The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-09
COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Morning. Dec. 8. 1858.
The Claims Convention with Great
Britain.

It is known that number of YER
sions of the treaty agreed upon be-
tween Lord Stanley and Mr.. Reverdy
Johnson have been given to the pub
lie. It is to be regretted, therefore,
that the Secretary of State has not
felt at liberty to make public the
whole text of this important docu-
ment. The ministry in England
caused portion of the treaty to be
inserted in the public press soon
after it was signed, and this act GER
tainly released our Government from
the observance Of any secrecy. 1t is
better, moreover, that the public
opinion, which may be expected to
influence the Senate, should be
grounded upon an accurate know
ledge of the subject, than upon tho
various conflicting and apparently
ridiculous versions of tho trea ty
which have been published without
contradiction. we Of course as the
Baltimore .Sum remarks, arc unable to
correct. by authority, any statement
which has been made in relation to
the convention, but there is docu-
ment in existence which will throw
some light upon the subject It is
we'll known that between the periods
of the treaty of Ghent, in 1914, and
the year 1853, many citizens of tho
United States had claims on the Co
vernment of Great Britain, and many
British subjects had claims upon the
United States. These various claims
had been for many years the subject
of angry correspondence and of an
CRY allusion. 1t was found impossi-
bic to como to any agreement upon
the subject. In order to prevent
serious consequences, convention
in relation to them was signed by
Mr.. Ingersoll, the American minister
in England, and Lord John Russell,
both authorized for that purpose. on
the Sth day of February, 1853. That
convention will be found in Tenth
United States Statutes at Large, page
ITO, appendix. Itstates the existing
differences between ithe two Govern
ments, and proceeds. by articles, to
declare that the two Governments
agree that claims Of citizens or cor
porations of either country against
the Government of the other since
the treaty at Ghent, shall, within in n
certain time, be referred to two COM
missioners, one named by the Presi-
dent of the United States and one by
her Britannia Majesty, who should
meet in London, and there, before
proceeding to business. agree upon
an umpire.
Now, as this convention was agreed
upon in view of important claims
pending between the two Govern
ments, we think it moro than likely
that it has been followed to great
extent, both in letter anu spirit, by
Lord Stanley and Mr.. johnson, in the
convention upon which they have
agreed. Indeed, the English official
journals intimate as much. Suppos-
ing this intimation or understanding
to be correct, does it not seem un-
reasonable to object to details which
seem to be not only justified by the
terms of convention agreed to by
the United States on former occa-
sion. but which were prescribed, it
may be said, by the precedent then
and thus set by the two Governments.
1t is TO be hoped our Government
will consider itself at liberty to give
to the public the full text of the late
convention, i'll order that it may be
seen III the light Of the convention of
1853, and the public be thus enabled
to Judge fairly in the promises, in
spite of The criticism by which this
whole subject has been dnrkened.
AS regards the referee in the matter,