my official labors. You have "grabbed" the opportunity to bring to my notice several matters wherein you complain of my action toward the Spanish residents and merchants. I cannot take time to reply to these at length, but the respect due to your official character demands that I should at least set you right in regard to some of them.

As respects the Spanish merchant who is consul here, I was informed that he refused to give a bill of health to the American vessel Roanoke when the city was wholly free from epidemic, and said that he did this because I refused to allow the Cardenas to come up. I sent for him and told him that if he did not give precisely the same bill of health to the Roanoke as he would have done and was required to do by the laws, irrespective of the Cardenas, I would send him to the Captain-General of Cuba.

To this he replied that he should be glad to go, but that the Captain-General would send me no more vessels. To that I replied that he could give my compliments to Captain-General and say that he could do me no so great a favor as to send me no more vessels of any sort (Spanish or others) from Cuba until the sickly season was over, and I submit to yourself, captain, as a man of honor, if in either case I was wrong, acting upon the information I had received upon the seizure of the house of Puig Brothers. The Spanish consul addressed me a note in substance saying that he desired to know the cause of the seizure. To that I answered in substance that if he would bring Mr. Puig with him to me I would be glad to explain the cause of the seizure of his house. To that the consul replied that such was not his custom.

After the arrest and punishment of a criminal official by me, a clerk of Puig made a reclamation of such character that I have put it under investigation and I hope to show its falsity and be able to punish the claimant. While this matter is being investigated I have not answered the communication inclosing it. I am not aware of any other letter of the Spanish consul that seemed to require an answer that has not been replied to. If there is, it is to be attributed to the press of official correspondence and business which has caused it to be overlooked. As regards the correspondence of the consul, I can assure you that no letter of his, coming through the regular channels of communication, has been examined, although I reserve to myself the right so to do as the commander of a military post. I found a large bundle of letters on board a vessel running the blockade, directed to the Spanish consul. These were opened. Again, I found a large bundle of letters to the same direction on the person of one whom I have arrested as a spy, being a member of a large mercantile at Mobile, in disguise of himself between here and the enemy's lines at Mobile, in disguise of a barkeeper. Finding letters directed to the Spanish consul in the hands of this spy, I caused them to be examined as I did letters thus surreptitiously conveyed here directed to the French consul. If the reic Majesty will have his letters come to him through the hands of spies and smugglers when our mails are all freely open to him, I shall be obliged to examine them. In regard to the quarantine imposed upon the Cardenas and other Spanish vessels, my orders are imperative and distinct to my health officers to subject all vessels coming from infected ports to such a quarantine as shall insure safety from disease.

You yourself will bear witness with what success this quarantine has been carried out as regards the health of the city. Whether one day or one hundred is necessary for this purpose, it will be done. It will be done it if is necessary to take the vessel to pieces to do it, so