Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-17
NEW RAVENS INTEREST

l State-Over Seven Million Dollars l Nm All.
 Captain c. H. Townshend of this city, returned from Washington last evening where he had spent two or three days. He
 brings a copy of the bill which has passed
 both houses of Congress, providing for the
 presentation to proper tribunal of claims
 of American citizens for damages arising out
 of the French spoliations of American com
 merce prior to the 31st day of July, 1901.
 Captain Townshend while in Washington
 was looking after the interests of New
 Haven-s harbor improvement, and reports
 Congressman Mitchell very busy in the
 interests of his constituents, ably sup
 ported by Senator Platt and other members
 of the Connecticut delegation. Congress
 man Mitchell has forty fifty letters to
 write every day as part of his daily work. l Captain Townshend thinks the time is fast ! approaching when the United States govern ment will satisfy the claims above alluded to, which have been pending for so many years, long after the remains of the original l claimants have mouldered to dust. A copy of the bill is given below and will doubt l interest many New Haven families who are
 
 | the claimants The total amount of these ! claims is seven million two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, of which over one | hundred thousand dollars is represented in 1 this State and most of that sum in New Ha- 1 ven and it's immediate vicinity. The New ! Haven company representing the interests of ! these claimants has been kept up from year to year for long period. Mir. Henry L. Hotchkiss, president of L. Candee & Co.,, the | rubber manufacturers of this city, is presi- dent of the New Haven organization. For many years they have met and gone through the necessary forms to preserve the company's existence.
 The claimants say that now that the gov ernment is on the right tack in the matter they are willing to wait patiently for the performance of what they assert to be simple act of justice long deferred, the government having long since, when Louisiana was ceded to this country, re- ceived an equivalent for the spoliations com mitted and having never paid cent to the claimants whose ships and goods were lost and many of whom went down to their graves in poverty in consequence. The plot of the new novel, 'fThe Bassett Claim" writ ten by Henry R. Elliott, of Washington, D. O., formerly editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER is founded to some extent upon the struggles and misfortunes entailed by losses through the French spoliations upon one of the characters in the story, and his long wearing and fruitless attempts to get 1e- dress at Washington. In pamphlet of two hundred and seventy-five pages recently is | aH v COnCraSS h1Ack sage from the President of the United States, transmitting in response to Senate resolu- tion of February II, 1884, report of the Secretary of State re ative to the claims of citizens of the United States against France" is presented an alphabetical list of. claim ants on account of spoliations prior to July 1, 1S01," the New Haven claims among which are recorded as follows:
 s01 B @ sonn A aira Cant ered a n Rnc ls1s; 1so emSRt SeM HaKen Insurance eompanv der writers, account of John Morgan, schooner Betsy. Captain Francis Bulkley; Spain, 1879; amount
 1891; New Haven dns Insurance company. 21y. under Sally. Capt. A. Stow; France, 1s31 amount, 1 writers, hS account of Atwater & Hull cargo sIoop Catherine, Capt. Collins Huze Spain, 1919; amount |
 1900. New Haven Insurance Co, underwriters 1 account of H & ". Mansfield L. Kimberly, Sheldon
  brig Polly and doss Fanny and cargo IT & Captain Vim Me
 1798. New Haven Insurance Co.,, underwriters l account of Edward Danforth, Jeremiah Wadsworth l and & Jemes Burr HaTtfopd cargo brig Lucy Capt
 1900. New Haven Insurance O., underwriters, | S5 anS Gaeo seon % arT nd saJsS saaSo Captain James "ard France ''Si amount Spain France is designated that designa- | tion is explained follows: ''When the | papers are of record among the claims disal | lowed by either of the commissioners estab- | lished under CT in consequence of the conven- tions between the United States and France of April 30, 1903, or of July 4, 1881, or with Spain of February 22d, 1919, the fact is in dicated by the following: France, 1903; France, 1881; and Spain, 1819."
 The pamphlet referred to is believed to contain all the essential facts of record in the original papers relative to unsettled claims pre- served in this (the clains) department The list of vessels comprises one thousand two hundred and one names. One list given | comprises two thousand two hundred and seventy names, the names of persons cited. l such as shippers, part owners of vessels or cargoes, and underwriters; of the heirs ad- ministrators, executors, the agents, attorneys and assignees of the claimants, and of the of | fcers of the vessels, through the capture, condemnation and detention of which the claims arose. |
 Of the claims entered in the principal list, the amount of loss or of claim is stated in {, 2,611 cases, and in 337 cases it is not stated. In 3, ,560 cases it is expressed in the money of the United States, the total of the same be- ing $7 ,290, ,774. 3215. In three cases it is ex- pressed in English sterling, the total being 95, ,221, 11.3. In forty-seven cases it is ex- pressed in French denominations as follows: Francs, 4,261, ,96S 20; livres, 2,21O, ,263, ,OO.7; livres tournois, 129, ,262, 05.11; and in one case in 5,200 Dutch florins.
 THE RITJ |