The New York herald., 1872-11-30
UECLE SANS CREDITORS.
The Long-Pending French Spoliation Clsims
Being Pushed to Settlement-How They
0riginatsd-Five Millions Suggested
as Reasonable Payment

For the past seventy years there has constantly
cropped out in Congress and the public journals.
though at uncertain intervals OF time, ana in Q
Feeble, languid sort OF way, discussions and sug.
gestions about what are known as the French spo-
liati0n claims. Indeed, were all that has been
written about them to be collected 1t would prob.
ably I'LL the shelves OF the Congressional Library at
Washington, while the legislative breath expended
upon their explanation In committee rooms and in
the hal Of national debate would raise
gale that would sink all the navies OF the uni.
verse. But, at last. IL seems that something 10
really going to be done TO make an end OF them.
Senator Sumner, while Chairman of the COMMITTEES
on Foreign Affairs,
CONVERTED HIS COLLEAGUES
to recognition OF their JUSTICE and o favorable
report was therefore made upon them to C0n-
gress, for the twentieth thirteth time, by the
way. This report gave birth to bill for tho
relief OF the claimants, which bill will come to
first reading early in December And this time.
warned by previous experience, the claimants are
going to provide for the proper protection and
representation Of their rights. They hold meet.
ing tomorrow at the store OF the Messrs. Grsw0ld.
In South street. and 1t is likely that they may de-
termine upon engaging the services OF some dis
tinguished lawyer to 60 to the Capitol and adv0-
cate their cause.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CLAIMS
dates back to the early days OF the Republic, but 10
thoroughly clear from the recorded history Of thae
time. After our own Revolution had successfully
| ended In the independence Of the American people
| a treaty was made between the United States and
France, providing that in gratitude for the aid re-
ceived from the French In the struggle with Great
Britain, our government should, at any time In
the future when q war broke out between
France and the British Lion take sides In behalf Of
the former friendly Power, Not very long subse-
quently occurred the great French Revolution and
the crusade OF England ana most OF the other
monarchical Powers OF Europe against the Jacobn
Republic. In that struggle the United States
found 1t
IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE
the terms OF the treaty made few years pre-.
viously, and, provoked by some 0utrages commit
ted by French prlvateers on American craft, IT,
sued proclamation Of neutrality and entered int
new treaty obligations with England. In the en-
1t proved that American vessels were thencef0
ward plundered and destroyed by both French On
English privateers, and our commerce suffered 4
the moment very disastrous blow No less thsa
fifteen hundred vessels flying the Stars and STRIPE
were burned or appropriated BY one side or Il
other between January, 1892, and July, 1901 ~
soon as the War had closed the United States GO
ernment
CLAIMED DAMAGES
from France and England for these unjustinab
injuries; and by England, as IN the recent Al
bama claims, the amounts demanded were, for Il
most part, though with exceeding reluctance, +
lowed and paid. Altogether, Great Britain thu
paid an indemnity OF $I,oOo,doo which pretty w +
satisfied the merchants who had suffered by
prvateers for their direct losses. Such claimant
however, as had had the i0rtunc to be injuredl
the rsaG a d,y hsye hitherto gotw nStig The
having been sent TO France, were formally acknOw
edged by that Power. There was hitch, how.
ever, IN their being paid, inasmnch as Ia the hr
place tile Frencn government was SO
UTTERLY BANKRUPT
that IL could not a1Grd the money TO do so, and,
the second, 1t had preferred long list of cJunte
damages due to 1t by the United states for the no
observance 5y the latter oi the treaty OF ALLAN
having been made ,orcvern still continued In u
abated force. An immense amount OF diplomat
the Secretaries OF state OF these two great nations
ior several years, and ut last an arrangement was
come tO--a very simple and obvious One-by set
ting one claim OF against the other and
CALLING THE THING "sQUARE,n
This saved the United States an immense amount
OF trouble, but was scarcely very satisfactory to
the persons who had suffered fiom the French
spoations. These gentlemen urged and with up.
parent justice, that they we're as clearly entitled
TO payment Us tneir Fellow citizens who had been
injured by England and had already been paid by
tuat Power, and they GAINED further that the
United states, having thus lor national advan-
taLe bartered away the rights Of individual citzcus
had assumed the responsibility to the latter for
| their
But rom that time to the present not one cent has
ever Deeu given ny Tue lcucTdt government 20 Its
injured citizens. True there has been on several
occasions more or less formal recognition OF the
justice ol their demands, but this has never gone
| beyond fine but empty words and phrases.
The original list OF claimants in this matter was
o long one, comprising probably In all nearly .
thousand citizens, between two and three hundred
OF whom were New Workers. All or these gentle
men are nov dead, and their claims are the prop.
crty Of probably iOur or FIVE thousand heirs, many
Of whom have been scattered all over the Union.
Tomorrow, however, a meeting OF all such as may
reside In New YO.k VIII be held at Messrs. Gris-
wolds Office, in South street. where for several
days petition has been lying for signatures pray.
ing Congress to listen to The dictates OF national
honor and eyen-handed justice.
The amount fairly involved In the claim was
originally stated at between twelve and fifteen
millions OF dollars, but IT is hardly likely that Con-
gress would at tns late day grant so large CLAIM.
some years ago 1t was proposed that five millions
would be Iair Dasis OF settlement, and that this.
having been paid by the federal government, could
be handed over to the claimants themselves to bo
divided among them by board OF arbitration.
This would probably satisfy the claimants, and
sweep awaY from The national annals an inlustica