own country, make then and there, in presence of the consul of the United States of America and other witnesses, his solemn protest against the order and every act which had resulted therefrom. And the said S. A. Belden further says that he expressed his willingness to describe to the aforesaid alcalde and other authorities, the goods then stored in his house, the property of other merchants, after which he the said Belden would abandon his store with its effects, delivering to the said alcalde the key thereof; but that the said appearer would not assist the aforesaid alcalde and other authorities in taking an inventory of said effects, nor would he the said appearer do any other act which might seem to sanction that conduct against which said appearer had solemnly protested. And this appearer further states that the aforesaid alcalde and other authorities were well aware and entirely cognizant of the fact that he, the aforesaid appearer, had appealed from the decision of the aforesaid district court of Saltillo to a higher tribunal, according to the laws of Mexico. And furthermore this appearer says that the decision of the aforesaid judgement of the district court of Saltillo was based upon the seizure of the aforesaid three hundred bales of tobacco, conducted from Matamoras to Saltillo by Juan Harambourne on account of Samuel A. Belden & Co., all of which will more fully appear by reference to the protests and declarations made before the United States consul at this place under date of the 6th of November, 1849. And this appearer further states, that notwithstanding the knowledge of the said Pedro Jose de la Garcia, first alcalde of Matamoras, and acting as administrator at the time above referred to, and from whom the said S. A. Belden received his aforesaid guias; that he, the said alcalde, and other authorities, proceeded to take public possession of the keys of the storehouse of the aforesaid S. A. Belden & Co., turning said appearer into the public streets, against the solemn protest of said appeater; by which act of the aforesaid alcalde and other authorities, the said Samuel A. Belden further says that S. A. Belden & Co. are deprived of property and debts existing in this country to the amount of about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and that the said appearer, acting for the firm of S. A. Belden & Co., does further say that they have sustained a further damage of one hundred thousand dollars, by reason of this seizure of his property and by his being compelled to abandon his property and business prospects in this country; and appearer further says that the said three hundred bales of tobacco, of which the annexed document (No. 1) is a correct account, exhibiting the original mark, as well as the usual marks of the aforesaid Belden & Company, is a part of the lot of six hundred and ten bales introduced legally into this port while in the occupancy of the forces of the United States, as will more fully appear by copies of entries Nos. 2 and 3 hereunto annexed, by Robert B. Kingsbury, and transferred to said Samuel A. Belden & Co. on the 28th day of September, 1848, as per copy of certificate No. 4 hereunto annexed. And this appearer further declares that the said tobacco was the same as stamped by the administrator of tobacco for this port on the 24th of August, 1848, and at that time stored in the warehouses of Don Juan Barbota and Donna Juanna Garzia de Perea, of the said port of Matamoras, as is well known to many witnesses, and documentary proofs of which exist at this time. And the appearer further states that the aforesaid tobacco was never removed from the date of its transfer by the aforesaid Kingsbury to said appearer, until the 19th day of September, 1849, when it was taken by the aforesaid Juan Harambourne from the warehouse of the aforesaid Donna Juanna Garzia de Perea to be transported to the interior of Mexico, as will fully appear by copy of guia No. 24 annexed. Wherefore the said Samuel A. Belden for himself, and in behalf of Samuel A. Belden & Co., doth by these presents solemnly protest against the Mexican government and against the government of the United States of America, the administrator of the tobacco monopoly of Saltillo and of the city of Matamoras; the judge of the district court for the district of Saltillo; the authorities of this city and all others whom it shall or may concern, for all losses, costs, damages and expenses that have or shall accrue by reason of the foregoing premises, all of which things are declared matters alleged, signed and sworn to before me the said consul on the day and year before mentioned. J. F. WA United States Consul. SAM'L A. BELDEN. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I, James F. Waddel, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the protest of Samuel A. Belden, recorded in record book (C) pages 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, in the archives of this consulate. In testimony whereof, witness my hand and the seal of my office this [L. s.] 16th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL, Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, On the 12th day of March, 1850, personally appeared before me, the undersigned, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in Mexico, R. B. Kingsbury, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, declares and says: that he is a native of the State of New York, in the United States; that he is thirty-seven years of age, and by occupation a merchant, and at the present time a resident of Brownsville, Texas, and that at the time of transfer, hereafter mentioned, out of deponent's hands, he was a resident of the city of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico. Deponent further says, that in May and June, in the year 1848, he, deponent, introduced into Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, during the occupation of the said city of Matamoras by the American troops, for the benefit of Turner and Renshaw of New Orleans, State of Louisiana, two several lots of tobacco in bales, as appears from the copies of said entries herewith annexed, marked 2 and 3. That the said tobacco was legally introduced into the port of Matamoras, and the duties promptly paid. That at the time the Mexican authorities were in possession of the custom-house in Matamoras, Mexico, the said Mexican authorities made an inventory of the tobacco imported by deponent, as aforesaid, which tobacco was then stored in the warehouses of Juan Barbota, and in those houses occupied by Samuel A. Belden & Co. That when said inventory was made, this deponent called upon F. R. Gracesqui to make out the necessary papers; and this deponent further says, that one hundred and thirteen bales marked A, were sold by him, said deponent, previous to the transfer to Samuel A. Belden & Co., and as he believes about forty bales besides. The balance of said tobacco was transfered by this deponent to Samuel A. Belden & Co., merchants at Matamoras, in Mexico, subsequent to said inventory; and this deponent farther says, that the tobacco aforesaid was legally introduced into the city of Matamoras in good faith by him, deponent, and that the said tobacco was regularly transferred by this deponent to said Samuel A. Belden & Cc. That at the time said tobacco was imported by said deponent it passed from his control, and there were more than three hundred bales on hand with the following original marks J, 0, T and R; and this deponent further says, that he has no interest, either positive or contingent in the subject matter, to support which this deposi tion is taken, nor is he the agent or attorney of the claimant. ROBERT B. KINGSBURY. