Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-06-01
Sitting Of Wednesday,, AprH Is.

tieles OF the bills on the American claims
The President read the Article |, to the c,lcc,
that 3" The Minister of the Finances is authorized
10 take the necessary measures for carving into
execution Articles ! aud 2 of the treaty signed
on the 18th OF July, 1891, between the King of
the French and the United States, the rat6ca.
lions OF which were exchanged at Washington on
the I'd February, 1892, aud according to which a
sum OF p millions of francs is to be paid bv
| France
VI. Berger assembled the tribune, aud declared
that nothing could be more unjust than to attribute
10 political opinions the disapprobaton of the
bill expressed by the opposition deputies Of the
Chamber. He Was not unjust enough to say that
Ministers defended the bin only with view to keep
their places, aud that their friends support them ON.
y Tor the sake ri the favours at their disposal "a
langh.) Ministers ought to be equally considerable
II had been asked whether single mcmbcr of that
Chamber could deny the Justice oi the American
claim. He for his part denied it and he hoped
TO bring over TO his way ofthnkn g such Hon. Dep
ties as wished conscicntiously to discuss the inter.
ests Of the country. (Scnsaton)
The Hon. Deputy then entered into some con.
sldefaiions ON the principles of neutrality. He de-
med the assertion that America had been prcvcnt-
ed by her leebeness from resisting the professions
81 England, aud he maintained that il was a NOR
camille spirit which had stiIcd every sontimcn, of
honour IN the bosom of the Americans. President
Jefferson had wished To resist ENGLAND bu, ~, had
been prevented from So doing by the interested
SPECTATORS OF America. They had violated the
prohibitions both of England and of Erancc-,hey
had broken through the laws of their own country.
aud vas France nowto recomprnse thci, cupility
(tear, hear) Whilst other powers sustained dis
aslrons wars, America prol'ttcd ny them, and yet
She now .ntndcd an indemnity : II, mitht be
told that II Was worthy of Franco to treat the uues-
ton according 10 the rules of political probitv but
Tor his put he considered political probily an en-
lehtened virtue, and not a culp,blc weakness,
Which rendered a nation dupc of interested cupid
ity. lie had remark to make.
l HI o5 act of tho commission Of 1881 was, to
SUNNI N all the legitimate claimants to participate
IN the distribution of the twenty-five millions. 1t
could not be forgotten that in 1903, the period n
the ecssion Of Louisiana ii had bcen stipulated by
the First Consul tha, eighty millions should be paid
to rance, bui thai twenty millions should be re-
served To pay of all the claims prior to the month
oi September, $500. --Ncycrthclcss, the loyal 90
vcrnment Of the United States had not paid its own
subjects. Great scpsaiion) The American co.
vernment had admitted that the twenty millions re-
tanned on the ccssion of Louisiana would exceed
the amount of the debts to be paid, and that con-
sequenhp an additional sum Of twenty five mil
lions ought not to be now demanded. If the de
lnand were made, IS millions would be required for
the payment Of debt for which twenty millions
were originally moro than sufficient. (Murmurs
from the contrc) Towards the end Of 1903, ont
OF fifteen or twenty vessels carrying Amcri-
can colours, and seized at Roch,tor, and Iia Ro-
chollc, the American Consul himself had admit
ted that onc-half were provided with papers
forged IN London, and the other half were to all
/ appearance English vessels furnished with old A.
mcrcan papers. He would now ask if the COM
mlttee had consulted the Archives of the Marine
at Versailles
NJ. Dnmon replied in the negative
NJ. Berger said that the circumltanco was
10 be regretted q, in all probability, if those ar
chlvcs had been consulted an account would have
been found Of the different sums paid by the Ca
isse des iaroiides of the Marine. He would now
lay before the Chamber communication made to
him that morning by an unknown individual The
Hon. Deputy here nfollcd mass of papers,
which, he said. were bill, of exchange to the a.
mount of 36o 900 francs paid by the Cashier of the
Marine and nladc payable to the order of Mr.. Jar
Wis, captain Of tho American vessel the Pcrscve-
rance. NotW outstanding that payment, a brig nam
ed the Perseverance figured on the returns of the
American commission. (Great sensation) He
did not intend to say tina, this was proof positive as
there might be two ships each named the Pcrscvc-
rance, but 1e repeated that it was to be regretted
that the matter had no, been cleared up by refer
ence to the Archives the Marine.
NJ Dumon said that the Archives Of the Ma
rlnc al Versailles had been consulted when it had
been found necessary to ascertain the value Of the
ships nd the cargoes sold. lie remarked that a
number OF American ships, and even of the Amer
lean captains, bore thc same name and he con-
ceived that ii became the hon. deputy M. Berry
er) to ascertain whether the two vessels 10 which
he had alluded were idcntically The same.
NJ. Berryer, in continuation, insisted that the
preceding justilicnlions were absolutely incom-
pletc. lie would now ask if the committee had
found the necessary Notifications at Versailles
NJ. Dmon replied in the negative.
NJ. Berger demanded if the negative Just given
meant that an examination had not been made at
the archieyes, or merely that no information had
been obtained here
The Minister of War, nd interim, explained
that, ihc returns of al captures were sent
with the other documents 10 the administration Of
the Marine, and in case Of coutestation to the
Conseil del Prise, it was impossible that any OF
the discussion in question could be !qHnd at Ncr
saies.
NJ Berger replied, that he only knew that eve
ry ten years all documents relative TO captures
were deposited in the Archives Of the Marine. He
repeated that the question now under consdcra-
ton of most singular nature. Not a single
clear and positive document of the same date as
the treaty of 1881 had been laid before the Cham
Der. The only document furnished had been made
out in 1884 He was at a loss TO understand why