The New York herald., 1869-02-18

sequent to their appointment and before consider
II Tie event Of their NOT Being IN abs to come to
decision upon any caim the questions are 70 be sud-
| In relation to ali claims other than the Alabama
claims decisions may DO made BY majority OF the
This provision is contained in the second article.
It also spuates that each government ID TO appoint
one person to represent It before the board as agent
BY the third article all claims are to be- presented
within SIX months from the day Of their first meet
ior their presentation three months longer And the
whole s 70 be closed within two years rom the nrst
Articles four, nye ana six apply only to the Ala
bama claims By the fourth, before the commits
sioners are to consider suOh claims the two govern;
friendly State arbitrator In respect Of such
claims to whom such class Of claims shall be re-
ferred In case the commissioners shall be unable TO
come to an unanimous decision upon the same.n
BY the dfth II the arbitrator appointed under the
authority Of the fourth shan decide IN iavor q any
to the commissioners to ascertain the amount
due upon each This may be decided by majority;
made by the umpire appointed by the commissions
ers under the authority given them BY the first ar
ticle. M
by the sixth article the correspondence and evi-
dencc In regard to these claims now in the pos
argument or evidence to be alone considered by the
commissioners the arbitrator unless they, unanl-
mously. he shall call for further argument or EVIL
By the seventh the decision by the commissioners
or the arbitrat0r as the case may be- IL made con-
| Under the eighth article no claims are to be re.
cetved which may have arisen prior to the 10th Of
tions Of the convention or sth February, 1861 these
having all been adjusted by the commissioners under
Under tie ninth article the awards are to be paid
| In coln or Its equivalent without interest," within
twelve months after the date Of each award.
The 10th article makes the decisions arrived at un-
4 der the convention conclusive upon all claims pre-
4 sented, and all claims which might be presented,
The 1ith article contains some details, and gives
the authority to appoint the secretary Of the board
to the principal secretary Of state for foreign affairs
| and United States minister IN London.
/ The salaries Of the commissioners are TO be hxed
and paid by each government appointing them.
tons Of the convention are to be exchanged at Lon
1 don as soon as may be within twelve months from
| its date.
It IS proper that should give, as briefly as may
be necessary, my for asserting to the con-
| vent0n, or rather to some OF Its provislons:-
/ First-YOu have heretofore refused to enter into
/ an agreement to arbiGrate the Alabama claims
unless this government would agree that the
gerents the late so-called Southern confederacy be
| also included within the arbitration You will
see by the terms Of the first and the fourth articles
United States may think Il involved In such claims,
Is TO be before the commissioners, the arbitrator.
| This Is done by the use Of general terms and the
4 omission of any specification Of the questions to
| be decided And my authority for agreeing to this
Is found in your original instructions Of the 10th Of
July last, and is indeed to be found in the CORE
spcndence between yourself ana my predecessor re-
Ssoond-Upon reflection thought it better for our
claimants, particularly the Alabama claimants, that
the commission should sit inlLondon instead OF Wash
/ ington because nearly all II not all the evidence
upon which they rest Is to be found here or In Liver
pool and my instructions were silent as to the place
Tnisu-fhe provision that the awards are to be
| paid In coin, or its equivalent, deemed 10 be
70 goSd a AS noss wnfh s may er
will be paid in coin, thought 1t obviously just that
those which may De made IN M favor OF British SUBJ
meet with the approval OF the President and your
self and receive the sanction Of the Senate remain,
with nigh regard, your obedlent servant,
| REvERDY JOHNSON.
| Mr. WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Washington. d. G.
| Here follows the convention signed November 10,
| 1851
| Mr.. SEWARD 70 MR. JOHNSON.
| Telegram per cabe.l
|. ~DEPARTAENr OF STATE
| WASHINGTON, Nov. IL, 1865. J
4 REvERDY JOHNSON, ESQ., &c: =
| Claims protocol not received. Convention must
| sit In Washington. We thought tnis UNDERSTOOD;
absolutely essential under circumstance. Get thus
| and ali will be right. WILLIAM IL. SEWARD.
| MR. JOHNSON TO MIR. SEWARD.
/ Telegram per cable..l
LEGATION OF TIE UNITED STATES.
\ Hon. WILLIAM Il. SEWARD, Washington, ID. CT
/ VIII try Washington. Best for Alabama claims
Aod a Rdo1 %uen delay setsmen DID not undsrssand
| you wished Washington. Your 81 to Adams says not
OF sufficient importance to Insist on. Stanley not
here Can do nothing without him. Convention
yesterdays mall REyERDY JOHNSON.
| Mr. SEWARD TO MR. JOHNSON.
| Telegram per cabiel
/, DEPARTMENT OF. STATE,
! WASHINGTON, Nov. L. 1868.
! REyERpy JOHNSON. &C.,
p,iiaies' S' v u sshington hing Is indispensabe. ''' -
'''''S'' WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
| Mr. JOHNSON TO Mr. SEWARD.
LEGATION or TIE UNITED STATES,
| IONDON NOV. lS6S. [
| sIR-As you will have seen before this reaches you
| your cable cipher despatch OF the 1lth instant was
! duly received. The one Of the next day was also
Lord stanley win not be in London before wednes-
a5ie to Inform you whether washington Will pe sub
stituted as the place. for the meeting OF the claims
As stated in my cipher despatch to you OF the 18th
| instant agreed To London as the place. for two
| re .sons-nrst because what are known as the Ala
| bama claims against this government IN value o
much larger amount than all the other claims Of our
/ citizens, ana the evidence IN support OF
called FOR by the commissioners or the umpire,
| Is In England; and second, because I suppose
these cians win be the head Of European state to
4 whom the claimants and the agent OF our govern
| ment could have much more sds coy access than u
help thinking that the proposed change, II effected,
viii operate to their injury or al least to their inc
yenefice., IL however. had been instructed to In
sist upon Washington the place OF meeting, or had
understood that such was the wish OF yourself and
the President should nave lnSlsteu upon H. But
| was not 30 instructed nor did so understand
/ Your original instructions to me OF the 10Th OF
July 1858, are altogether silent upon the point as
are also everything which you have forwarded me
since prior your cipher despatch of the nth inst
and, before signing the convention, ! referred to
| your despatch No 375 OF October II, 1862, TO Mr.
| Adams u which found that although tho evidence
on what the then "Brltsh ciaims," or most Of them
rested was said by you to be In the Uned States, a
suggestion doubtless made with view TO induce the
/ government TO agree to Washington as aplace for
1 the meeting OF the commission you then desired
You Informed Mr.. Adams that II II was strenuously
| objected to by this government II was "a matter
not OF sufilcent importance 10 be insisted uponr
| Although cannot say that Lord Stanles strennously
objected TO tne change-and hope he VIII not now
yet he urged me 70 agree 70 London
| All clalmaIts, British aud American, and being
/ much more convenient and less expensive. /
Thought ths view was tho correct one and acted upon
that Impression. Under these circumstances hope
thai the President and yourself viii not think that
cnnnriftad at,v preat mistake. II may be true that