Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-26
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STATE OF FRANCE


honse OF Deputies, relative 10 the late neauii-
AiOns on the subject ofthe claims OF foreigners
upon the French government. The treaties
with the allies, ana particularly the convention
OF Nov. 80. 1878, stipulated for The paVneyt 10
all individuals and private cOriI.anies out of
tue present limits OF France. o. the amount of
their ciaims, on contracts of every description
with the French government No claims for
injuries or damages of any description ,yere ia
Nc made, but these were all compounded for
The sum OF 700 millions ofirancs which France
engaged to pay TO the allied sovereigys. On
tie expiration q. the time limited for the
presenting OF the claims, all OF whichare on
contracts made under the government of Bn
iapartc, previous to May, iSi1 IL was ionnl
tnat they amounted 10 the immense sum ot
1000 mi1i,olis oil francs, equal Ia 300 millions of
collars. OF this sum, $50 millions OF francs
have already been paid, AMI claims TO the
amount OF 80 rniliionsiiaYe been rejected The
remaining Claims have, by the convention
Gently concluded, been finally settled by an
engagement on the part OF France 10 paw
S2e,sna ,0Go francs in per cent. stocks and a
Release OF all claims 10 indemnify for that part
OF tue public dent OF France, which was uiigi-
Many Charged ontertltcrles not Row belonging
10 france. THIS engagement satisfies ali claims
ca every description, Of the Subjects Of the
european governments. on France.
ite minister Expresses a. cuuiideuI exnpcta-
t'on, that the allied soyeregns, az their ap.
prodchili9 Ine citing will agree to Withdraw the
army OF occupation on tie expiration of the
three years, which will take place in November
next.
Translated for the BOstou Daily advertiser
htgen Of the .Hi"tster Of Foreign l6dirs to the
French Hoase i Deputies.
APRIL >, ISIS.
GCTflemsn--At the opening Of your session
,he King laid before yon his hopes of dimin..'I.
ing the charges which lay heavy on our country.
and OF freeing our territory. we come to day
agTeeably to his order, TO communicate 10 \ou
The result of the neg citations wkict are AREA
',y terminated, aud 10 ask OF YOU the means of
huishng those, which we tialter ourselves will
ht bfo"Sht TO ciese before YOU meet again in
Ibis place
iiy the treaty of May 3Oih, 1914, the contract
lh@ powers renowned mutually all SUMS they
owed. But IN giving up III This manner their
o"h right, government should make sacred
those OF Individuals. These were secured nv
aii f,icie OF the treaty, France formerly en-
snScd 10 iiqndate and pay the sums which il
should he found she owed without her terrific
~, 10 individuals or 10 private establishments
by virtae OF contracts and regular engage
mepts.
While employed in making the necessary
preparations to fulfil an obligation which
FRANCE had laid upon herself tie melancholy
events ~ ISIS destroyed tie hopes of repoSe
art prosperity which we had been permitted
20 iOfm. 4 VIII not reiTacG TO you, gentienicn
me SAL recollection of calanities which are
PM 100 familiar 70 your memories, bnt let me
IL permitted to say. that nothing but the idea
OF relieving them, sustained us in the painfnI
dnty witch there was then, perhaps some cou-
rage and devotion IN accepting. Since that
orour country, has required all our strength.
anu occupied all our thoughts, without relax.
alton.
After the disastrous epoch which we have re-
called TO you, France found herself under The
weight OF two sorts of claims the first found.
ed on the treaty of May 3oth 1914 arose as we
have said, from debts contracted at different
per'ods, to the subjects of foreign governments
--the other created by the treaty of the 2Oih
Nov gave uS the governments themselves for
creditors. The first, which have been The sab.
Jeci otthe negotiation which is finishel, Won are
not isnoTaut were designed, not some people
sDect to believe, TO grant indemnify to the
Inhabitants of countries raVaged by war
stu less To grant il TO the governments of such
countries, bat solely to secure the payment of
debts contracted by positive acts of tile French
government, OF gasobiigati0n. Policy chang.
ell the relations of the different countries Of
Europe, but individuals ought not 10 suffer
frosn these changes. The obligations contract
ed With them ought 10 he secured and main
tanned. Those debts contracted by Franceare
OF the same nature as those which constitute
the arrears OF which Onr laws have resslated
the payment; and which we should have been
obliged 10 liqnidats and pay, in any state of tho
ease, aud under any Of the diffe rent admins.
tratOns. The debts for the iIguida ton of which
the convention of Nov. 10Th provides are nor
debts newly eStablished--new claims created
against France. The convention has onIy uro.
yided the means of acknowledging and making
good those which previously existed and were
independent of any treaty.
Regarding the subject in this point of view
which Is the only jHSt, because u is The only
true one, You will perceive that the acknovi.
edgmont Tour debts TO individuals and private
establishments was derived from principle
OF civil law, independent Of all political con
yeutiOus. Thus, il was admitted withcnt diff
neatly by the treaty Of May 30tb, 1871 The
Two conventions Ofthe goth Nov. 1915, relative
the one to the subjects of Ike continental pow.
ers, the other to these of G.. Britain, only deter
Dnned with more precision the application of
uTfurIuie- fplfH no g,g,o
liquidation.
These conventions appropriated 10 the paw
mcnt OF debts ottbisnaturc, a capital OF seven
millions oil interest, and stipulated that in case
tsis was Insufficient, the French government
would De boHnd to make itap. After this the
law OF Dec. 2Sd, 1916, created an addition OF
TIVE millions. The Importance OF this reserve
could not have been appreciated at that time.
indsmucb as tie sum total of the demands had
been before that time susceptible of onl, an
approximate valuation, bnt as a principle il
was difhCult to contest IL, and in fact lis 2dms.
siOn was the result Of necessity. A year from
the date OF the exchange OF the Publications
had been allowed for the presentation OF claims
IL expired on the 2oth Of Feb 1917. Thus ia
was only at tile close Of this period and after
summing mp these claims that the government
discovered that they formed mass the amount
o. which far exceeded the capital assigned
tor their reimbursement, it the rules prescrib.
Ell by the convention Of the 10Th Of Nov were
strictly applied 10 them and tint considers.
bic fc*ncy would he Incurred rhi. def
cIchcy wonld have formed an immense debt
although u was Impossible to calculate il, and
20 retnse beforehand 10 satisfy it, Ii was now
duty TO represent that it evidently exceeded
what had been anticipated by tie treaties and
thePowers OF France. This duty tho ministers
81 tue king have fastened 10 fulfil IN making
iOfeign courts acquainted with the uncxpect.
81 results which were disclosed. A nesOtia.
Ton 70 opened TO represent to foreign govern
menis the situation IN which France wa, plac.
ga ~ these siiPulatiOEs made in good faslh,