The consul of Spain will issue to the steamer Roanoke a clearance like that which at this season of the year would be given to any vessel whose (dotacion) complement of crew might raise a question (disputava) of good health.

Second. The threat of the same General Butler to the same consul of Spain to ship him off on the Cardenas and send him to the Havana.

Third. The intimation made by the same General Butler to the same consul of Spain to tell the Captain-General of Cuba that he would give him much pleasure by not sending any more Spanish vessels to New Orleans.

As respects the order itself, the Secretary of State knows that General Butler has no power to give orders to a foreign consul in matters of such exclusively consular attribution as the clearing of a vessel for a port of his nation, and that the consul could only regard it as not received. In regard to the terms in which it is conceived, it could be deduced from them that the (dotacion) crew list of the Roanoke at the time raised no question of health, which would add more weight to the requisition of General Butler.

Fortunately, from the communications of the consul, it seems to follow that it was not so. For every reason, even if the crew of the vessel was enjoying full health, the consul was under obligation to note upon the clearance the state of public health at New Orleans, without, in so doing, doing anything else than to issue to the roanoke "a clearance like that he would give at his season of the year to any vessel which might that he would give at this season of the year to nay vessel which might leave New Orleans after the 1st of June."

It was General Butler who pretended that under his command this year a new thing should be done.

As for the threat of sending the consul of Spain to the Havana because he refused to issue the clearance which was required of him- that is to say, for complying with the sanitary regulations of Cuba-General Butler might have been able without doubt to carry it into effect by a great abuse of power, and the consul himself might have believed himself compelled to leave his post under the force of such unsuitable and unreasonable language.

The undersigned, nevertheless, always desirous to maintain perfect harmony with the Government of the United States, approves the conduct of Mr. Callejon, it being, as is true, that, legally and internationally speaking, his continuance in New Orleans depends on higher authority than that of the military authority of that department.

Respecting, finally, the other expressions which were to be transmitted to the Captain-General of Cuba, General Butler is doubtless ignorant that the Governors of the provinces of Spain have no power to hinder the dispatch of Spanish or foreign vessels, in accordance with the laws, and seems to be ignorant that the commander of the military department of the United States have not, either, the authority to hinder the vessels referred to, and lawfully dispatched, from being received in the ports of his country open to commerce, as is that of New Orleans.

Lastly. At the interview cited Mr. Callejon asked that some reason should be given for the quarantine of the steamer Cardenas, and that General Butler postponed reply, the matter remaining in the same condition as before.

Under these considerations the undersigned doubts not the Honorable Secretary of State will disapprove of the conduct of the commanding general at New Orleans, entertaining the right to expect, that in relation to the steamer Cardenas, if perchance not already