Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-05-10
WASHINGTON.
The High Commission Treaty.

WASHINGTON, May S.-Douglass acts
! during Pleasanton's absence.
The treaty was signed to-day by the
| High Commission at the Department of
State. The gentlemen. after this was done,
engaged in congratulations on the result
of their labors, expressing the belief that
| they had done the most they possibly
| could for the peace and honor of the two
| countries.
Although the commissioners have been
] cautious in talking to persons outside of
| their own circle, the following points will
| be found to be correct:
First, There are to be two boards of arbi-
| tratiOn or commissions. To one will be
referred the Alabama and other similar
! claims, which are recognized as national
| and are to be settled on the principle of re-
sponsibility for such depredations where
the Government has exercised the utmost
diligence and possible precaution to pre-
vent privateers from being fitted out in its
ports to prey upon the commerce of a DOW
er with whom it is at peace. The other
board is to take cognizance of miscellaneous
claims, British and American, confined
principally to the period from the COM
mencement TO the close of our late civil
war. Among these are the South Adams
claims for damages to property in that
town by the Canadians But no claims
for the Fenian invasion of Canada are TO
be admitted. As to the claims of British
subjects for seizure of their cotton. Great
Britain, through its commissioner
does not recognize them in cases
where such subjects took up their
domicil in the South, thereby they snh.
iected themselves to all the takes and con
tlngencies All legitimate claims for cot
ton, Will however, be considered 1t has
been reported, without warrant, that they
VIII amountto thirteen ormore millions hit
tins is considered to be a great eXaggera-
tloni they will not probably amount 10 n
million of dollars Tbnro will 10 a..
Guilty in ascertaining all the particulars
as the Treasury Department has full data
OF all the seizures of cotton, the names of
the owners thereof and all the particulars
concerning the seizures. Among the
claims which will also come before thie
Board will be that of our Governn'anf
growing out of the purchase of saItpetre
IN the East Indies during the war, and
which was seized by the British authori
ties. This Government is aware that n
full list of British claims was recently
published In that country, but it also, has
information, that many of them have
already been adjusted, while others will
not come within the provisions of the
treaty. Their are other miscellaneous
claims, which will come before this second
Board. The San Juan question will be
referred to the arbitration of friendly
sovereign, probably the Emperor of Bra
llL From the documents which will ac-
company the submission ii is believed
that the decision cannot fail to be in favor
Of the United States. The treaty provides
for the free navigation of the st. Lawrence
by vessels of the United States, and for the
use of the Canadian canals, upon the pay
ment of regular tolls. There are also.
provisions regulating the privilege
Of fishing in the Canadian waters
but these have not been ascertain.
ed with sufficient accuracy to justify their
The London Times, of to-day, mistakes
N saying the treaty must be ratified by
both houses of Parliament. Legislation
will, however, be required only to carry
'ome of its provisions into effect
The Mixed Spanish Commission consists
d QUO, arbitrator; Cushing, Attorney on
'ehaIl OF United States political arbitra-
or Carlisle, attorney in behalfof Spain
The High Commission takes no cogni-
'ance OF contracts between British subjects
ma the Confederate Government.
MEMPHIS, Nav 6-The decoration 90