Litchfield enquirer., 1834-12-11

0I the Sald InStaTnenfS shall toe added interest at four per Ctntum thereup"n, as upon the other instalments then remaiDing unpaid, the said interest tO he computed from the day of the exchange of the present convention"
 It was als" stipulated, on the part of the U. Staies, for the purpose of being completely liberated from all the reclamati"ns presented hy France on the part of it's citizens, that the sum Oi one million five hundred thousand fires should be paid to the government of France, in six annual instalments. tO be deducted out of the annual sums hich France had agreed t" pay, interest thereon being in like manner computed from the day Of the exchange of the raiiicatinns. In addition tO this stipulation, important advantages were secured to France by the following article, viz: The wines of France, from and after the exchange of the raiIficati"ns of the present Convention, shall be admitted tO consumption in the States of the Union, at duties which shall not exceed the following rates by the gallon. (such as it is used at present for wines in the U. States, to wit: six cents for red wines in casks: ten cts. f'r white wines in casks; and twenty-five cts. for wines of all sorts tn bottles. The prOpor- lions existing between the duties on French wines thus reduced, and the general rates of the tariff which went into operation the first January; 1929. shall be maintained, in case the government of the United States should think proper to diminish those general rates in a new tariff.
 In consideration of this stipulation, which" shall be binding on the U. States for ten years, the French government abandons the recla- nations which it had formed in relation to the 8th article of the treaty of cession of Louisia- na. It engages, moreover, to establish on the long staple cottons of the U. States, which, after the exchange of the ratifcatiors of the present Convention. shall be brought directly thence tO France by the vessels of the United States, or by French vessels, the same duties as on short staple cottons.
 This treaty was duly ratified in the manner prescribed ny the constitutions of both coun- tries, and the ratification was exchanged at the city of Washington on the 2d of Feb. 1882. On account of it's commercial stipulations, it was in five days thereafter laid before the Congress of the U. States, which proceeded to enact such laws favorable to the commerce of France as were necessary to carry it into full execution; and France has. from that pe- riOd to the present, been in the unrestricted enjoyment of the valuable privileges that were thus secured to her. The faith of the French nation having been thus solemnly pledged, through its constitutional organ, for the liqui- datiOn and ultimate payment of the long de- frrred claims of our citizens, as also for the adjustment of other points of great and recip rocal benefits to both countries, and the Uni ted States having with fidelity and prompli- tude by which their conduct will, | trust, be always characterised, done every thing that was necessary to carry the treaty into full and fair effect on their part, counted with the most perfect confidence op equal fidelity & prompt iiude 0n the part of the Breach government. In this reasonable expectation we have been, ] regret {" inform you. wholly disappointed. No legislative provision has been made by France for the execution of the treaty, either as it respects the indemnity tO be paid, or the commercial benefits to be secured to the U. States, and the relations between the United States and that power, in consequence there of, are placed in situation threatening to in- terrupt the good understanding which has so long and so happily existed between the two nations.
 Not only has the French government been thus wanting in the performance of the stipu- a&ions it has so sOlemnly entered into with United States. but its omissions have been marked by circumstances hich would seem to leave us without satisfactory evidence that such performance will certainly take place at a future period. Advice of the exchange of ratifcations reached Paris prior to the 9th of April, 1882. The French Chambers were then sitting, and continued in session until the 2lst of that month, and although one install ment of the indemnity was payable on the 2d of February, 1888, one year after inc ex- change of ratifcati"ns, DO application was made to the Chambers for the required ap- prOpriation, and in consequence of no apprO- priation having been made, the draft of the United States government for that instalment was GishOnored by the Ministers of Finance, and the United States thereby involved in much controversy. The next session of the Chambers commenced on the 18th Novem- Der, 1882, and continued until the 25th April, 1888. NOtw ithstanding the omission to pay the first instalnent had been made the subject of earnest remOnstrance on our part, the trea- ty with the United States. and bill making the necessary appropriations to execute it. were not laid before the Chamber of Deputies until the 9th of April, nearly five months after its meeting, and only nineteen days before the close of the session. The bill was read and referred to committe~, but there was no fur ther action upon it. The next session of the Chambers commenced on the 18th of April, sS3, and continued until the 26th June follow ing. A new hill was introduced on the Ilh of June. but nothing important was done in relation to it during the session. In the month of April, 1884. nearly three years after the signature of the treaty, the final action of the French Chambers upon the bill to carry the treaty into effect was obtained. aud resuI-