New-York tribune., 1866-12-31

posited and the three competing schOOners sailed ON
Tuesday at p m from ork, 10 be ee son Io NM nm
happy dyspeptlc critics who ar2 always hIpphnb az
American manners, customs, politics, and people to-
gether Vrumbc because the owners don't sail, pc
canse the race kept close, because they fear the
Yachts may be sold at good p1ce here-lh lacl, ~
all sorts of dreadful points none OF when are any
business of theirs The fact OF the race con-
rents us because 10 is characteristic OF English ana
American restless energy that three pretty schOOnes
should be started in the Christmas weather tof "a
Tln across the ocean, We don't care who SANS tHrlh,
or who doesn't, SO long az we SEE the children on Wy
Vikings. twice removed, stIl win inns Sphhah
passion for the brine IN their blood, which nlakes
them scud across the Atlantic with their pleasure
boats i'm December. Ye gentlemen Of England who
erowl at home ut ease, do You know what the Allan
tic is like i'm nor easter at Christmas tuner some
of Won would be SILENT aud tender about sea-legs,
il YOU were shipped with the Yankee crews 10 ihake
thfs voyage in the little holiday schoonersi Many
British passenger has wished ChristoP1eI ooI,''nus
had been crucified he has performed the passage
and its accompaninents on board the great nneIS;
But unless the little ships have good lnck they wiz
90 through some wateT-frOllcs and sel-tiahclng 10
bicb tbe railing steady plunge of Cunarder Is bat
minnet When the wind ~ ahead, with a heaVy sven
and the Winter night settles down on 'he gray anu
whit waves with an extra howl of the gale and an
extra savage whistle of the water IL wants some aOl-
lars at Cowes to make things pleasant anu anu wnen wen
every and then great MI OF inc ISsnIG I pin
comes bodily on board, and the look out men huIng
ON forward wonder when they shall get ytnlnH 70
breathe except salt water II snt at0gether % c%i5t
play, whoever may be on board mere are Ieisty IVY
of hardy nations who face this sort OF weather I2l
their livelihood and take it as u comes, IN VesseH
little and big, but we only know two that Ilako a q
bold pleasure of the peril and IKE II better te MoIe
t grows These two are the English and Amerl-
cans and If for nothing else, there Ought,
t0 be solid good feeling between us, especially so
long az there Is such u lot OIL saiO "d'eT III 'n'
SLIT OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST \ FRENCH
sIlIP-BUILDER AND OTHERS.
The Paris correspondent Of The London DdHy NeGs
pyes the following account ot TenalhaDio hi"suiu
now pending in one of the French Courts:
A lawsuit extraordinary, OF very great ihtfIes,,
was heard yesterday IN Prelirdy 15ngS oysy SY Sy
Benoit Chanpy The plaintiff is Andrew Johnson
President of the United States; and the deigEd- r
ants are ~ Aan the great sPo3fdsT snd p others nGs
The circumstances of the case 1uliS appear h1Il h
declaration filed by tie President oi the Uhited
in The courSe of the year 1861 several States be-
longing the Republic OF the United stateh OF AoIna
tnoI mn arms gaiist Federal authority, and attcmpedt 10
form senarte confederation under the denomination OF
the Confederate States Of tho s0nth ald whereas VIZ
French Government did IL is true, recognize the sald
states ~ bcgrTents by n imperial decla ration published
I'm the MoneUr UHitcFsd OF June 80 lsoi; puI hnrIo
The aid positively prohibited French cilcps
s J tiIr any nart hatsoSycr in the manning aim
ing Of any snp OF war or piiyatGer oSiongs Del 10 5t
10 refrain any ACT whatsoever whlcb, IN NlohOh
both OF the laws of the Empv and oi inc raw ql naos,
might considered hostile act townru clthef py
and contrary neutrality; and whereas IN deflahce Oh Ie
ppcise terms OF the above dceiaoi ihd 20 oi & iGc " most
laws upon which II was grounded ahu ~ ic rls VI l l
<riousy compromising French neutrality, JOlht-stock
company for the purpose Of supplying vessel. on WIZ 10 nv
aoalled Confederate States formed IN Franco unue
the inspiration and direction OF the defehdant Arlu Vi
the one part and The deiendahls noTM, S 51,, NV
verbal conventions agreed upon III fails on apr ~ l;
NJ Ar1nan contracted with one Bullock, Con1eherate
agent, well t build In his own docks Two sn3 & yl M
for the Confederate States ms 10 obtain nom MN NorAt
Joliet, BnhiII Dubigeon and Mazeline contract lor % %
construction Of two other similar sps and whereas the
