The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-03

-wsa>s fsss observation-disclosures
Nupelssn In sase General Anessfsng oass.
esnce eur isst Issue, q Saturday, 10 nail steam
ey-ths Paci6c and FnnhliA-z6ived in this port
from Europe, with four days later Intelligence than
saa. received ny the Canada The political news 10
unimportant- except the Indignation of the Londsn
Ts,pes agsl,ct The pub.icecn<f Cuban correspon
dence and the new constellation Of Spain; bat this
dear tn Of interest in public despatches 10 made
M for By our private correspondence, which con-
taips pssy items peculiarly interesting. Chief
ar,epc these IL the information We have received
from Paris Of the rendition of award by Louis Ma
poleoc in the matter Of the celebrated claim made
BY oer government Against that Of Portugal for in
denn1sation for the loss Of the American privatesr
Gensrsl armstrong, in 1914, a~d tchich arard has
bss~ Garer~ to the claim, a~d in fapor of Portugal
II will be recsllected that during tho very early
potion Of General Taylor's short administration,
measures were taken to coerce the Portuguese gov
eminent into . settlement Of al its long standing
liabilities to American citizens. For this purpose
special instructions were sent to eur minister at
Lisbon, directing him to require . prompt settle
ment of these claims, and two vessels Of war were
despatched to that port to give efficacy to the de-
maid. The urgency and determination manifested
by our administration produced the desired effect,
and all claims made upon Portugal BY this country
were amieably adjusted, with the exception Of that
made on behalf of Captain Samuel c Reid, Of this
city, for tho value Of his brig, the General Arm.
strong, lost under circumstances which entailed
eountabilisy upon the Portuguese government, and
which We will here briefly recaptulate.
During the last war with England, the General
Arm strong was in commission as an American pri
vateer, and was owned and commanded by Captain
Reid On the 10Th Of September, 1914, she was
lying at anchor in Fayal, spors Of the AEors iLands
under the Portuguese dominion. Fayal was then q
neutral port and as such the captain of the priva-
teer felt confident in tho security of his vessel
About sunset Of the same day, however, three Brit
ish vessels Of war-the Piantagenet, Of "A guns the
Rota and the appeared ia the roads, and
Captain Reid, suspicious of their designs, endsavor
ed to get his vessel under the guns of the castle
About 8 P. NJ, while engaged in this movement,
he attacked by four of the enemy's boats, man
ned by 40 men; but having been 6red upon with
severe effect, they returned to their ships. Soon
after midnight the attack was renewed by twelve
large boats, armed with carronades and swiyels and
manned by four hundred men. An obstinate and
most sanguinary fight ensued, which resulted in tho
total defeat and repulse Of the attacking party, who
lost several Of their boats and hundred and forty
mon killed and wounded. Next morning the Car
nation commenced firing on the privateer, and Cap
tain Reid, seeing that he could no longer defend her
against such an overwhelming odds, abandoned her,
and she WAS soon after set on fire by the enemy.
Under these circumstances, Capt Reid made
claim for indemnifeation from the Portuguese gov
eminent for the loss of his vessel in consequence Of
their having permitted the neutrality of the port to
be violated. The sum demanded, We believe, was
q hundred thousand dollars, for which, Of course,
England should have been responsible to Portugal.
The justice and legality Of the claim, however, was
denied by the government of the latter country, and
the matter lad remained up to the present tins
unsrrABgsd. Finally, from the soereivs measures
adopted BY Gen. Taylor, in 1S49, the affair vas
brought to issue, and the Secretary Of State, Mr.
Clayton, and the Portuguese Minister, agreed, on
behalf Of their respective governments, to submit
the whsle matter to the arbitration of Louis apo
leon, the then President Of France That parsonage
has since then been made one of the reigning mon
aTchs Of Europe. We Low learn, by private advices
from Paris, that the eleventh of December, An
award was made by Leuis Napoleon adverse to the
claim of the United States, and in favor Of the
Portuguese government The matter was one Of
deep interest, and the decision of Napoleon
the Third win excite attention throug hout the
country.