Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-02-15
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
WASHINGTON, Feb.

indirect damages. 1t is the sixth and /
closing chapter of the printed volume SUBJ |
mitted to the arbitrators at Geneva. The |
chapter Il entitled 1.-The Tribunal should !
award sum in gross to the United |
States"
II the opening conference of the Joint High |
Commission relating TO the Alabama claims, the |
American Commissioners ctated the demand of the |
United States They said that there we're extensive
direct losses in the capture and destruction Of
large number Of vessels and their cArgOes and in
heavy national expenditures in pursuit of cruisers;
and indirect injury in the transfer Of large part of
the American commercial marine to the British flag;
enhanced pa ;rIcuts Of insurance in the prolOnga
tion of the war, and In fie addition Of large sum
to the cost of the and suppression OF the rebel
lion. They further said that the amount of direct
losses to individuals which had thus far been pre-
interest which amount was iisbls to be greatly in
creased by claims which had not beer: presented;
and that the direct loss to the Government In hc
pursuit. of cruisers could be easily ascertained by
certificates Of Gevernment Accounting Officers.
They added that in the hcPe of an amicable settle
without prejudice, however to the right of iDdeu-
nifcaon on their account in the event of no such
settlement being made. The British Commissioners
declined to make the amicable settlement which
was proposed on the part of the United States.
The Joint High Commission then entered into ne
gotiations which resulted in an agreement in order
TO remove and adjust all complaints and claims on
the part of the United States, and to provide for
eorige o1t Of fhr octs rSmmitied bv several yes
sells which have given fise to claims generally
known as the Alabama Claims, should he referred
TO this Tribunal Of Arbitration. ii was further
agreed ty this Tribunal should II find that Great
Britain had by any set omission, failed to fulfill
any Of the duties set forth in the rnles in the sixth
article of the Treaty recognized bt the principles
of International Law, as not inconsistent With euch
rule might then proceed to award sum in gross to
the claims fefsrfed to il. The claims, stated by
the American Commissioner, may be classified as
follows: -1 --=..-
First Claims for direct losses growing ont Of The
destruction Of vessels and their csrgoes by insur
gent cruisers. second. National expenditures in
Pursui. OF those cruisers Third Loss IN the trans
flag. Fourth Enhanced payments of insurance.
Fifth Prolongaion Of the war, and the addition of
large sum to the cost OF the war HIId suppression
Of the rebellion. -.-..-. .- . -
So fss as tf,ese losses and expenditures grew out
of acts committed bt the several crrIiscrs, the
United States entitled to ask compensation and
Remuneration therefor before this Tribune. The
claims for direct losses growing out OF the desfc-
tion of vessels and their cargoes, may be further
subdiyided into first, claims for the destruction OF
vessels and property of the Government Of the
United States; second, claims for the destruction
of vessels and property underline nag Of the United
States third claims for damages or IN Jures 10 per-
sons growing cut Of the destruction of each class
of vessels in the accompanying volume seven CD.
The Tribunal will find ample data for determining
thr smo1ut of damage which should be awarded in
consequence Of injuries inflicted by reason OF the
destruction Of vessele or property whether OF the
Government or private persons The Government
vessels J.stfoTed of two classes: those under
charge of the Treasury Department and those in
charge Of the NAVY Department. 1he IrlDunal OF
Arbitration will find in volume seven 90 detailed
statements OF this class OF losses certihed by the
Secretary Of the Treasury. or by the secretary OF
The Navy, as the easc may be. The United states
reserve however as to THE and to all other
classes Of claims, the right 10 present furioer
claims. and further evidence IN support OF ihese
and such further claims for consideration to this
Tribunals and also similar rights as TO all classes
Of claims in case this Tribunal rhall determine not
to award .rro In gross to the United states.
