The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-09-27
The Mixed Commission.

1t is matter for congratulation that the
only remaining subject of dispute between
this country and Great Britain has been def
ntely settled by the decisions Of the Mixed
Commission on British and American Claims
appointed Under the twelfth article of the
Treaty of Washington. The Commission
began its sessions at Newport On the .hird
day of last June, and brought its lab )rs to a
close Thursday morning, one day in advance
of the time fixed by the treaty. The duty Of
the Commission has been to hear and pass
upon all claims of citizens of the United
States against the government of Great Brit
ain, and Of the subjects of Great Britain
against the government OF the United States
on account OF acts committed by the govern
ment of either country against citizens or
subjects of the other, between the 18th of
April 1851 and the 9th of April 1865. The
Alabama and kindred claims were excluded,
having been adjusted at Geneva.
The labors of the Commission have been
onerous, the number of claims presented by
British subjects being Ats. and the number pre-
scented by American citizens being 10. Ample
ant to present and establish his cl ,im. Coun-
sci have been allowed the largest latitude in
the presentation of cases, and an immense
mass Of testimony has been taken from every
State and territory of the United States,
from Great Britain and its North American
provinces, from Mexico and Egypt.
The claims presented from Great Britain
have been various in character, including
damages arising from the capture, detention
and condemnation Of vessels as prizes during
the war, unlawful arrests of British subjects,
destruction of property by Federal aud Con-
federate troops, damages by the enactment
of the legal tender ac, and others of similar
character. They aggregate 95,OOO,OOO, in
Guiding interest. The award allows 119
claims, amounting to $1,959,S19, or about
two per cent of the amount claimed.
The claims presented by American citizens
include thirteen growing out of the st. Al
bans raid and the capture OF the Philo Par
sons on Lake Erie, damages by detention at
Calcutta. of vessels loaded with satpetre, by
expulsion from the Island of San Juan entail
ing the loss of a lime quarry, and by the APP
preparation Of an improvement in fire arms.
They aggregate $1,0OO,0O0. None of these
claims were allowed, as it did not appear that
the Government of Great Britain had not ex-
ercised due diligence to prevent incu sops
from her territory across the border, or that it
had been remiss in other instances specified.
The decision of the Commission is final and
nothing now remains to complete the trans
acton excapt the congressional appropriation,
which will undoubtedly be made at the next
session. II should be an occasion of reioic-
ing in both countries that the last of these
We ;ed questions has been decided, and thai
whatever the future rlay bring forth, the sast
can afford no plausible pretext for the disturb
ance of friendly relations or for the justiica-
ton of encroachments. The decision in this
last instance has been against US, but in con-
sideraton of the result in the Alabama claims,
in the fishing question, in the right 10 free
navigation of the St. Lawrence, and in th,
claim to San Juan, we can afford for once
to go to the wall The Commission has evil
IDENTITY been actuated by desire to do justice
to parties concerned as well as to promote
good feeling between the nations interested.