Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-30
THE MEXICAN COMMISSION.
Suspension of its SeSsi0nS-A Rather
Involved and Delicate Interna-
tiOual Squabble.
Three Hundred and Sixty-Six Cases laid
by to a more Convenient Season.

WAsHINGTON, July 2S.-iSince the adj
vent of the new Mexican Commissioner
ia the Joint Commission of the United
States and Mexico, grave differences
have arisen between him and his Amer
lean colleague relative to the present
status and future disposition of a large
class of claims against the United States.
The following is a succinct statement of
these differences:
The Mexican Government laid before
the Commission three hundred and six
ty-six individual claims against the
United States, for about two million
dollars, and known as Indian depreda-
ton claims. These cases were argued
by both governments before the Board
of Commissioners, ,andsubmitted to them
for their award. The Commission diff
fered, and on the eighth of May last, by
an order on their records, referred their
disagreement to an umpire for his de-
cision, directing the Mexican Secretary
to deliver to him the papers. In the
meantime the Mexican Government
appointed a new Commissioner rice the
old one, resigned. He took his seat
June oath, and finding that the Mexi-
can Secretary had not executed the or
der in reference to the umpire, he vol
unteered to his colleague to examine the
case to see if he could not agree with
him in opinion, and thus have no neces-
sity for the execution of the order of ref
erenee to anumpire, but then Mexican
Commissioner reached the conclusion
that neither the Board of Commissioners
nor their umpire had any authority to
decide for or against the claims, but
that they should be suspended, ard the
two governments advised that they
could only be settled by new treaty,
and that until they were thus settled,
they should be held up and kept intact,
at the same time announcing his firm
resolution to take that course with
them. His colleague, the American
Commissioner, not being able to agree
with part of his views, required the
execution of the order of May 50th, and
the delivery of the cases to the umpire.
The Mexico Commissioner explicitly re-
fused to allow it to be done. His col
league then proposed to refer their diff
ference as to his right to rescind
the orier Of the Board for any
reason, and to suspend the cases
to the umpire. He rejected this.
Finally the American Commissioner
announced that he would treat this
overthrow of the authority of the Board
and of the umpire, and this suspension
of the cases, as a forced interruption of
the labors Of the Commission, until two
friendly governments should remove
the difficulty, and at once refer the ques-
tions raised to the two governments.
The convention requires every case laid
before the commission to be decided by
the first Of February next, and unless
this is done nothing is done. the sus-
pension of three hundred and sixty-six
eases, with no right to decide them, is
therefore a complete overthrow of the
convention, and breaks the treaty, un-
less the two governments provide a rem
edy. So the American Commissioner
views the matter pending a solution of
the difficulty through diplomatic cham
nels. The sessions of the Board are sus-
pended.