Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-02-27
OFFICIAL.
Mfr. Clay to Mr.. Broum.


JAMES BRowS, Esq. Envoy Extraordinary.
and Minister Plenipotentiary U. S, to France,
SIR: The Instruction Of the blacks in St
Domingo, as you well know, threw large por'
ton Of the white inhabitants Of the Island. who
ESCAPED the massacre, into the United States,
where many Of them have become Incorporate
ed in the mass Of our citizens. Their mlsior'
tune and their responsibility entite them 10
kind consideration. BY the late arrangement
between Hayti and France, it is understood
that $50 ,ooo,ooo of francs have been agreed to
be paid for the indemnity of the sufferers; and
the papers inform us that respectable Com
mission has been constituted in France to adj
lust the claims and to distribute the indemni-
". Applications have been already made, and
others will, no doubt be presented TO this De-
partment, by some Of the emigrants, or their
descendants, for information of what ii is in
cumbent upon them to do, to obtain their dis
tributive share Of the indemnity which has
been SO stipulated. II is the purpose of this
note to request that you will procure the ne
cessary information, as soon as may be, and
communicate it 10 this Department.. 1t will
occur to you to ascertain
lst. What is the requisite proof Of the ma
ture and ownership of the property, of which
the sufferers were strip,, and its value?
Cd. What proof is required OF the identity
Of the sufferers!
Sd. In the event Of death, to whom is pay
ment to be made-to their heirs or personal re-
prseeutatives?
4th. What proof will be required of success
sion?
5th. Where, and how, will payment be
made?
sth. What is the Limitation of time within
which claims must be exhibited aud establish
cd?
9TH. What forms are required for authent-
eating testimony?
Other points may suggest themselves to you
upon your reflection, or by what may be pas
sing in France, in regard to this matter The
object is to obtain full and explicit information
on all questions that may arise, SO as to enable
the claimants to establish their rights, and Sc
cure their just proportions of the indemnity.
Many of the emigrants, or their descend
ants, in the United States, are believed TO be
vet languishing in a state of extreme indulgence
.occasioned by their misfortunes. From the
very nature Of the calamity, to which they be-
came victims, it can hardly be supposed that
thew brought of with them very regular and
complete proofs of title to the estates and prop
ertv of which they were deprived. Of those
accident have, subsequently,, no doubt, destroy
cd or impaired many. The deficiency must be
supplied frequently by moral proof. Under
such circumstances, you will suggest to the
French Government whether it might not con-
duce 10 the fuGment of the benevolent and
lust objects, which they are supposed to have
in view, to establish commission In the Y b
more convenient to many of the parties inter-
,L.,-. ,,,-l~t md
substantiate their claims, and whether it would
not also correspond to the same objects, that to
the amount which may be ultimately awarded
claimants, resident in the Z. States, should be
paid here You are authorized to assure that
Government that the Government Of the U.
States will afford to such commission any aid
that NAV be proper to enable it TO execute its
functions. am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
HENRY CLAY.
Mr.. Bro,Dn, ENJOY Extraordinary and Minister
Plempotentiary to France, TO Mr.. Clay, Seereta-
ry Of STATE.
Paris, 2Sth Dec. 1925.
SIR: On the 10th instant had the honor to
receive your No. 2, and shall now give you such
information as have been able 10 obtain on the
subject to hich your inquiries relate
The royal ordinance for the recognition OF the
independence of ST. Domingo, having stipulat-
ed, in general terms, an indemnity OF one hun
dred and fifty millions Of francs in favor of the
ancient colonists who had been deprived Of their
estates, by the instruction in that Island, it
became necessary that provision should be
made, by special and precise regulations, for
the application Of that indemnity to particular
cases With view to this object, commits
sion was appointed by an ordinance Of the lst of
September, published in the Moniteur of the
I'd, and transmitted soon after, by this Lega-
ton, to the Department Of State. This COM
mission was instructed to examine into and
propose
LIST. The manner in which the ancient colo
nists should make their claims. 2dly. The
principles and mode of making the distribution
of the sums destined for them Nothing Off
cial has been published by them, except an in
yitation to the claimants to present their claims,
and some rules as to the manner of doing so,
which also appears in the Moniteur, of the 18th
of September. Until the commission shall
have terminated its labours, and law on the
subject shall have passed through the two