price of the four ships aforesaid was ilNcd az lsgV,
each or 7,2pOOO in all the money 10 he payabe III orr
and whereas il being impossible that these contrasts
could BE- otherwise than provisional ~ 1ng rs
| NJ Are,an did on June l, IsG3 solicit the Minister
! Of MaIsue for permission to take away the p s,ips
! aforsid armed with from twelve O. fourteen guns,
alleging that they had been ordered OF nm Tor Ihe
account of foreign merei,a m Who & Wae1 AMI bi iie @ s
Who moreover looked forward to the posslby ni
whereas the Minl.ier u Marine deceiyed BY TIN above
false af fraudulent allegation granted the pcfinlsslol
required on June g. and Whereas, the very came day
on the ministerial authorization being communicated ~
him " FliS fQy. SiidenL who assumed the quality OF
Confederate envoy In Paris. confirmed The contract WG
had been made by Bullock the preceding 18th Of April
and whereas three days after this ratification, ana on
June O. NJ Erlangrr "A banker In Paris, and financial
agent for the pretended Confederate government under
took, for commission OF i've per cent 10 guiiilge N
Amman the payment OF the iirSt tWO'Hths OF te s'i
lated price the four ships; and whereas the adhesion
uf NM VOruz N Ca. 10 the verbal convention OF Aprli
Is was obtained by d. AIlnal thdt Arnih anu ls 20
defendants received accordingly IN the course of tc year
lsG9 at least twohtls OF the price l. e., 2SpIr,; G
and whereas the French Government being informed Dy
the American Government OF the real destination OF tne
ships aforesaid, did i'm October 1853 expressly with
draw the permission which had been obtained rom II py
fraud and surprise and upon the falth of whcn alone me
1idccndants; and whereas II appears iroln uc IactS
above stated that Amman and his codeftndants are now
holders without any LAWFUL right or title Of the sums of
money handed To them In pursuance of Illicit contract,
aud which they ought 10 refund and whereas the
Government OF the United States Il the only party emitted
10 call Tor the resutuoio ol me s oI lnoll ',l" 5u
and whereas Amman and his c0ciendant having acted IN
bad faith in receiving the sums aforesaid are bound 20 I
fmd with Interest," and wbereas the said defend
have by their conduct done mos serious damage to
Them proong the duration of the Rebellion by tOutItb
utng To accrrdit the belief that the French Government
g fg
about Ia recognize IN them distinct nationally; ana
whereas the Government of the United states j. Therefore
justified in suing the defendants jointly and seycraly
fer rcparatiOn for the damage dOnc ~ aforeSd and
wacrcas the of 2S)oW1 fran's, with interest eau
only be- considered extremely moderate estimate of the
damage caused-nay u please the court To condemn
the said defendants TO pay to the Government OF the
United states the of 2sO0O francs with cost uf sut
and without prejudice 10 amy further claim FOR damages
or for LARGER sums which they may be proved to have
received on account OF the said ships.
The mtcrlOcutory motion made yesterday by W.
Lacan counsel for the defendants, was one simpyof
course that President johnson, as foreigner SUNG
III French court, should give proper security Tor
costs ludcdfn sOi is the French ternl in of his
losing the action. The only question before the court
was what that amount should be- and upon this the
estimates of counsel on either side differed widely
on the one part It was cOendcd that registry dues
for the transfer of the various ships IN question
which had been sold ought to bc provided for by the
caution money; while on the other II was sad that
these dues being incurred subsequent to tIaudu-
lent transaction could in no event whatever be
charged TO the United States and that II would be
great libel upon the assumed cheapness of French
law to fix the security for costs at more than 300
francs. The Court however, gave the defendants
the utmost sum they asked for, and condemned
Andrew Johnson condemned being no doubt the
matter-of-cOuTse and appropriate word-to pay
l5O 600 francs lS30,0OOl into Court.
Imight here dismiss for the present the report of
n cctbe IL not for some observations, not
Immediately bearing upon the matter IN ISSUE which
were made by the counsel for the plaintiff, Andrew
johnson, which were thought extraordinary by the
bar who listened to them. and which apDrehend
will excite surprise IN other quarters. Bsf|
FRANCE. ut
or mn To