American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-18
A Little Joint High Commission.

The United States and Spanish govern
mentS have Just entered into an agree
mcnt for Jointly taking testimony in
Cuba to be used by the commission hold
ing its sessions in Washington for the adj
judicatiOn of the claims of American ci.i-
zens, growing out of the present insur-
rection of the island. These claims are
mostly based on the confiscation or de-
structiOn by the Spanish authorities of
property in Cuba belonging to American
citizens treated as insurgents by said
authorities. Others of our citizens, flee
ing from the island in consequence of
threats or fears of personal Outrages. as
traitors to Spain or sympathizers with the
insurgents, and. leaving their property
unprotected, have suffered losses tor
which they seek naturalization. Others.
in being expelled from the island claim
reparatiOn for their resulting losses. and so
on through all the notifications of out
RACES to which citizens of this country
lately or still residing in Cuba have been
subjected during the four years of this
tenacious Cuban Instruction. Some
claims, we understand, have been put in
for the losses of slaves but as ''neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude'' is re-
cOgniZed as within the pale of law in the
United States we presume that all such
claims will be thrown out of Court. The
President in his late annual Message sug-
by Congress calculated to discourage citi-
zens of the United States residing in Cuba
from dabbling in slavery or the slave trade.
This Joint High Commission to take
testimony in Cuba on all these American
claims will have a tedious task before it,
though we suppose the claimants them
selves will cheerfally assist in the work
In any event, while we have little fear that
any just claims will be overlooked. we
think it quite likely that some spurious
cases will be worked up unless proper
precautions are taken against them. 1t
will be remembered that the Mexican
Claims Commission at Washington ION
c aims of our citizens growing out of our
war with MeXicO) passed the notorious
Gardner claim for losses in silver mine
near San Luis POtOsi to the extent of over
half million of dollars, and the equally
notorious Metres claim for losses i'm a
quicksilver mine to the figure of one hun
dred and fifty-three thousand dollars, and
that after these awards had been paid by
the Treasury in gold it was discovered,
by commission sent out for the eXamin-
alton, that there were no such mines in
Mexico as those OF Gardner and Metres,
and that all their official ledSers, day
books and vouchers of all sorts were for
geries. The suicide of Gardner in the
Washington City Hall on his conviction
of the fraud was the end of his case.
heHes. d sIIcWueT TOSu". from Ills secure
retreat in Mexico, impudently informed
''Uncle Sam" that, having discovered that
the aforesaid quicksilver mine was fraud
he had better pocket his loss as there was
no help for it. Now this joint commits
sion of inquiry in Cuba, in visiting the
plantations upon which some of these
American Cuban claims are located. will
act iudiciously, for otherwise there may
be some serious mistakes committed.-N.
Y. Herald