The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-06-30
Washington.


Correspondence Of the HeraIdI
WASHINGTON, June 9th, l84S.
The Merican Indcmnuy--Non-P Payment of the
Claimants-Ihe Causes.
To JAMES GORDON BENNETT. Esq, EDITOR OF The
New YORK HERALD, UNpoER OF WRONGS, AND
SooURaE THE EVIL DoER:-
1t is now ten days since official notice was re-
ceived at the Treasury Department of the deposit Of
the Mexican indemnity in the Mint of New Orleans
to the credit of the United States, since which many
OF the claimants or their representatives have been
cIamorously knocking at the door of the treasury,
demanding that the law of Congress, which makes
1t obligatory on the Secretary of the Treasury to
pay them forthwith, should be executed. The Act
Ing Secretary, in the absence of Mr. Spencer, in.
formed them that difficulty had arisen in the case,
which must await the solution of Mr. Spencer on
his return. Since Mr. Spencer's return it is under
stood that the point of difficulty is the following
1t being by law the peculiar duty OF the Secretary
OF the Treasury to receive the money from Mexico,
and bring it home to the United States, and then
disburse II pro rata 10 the claimants Mr.. Spencer,
IN discharge OF that duty, appointed Mr. Peyton A.
Southall, the agent st the Treasury Department,
with authority TO receive the money from the Co
vernment OF Mexico on the Both April, as stipulated
by the Convention OF the Sd March.
Pensacola, on board the Dolphin, and arrived at
Vera Cruz on the 18th March, but lotered away his
time on the road, and did not reach the city of
Mexico until the I'd May. In the mean time Gen.
Thompson, our Minister at Mexico, in virtue of
power conferred by Mr.. Spencer's antecessor in Of
flee, had commissioned a commercial house of the
city OF Vera Cruz, to receive the money the day
appointed for payment, and to ship it to the United
States, for which service he allowed them receive
from Mexico the u per centum designated in the
Convention a fund to the expense of trans
tod tato
y and satisfactorily performed by the agents appoint
ed by Mr.. Thompson. They received from the
Government OF Mexico the commission allowed by
treaty, and very properly retained 1t in their own
hands Mr.. Souhall, while wrlthiDg under the NOR
tification and loss occasloned by his inexcusabe
delay, had the weakness to enter a protest against
the payment Of the money by the Mexican govern
| ment, and by that distempered act placed our 60
vernment in the most ridiculous attitude that can
be imagined He, however, sOaced himself with
the idea that he would make the poor claimants re-
sponsibe for the consequences of his neglect of du-
~, and now has the modesty to require that the Sc
creary of the Treasury shall withhold Il per GEN.
tum OF the ella mants money, and give IL to him in
compensation tor his Inc fficent services. This is
the grave question that has for the last ten days oc
cuped the Treasury Department, and suspended the
distribution OF the money TO the claimants. What
solution will be given toit BY the Secretary OF the
Treasury, is yet unknown. The clamaRts, one and
all, protest against having their money taken from
them so unceremcnlousy; but rs Happen TO know
what is going on behind the curtain am at no
loss to divine the result Mr. Southsll is Virsinlan,
was formerly a purser in the navy, from which he
was dismissed by the lccotocc dynasty; add to
which he is connection Of Capt Tyler, and is poor.
So $50 would be OF some service 10 him, and would
not be much'fct by the claimants, as they have
been disciplined to suffer, and may well stand little
more arguing from the foregoing premises; and my
knowledge OF the NANNY vaccinations are in ia
vor of the admission of Mr.. Southalps claim After
which the claimants will be sraclously permitted TO
receive the residue. Yours, truly,
A LOCKER