The New York herald., 1873-08-05
w "A S II T NJ G TO N
WASHINGTON, August 4, 1873.
Trouble In Fish-Aneged Fraud Under
the WashinRQOn Treaty.

WASHINGTON, August a, 1879.
Trouble I'm Fish-Aneged Fraud Under
the Washington Treaty.
The following despatch was received at the
State Department a few days ago, q copy of which
has been transmitted to the Treasury Depart
ment:-
'COnsul MaOy, at st. Johns N. f., statea
that he has good reason to believe that
parties at that port have shipped and
are about shipping to Halifax, per Allen line Of
steamers, cod fsn and other products of the
province OF Newfoundland with the intention of
reshipping the same to the United States as the
products OF Canada, thus evadlng the duties under
the Washington Treaty. have to request that you
will please issue the proper order to your sub
ordnates to prevent the perpetration OF such fraud
on the revenue"
Instructions have, in accordance with the re-
quest OF the State Department. been issued to the
Collectors OF the ports OF New York, Boston, East
port, Portsmouth, Providence, Gloucester, New
Bedford, Portland and NewburypOrt. The pro-
vncial government Of Newfoundland disclaim the
authority OF the State Department at Washington
to pass upon the language Of tue Treaty OF Washing
ton. BY them it is claimed, by artiele 81
OF that treaty. that Newfoundland is included under
article IS OF the treaty, and as Newfoundland
has in every way conformed to the require
granted to the DOMINION. 1t Is the inte ntiOn
therefore OF the parties to enter the products Of
Newfoundland in the United States under protest.
appealing to the supreme Court Of tile United
States as the only authority to interpret treaty,
believing that the Congressional act OF March 3,
under which the State Department interdicted
Newfoundland, Is unconstitutional.
The Southern Claims Commission.
All the claims presented to the Southern Claims
Commission, sitting at Washington under the act
OF March 3, 1871 have now been numbered and req.
stered, and their number Is found to be 90 1885, and
their aggregate amount is claimed to be something
excess OF hfty-six millions or dollars. In their
last report to Congress the commissioners esti-
mated the total number OF claims to be filed
under the act at $4,000, and the amount
to be claimed at $5O,OOo,OOO in round
numbers. The extraordinary exertions of the
claim agents. however, when they 1ound that
the time Tor fling claims was not likely to be cx-
tended Tor the present beyond the two years
originally fixed by Congress- resulted IN corsid-
cradle addition to the estimated number and
amount OF the claims to be filed. No less than
127s claims, representing, according to clamants'
figures, considerably more than three million dol
lars. were fed under date OF March D.
the last day allowed by law Tor the presentation
OF Claims. Many more were shut out rom pres
termination OF the right to present them and there
are believed to be several thousand persons yet In
the late insurrectionary States who, despite the
exertlons OF the government agents and the at
torneys have not even heard OF the act OF Congress
passed ior the benefit OF such OF them as were noe
adherents OF the cOnlederacy. Claims are pre-
sented daily TO the Quartermaster General
and Commissary General by residents of
the better informed loyal States, who
have but just learned that Congress passed
special act nearly ten years ago to pay for prop
erty taken for army use In States not in rebellion.
General Megs, the Quartermaster General, will not
recommend statute OF limitations icr claims CON-
ing before him, as in the case OF claims before the
Loyal Claims Commission, and the Commissary
General believes, from his daily experience that
such statute whenever passed, would be certain
to exclude some mertorious claims against the
government rom just settlement, and that in the
case OF the Southern claims Congress must
either extend the time for fling them before the
Commissioners or submit to the alternative OF re.
celving and considering them singy, under the
constitutional right of petition, all the ex-
cuded claimants have already signihed their In
tention OF prosecuting their claims directly before
the Claims Committee Of the two branches OF Con-
gress. Under the settlement so far made by the
about million two hundred
thousand dollars have been distributed among
some fourteen hundred claimants, scattered all
over the eleven insurrectionary States, the
awards, except in a comparatively small number
Of cases. being for a few hundred dollars EACH At
the coming session OF Congress they expect to
award about one million dollars, to be similarly
and win then have disposed
Of about twenty-fo per cent OF the numuer OF
claims filed and twenty per cent of the amount
claimed. Now that all the claims ore before them
hat, ko nfnd
Congress- the Commissioners have had prepared
and have in press full digest OF the claims. giy
ing by states and counties the names of claimants
Ind the amounts claimed, accompanied by the ex
statement that the names are those of
citizens OF the southern States who have within
the past two years, declared themselves
10 have been devoted adherents to the Uniou
throughout the late war, and the amounts and
values set by claimants upon the supplies contrib
lted, voluntarily or otherwise, for the use OF tho
Union forces operating In the South, but not the
iamaRe loss and destruction OF real and personal
property suffered through the casualties OF war
'r the unauthorized spollation and depredations
'i the troops and camp followers. This list Of
'aims and claimants has been prepared chiefly
o meet the applications of former oflcers and
oldiers OF the Union army curious to know who
lmong their Southern acquaintances OF the war arc
low claiming TO have been both loyal and opulent
en- or twelve years ago. But the Commissioners,
or the sake OF the Information to be obtained
intend to send the pamphlet free OF charge to all
Fho apply In person or by letter.
Honors TO n state Department Clerk.
A meeting OF the officers and clerks of the State
department. was held to-day, at which resolutions
I respect and honor to the memory OF the late
hief Clerk Chew were adopted. flag on the
tat Department building will be haltmasted
urlng the funeral tomorrow.