664 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



stacles to ships of the largest draught, is narrower 

 than that of the harbor of St. Thomas, but is more 

 easily fortified on that account. As shown by Gen- 

 eral McClellan in his report on this bay, very simple 

 fortifications, at the entrance of the harbor and at 

 Port Jackson, on the north shore, would guard it 

 thoroughly. Its situation gives it easy command of 

 the Mona passage, the most important eastern 

 avenue to the Gulf of Mexico, whose importance will 

 be immensely enhanced should any new passage be 

 opened to the world's commerce through the Isth- 

 mus of Darien. To any power having occasion to 

 maintain a fleet in the West Indies, and especially to 

 the United States, as having vast interests to protect 

 in the Gulf of Mexico, the value of the position as a 

 coaling-station can hardly be overrated. Under a 

 secure and liberal government a city would grow up 

 at some point on this bay, which would be one of the 

 great commercial centres of the West Indies. Its 

 value to the coasting-trade is enhanced by the fact 

 that what is commonly called the peninsula is in 

 reality an island, as there is a passage which could 

 easily be made available for ships of moderate size 

 from the west end of the bay to the north sea-coast. 

 The testimony shows that a few citizens of the 

 United States have acquired the right to a consider- 

 able part of the water-front of the village of Santa 

 Barbara, which is one of the numerous harbors in 

 this extensive bay, and has heretofore attracted the 

 most attention. The portion so acquired forms but 

 a small part of the space which would be needed, 

 and occupied by a great commercial city, even if 

 that city should finally grow up at this particular 

 point. The country adjacent to the Bay of Samana 

 is exceedingly fertile. Former reports of coal in its 

 immediate neighborhood are not confirmed by the 

 geologists attached to the expedition, but the rich- 

 ness of the surrounding country in all other respects 

 has never, so far as known, been over-estimated. All 

 accounts agree also as to its salubrity. This bay de- 

 rives an additional importance as the natural outlet 



Real, which is the richest part of the island and pos- 

 sesses every element of agricultural wealth and valu- 

 able mineral resources. The chief city, Santiago, is, 

 as regards inland trade, the most important in the 

 republic, and in its neighborhood are several towns 

 of little less importance. The inland communica- 

 tions from the Bay of Samana would be easy. The 

 Una River could be navigated for a considerable dis- 

 tance by steamers of light draught. And a railroad 

 along that valley would have in its favor the absence 

 of heavy grades and large rivers, and the presence 

 of an unlimited supply, along a great part of it, of the 

 best timber for ties. 



The commissioners were notified, while investigat- 

 ing matters at the capital of the Dominican Republic, 

 that, although the Government of the United States 

 had not relinquished possession of the Bay of Sa- 

 mana, but had constantly enjoyed the use and occu- 

 pation thereof as a naval station, the rent due was in 

 default for more than one year. 



The commissioners made a careful and prolonged 

 investigation into the important subject of the in- 

 debtedness*of the Dominican Republic, collecting all 

 information that could be communicated by the of- 

 ficials, the special duty of whom it was to know every 

 detail of the finances and the liabilities of the govern- 

 ment, all that could be obtained from the records in 

 the public offices, from the statements of claimants 

 of every kind who could be heard of and found, and 

 from the explanations of the President and his chief 

 officers in regard to the whole and each item thereof. 

 They also received from the Senate a list of claims 

 and their respective amounts pending before that 

 body, which is appended. The following summary 

 statement exhibits briefly the result of these in- 

 quiries as to " the debt of the government and its 

 obligations, whether funded and ascertained and ad- 

 mitted, or unadjusted and under discussion." A 



schedule of items in detail, with remarks, will b 

 found among the accompanying documents. 



The receipts of the last three years have been 

 mostly used for previous war debts and for the can- 

 celling of outstanding paper-money. The latter, 

 which originally amounted to the sum of $2,628,300, 

 left in circulation by Cabral. has been nearly all re- 

 deemed by customs receipts, as was also the amount 

 of $245,070 in Spanish war-bonds. 



1. The salaries due amount to $600,000. 



2. Bonds, treasury notes, etc., Spanish war-bonds, 

 amount issued $324,160 ; amount cancelled $243,070 ; 

 amount outstanding, $81,090; treaty notes, nominal, 

 balance in circulation, $147,575. At prices fixed by 

 senatorial decree, four hundred for one dollar silver, 

 gives really $368 ; notes of credit, new paper money, 

 nominal; balance out of Comptroller's office, $88,832, 

 at thirty for one silver dollar, $2.961. 



Obligations of present administration, issued by 

 Comptroller, $9,761. 



Obligations of present administration, issued by 

 Comptroller, at six per cent., $1,153. Total of bonds, 

 treasury notes, etc., $95,334. 



3. Sundry debts and loans due towns and individ- 

 uals, $49 443 ; deferred debt. 



4. Voltes and obligations of Cabral' s administra- 

 tion, unpaid because of doubtful origin, the gross 

 amount, $221,845. 



[NOTE. This debt is in process of consolidation, 

 and may be reduced to less than one- third of its 

 nominal sum.] 



5. Notes of National Bank countersigned by Gen- 

 eral Treasurer, $4,130,000. 



6. Sundry loans bearing interest (back interest not 

 included), $293,511.23. 



7. Loan without interest, subject to rebate for ad- 

 vances, $20,223.20. 



8. Debt of 1859 amount not known ; because it 

 is not known whether any was redeemed during 

 Spanish administration. It cannot exceed $50,000 or 

 $60,000 ; reckoned at $50,000. Total debt, $1,334,- 

 487.59^. _ 



9. Pending claims of Jesurun & Son, claim before 

 Senate for loan of $100,000 in 1857, contested since 

 and now under consideration by the Chamber of Ac- 

 counts, $100,000; of Jesurun & Son, for hire of 

 schooner Amelia, in 1857. less than $10,000 ; of Rof- 

 nian & Lowenthal and others, $14,000 ; of General 

 Baez for spoliations, $70,000; of W. L. Cazeneau for 

 spoliations, in 1863, $10,000. Total, $204,000. 



10. Of J. C. Castillanos, francs 131,719; of A. 

 Postel, francs 5,007. Total of debt and claim?, 

 $1,538,487, and in francs, 136,719, or total in dollars 

 about 1,565,831. 



RECAPITULATION. 



Item first Unpaid salaries $600.000 



Item second Bonds and Treasury notes !C).:':>4 



Item thi rd Debts and loans 49,443 



Item fourth Obligations of Cabral 221,845 



Item fifth National bank-notea countersigned. . 4,130 



Item sixth Interest-bearing loans 293.511 



Item seventh Loans without interest. 20.223 



Item eighth Debt of 1859 50.000 



Item ninth Pending claims 204,000 



Item tenth Pending claims in francs 136,719, or 27,344 



Sum total of debt and claims $1,505,830 



The following statement of the receipts for 1870 is 

 here presented in order to give, as far as possible, a 

 complete view of the financial condition of the Do- 

 minican Republic : 



Resume, of the income of the government for 1870. 



I. CUSTOMS RECEIPTS. 



Tonnage $27.200 



Entrance fees l.'l'W 



Light-houses 079 



Anchorage 1.469 



Pilotage 1,423 



Lighterage 216 



Interpreter 



Carried forward $33081 



