The New York herald., 1871-11-13
Work Among the Ineernationa'
Commissions.
he Claims q AmerisaaiEcd Englishmsn fir
lssses Daring Our War TO Be Rejected
by the English Commissioners.
TIE CASE OF THE HnRNET.
The Spanish Fleet Net, Bound to
Port an Prince.


Back Dues q Ex-Assessor
''Sheridan Shook.
WHO lis 10 Counmand the Army
During Ehersnan's AbsenoeG
wAsHNGroN, Now L. 1871.
- ~Dtnss4sA0eEaoan Claios Commisslen-
An Iapsrsant Docision.
N0seh 0uruey, Esq, OF the British American
U1a1ns C0mnisslu0. has returned to this city from
m exteu6lve northeastern tour and comes back, as
sxUected. duly Impressed with tho greatness OF our
oSuntry aAa Its institutions. The Commission,
which nnlds Ms nrst regular session on Tuesday
next hadlh br1ef meeting yesterday, when It was
decided tnas the claims Of former British subec:s
VINO hare Nec0me American citizens since their
claims clagnated were not within the Jurisdiction
or tho 1nlxed Commission. Tnis decision Is
0nderrh hood 70 Affect q considerable number OF
persons residing In the South and as
ne southern Claims Commission requires
Amefican cltixenship at the time claim
Oeftyre itorginated, those claimants who have re.
no'inced Queen Victoria Tor Uncle Sam win have to
aoUk 70 oCongress for special relief That they will
mot look In vain they have every reason to hope, as
y is not believed that Congress VIII permit them to
suffer through their preference for form OF gov-
ornmcnt even though that preference was deferred
s ahenage had lost Its advantages with the end OF
the civil war and drafting was no longer TO be
dreaded BY American citizens. The published
statement that the Commission intended TO SIT with
Closed doors has occasioned mucn unfavorable
eonment In Interested circles, and II
my such design was entertained It
VIII, no doubt, be nodded. IL has not been Gus.
eomary for International Or any other commissions
% conduct their proceedings secretly and the pre-
sent commission win scarcely such questiona-
bae example. They win hardly 60 further than de.
Nberating in privaae after case Is submitted and
Tor % much they are warranted by general usage.
Attorneys engaged In the prosecuting Of war claims
IN thus city are watching the movements OF the
British American Commission with much interest,"
~. should they 60 beyond the very limited measure
~ compensauon thus far granted to American
caimantn for their losses during the rebellion. Con.
grsss wll have to enlarge the existing laws 70
corresponding extent
Tho Geaeva Conmlssion.
1he object OF the recent visit OF william N. Evarts
% washington was In connection with the business
% be brought before the tribunal OF arbitration at
from Benjamin r Curtis to his acceptance Of the
tender Of the appointment As associate counsel.
The spanish-Cuban Claims COnmisslou.
The United States ana spanish Commission win
proceed 10 consider claims IN December. Before
This commission was authorized large number Of
claims for spoliatlons In Cuba were presented to
the Department Of State. Perhaps not more than
mine or ten have 30 far. been presented the Com
misson In accordance with the prescribed forms.
The Case Of the Hornet-An I.sult TO a
Spanish Consul.
Newspaper statements were recently made to the
DfFect that several Spanish war vessels had LETT
Cuban waters for the vicinity OF Port au Prince,
with the intention Of sexing the Hornet should that
vessel venture out OF port. Within day or two
past our government has. BY inquiry through the
proper diplomatic channel learned that the state
ments are untrue and that the war vessels were
sent ON different errand and In another quarter.
II was further ascertaned that there Is only
,ne spanish man-or-war at or near Port
Prince. The Spanish authorities nave
ready been advised that serious trouble
a. " result should the Hornet be seized
Vi lie she Is under the American nag, and espe-
IA ly as 1t Is not known that she has violated the
eu Irality laws. While 1t cannot positively be as
ers ID that she Is privileged to carry our nag her
rue character nevertheless. Is question for civil
nves ugation and not to be determined alone by the
,pani sh authorities, with the or naval force.
TO say the least the question OF the Hornet seems to
her su oject In the connection forms basis OF CON-
piaint Dy the spanish government, namely-Not
long ag the Spanish Consul at Port Prince made
a demanld d on the Haytien authorities for
the Sun render OF the Hornet, but was
refused our Minister there having uttered q
strong n rotest against IT, and also against
the Spani sh menace. Some time after these pro-
ceedings he spanish Consul while passing the
wharf whaNe the vessel lay, was loudly derided by
--A -
dired cosoreA sailors. In consequence OF these pro-
Ceedinss tns CONSUL returned to his Consulate and
took.down hs nag, and the fact OF the alleged In
dignity Mas beenv0mmunicated to our government.
Thus thesmatter now stands, with no proof Of an
imme aaafe settlement OF the question at ISSUE and
m the. meankime Port Prince Is virtually block
AIDED b,ra Spanish vessel, Hayti being too feeble to
demands respect for her neutrality.
SensbIes Decisions by the secretary Of War.
Secretary Beiknap Is out with another order
against su, ,eruons goose quilts ana foolscap paper
.uhether In the army or at washington. The con-
;sn,versy bet the War Department and the THIRD
A~fisor OF the Treasury, as TO whether the latter
sh.ud re-e1aL7ine the voluminous property returns
nj ar ny omcensafter the War Department had gone
careft lily over tnem, and keep them locked up In the
Treasu ~ closets when the War Department had the
most ne ed OF ready reference to them, decided
nv Atto, rney General Akerman In favor OF the
Auditor aas che latter supposed but the Attorney
General. n no has that rare and nexibie faculty Of
being on BOY ndes OF question ~ the same time,
Uncovered Il ,at the Auditor OF the Treasury. In all
that related t property returns, was subordinate
OF the war d partment and not OF the Treasury,
and HANDED MIN over to the tender mercies OF the
secretary OF wai,. The latter, VINO had only been
sighting for economy and common sense, has just
neclared the teA-ms on which the Auditor
can exercise what 10 left Of his pre-
rogativen In thin, matter. He 10 not
to see an old naversack, camp kettle or tent pin
mas been overlooked, keep an army OF clerks 70 60
over array Of figures tn At has already been neces-
sariiy gone over In the way Department nor must
ne enter upon correspondence as diplomatic, de.
~uttoYv urofracted I'll tho Alabama