[4251] [ELLIS to MONASTERIO]
Legation of the United States of America, Mexico, September 26, 1836. The undersigned, charge d'affaires of the United Stales of America, has the honor lo represent to his excellency the acting l\linister of Foreign Affairs, that the schooner Northampton, burden nearly seventy tons, of and from New York, William M. McKeige, master, stranded in the early part of the present year five leagues west of the Tabasco river, with a full and assorted cargo on board, the greater part of which was safely landed by the officers and crew of said vessel. The loss to those interested resulting from this accident would have been inconsiderable, had not the custom-house officers and military taken forcible possession of every article saved, as soon as they arrived at the wreck. Against so violent and illegal a proceeding, the officers and crew of the Northampton protested; whereupon they were immediately assaulted, and the mate severely wounded by one of the custom-house officers. After this occurrence, the goods were abandoned to the officers and soldiers aforesaid, who at once commenced plundering and secreting the most valuable articles belonging thereto. The officers and crew of the schooner then proceeded to the city of Tabasco, made a formal abandonment of the whole into the hands of the United Stales consul at that place, and furnished him with a list of the goods acll.ially saved from the wreck, as well as a manifest of the entire cargo. On the consul's taking charge of the goods which had been left in possession of the custom-house officers and soldiers, not one-half of those saved from the wreck were delivered to him, nor was any account given of the balance. These circumstances were represented to the proper authorities in Tabasco, but they have, up to this moment, refused or neglected to give any explanation or redress to the injured parties. Such illegal, violent, and arbitrary acts on the part of the officers of the Supreme Mexican Government, affecting so seriously the persons and property of those ·entitled lo its protection, furnish a just cause of complaint; and the frequency of their recurrence of late, the indisposition of this Government to
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