Washington sentinel., 1854-03-31
Wasbingtnn gentinel.
Report Of the select Committee on Mexican
aa Claims, and Debate thereon.
In SEyArE. Marcia %, 1854.

In SENATE, March %, 1854.
Mr.. BRODHEAD said: During the last
Congress, Mr. President, select committee,
of which Mr.. Soule was chairman, was APP
pointed by the Senate, to which were referred
memorials on the files of the Senate in relation
to the proceedings of the board OF commission
ers on the claims against Mexico Before the
report was made at the conclusion Of the last
session, although the basis of one had been
agreed upon, Mr.. Soule was appointed to a
mission abroad. was a member of that com.
mittee, sir, and now, as such, / beg leave to
submit the report Of that committee. will
read the arrangement of the papers which
desire to lay before the Senate and to have
printed: First. is the report of the committee;
second, the journal of the committee; third,
testimony taken before the committee; fourth,
documents and papers referred to in the Jour.
nal and testimony; fifth, journal and report of
the commissioners sent to Mexico by the com,
mittee to examine into the Gardiner and Mears
cases, and also testimony, documents, and pa.
pers accompanying the same. will add that
number Of documents and papers, not deemed
material to the elucidation Of the matter refer.
red to the committee, will be fled in the Office
of the Secretary of the Senate. Although the
documents look pretty formidable, the whole,
when printed, will not form very large book,
rs the books Of testimony and the journal are
not written in full. beg leave to submit the
report, and the accompanying papers, and ask
that they may lie on the table and be printed
for the use of the Senate.
REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON MExI-
CAN CLAIMS.
The select committee to whom were referred
the memorials on the files of the Senate in,
relation to the proceedings of the board of
commissioners on the claims against Mexico
beg leave to submit the following report:
That sixty-three memorials were submitted
to their consideration, complaining of the ac-
ton Of the late board of commissioners, and the
committee shortly after their organization ad-
dressed q circular to the memoriasts request.
ing to be furnished with such information as
might enlighten them in reference to the sub
jectmatter OF their memorials. The journal Of
the said committee and the testimony taken be.
fore them, which are appended to this report,
will show in detail the action Of the committee
upon the various cases examined.
BY the treaty with Mexico Of the ID Febru.
airy, lS4S, and the act of Congress Of March 3
ls49, under which said board was organized
three and quarter millions Of dollars were ap
propriated to liquidate the claims of American
citizens against Mexico The said treaty and
act of Congress made the decisions of the board
final and conclusive, and did not provide 10,
the publication thereof or make it the duty O
the Attorney General or any other officer to give
his attendance, the commissioners alone repre-
senting the government. One of the principal
points of inquiry before the committee was
How much of the money mentioned in the
treaty was paid on spurious, fraudulent, and
fictitious claims?
The attention Of the committee was early di.
rected to the case of George A. Gardiner and
Inha ,,,y he u 4 u ~ :
OF S42S, I50 was allowed, and in the second the
sum of $l53,l25.
Gardiner claimed the sum of $500.OO0 for
the destruction Of certain mines in the State
OF San Luis Potos and in order to ascertain
the truth OF the allegations respecting the same
the committee organized and sent to Mexico,
at unavoidably considerable expense, Ia state.
ment of which can be seen in the Office Of the
Secretary OF the Senate,) commission COM
posed of the Hon. HENRY MAY, JAMER X
PARTRIDGE, BUCKINGHAM SMITH, Lieut. w. w
Hunter, United States navy, and Captain
Abner Doubleday, United States army, the
last two of whom were designated by the ther
President of the United States, at the request
OF the committee, to accompany the commits
sion and form part of it; all highly respectable
and intelligent gentlemen. 1t will appear by
the records of the committee that before this
commission departed for Mexico, offers of the
most liberal character were made to Gardiner
TO accompany the said commission, and point
out to them the mines which he alleged had
been destroyed, and for which he claimed COM
pensation. Having first accepted the offer of
the committee, he subsequently, declined, on
various pretexts, as will be seen BY the re-
cords of the committee, and the commission
proceeded to Mexico without him. 1t was
supposed that mines alleged to be SO valuable
and which he had worked with steam engines
affording also employment to hundred of per
sons, could have been easily pointed out and
readily identified, and that he would have
taken pleasure, if innocent, in so doing. Such
however, was not the fact. The commissioners
having faithfully, and with great skill and
ability, discharged the duties imposed upor
them, which were of delicate and hazardou:
character, presented their report, thereto an
nexed,) and concluded the same as follows
latter fully commenting on the evidence b,
them obtained J
We believe that we have now very thorough
ly, and with spirit of mpartialiiy, investigated
the ,claims OF George A. Gardiner and John II
Mears at the place where they were said 10 be 10
Gated, and wherever any information about then
could be obtained in Mexico.
We have the honor to submit 10 the consider
alton OF the select committee Of the Senate the
following conclusions as the result of our labors
I" Isl. That George A. Gardiner is not, and never
was, citizen Of the United States.
I'd That neither the said Gardiner nor Jobn
IL. Mears ever owned, Were interested in a sill
yer or quicksilver mine, or any kind of mine in
the state OF San Luis Potos in Mexico
ID hat neither said Gardiner nor Mears was
expelled from that State. =. -
"ith That, during nearly the whole ner;od q,
Tine IN which said Gardiner alleges he was en-.
gagged IN San Luis Potosi working his mines no
was IN fact at places remote from that State. en-
gagged as manager OF small mining concern as
dentist, and as pedar in small wares
9th. That every paper presented by both said
Gardiner and Mears, as coming from No. ~
support OF their claims, Is false and forged
:. We consider that these conclusions are drrl,
established by the proofs collected By us. and 10
which we invite a careful consideration
The evidence thus obtained land it was o.
the most conclusive character) has been uset
in court by the government, represented BY tn,
district attorney, (Mr. Fendall) and the dis
tinguished head of the commission, (Mr. Nav.