Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-11-28
(CIRCULAR.)
Agency Of French spoliation Claims, Prior
to 1901
WASHINGTON. November I6. 1854

WASHINGTON, November 16, 1p5i
hEAR Six: My circular letter Of I'D february
IL last stated, that he Senate had voted the same
French Spoil ton BIZ which previous occ asions
had been many times voted, by majority equal 20
"a that said bill was then pendin2 in the House OF
Representatives. and inasmCch as large portion of
the House conf ted of new members who would
have 10 knowledge that yourse If or those " no Won
represent, bad Submitted .emorias 10 Congress,
many years ago (some, indeed more than fty yea 81
unless now specially info med Thereof ana that w
are interesteo tberein; it therefore indspen ss
BILE that the claimants should, by letter address
each member of tn -ir State dele cation in the House
Including other friends they may have there in
voking their exa ination aud support of 50 bill
suon letters in brief from each claimant to each Ct
bls Representatives and fri nds in Congress and
the more the better. would greatly aid tn
OF said bill. To which sided the advice, that ne
ageas wi money or without money, or promises
of any kind nor fsastings should be sent here-all
that is wanting. bsiag letters from the claim, mis-
themselves direct to members of the House.
That Senate Bill wss re erred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs or tbs House, but not ep rted Oh
it was purposely deferred for the benefit Of the
claimants The said com mittee l. composed of nine
members and are friends OF the bill. they will re-
port 1t to the House earlV In the approaching ees
ion, and be acted o. ss unfinished bust ess, aud
rthwith put upon its final passage, without delsy
without discussion on our part, ana without err
ence to ANY further COMMITTEE SJrong isdi stiOns
syist tina it Will become law before the I'd OF
March next-never'hei.ss, this confidence should
not be entirely relied but fur her effort made
by the sufferers t. render the d1tirsd result sure
and, from ell appearance it will be the closing eff
fort required Of the cl,imsnts. Ny emphatic sd
vcs therefore il, that within the early part OF the
session, free shower Of letters Of the charac
ter and In BRIEF above indicated be prepared oy
each claimant and thrown into the House of Repre-
Septativss Should this be promptly done by each
| Of those interested think you may concude that
the long suffering Of the Claimants will speedily re
suit in q law fer their relief
And 10 facilitate your writing to members Of Con-
7 o,,hj In crDt lisfp bat.
the States they represent.
A lucid view Of tie law and the leading fact In
the cass will he fourd in the following extracts:
The LAw.-From the Constitution
"rrisate proprJy shall not BE- taken to the Public
Use without just compensation"
TK. FAor.-From DIR. Madiscn's instructions to
our Minister In Spain, dated In 1SO:.
1.-The claim from which France was released we're
admitted by France, end the release for Q val
liable consideration in a correspondent release of
the United states from csrtsn claims on them"
And in Presicsn' John q. Adams message tn Oh D.
gres of May 20, 1898. communal asting the report If
The hen Secretary Of state Nr. Clay. In which ap.
pears the following, as thus endorsed BY President
Adams:
Tine prsten.iona Of the United statss t. which
alusion Is thus made arose nut of the tpoiia
under color Of French authority, In eontravention
to law and existing IT, ates Those of France
sprung f. m the treaty Of Alliance Of the 9th #
| February, 1888, the treaty Of Amity AMI Commerce
Of the same date, and the Convention of the 18th
November I768. Whatever Obligations ind-m
mites from tho sources either party had right to
demand, we're respectively waived and abandoned,
and the consideration which ilouoe ono party to
renounos bis pretsnsons, was that Of the renuncia
ton by the other party Of his pretsnsions VIII It
the value Of tbs obligations and indemntdes so
reciprocal, renowned, can ony be matter Of spec
ulation. Thu amount Of the indemnities due 10
citizens Of the United States very largs; and on
the other hand, the obligation was grsat Ito speci.
fly other French preIensons) under which the
United States placed in the 18th article of the
treaty Of Alliance OF OH Fehrua y, 1883, by which
they we're bound freyer to guarantee from that
lm, the then poss ssions Of the OF France 10
America, as well as those which it might acquire
by the future treaty of peace it'll Great Bri ain
all thess possessions having been, it is believed
cong cred at not long after before The exchange
Of be rattle etions Of the Conven ion Of septemb.r
1900, by the arms Of Great Britain. fqom Frspcsn
| j am, with great respect,
Your faithful advocate,
JAMES II. CAUsTEN
To -, Esq, Boston, and 9th Is.
L