may be permitted her to remark that so far back as the middle of February last I called the attention of both the Citizens" Bank and Consolidated Association to the propriety of securing against all contingencies, and, so far as they were able, the bondholders represented by Messrs. Hope & Co. and Barring Bros. & Co., who had supplied them with their banking capital.

Under these circumstances I deem it my duty to claim in behalf of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, the above sum of $800,000, say 160 kegs, marked H. & Co., containing each $5,000, which, I am informed, has been forcibly taken out of the possession of the consul of Holland, Am. Couturier, esq., and I trust that on a consideration of facts no doubt unknown to you you will see the justice of ordering said money to be returned to me that I may ship same to Europe in accordance with my contact with the Citizens" Bank so soon as I may be permitted to do so.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDM. J. FORSTALL.

B.

NEW ORLEANS, Saturday, May 10, 1862-9 p. m.

Major General B. F. BUTLER, U. S. Army,

Commanding Department of the Gulf, New Orleans:

SIR: Herewith inclosed I have the honor to transmit to you a statement of facts which transpired in my consular office during the afternoon of this day, duplicates of which statement I am about to transmit to the minister of my Government, accredited at Washington, and also to the minister of foreign affairs at The Hague. I desire to know whether the acts recited in said statement were performed with your sanction or by your orders. Your answer, or a faithful copy thereof, shall accompany my messages to my ministers and Government.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,

AM. COUTURIER,

Consul of the Netherlands.

C.

Statement of facts.

On this day, the 10th of April, 1862, and at the hour of five minutes to 2 o"clock p. m., I, being in my consular office, Numbers 109 Canal street, was called upon by an officer wearing the uniform and arms of a captain of the U. S. Army, accompanied by a squad of six or eight men under his command.

The captain informed me that he came to prevent the exit of any person or property from the premises.

I said that I was consul of the Netherlands; that this was the office of my consulate, and that I protested against any such violation of same. I then wrote a note to Comte Mejan, consul of France, in this city, requesting him to come to me for consultation.

This note was handed to the officer, whose name I then learned to be Captain Shipley, who promised to send it after taking it to headquarters.

Captain Shipley returned and stated to me that by order of Major- General Butler my note would not be sent to Consul Mejan, and that he, the captain, would proceed forthwith to search the premises. Captain Shipley then demand of the men the keys of my vault. These I refused to deliver. He remarked that he would have to force open the doors, and I told him that in regard to that he could do what he