Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-04-25

what 1t would heV5 Deen his interest," TO
have me write, it does not seem to me
matter of great Importance. What actu-
ally was written, l have the pleasure of
presenting the committee in the
Peruvian and Chilean papers that were sent
to Congress. Only those papers were sent
| which seemed pertinent to the inquiry and
they have been already published; but these
two envelopes laying down two large official
envelopes ON the tablet contain everything
that passed between hurlbut and myself.
| My own dispatches, of which | have twenty
SIX or twenty-seven in number, sre given il
full but there are few of Hurlbuts which
are given by very full syllabus, so that the
| entire correspondence is here, and desire to
leave il with the committee, Everything
that ever passed between Hurlbut and myself
during his mission at Lima is included in
these two envelopes. wrote a note to the
State Department, and got these papers in
reply. They are merely as to such t-ifiirg
matters as letting Hurlhut know that he may
have his stationery il a certain way or that
he may go on the Alaska from Panama.
FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THE cooHET CLAIM.
Shipherd came AID stated to me that he was
TIE representative of a very important claim
against Peru, Known as the Cochet claim (of
watch at that tine | never had heard) l
did not know its name. AID l asked him how
Co3het W IS spelled. l had never heard the
word bstore in my life. He went on to state
that it WIS very important matter. He did
not state it as belonging to the Peruvian
Company. He said he was it's chief agent !;
that Senator Blair was one of his active coun-
sci that Senator Boutwell,, whose opinion he
had in his pocket, and which he offered TO
show me, was one of his active counsel; that
ex-senator Eaton, of Connecticut, and ex
Senator Conkliog, of New York, were of his
counsel that Scott Lord was one of his
counsel and / also think he mentioned the
name of Mr.. Robertson as one of his counsel.
He certainly did mention the name of ex-
Senator Cragin Of New Hampshire.
Mr.. Kasson-Was that at the first inter.
view?
SHEPHERDS BACKING.
Blainc-The first l thought it was very
formidable array Of counsel. He stated that
the men who stood behind the claim as the
owners were the strongest financial men in
| New York, and he specified several Of them
by name. He specified Z. d. Morgan, Selig-
man & Co., and, [ think, August Belmont.
He mentioned a dozen names, and made
great display Of strength, both as to COUNSEL
for the claim and es to the ownership of it.
l mention this en- PEASANT. | have been
somewhat criticised for not sending Shipherd
out Of my house On the first occasion he came
there, but | will say to the committee that
gentleman who comes to me introduced by
United States Senator, having three United
States ex Senators for counsel, an ex-
Secretary of the Treasury for counsel,
and August Belmont, L. D. Morgan and
SeligInsn for copartners. is not man whom
you would generally kick cut of your house
at the very first sight of him. Laughter. ]
And so beg to bs excused for rot perform.
ing duty which, three or four months after
wards, practically did On further informa.
ton. He went on and told me of this claim.
He spoke of its vastness its value, its strength
and its integrity. I said to him, " Mr.. Ship
herd, in all your disclose of the claim. Of
which l know nothing, you make out ne case
for the intervention of this Government" ;"
We argued on this point for some time.
said: "Your case comes to ne.
ductio dd abSurdlm Ii you think
that you Can take the claim of Peruvian
citizen and secure the intervention of the
United States Government by se!lirg por-
tions of it to American citizens. then you
could go over to England aid sell portion
to English subjects. You could go to Ger
many ard sell portion to German subjects.
You could go to France and sell a portion TO
French citizsns-and thus you could get
England, Germany, France and the United
States all to intervene against Peru, and prob.
ably get her to do something" He said,
You do not understand this"
PROPERTY OR A CLAIM.
l told him 1 did not. He said, "The case
here is not claim at oil. Il is property.
What would you say if an American citizen
owned block of stores 10 Lima, or great
plantation or hacienda that he had bsen cult
ivating-owned it in fee-and that an attempt
were made to dispossess him of it? Would
not that make case for intervention ?" I
said, THAT would alter the case." II !
recollect his testimony, he broached a
little on this very idea; but he
does not give it in full. He said
that in the case which I present YOU, and he
read to me opinions of Evarts. One of them
he read and one of them he quoted. Evart's
opinion being as follows If Cochet was
the discoverec of guano, his discovery rested
in him title to one.third of all the guano in
Peru aud he may at his option claim one
third of each heap. or any ether equitable
ore-third of the total If Chile at
tempts to resist Cochet's demand for
his own, she does but make herself
INN lately AMI directly liable for the
whole debt as for tortuous detention"
He quoted still more strongly an opinion
which he afterwards brough5 to light in
letter from Cam ancho to Angola, but instead
of that letter being translated from Spanish
into English, venture to make az assertion
that it was Shepherds original composition,
and that it was translated into Spanish by
Camancho. said, 'If this be your case,
that you have actual ownership of property
in Peru, of course that would present DIFF
ferent case /; but do not creditit. This seems
to me TO be claim" He said, "Ask for
ieport upon il. Do that for me-"
| said, GA claim that has such respectable
counsel as you have, and so strong an array
| OF ownership as you have. certainly will
inquire into. | have no bjaction to do that.
That involves nothing, and commits the
Government to nothing" That was on the
26sh Of July. A day or two afterward 1
called the attention of Trescott (who was
then assisting in some matters of the Depart.
mant, especially as to South America) to it.
We had been before that talking about the
Landreau claim, with which L had been
familiar from its having been before
Congress, and I requested Trescott to prepare
dispatch to Hurlbut, and to include in the
inquiry to him for report on the status Of
the claim called the Cochet claim.
DIPLOMATIC DISPATCHES.
"Hurlbut," I said, "who knows every
thing 10 diplomacy in connection with these
South American countries will know abou.
the Cochst claim" and Trescott, under ray
direction, wrote a dispatch, and / have on
this sheet "a paper with printed extracts
pasted on it) every word that ever passed be-
tween the State Department and Hurlbut
about the Cachet claim. After the introduc.
tion, saying the matter had been submitted
TO the Department here | say in this dispatch
of the 4th Of August to Hurlbut
In reference to the Ccchet clam, there has been
! no information laid before the Department OF sut-
| hciently definite character to warrant specific n-
structiop and in the absence Of requisite data here
you will be left to take such steps as may seem ex
pedient in investigating the origin and character OF
the claim The primal point issue is whether any
| American citizen, association of citizens has ac
qnired interest in the claim in a IN amer cntitiug
him or them to the good offices of this Govern
ment IN making any representation to Peru as the
American holders OF the claim, or their ATTORNEYS
will be on the ground
lShipherd had said that at least two of his
counsel would Immediately proceed to Peru !
You will no doubt be placed in possession of all
the facts, but you will take no steps committing
your Government to use its good offices without first
| reporting 10 full to the Department for well cor
| sidered and definite instruction.
On the 14th of September Hurlbut re.
Piled:
Sir ! acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch
No. Z, dated August :, 1884, in relation to certain
| alleged claims upon the Government OF Peru As
to tue Cochet claim, the Legation has nothing but
| vague and sweeping statements, better adapted to
creating commercial enterprise than to any judicial
| or quasi action. have been favored with two very
1AA