Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-01-03
Thursday Morning, Jan'y 3rd, lS49,
THE MEXICAN CLAIMS.

We referred, yesterday, to the claims of citizens
of the United States against the Mexican govern
ment, the payment of which was assumed by the
United States in the treaty of peace, as amounting,
by the showing of Mr. Buchanan in his instruc-
tons to Mr.. Slidell to about sic millions ofdoars.
1t may be we'll to recur to the subject for the pur-
pose of stating the nature of our obligation to the
claimants with greater precision.
Mr.. Buchanan states, that under the convention
with Mexico, of It'll April, 1889, claims were al
lowed or lquidated to the amount of $s2,o26,-
1879 6s. By,a second Convention, of 3Oth jan
uary, lS43, it was agreed that the interest on this
amount should be paid ON the Both of April, 1s43,
and the principal in twenty-three months install
ments. The interest to that date and three in
stalments were paid accordingly. Then there was
pending before the umpire before the commission
expired, claims allowed by the American commits
sioners, amounting to $92s,627. And, further
more, there were claims presented, but not ex-
amined by the commission, for want of time, to
the amount of $3,336, 1877, and to examine which
third Convention was signed in Mexico, on the
goth of November, 1843, but it failed to become
operative by reason of being amended in the Sc
nate of the United States These three items of
claims fully allowed (deducting the three twen-
tieths paid by Mexico,) of claims allowed by the
American commissioners and of claims wholly
unexamlned, make an aggregate of $s5,987 ,634
10 this sum should be added interest on the I'M
paid instruments from 30th April, l843, which
would carry the whole amount considerably be-
yond six millions
This, the reader will recollect, is Mr.. Buchan-
ans exhibit to Mr.. Sidell, when instructing him
to make the different offers for Mexican territory
to which we yesterday adverted Now let us see
how the treaty Of peace has it.
The following are the articles of the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidago, relating to the subject of the
claims:
Art. XIII. The United States engage moreover tbe-
sides paying Mexico fifteen millions in money! to as
sunie and pay to the claimants all the amounts now due
them and those hereafter become due by reason Of
the claims already qudated and decided against the
Mexican republic, under the conventions between the
April, 1882 and the Both day Of January lS43 so
that the Mexican republic shall be absolutely exempt
Tor the future from all expense whatever account
Art XIV. The United States do furthermore dis
charge the Mexican republic from all claims of citizens
OF the United States not heretofore decided against the
y to the signature OF this treaty. which discharge shall
be final and perpetual, whether the said claims be re-
ected or be allowed by the board of commissioners pro-
vlded tor in the following article, and whatever shall be
the total amount OF those allowed.
Art. XIV. The United States generating Mexico
from all demands on account of the claims of their
citizens mentioned in the preceding article and cons-
derng them forever Cancelled, whatever their amount
may be- undertake make satisfaction for the same to
an amount not exceeding three and quarter millions OF
dollars To ascertain the validity and amount OF these
claims board OF commissioners shall be established by
The government OF the United States, &c.
To state the gist of the matter in brief, the
United States agreed to assume payment, first, O
all the unpaid Hqeidated claims, and, secondly, O
all the unttquidated claims to the amount of So,
100000 The elements of the obligation may BIZ
set forth thus
l7-20ths of the liquidated claims. :. 81 1872 800
Interest tiom Both April '43 to d.. 49,. 5l6,66o
Limit OF unliquidaed claims. .... 325OOOO
S5,4 $50
Hence it appears that claims amounting to abou
five millions and half were clearly assumed b,
the United States. But, inasmuch as the four
teenth article of the treaty entirely discharge
Mexico "from all claims of citizens of the Unite
States" not before decided, it will obviously be
question whether the limit of three and quartz
millions, prescribed in the treaty, will measure tn,
just extent of our obligation. Suppose the com
mission, now sitting at Washington, should ALLOW
claims toa larger amount. Can it be said to b
equitable for the United States in that case, afte
deprivng the claimants of their recourse agains
Mexico, to curtail arbitrarily the sums to be PAL
10 each?
However this may be, our object has been az
compshed in bringing before public attention, i
connection with the present belgerent attitude
Texas towards New Mexico ana the Union tn
fact that Mr.. Polk instructed his Minister to offe
the Mexican Government, for cession of the pa
of New Mexico now claimed by Texas, the larg
sum of more than six millions of dollars, accorc
ing to the estimate of his Secretary of State, or
five millions and half according to the solem
stpulations of the treaty of peace.