Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-01-19

'e"u'hs The frcs'doats message, he had remon.
s'faied against all unnecessary delays in the pros.
v'o'on oil the business, and assuring me tina, every
mug shooie lie done, ON his part, TO bring II TO the
e'''s. 'efm'n"''on, notw ithsiand,ngt The disastrous
st'ic OF their finances"
The commission appointed to examine our
CLAIMS, made their report. The majority of four
,elc'tns our claims growing out of the Berlin and
N''lan deefecs, us well rs the Rambomlle, and 9th.
CT fpecial DEGREES, estimated the sum TO winch they
SUPPOSED The United States, 10 be fairly entitled.
according 10 Mr., Rlves. at between ten and fifteen
""''o'.s oil francs, and the minority OF two, admit.
ing The claims, rejected by their colleagues. NJ,
.hhty millions. IN an interview between the
French Minister of Foreign Affairs aud Mr.. Rivcs,
described IN his despatch of tho oath OF April.
1881, the minister " spoke of the intrinsic difficulty
o' all money questions in u representative govern
meni, Increased in the present instance by the al.
most unanimous report of the commission" In
another interview with the President of the Coun.
c'l oi Ministers, DESCRIBED IN the same dcs, patch of
W.T. hlses, VI. PerTier sad =" He felt all the i'm.
Po''ah'e Oh enltI'aiing good relations with the Uni
'cu o'a'es ana that he was sincerely drsirous Of
ADJUSTING this ancient controversy, but thu. their #.
"""ces, as ! saw, were exceedingly ~deranged and
mat There would b. grent difficulty in reconc,line
''e ohamber u Deputies 10 nm additional charge,
mine en'neo'ed resources of tho State, for CLAIMS,
ZOO winch had not arisen from any wrong done by
the prescnt Government of France" In the same
despatch, Mr.. Rlvcs re ports, " tho King expressed.
as he has always done. very cordial sentiments for
the United States said he hud frcouen,lv c,,l.d
tho attention of his ministers to the necessity of
se,l'ng oni reolama,ons TINT they had always
ohloc'ed the embarrassed state Of the finances. I'm,
ne hoped they would yet find the means of doing
justice"
In a despatch Of Mr.. Rlves Of the 7th Nav.
'o'i, communicating the offer Of twenty mil.
IONS oil ftancs, IN full satisfaction Of our claims. and
ms declining 10 accept II, he states tho French min.
's'cr to have replied, " ,hn, the offer no hnd lus,
made was one o. extreme llbcrali,y ; that it would
s"oJ'e. Inc ministers TO a severe responsibility DC
tore the Chambers that he had bean already warn.
cd from various quarters that he would be held to
n strict account for mis- settlement If this affair" In
HE SANE despatch, Mr.. Rivcs details a convcrsu.
ton winch he had had with the President, of the
Council respecting he amount of our claims, in
winch he sad " that II war particularly hard that
the burden OF their adjustment should now fall up.
u" inc existing Government, IN the present crippled
STATE OF lis resources, and when all of its expenses
were upon u war footing , and that IT was certainly
not the interest of either country TO make an ar.
rangement which the Legislative authority here
might refuse tocnrry into execution"
la another despatch of Mr.. R,ves, of the Goth
Way 1881, he relates a conversation in nn inter
view with the President of the Council. Tim,
Monster, Mr.. R'ves states, " then said, that bu,
Tor the Chambers there would be less difficulty in
arranging this question, but ,hut no npprehended n
very serious opposition 10 II on their part, which
might even more seriously embroil tho relations OF
me Two countries, by refusing TO carry iblo execu.
ton any arrangement which should be made.' lie
h'd'd, that two months, sooner or later, could not
he OF much Importance in tho settlement of his
question, and asked me if there would be any oblec
ton 10 Adjoining It's decision ill the meeting of
The Chambers, when the ministers could have
an opportunity of consulting SOM Of The leading
members of the two Houses" This pos,poncmcnl
WINS objected TO by Mr.. Rrycs, and was not insisted
upon.
Durng the progress Of he negotiation, he prin.
ciple OF lndemnl was early conceded. The
French Munster first offered fifteen millions of
francs. Mr.. RIves demanded forty. The French
Minister advanced to twenty, TO twenty -four, and
noaliy, win extreme reluctance, to twenty five.
Attic point OF twcnty-feur, Mr.. Rives came down
20 thnty-i@o ms the medium between the two pro
posals. Al that OF twenty-five, the French Mn
ls'eIs announced u AS Their uItImulum and, IN a
despatch of MI. R'ves of the 18th June, 1881, he
reports the French Minister 10 have snid, = tha, il
was the opinion Of the most enlightened and in-
huen,lal members of both Chambers, that the offer
OF twenty four millions, heretofore made, was great
" too much that -. and 9th
CT lcodIng m mbers OF the one Chamber or the 9th
eT, whom he mentioned, had already expressed rhnt
optnIon 10 HIM, and emphalcalIy warned him OF
the serious difficulties to which this affair would OK.
pose minister's"
Thus, II appears thot throughout this whole ne.
eo',at,on, the King manifested the most friendly
fe'lings iowarts the United States that he took d
decided interest, and cxeItcd an unusual agency m
the conduct OF The negotiation tina, the principle of
Indemnify having been acknowledged, the difficulty
lay ~ the adjustment of its amount; but, that by
far The greatest difficulty arose from the 8pprchen-
san thnt= the Chambcrs, in consequence of the re.
pughance OF the nation to the payment of any
moro indemnitics, would not make the necessary ap-
preparations TO carry the treaty into effect that
Mr. Rises was reminded, again and again, by more
than one French minister, OF this anticipated oh.
stale that he was told by the President of the
C"uncil, TINT he "pprehended the opposition from
lie Chumhers NIGH be such as seriously to EN-.
bro'l the relations between the Two countries, by
refusing In cary into execution any arrangement
which Shout be made and that a proposition
to adjourn the negotiation when the ministers could
have an opportunity Of consulting some of The lead
ing members OF Inc two Houses, was successfully
resisted by Mr.. Rives.
The have not advcrted to the negotia-
Ton, which terminated IN the treaty of indemnity,
for the purpose of drawing from it any justification
for the failure ofthe Government Of France, hith-
crto, to fnlhl the solemn stipulations Of that treaty.
1t affords no such Justification. II anticipated dit.
hrulncs in the Chambers have really occurred,
they ought TO have been weighed, and were proba-
by weighed, by the French Government, prior to
the s,gnatuie,or prior TO the ratification of the trea.
y. They werc,no doub,, deemed to be of u nn,urc
.~t A~. ht