Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-10

~ y snfficient to satisfy all the just claims OF our
ccitzens. of epery description, comprehenoeo III
the SCOPE Of tile negotiation" Again ne re-
marks: 1.-The result which has been cameo III
the interest ofthe claimants has not been achieV-
ed without the greatest dincaily he Go1 nd
IF Mr.. Brown, with the Department OF State lthe
unfavorable parts Of which have, for obvious
reasons. not heretofore been given 10 Inc puoiicJ
shews that they regarded this whole subject as
almost entirely hopeless" And he further OBJ
serves. .An arrangement which, amid SO many
difficulties, has secured for claims OF our cl!i-
zens prosecuted in vain Tor the last twenty
years, and large portion, II NOT l.e ~"o'e, y,
which has been considered as desperately sum
sufficient in all probability, to pay every cent
iustly due, and nearly treble the amount pro,
nounced to be due by the commission charged
with their examination here; which has al the
same time extin glished the claims OF the French
subjects against the United States 10 the amount
of near five millions of francs by stIpuiat'oh
10 nav million and a hall; and has nnaliy go',
len rid ola most embarrassing claim (ioundeo
on the language Of a treaty. of perpetual priv
ieges i'm the ports of one OF the States OF the "
Mon by a temporary measure lntrlnsicaliy au
yautageous to ourselves, and III the dennitive set
Element of these unpleasant questions, mas laio
lasting foundation Of harmony and friendship
between the two countries having the most I'M
portant common interests, political and CONNER
cial: an arrangement marked by these features
cannot. trust. fail TO be satisfactory, and to JUS
tify the responsibility which, under the dlscre ION
ary powers the President has been pleased 10
confide to me, | have not heSitated to assume
both i'm the progress and termination oil this
complex negotiation"
treaty possessing these characteristics may
be acceptable to one party; but it is not snrprls'
ing that il should not be very much SO to the 9th
err if il be true that he has stipulated to pay eve
~ cent of claims believed TO be hopeless and
DESPERATE; that has received less than one
third what was due 10 his own subjects; and IN
stead Of an equivalent for perpetual privileges
has received only what is intrinslcally advanta-
geous to the other party.
II is Quite natural that the American negotia-
tor should nave commended tn the favorable
consideration Of his Government, the work OF
his own hands he had magnified it, some eX-
cuse might have been found in Tie complacency
with which we too often contemplate our own
achievements But. perhaps the feelings OF the
other party have not neen duly consulted. IL
NAV not have been sufficiently considered, that
what is won by diplomacy on one side, mlghi
have been lost by the want of it on the other;
and the pretension of superior sagaclty on our
side was not likely to be soothing to the pride "i
the French nation, or to reconcile 1t to engage
ments. against which strong prejudcrs prevail
ed. II remains TO be seen, whether harmony
and friendship between the two countries, the
lasting foundation Of which Mr.. Rives fellcltates
his Government with having been laid by him.
shall, in the sequel, have been actually ce-
mented.
Although the rejection of the bill of appro
priation, by the Chamber Of Deputies, could
not have been entirely unexpected ny the Exc
cu,ve Of the United States, from the informa-
ton which it possessed, the event produced very
great surprise and much sensation with the peo-
t,t., and ,-ifh III
appears. from a.note Of Mr.. Livingston to the
Count de Rigny, who had succeeded to the DUO
de Broglie as Minister of Foreign Affairs, uH-
der date the 26h July, 1884, that. subsequent to
the rejection of the bill the Kings Government
had given him assurance "that no time should
be lost in again submitting to the Chambers the
law for giving effect to the convention with the
United States" On the 5ih June, 1884, the
French Minister at Washi gton addressed IL
note to the Secretary Of State, in which, after
announcing that he had received, two days be
fore the despatch which his Government had
transmitted to hun by the French brig lie Cui-
risseur, in consequence o. the unexpected re-
lection of the law for granting To- the Kings mi.
nisters the funds necessary for the execution Of
the treaty, he proceeds TO say: FASTENED To
communicate to you, on the day after. the SIN
cere regrets the explanations, and the ulieriOr
views of his Majrstv'S Government on this sub
iect, with the cordially which has prevailed
throughout this negotiation"
s'The Kings Government still adheres inviO-
lably to the treaty concluded batween the two
Governments; first. because il has signed ii,
and Also doubtless, because it perseveres in be-
evng it to be founded on right. on reason, and
on the perfectly reciprocal interest of the TWO
nations. The views and principles maintained
with respect to the treaty., in the speech of the
Duo de Broglie on the 3lst of March, are the
views and doctrines Of the whole cabinet
"In examining, sir, the report of the discus
sion which soIemnly took place, on the subject
of the treaty. in our Chamber Of Deputies, you
mnst have been convinced of the steady and en-
Iightened 6rmness with which it was defended.
However, the Chamber making use of its con-
stitntional power, and, moreover, from conside-
rations of contested right and simple scruplrs,
as the most special guardian of the public for
tune. but not from any sort of hostility towards
the United States, refused. appears by the
debates, by small majority, IFS consent to the
financial execution of the treaty. The Kings
sir, after this rejection, has dellbe-
rated, and its unanimous determination has
been, to make an appeal from this first vote Of
the present Chamber, TO The next Chamber, |
and to appear before The new legislature with |
its treaty and its bill in hand. 1t aatlers it et |