be accompanied by a permit from the military authorities, which shall state the name of the conductor or owner, the mark or brand, and the number of head; and the stock which shall be crossed into Texas or Mexico without this requisite shall be detained until it is ascertained whence it proceeds, and if it should prove to be stolen property it shall be turned over to the military authority of the State whence the theft was committed to be restored to the owners, and proceedings shall be had against the person assuming to be the owner or conductor.

4th. The authorities of Tamaulipas will issue the necessary orders to the commanders of the line of that State for the arrest and trial of the ringleader, Octaviano Zapata, and the other persons composing his band of robbers.

5th. The authorities of Tamaulipas shall do all in their power to recover the property stolen from the Confederate States train by the band of Zapata, and shouls they not succeed in so doing they shall make the persons arrested responsible for the value thereof.

[Inclosure No. 2.]

MIL. COMMANDANCY STATE OF TAMAULIPAS, WAR DEPT.,

February 22, 1863.

Brigadier General H. P. BEE,

Commanding Line of the Bravo:

SIR: I have had the honor of receiving the proposition which you inclosed with your polite note dated the 18th instant. As I agree perfectly with your sentiments, I entertain the hope that the respective inhabitants and authorities of the two frontier, founding relations on their mutual interest, will hereafter extend to each other the good officers due between contrives. In this view I have no objection to accept the basis I have refereed to. One of the clauses of the Constitution of the Republic the States of the Confederation from celebrating treaties with foreign nations, so that the acts of the authorities of both side, directed to the maintenance of confidence and to prevent the crossing from one side of the river to the other of bands of malefactors with the object of committing depredations under pretext of a political principle, will be considered by the Mexican authorities only as acts of mutual deference under the character of good offices, while the fact of official notes having been passed between the authorities of your line and this office will be nowise vary the nature of these acts.

The ideas suggested by you to guard the two frontiers against the attempts of evil-doers and Indians are admissible, although I think it necessary to establish the meaning of the words which you use, and which in my opinion leave openings or carry some confusion owing to their extreme latitude.

I rejoice to see that, prompted by the good faith and fealty which distinguish your as well as by the desire to insure a durable tranquility for the peaceful inhabitants and to punish those who in disobedience of all authority commit hostilities on the property of others, you have endeavored, understanding that the good officers rendered by the authorities should be mutual, so to act that both frontiers would participate in the advantages which will doubts ensue from the pursuit and punishment of the criminals. This consideration creates the belief in me that the first article will be reciprocal, though from its reading it appears confined to those who may pass from your side to Mexico.