Mr. Seward to Mr. Geofroy
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the 3d of September last a translation of the memorandum and of the accompanying invoice, received at this department from the legation of France, on the 2d of that month, in relation to a fraudulent shipment of arms at San Francisco, California, which arms are said to have been destined for Mexico, was transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury, who was requested to cause the matter to be investigated with a view to the adoption of proper proceedings in the premises.
It now appears as the result of the investigation, that early in August last the collector of customs at San Francisco was informed that the American schooner Haze, of about forty tons burden, had on board a quantity of arms, supposed to be four thousand stand, together with a large supply of munitions of war, soldiers’ clothing, and other articles, and that she was moving from place to place, in the bay of San Francisco, apparently seeking an opportunity to evade the vigilance of the revenue cutter Joseph Lane, then on guard duty in that harbor, and get to sea, when she would transfer her cargo to the schooner San Diego, of about fifty-five tons burden. The collector thereupon immediately despatched two boats under the direction of Lieutenant Selden, the commander of the revenue cutter there, with a guard furnished by Brigadier General Mason, the provost marshal at San Francisco, in quest of the Haze. These boats returned on the 4th of August, after a fruitless search of twenty-four hours. At 9 o’clock of the evening of that day the collector was informed that a schooner resembling the Haze had been seen at anchor in Half Moon bay, about thirty-five miles south of the Golden Gate.
The San Diego having sailed on that day, pursued by the revenue cutter Joseph Lane, in obedience to the collector’s orders, under the belief that the vessel reported as having been seen at the Half Moon bay was the Haze, he immediately despatched the steam-tug Merrimac, under the command of a revenue [Page 254] officer, with a guard from the provost marshal’s office, in pursuit. They found the Haze at the place designated, with the arms, munitions of war, and soldiers’ clothing on board. Having ordered her to be detained, the collector reported such detention to Major General McDowell, the commander of the military district in which San Francisco is situated, to whom the arms and munitions of war were delivered.
From this statement of facts you will clearly perceive that none of the arms referred to were exported from San Francisco.
Accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my very high consideration.
Mr. L. de Geofroy, &c., &c., &c.