With this reservation, they present a detailed
statement of all claims which have yet come to
their knowledge for the destruction OF vessels and
property by cruisers. The statement shows the
ed the seeeral claimants for the vessels and for
the large amount insured upon each. and all other
facts necessary to enable the Tribunal TO reasn a
conclusion as to the amount OF injury committed by
cruisers 1t also shows the nature and charscter
of the proc; plated, in the hands of the United
States by the sufferJfs- The originals OF the
documents referred to are on Gle in the Depart
ment of State at Washington, and can &c Frodac-
ed If desired. The United States only ask a rea-
sonable notice giving them sufficient opportunity
70 produce them. II is impossible at present Tor
the United States to present to the Tribunal de-
tailed statement OF damages or injuries arising out
Every vessel had its officers and crews. who were
entitled the protection of the flag OF the United
! States; and should be included IN any sum whlen
the TTiturdl may see proper to award III VIII not
be difficult from data ~hish are furnished, TO as
certain the names and tonnage oi the diierent YES
srls DESTROYED and form estimate of the hardy
/ but helpless seamen who were thus deprived ol
| their means of subsistence, and to determine what
| aggregate sum IL WOuiQ De just 10 pldCC III tnN
| hands OF the United States on that account. 1t will
not be less than hundreds of thousands, andpossi-
| bly, millions of dollars. The United states pre-
| sent to the Tribunal detailed statement of the
amount OF national expenditure in pursuit OF the
nsurgent cruisers verified in the manner proposed
| by the American Joint High Commission. The az
| gregate OF this amount is several millions Of dol
| lars. The United States ask the Tribunal OF Arl,-
tration to estimate the amount which ought 70 De
paid them for the transfer of American marine to
the British flag in CONSCIENCE of the acts OF rebel
| cruisers.
| the House OF Commons of the great damage which
| the United States were suffering in this respect
| He said You have been carrying or hOstu ties
from these shores against the people OF the nlted
/ Stltes and have been inficting an amount of dam
| age on that country greater than would pc pro
duced by many ordinary wars IL Is estiInalea INA,
| the loss sustained by the capture and burning OF
American vessels has been about S15,OUO,OOO or
nearly e. 900 sterling But that is small part
OF the injury which has been 1nfilcted upon @ tne
| American marine. We have rendered most OF her
vast mercantile property for the present yalueless
Under the system of free trade by which the COM
nierce Of the world Is now so largely carried on,
IL You raise the rate of insurance on the nag OF any
maritime power. you throw its trade into the hands
Of its competitors because 1t is no longer
for merchants or manufacturers to employ ships
to carry freights when those vessels become liable
for war risks. have here one or two facts which
should like to Law before the honorable and learn
| ed gentleman, in order to show the way in which
| this has been operating. When he has heard
them, he will see what cruel satire IT IL to say
/ our laws have been found sufficient TO enforce
of the foreign trade of New York for the
quarter ending June 30. 1860. and also for
the quarter ending June So 1853, which
| is the last date to which a comparison is
made / find that the total amount OF the Tor,
eign trade of New York for the aforementioned
psriod was s9s, plOOOO of which s62 100000 were
| carried in American bottoms. and $30,OOOO0O IN
foreign. This state of things rapidly changed az
the continued for II appears that Tor inc guar %
ter ending June -. 1853. the total amount OF the
| foreign trade Of New York was Sss-OO1Oo OF
which amount sss OOl 600 were carried by American
J and in foreign. the C0AuSe
brought about being that while IN looO two-thlFes
! of the commerce of New York was carried on IN
| American bottoms, in 1868 three-fourths was car
Jed ON in FOREIGN bottoms You see, therefore,
what complete revolution must nave taken place
in the value of American shipping and what mas
| heen the cousequence-that very large transfer
| has been made of American shipping to English
owners because propretors no longer found II pro-
itable to carry on their business document has
been laid on the table which gives us some impor-
tant information on this subject. refer TO an ac-
count of the number and tonnage of the United
States vessels which have been registered in the
United Kingdom and in parts of British America
between the years 1858 and 1853, both inclusive 1t
shows that the transfer of United States shipping
to English capitalists in each of the years COM
prised in that period was as follows: In 1888, YES
sells. 80; tonnage, 6si; in 1889, yesseis 49, ton
nsge 21 sos: in 1860. vessels. AZ tonnage, 13 6S;
IN 1861. vessels. 125; tonnage, 1l.63 in 1862 yes
sells 1876; tonnage, 6i.51S; in 1863. vessels, 3iS;
tonnage 252, ,573 A foot-note here shows that, in
mage Of saO5 tons am told thai This operation
to be a most serious aspect of the question Of ouI
relations with America / care very little about
what newspapers may write. or orators may utter
on one side or the other We may balance of al
inflammatory speech from an honorable member
against a similar speech made in Congress in Wash
ington We may pair OF leading article publish
ed in New York against one published in London
But little consequence, suspect would be attached
to either. The two countries, l hope, would dis
count these incendiary paragraphs at their prope
value. Bat what do fear for the relations between
these two nations of the race, is the heapinI
up of gigantic material grievance such as we ar
now accommodating by transactions connected will
these cruisers. because there is a vast amount o
suffering, personal wrong and personal rancor aris