the minister of Spain and the Department of State touching your action in regard to the house of Messrs. Avendano Brothers at New Orleans, and to request such explanations as will enable the Secretary of State to answer the complaint in question.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Secretary of War.

[Inclosure.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 9 [11], 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to submit for your information a correspondence which has taken place between his excellency the minister of Spain and this Department touching a complaint made by him of oppression and exactions practiced by Major- General Butler upon the Spanish house of Avendano Brothers at New Orleans. Will you do me the favor to remit copies of the correspondence to Major-General Butler, and also if you think proper to Governor Shepley; and to ask for such explanations upon the subject as will enable this Department to answer the complaint in question?

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

[Sub-inclosure Numbers 1.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 9, 1862.

Senor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c.:

SIR: The note which your excellency addressed to me on the 26th of Augusta last, during my absence from this city, has only just now been received. It prefers a complaint by your Government made in behalf of the Spanish house of Avendano Brothers at New Orleans for severities and exactions alleged to have been committed there by Major-General Butler while in the military command of that city. More especially it alleges that, without sufficient cause or grounds, General Butler exacted of the aforesaid house, under threats of violence, a bill of exchange for @1,900, equal to $9,600.

This complaint is a very grave one. The President, of course, is not prepared to believe that it is justly made. You may, however, without hesitation, assure your Government that an investigation of it will be made with the least possible delay, and that ample redress will be promptly given if Major- General Butler shall fail to justify his proceedings in the transaction.

This Government is above all things desirous to direct its proceedings in suppressing the present insurrection in such a manner as to do no wrong to individuals, and especially to the subjects of friendly nations.

The present seems to be a proper occasion for me to inform you that Brigadier-General Shepley, who some time ago was appointed Military Governor of Louisiana, has now assumed that office and is charge with the conduct of civil affairs in that State.

It may sometimes happen that differences of opinion may arise between this Government and that of Spain upon the merits of complaints made by the subjects of Spain against the American authorities, or complaints made by citizens of the United States against the