The New York herald., 1868-03-08
e u r Q p e.
5~~~~-~~~
The United States Naval Lawsuit in
France and Points Of the Case.
>~~~>>~~>~~~~~~~~~~~~>
An Austrian Archduke Mar
ried to an Actress.
~~~~~>.~~-~~>~o~~~~~
Maximilian's Bequests and Memen-
tOS from Mexico.
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Quiet in Turkey and Grand Foil Of the
Enemies of the Porte.
FRANCE.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD.


The Late American Rebel Navy-PIeadings In
the United States Lawsuit-French Bankers
and Shipbuilders In Reply-The Case In
Court.
PARIS, Feb. Is, 1858
The United States have instituted before the civil
tribunal of Paris action against M Arman,
deputy in the Corps Legislatif and shipbuder
at Bordeaux; M. Erlanger, banker at Paris;
M. voruz, engine builder at Nantes; M. Du-
bigeon, shipbuilder In the same town, and other
persons to get back from them large
of money exceeding f315,0 received by them for
constructing vessels OF war for the Confederate
States. The United States also claims an indem-
nifty Of f15o0o for the injury they suffered from the
violation Of the laws Of neutrality by the building by
the defendants of the said vessels. The is in
scribed in the First Chamber Of the Tribunal and
will come off In three four weeks. The counsel
for the United States are NJ Berger and NJ Henri
Moreau
The case for the United States is as follows:-On
the 18th OF April 1863, contract was executed at
Paris between M. Arman and one James Dunwady
Bullock "acting by orders and for account OF per-
sons whose authority he produced" by which the
former undertook to build for the latter four steam
ers, ito establish regular communication between
Shanghae, Osacca, Jeddo and San Francisco" each
of which steamers was to be capable of going with
great rapdty to carry twelve days. fuel, to receive
passengers and cargoes in the distant seas in
which it was to navigate" to have engines
of four hundred horse power and accommodation for
twenty-six officers and numerous crew. The ves-
ses were to be finished in ten months and each was
TO be paid for with f72, 000 NJ. Arman reserved the
construction OF two of them for himself and trans
fcrred that of the others to NJ. VoruZ of Nantes who
treated with M. Dubigeon and another shipbuildng
firm in that town for the construction of the huls,
he retaining the making Of the engines. 1t was
necessary to obtain permission Of the French govern
ment for the vessels TO be armed. This M. Arman
undertook TO get, and the 1st of June, 1863 he
applied for it TO the Minister OF Marine. In his
letter to the Minister he formally declared that the
'vesses were destined by foreign shipowner for
service between China, Japan and San Francisco
and with view OF being eventually sold to the gov
ernments OF Japan and China. The Minister, Count
de Chasseloup-Laubat, answered that he willingly
authorized the arming OF the vessels with twelve
guns OF twenty inch calibre. On receipt Of that
authorization Mr.. Slidell, the Confederate dplo-
matte agent In Paris formally ratified the treaty OF
April Is.
Arman and Mr.. Bullock the former engaged to build
two plated steam with plates of nine to twelve
centimetres In thickness, and capable OF sustaining
subjected For each Of these rams $50 600 was to
be paid. The payments, both for the vessels and the
rams, were TO be effected by nfths-one-lfth in ad-
vance, three according to the degree of progress
made, and the remaining nfth on delivery. The can
non aud ammunition were to be paid apart and from
some correspondence between Mr.. Bullock and NJ
Voruz II appears that the latter to furnish the
guns, in the event OF some negotiations with Captain
Blakely, In England, not succeeding. In expecta-
ton OF getting the order for the cannon, NJ. Noruz
obtained permission from the French government to
get Information on casting in one OF its foundres
As to NJ. Eranger he the banker of the Confede
rate States and 1t was through his hands the money
passed.
In September lse3 the Consul OF the United States
ut PARIS Mr.. Bigelow, became acquainted with what
had taken place between the parties and he made 1t
known to Mr.. Dayton the United States Minister i
Penipotentiary. Complaints were addressed by the
latter to the French government and the result OF
this was that the permission for the vessels to be
armed and to leave France was revoked. The affair
gave rise to diplomatic correspondence which was
worked with some acerbity on the part OF the United
States In the Of 1t the startling revelation IL
made that the United States government sent the
Nantes III they should leave the port to make
trial trp;' and the captain of the lroquois, who
went up to Nantes to inspect them and found them
Every formidable in appearance" proposed to effect
the capture seven IL they should he under the French
nag provided the Minister at Paris saw no objection
The threat to seize the ships aroused the anger OF
the French government and the Minister or
Marine wrote that II 1t were persisted in he
would ''make the vessels take their trial trips under
the protection OF French iron-cad, and that II any
attempt were made to seize vessel carrying the
French flag and having French crew, "he should
find himself under the necessity Of inderdictng any
vessel OF the United States from sojournng In French
waters.o
In consequence OF the introduction let the vessels
leave France, M. Arnan and his associates, after
But the two steam rams remained NJ. Arman bar
gained TO sell one or them to the Danish government
When, however, II was completed the agent OF that
government refused to receive II because IL did not
attain the rate Of speed and did not fulfil other
dons that had been represented. In spite OF the re-
fusa, M. Arman sent the ram--which had just
been named the Sphinx, but OF which the
designation was changed to Stoerkodder-to
Copenhagen, trusting, he said, that the
Danish government would reverse the decision of
Its agent. But the vessel was refused. The United
States allege that he must have foreseen the refusal
hands Of the Confederates At Copenhagen he dis
missed the French captain and crew who had taken
" there, and hired Danish officers and men. Then
he had the ram gent TO the little village OF Honat,
near Quiberon in French waters, and there It's name
of coal were sent to IL from Nantes, the Danish
were conveyed from II TO that port and an
English steamer put. on board " cannon and
ammunition and Confederate crew under Captain
Page the crew being men who had served In the
confederate steamer Florida. Then the Confederate
nag was run up the vessel was named Stonewall
ana put TO sea. The Stonewan proceeded 10
Ferro, in Spain, which port II entered from stress
OF weather. The diplomatic agents OF the United
states called on the Spanish government 10 seize III;
but the latter declined. Then the stonewal went TO
Lisbon, where its presence created q difficulty: a
United States vessel OF war, the Niagara, having
attempted to seize il was fred into by the Porta-
guese After leaving Lisbon the Stonewall went to
Havana and there was taken possession OF by the
Spanish authorities and given up to the agents OF
With respect TO the second ram, NJ Arman sold
IL TO Prussia; but after what had taken place the
French government would not allow II TO leave
France until he had proved TO the satisfaction Of
United States Minister at Paris that II was really
destined for that,P Power.
Such Is an outline OF the case which the United
States present In support OF their demand for resti
tuition OF the paid behalf OF the Confederate
States to VI. Arman and his associates and for in
terest on the same. In a legal point OF view they
contend that the United States alone, In their cor
porate capacity can raise fleets and armies, make
war, deliver letters o marque, enter into contracts,
&C., &c, and that they alone can levy taxes for these
purposes that the Confederate States, being In re-
bellion, never had O legal existence and could do
none OF these things; that consequently the money
of which they disposed for the vessels In
France, and which was raised by taxation, must
be considered part Of me naIonal property ana as
that NJ. Arman and his cons0rts knew that their
contract with the Confederate states was Illicit, ac
cordng 10 article 1133 OF the Code Napoleon, being
s'contrary to public order,v inasmuch as II was
violation OF the neutrality which the French govern
ment had proclaimed between the C0nfederates and