirements of the service, but added that it would be if necessary, and more besides, as it was the purpose of the government to prosecute the war to a satisfactory conclusion. The number of enlisted men sent from the Netherlands the minister gave as 3,930. The casualties of the last campaign had not been fully reported to the government. In responding to questions II and III the minister said, in substance, that in the beginning the intention of the government, as repeatedly communicated to the States-General, was to conclude a treaty with the Sultan, maintaining the integrity of his country. Accordingly the effort was to strengthen his authority as much as possible in order to prevent a dismemberment of his country. But subsequent events, and the conviction that the Sultan is a weak, inefficient, dependent prince, have led General Van Swieten, Governor-General Loudon, and the ministry also, to conclude that the true policy of the Dutch demands entire authority regardless of the Sultan, who, under the circumstances, is un worthy of consideration. He refused to negotiate when he could have done so, and through his perfidy a Dutch envoy had lost his life. At the conclusion of his remarks the minister placed at the disposition of the chamber a large number of dispatches and documents relative to the war, which till then had been kept from the public; some were still withheld on the score of expediency. Among those published in the government organ I notice a proclamation issued by General Van Swieten, styling himself "lieutenantgeneral, commander-in-chief, and plenipotentiary of the Netherland India government," dated Penogoeny, January 31, 1874, in which he proclaims the army beaten, the Kratow taken, the Sultan* dead, and the country, by right of conquest, a possession of the Dutch East India government, and he exhorts all the inhabitants thereof to submit to his authority. There is also published a copy of a letter from the commander-in-chief to the hoeloebalangs (chiefs) of some of the most important districts, under date of February 2, 1874, in which he assures them that he is prepared for any emergency possible for them to devise; that he had remained inactive for a time in the hope that they would consider their circumstances and act accordingly; that the government would disapprove of any attempt on the part of the people to elect another Sultan, and would entirely disregard him, as such, if elected. Also, a letter from the general to the governor-general, dated February 4, 1874, giving further details of the situation, and complaining that intercourse with the people was becoming less and less friendly. On motion of Mr. Mustrass, member of the opposition, it was resolved to postpone any further consideration of the subject until a re-assembling of the chamber after the Easter holidays. I will only add that, in the opinion of some, the interpellation has laid the foundation for an overthrow of the ministry. In such conclusion, however, I do not share. The expense of the war is somewhat galling, but its prospective results are agreeably contemplated by a majority of the people. I am, &c., No. 498. CHARLES T. GORHAM. No. 100.] Mr. Fish to Mr. Gorham. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your dispatch, No. 130, relating to the demand by Belgium for the extradition from Holland of Adolph Schmiderberg, has been re ceived. In addition to the instruction in my No. 99, the perusal of your No. 130 induces me to point out to you the propriety of inquiring, with some particularity, when and where Schmiderberg was naturalized as a citizen of the United States, of ascertaining whether he has a certificate of naturalization, how long he resided in the United States before obtaining it, how long he has resided away from the United States since obtaining it, what his pursuits in Europe have been, and what evidence there is of an intent on his part to return to this country. * Reported dead, but was found afterward preparing for another battle. |