1877-October-10: Lord Derby, the British Foreign Secretary, instructed Major Stuart to demand an immediate payment of £35,000 from the Haitian government to …

1877-October-10: Lord Derby, the British Foreign Secretary, instructed Major Stuart to demand an immediate payment of £35,000 from the Haitian government to settle the Maunder claim, with an additional £100,000 to be submitted to arbitration. The British government notably refused to accept France as an arbitrator, fearing French bias toward their former colony. The tension intensified when Haiti refused these terms, leading to rumors that Great Britain intended to seize the Island of La Tortue as a naval station to secure its financial demands.