Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-09
FRENCH SPOLJATJONS

FRENCH SPOLIATIONS.
Mr.. Forsyth, from the Committee on For
eign Relations, made the following report:
On che petitions of Hadrianus Van Moor
den. William and Nathaniel Hooper, DAM
iel fcnshaw several Merchants and under
writers Of Salem, several merchants of
Gloucester, several merchants and Under
writers of Alexandria, District Of Coumbia,
several Merchants of Washington, North
Carolina, Henry Clark and Others Of Ken
nehunk, and several others merchants, in
|. Maine, referred To the Committee of Foreign
Relations, they report,
That no evidence accompanies either of the
petitions all of which, except the first, are lite
rally the same, having been apparently prcpar-
ed by concert among the claimants To be pre-
scented TO Congress. To discriminate be-
tween them is not practicable, if it were desi-
rable. The com nlittee are compelled to pre-
sent in general terms, the nature of these
claims, rs set forth by the parties Interested,
and to examine, as briefly rs possible. the
grounds upon which relief is asked from the
Government of the United States, The
claims are founded upon spoliations commit
ted 10y the private and public armed vessels Of
France, between the years 1893 and 1900.
The petitioners allege, that the French gov
eminent, to the date of the ratification of the
Treaty of 1900, always considered the recog
milton ofther claims as due TO Ms honor, and
attached them as charge upon its national
character.
That the government Of the United States
which has volunteered its agency for The re-
cnvery of them from France, exercised its
power and authority to prevent the petitioners
from obtaining indrmnity-that the Govern
ment of the United States received from
france full and fair equivalent for the claims,
IN the discharge from IFS liabilities under the
treaties with France, and the ahroga.ion Of
these treaties
| Similar applications, il not by the same per
| sons, have been frequently made 10 Congress.
| andrrports upon them are 10 he found in the
records Of the House of Representatives and
ot the Senate. None Of these applications
have been successful. Without attempting
even to enumrrate the failures to obtain a
sanction to their statements and TO their
| claims, the Committee refer the House TO a
detailed report Of the various acts of the gov
| .rn'nen' of the United States and Of France.
from 1898 tn 1900, made nv "a Select Commit
tee, on The 22d of April, 1909, tn whicI, appIi-
! cations like the present were referred. Gov
erned by that report, the Committee Of Fer
eign Relations are not Satisfied that the French
government ever admitted the Justice Of the
claims Of the petitioners, or ever intended to
pry them: that the government Ofthp United
States used every effort, even To war itself, 10
rescue the property 0f American merchants
from the law!ess violence cf France that
Iis efforts 10 procure payment for the sDoI
tons committed by the French cruisers were
not discontinued until il was obvious that
there WAS no hope Of success. That this 90
vernDent never received from France any
equivalent for The claims Of Americans upon
France. The war OF aggression was com
menced by France, and every act Of the Unit
I'd States was Just retaliation for prey iOus
injury. The treaties with France were an
nulled by an act Of Congress in 1899, in conse
,Iuence Of the utter disregard of the siipua-
ti"ns Of them by that power.
In shor', TO Justify their claims upon The
United States, the petitioners assume, that
France was right, and their own government
wrong. That F"ance was prepared 10 make
Just rPparatiOn for the outragPs committed
unJer her own laws, until released from her
obligations, by tho United States, who were
faifhless TO hciI trust, in the first instance and
have been regardless ofthe Obligations Of JUS
tice ever since, assumptions not consistent with
truth, nor creditsble 10 the patriotism of those
who make them. The committee recommend
to the House TO adopt the following resOln-
iior
ReSoIrsd, That petitions Of the several
persons who ask indpmnity fer spoations
committed by French cruisers on their pro-
perty, between the years 1893 and 1900, be
rejected"
The report was ordered TO lie on the table.
New Orleans papers ~ the 9Th inst. inclu
siTp, we're received Yesterday hy lbe Motion.
II is stated that The schr. Eliza which arrived
there on the 1si from Tampico. brought up
wards of 81 100000 in specie, belonging 10,
or IN charge of, y passenger in the vessel
Liberal contributions were making at y. Or
leans for the Greeks.
PirGcy Captain Blanchard of the brig
Echo, from 81 Croix, informs, that on the
18th inst in lai 81 so, long. he was boarded
by pirst.cal doube-deckrd big, Of between
? and 500 tons, mounting 20 guns. and large
gun ON pivot. About one in the morning.
she fred two muskcts nj the Echo, and ardcr-
ed them to heaye too and send their boat on
board, which was complied with. They
detained the second officer afg one man, and
returned with the boat loaded with armed
men. When they came on board they de-
maudcd the vessels papers which we're
handed them By the captain. Money was
then demanded, and on being informed there
was none on board, drove the captain on deck
and began TO break open chests, desksJ three !