The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-13
The Geneva Award and What 1t
Amounts To.

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The New York Jouradi If Commerce,
commenting upon the reported award by
the Geneva tribunal in the matter Of the
Alabama claims, says
We learn that the private claimants for
direct losses, resident or represented In
New York, are hot dissatisfied with the
lump sum said 10 have been awarded by
the Alabama arbitratOrs. The best in
formed guesscrs on other side put the
amount at from E3O00,OO0 to E3,jOO,0OO.
II the latter figure is correct, then the
arbitratOrs have awarded all that was ser.
iOusly expected OF them. Nobody really
supposed that the GXtravagant bill made
out by Senator Sumner, aud substantially
Incorporated in the American case, would
he audited and approved at Geneva.
There were strong doubts that the whal.
crs would receive compensation (Cs,imat-
cd ut three or four million Of dollars for
the loss OF prospective profits OF cruisers
by the burning Of their vessels. The
claim OF this government for reimburse.
ment OF the expenses OF pursuing the
Alabama ind her mates, was thrown in
to take its chances, and its rejection Ca,scs
no grievOus disappointment. The same
may be said Of the claim for about
two million dollars on the score
OF extra premiums-thC arbitrator
decided that the matter of in
surfing was optional with shpowncrs,
and the rate an affair solely between them.
selves and the companies. What the ar.
bitrators have awarded is for payment of
losses directly traCCAblC to the acts OF
cruisers for whose escape from her ports
England did not exercise due diligence.
II the sum awarded IN gross is C3,500,000,
then Il comes very close to the total of
the strictly direct Claims-thOsc footing
up nearly $l7,j00000. The satisfaction
Of the direct claimant with this result is
marrGd, however, by the reflection that
the investigation and final payment OF
each claim is-tO be made by u board Of
assessors appointed by our government ut
Washington. AS all persons having valid
claims on the treasury know, TO their cost,
II is very hard 10 extract money from il
when once its ponderous iron jaws have
closed upon any funds appropriated for
making settlements. Delay, iavOritism,
and perhaps political considerations, will,
we may suppose, rctard the fair and final
distribution Of the Geneva award.
AS any balance remaining after the
nominal satisfaction Of the claim wOnld
revert to the government, there will be u
powerful motive for pairing down the
claims TO the lowest amount, and driving
sharp bargains with the holders. We
trust that the anxiety OF the claimants on
this point is not well founded; but there
are reasons why they should feel worried
OF course the claims carry interest from
the date that they accrued; but We know
not the rate fixed by the arbitratOrs. II
is snrmised to be six per cent, the rate
paid by the United States government in
settling claims for illegal captures of sup.
posed blockade runners. We'll, assuming
that the reports from Geneva are true,
how much better OFT are we pcCuniarily
than we should have been under the
JOhnsOn-Clarendon treaty? Not bit,
us We Cun see. That treaty was the same
as the one negotiated with such parade
and fuss ut WashingtOn-minus all the
impraCtiCablG stuff, which has been
thrown overheard by the Geneva Judges,
much 10 the humiliation Of the United
States.
Years Of time have been wasted, the
ship owners and the underwriters kept out
Of their money, and the relations between
the United States and England rendered
exceedingly unpleasant, and all that o few
INSCRIPTIONS politicians could make IL lit.
tie sham reputation by arrogating the set.
tlcmcnt Of the claims t5thcmsclvcs. The
fruit Of their Vaccinations is now before
the world, and they must be easy to please
ifthey are satiticd with il; Tor, while the
direct and bona fRc claims have been pro.
vided fur-as every one knew they would
be, from the bcginning-our government
has been beaten on every point, where il
vcnturcd, in its peculiar way, 10 be bold
and brilliant Except for the humiliatiug
rcbuiB which the government has brought
upon itsclt-and in the mortiiylng elect
OF which every citizen must sharc-wc
think that the people Of this country are
in the main satisfied with the work at
Geneva, and will heartily rejoice that one
obstacle TO the friendship Of two great ma.
tons has been removed at last.