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 12th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL, United States Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, March 12, 1850. I, James F. Waddell, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, hereby certify that Robert B. Kingsbury, who subscribes the above deposition under his own proper signature, to me well known, is a respectable merchant of Brownsville, Texas, and that full faith and credit are due to his statements. And further I certify that this deposition was reduced to writing in my presence, and that I have no interest, either positive or contingent, in the subject matter to support which it is taken, nor am I agent or attorney for the claimant. In testimony whereof, witness my hand and the seal of my office, this [L. S.] 12th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL, United States Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Matamoras, March 11, 1850. On the 11th day of March, 1850, before me, the undersigned, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, personally appeared John Clarke, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, declares and says, that he is a native of Ireland, that he is twenty-eight years of age, is now a resident of Matamoras, and by profession a merchant. And this deponent further states, that he has for some time past known the firm of Samuel A. Belden & Co., and that they have been extensively engaged in the tobacco trade. And this deponent further states, that in October, 1849, he was in the town of Saltillo, in the republic of Mexico, when a certain lot of tobacco reached that place, under charge of Juan Harambourne; that this tobacco, upon its arrival at the said town of Saltillo, was seized and taken away from the said Harambourne by order of the acting district judge, Miguel Gonez de Cardenas. And this deponent further states, that to the best of his belief, the aforesaid district judge showed him, this deponent, the lawful guias signed by the administrator of the tobacco monopoly at the port of Matamoras, and that the district judge aforesaid assigned as a reason for his having a seizure of said tobacco, his,, the district judge's suspicion of the legality of the introduction of said tobacco into the Mexican territory. And this deponent further states, that upon his return from Saltillo to Matamoras he was told by Robert B. Kingsbury that the said tobacco so seized, was the same transferred by him, the said Kingsbury to Samuel A. Belden & Co.; and further this deponent saith, that he has no interest, either positive or contingent in the claim, to support which this deposition is taken, nor is he the agent or attorney for the claimant. JOHN CLARKE. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 11th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL, United States Consul. I, James F. Waddell, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, hereby certify that John Clarke, who subscribes the above deposition under his own proper signature, is a respectable resident of this city, and that full faith and credit are due to his statements. And further I certify, that I have no interest, either positive or contingent in the subject matter to which said deposition relates, nor am I agent or attorney for the claimant. I further certify that this deposition was reduced to writing by myself. In testimony wherof, witness my signature and the seal of my office, this [L. s.] 11th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL. United States Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, On the 11th day of March, 1850, personally appeared before me, the undersigned, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, Bartholomew Grima, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did declare and say that he was born in the State of Louisiana, that he is years old, that he has been acquainted with the firm of Samuel A. Belden & Co. since its existence in Matamoras, that they have been largely engaged in commercial business, and for some time in the tobacco trade, besides their other commercial interests. And this deponent further states that he knows that, during the occupation of Mexico by the forces of the United States, Robert B. Kingsbury introduced a lot of tobacco into the port of Matamoras, and that said tobacco was stored in the warehouse of Don Juan Barbota, in the aforesaid city of Matamoras. And further this deponent says, that R. B. Kingsbury aforesaid paid into the American custom-house the duties on said tobacco, which tobacco this deponent believes to have been not less than three hundred bales. And further this deponent says, that he knows that the said Robert B. Kingsbury transferred the said bales of tobacco to the firm of Samuel A. Belden & Co., and the said firm of S. A. Belden & Co. paid to Juan Barbota, by order of said Kingsbury, something over one thousand dollars. And this deponent says further, that he acted as interpreter before the estanco of the tobacco monopoly in the said city of Matamoras, in the aforesaid transfer from Kingsbury to Samuel A. Belden & Co. And this deponent further says, the said firm of S. A. Belden & Co. have been doing an extensive commercial business in Mexico since 1846 up to 8th of March, 1850, at which time their business was closed by the authorities of this place; and further that the said firm of S. A. Belden & Co. had an extensive correspondence, and had established much reputation as a commercial house. And further this deponent says, that the aforesaid three hundred bales of tobacco are the same sent by S. A. Belden & Co. in September, 1849, to the interior of Mexico, in charge of Juan Harambourne, and seized at the town of Saltillo, in the State of Coahuila. And this deponent further states that he has no interest, positive or contingent, in the subject matter to which this claim relates, nor is he agent or attorney for the claimant. BARTHOLOMEW GRIMA. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 11th day of March, 1850. United States Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, I, James F. Waddell, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, hereby certify that Bartholomew Grima, who subscribes the foregoing deposition in his own proper signature, is a respectable resident of this city, and that full faith and credit should be given to his statements; and further I certify that the foregoing deposition was reduced to writing by myself, and that I have no interest, either positive or contingent, in the subject matter to which it relates, nor am I agent or attorney for the claimant. In testimony whereof, witness my hand and the seal of my office this [L. s.] 11th day of March, 1850. J. F. WADDELL, United States Consul. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Matamoras, March 11, 1850. On the 11th day of March, 1850, personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned, consul of the United States of America at the port of Matamoras, in the republic of Mexico, John K. Wilbur, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, declares and says that be is a native of New York, that he is fifty-five years of age, that he is now |