Government for its own satisfaction, and not for that of the United States. It is, therefore, a Danish question, into which the United States can in no case enter. They are willing to accept the cession, if notified by the Senate and confirmed by the Rigsdag of Denmark.

In the judgment of the President supplemental negotiations would only tend to embarrassment and delay, while they are deemed altogether unnecessary. I am therefore not at liberty either to negotiate upon the subject with the local authorities or the royal commissioner extraordinary here, or to reopen the negotiations already closed at Copenhagen.

Your agency at St. Thomas was, as you are aware, constituted in deference to wishes expressed by the Danish Government. I am happy to learn from the royal Danish commissioner, now here, that he anticipates no considerable obstacle or delay of the proceeding with which he is charged at that place, and that he is aware of no necessity for further attendance on your part. Under these circumstances the agency will be terminated.

I give you the President's thanks for the propriety, ability, and fidelity with which you have performed duties equally delicate and important. I am, sir, your obedient servant,

Rev. Charles Hawley, etc., St. Thomas.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

The Result of the Election1

St. Thomas, Saturday, January 11, 1868

According to official announcement, the poll was opened on Thursday morning, 9th, precisely at 8 o'clock. The board appointed to conduct the poll consisted of the Honorable Judge Rosenstand, chairman; Messrs. S. B. Lange, G. W. Smith, E. de Leon, and H. Krebs. Present were His Excellency Chamberlain Carstensen, K.D.; His Excellency Governor Birch, K.D., and His Excellency Chamberlain Rothe, K.D. The first ticket (blue) put in the urn was by Mr. James B. Gomez, native proprietor and head of a family. From that time to the closing of the poll the tide of voters continued without abatement. At the close the polling stood thus:

1 From the St. Thomas Tidende, January 11, 1868. U. S. Sen. Doc. No. 231, pt. 8, 56th Cong., 2d sess., p. 221.

When we bear in mind that the population is 13,000, from which must be deducted women, children, old, infirm, and the fluctuating portion (transient) that of course does not come within the requirements for qualifying a voter, it is too evident that a more satisfactory vote could not well be expected.

The

The result could not otherwise than have been satisfactory to every participant therein, and doubly so to those who ventured to predict its success. majority for the cession of the islands is so overwhelmingly great compared with those against it, that it admits of no comparison, while the action of the voters on the blue tickets exhibits a peculiarity unusual in the transactions of men, since it can justifiably be said of them that they have pleased and served both parties a circumstance that it will be owned is not common in voting. The voters have really conformed to the wishes of His Majesty the King, on the one side, and at the same time reasonably met the wishes of the United States Government on the other.

The success of the blue ticket relieves both contracting parties from an embarrassing position, since it would have been hard to tell how the treaty could have been finally ratified on either side in the absence of a successful plebiscitum, the only modern method by which one people may now be incorporated with another, and at the same time exempt the contractors from the odium of having handed over their citizens or subjects as simply materials for purchase and sale. It is gratifying to know that while the election naturally produced a certain amount of excitement in the minds of the inhabitants (a goodly portion of which is naturally unfamiliar with manhood suffrage), nevertheless, order and good will seemed to animate everyone, and it may be said that not one indecent act occurred, although, independent of the voters, hundreds of people were drawn from their homes to witness what was going on.

No. 125.)

MR. PERKINS TO MR. SEWARD

St. Thomas, West Indies, January 13, 1868. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that Chamberlain Carstensen, the Danish royal commissioner extraordinary, returned here from Washington on the 1st instant, and in accordance with his publication of that date the voting by the inhabitants of St. Thomas and St. John on the cession of these islands to the United States took place in the former on the 9th and in the latter on the 10th instant, and the result, which I have forwarded to you by telegram from Cuba, has been most satisfactory. In St. Thomas there were 1,039 votes in favor of annexation and only 22 against it. In St. John 205

in favor and none against it. The colored people and the blacks were all in favor of the United States, and the merchants in St. Thomas, from whom I apprehended the chief opposition, behaved remarkably well. Many voted for us and but few against us, while others abstained from voting. It was a holiday here among the people and great enthusiasm was manifested. Early in the day a large number of voters, carrying the American flag and preceded by a band of music, marched to the poll accompanied by a throng of people, the band playing, "Hail Columbia." The mass of the people are rejoiced at the thought of becoming American citizens.

Good order prevailed throughout the day. There has been no naval or other representative of our Government here for some time except Vice-Consul Simmons and myself.

I inclose paper containing the commissioner's address on his return, etc., in separate envelope.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

E. H. PERKINS, United States Consul.

Hon. William H. Seward,

Secretary of State, Washington.

The Period of 1871-1914

ST. BARTHOLOMEW, WEST INDIES, 1877

Treaty Between France and Sweden for the Retrocession of the Island of St. Bartholomew by Sweden to France. Signed at Paris, August 10, 1877 1

1 De Martens, N. R. G., 2d series, vol. 4, p. 366; de Clercq, Recueil, vol. 12, p. 35. The ratifications were exchanged March 6, 1878.

au présent traité et considéré comme en faisant partie intégrante.

ARTICLE 2. Le présent traité et le protocole annexe seront ratifiés, et les ratifications en seront échangées aussitôt que faire se pourra.

En foi de quoi, les plénipotentiaires respectifs ont signé le présent traité et y ont apposé le sceau de leurs armes.

Fait à Paris, le 10 août 1877.

DECAZES.

G. ADELSWARD.

merated in a special protocol, which shall be annexed to the present Treaty and shall be considered as forming an integral part of it.

ARTICLE 2. The present treaty and the protocol annexed, shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged as soon as may be.

In token of which, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty and have affixed to it the seal of their arms.

Done at Paris, August 10, 1877.
DECAZES.

G. ADELSWARD.

Protocol After the Plebiscite, Regarding the Details of the Delivery of the Island to France. October 31, 1877 1

Les soussignés, munis des pleins pouvoirs de leurs gouvernements à l'effet de réglementer la rétrocession de l'île de Saint Barthélemy à la France, stipulée par le traité signé à Paris, le 10 août dernier, sont convenus des dispositions suivantes :

ART. 1. La population de l'île de Saint-Barthélemy ayant été consultée conformément à l'article 1" de la convention ci-dessus rappelée, en faveur d'une réunion de cette île aux possessions françaises, les sujets de la couronne de Suède domiciliés dans ladite ile ou dans les îlots qui en dépendent sont déliés de tout lien de sujétion envers Sa Majesté le roi de Suède et de Norvège, ses descendants

The undersigned, furnished with full powers by their governments for the purpose of effecting the retrocession of the Island of St. Bartholomew to France, stipulated by the Treaty signed at Paris the tenth of August last, are agreed on the following arrangements.

ARTICLE 1. The population of the island of St. Bartholomew having been consulted according to the terms of Article 1 of the convention referred to above and having pronounced in favor of a union of this island with the possessions of France, the subjects of the Crown of Sweden, domiciled in said island or in the islands which are dependent on it, are relieved of all allegiance towards his

1 De Martens, N. R. G., 2d series, vol. 4, p. 367; de Clercq, Recueil, vol. 12, p. 37.