Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-24

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The DhttinVtV b"~ "yD. A"e nibt0ry
AZ thc famous French spoIiatisn claims
has been many times written. No less
thsn forty favorable reports have been
Al one time or another made 10 the
houses Of Congress Recommending the
psyment Of the claims. Twice have
bills providing for the payment Of the
claims passed both houses, the first
Of which was vetoed BY President
Polk and the second by President
Pierce. The Legislatures OF the thir-
teen original States have at various
times passed resolutions requesting
their senators and members to urge ia
yorab.e action in behalf OF the claim
ants. and there has rot been q session
Of Congress for eighty years that petit
tons on the subject have not been pre-
sented to the two houses. The NEST
interesting and exhaustive report in
reference to these claims was that made
in 1879 by the late Charles Sumner,
then chairman Of the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations. copious extracts
from which were widely published in
the spress of the country. Public Gu
riosity is again much aroused concern
ing these claims by reason Of the recent
act Of Congress, approved by President
Arthur, referring certain classes Of
them to the Court Of Claims. 1t does
not seem necessary TO again recapitu-
late the story which has been SO often
told, yet brief summary, which may
be conciyely given in few words-.wiii
not be without interest. in the dark
est days of the Revolution, when, as
Washington said, unless some great
change took place, the army must
either starye, dissolve, or dispense, the
struggling and feeble colonies were
electrified by the proclamation OF
a treaty with France negoti-
atcd by Benjamin Franklin, In
this treaty France guaranteed to
the United States their liber-
ty, sovereignty, and independence,
absolute and Unlimited and in
return the United States guaranteed to
France the "present possessions Of the
crown Of France in America, as well as
those which it may acquire by future
treaty Of peace -; and it was further
stipulated that in case Of rupture be-
tween France and England the reciprocal
guarantee shall have full force and effect
the moment such war shall break out"
France carried out her agreement with
us at cost claimed by her to reach
$3.50, 900, 900. besides the sacrifice Of
lives. Nearly generation later,
when all monarchial Europe was
combined against France, she charged
that this Government failed to
perform the guarantee in the treaty.
and as TO this there seems to be
no dispute. 1t was then that France
retaliated for what she declared to he
gross ingratitude and breach Of faith
on the part Of the United States by the
capture and destruction Of American
ships and the confiscation of their car
goes. The claims Of our citizens for
the destruction and appropriation Of
their property were admitted to be
just by France, the Government Of
which, however, presented a counter
claim for the failure of the United
States to stand by its treaty Stipulations.
The United States Government conceded
this. and foreseeing that the perpetual
guarantee claim in the Franklin treaty
would expose us in all time to the re-
newal Of the claims Of France, nego-
tiated new treaty, by which France
gave release from her counter claims
and from the guarantee contained in the
treaty Of alliance, and in consideration
thereOfthe United States relieved France
from liability for the individual claims
preferred by our citizens, and. as under
stood, assumed the liability therefor it.
self. As said in one Of the reports
made TO Congress, it was high price
to pay. but the value of the purchase
amply justified it," Now, after nearly
a century, when all the original claim
ants are long since dead and
forgotten, some leaving no heirs or
assigns. and the heirs and assigns of
many Of the others scattered to the four
quarters of the globe, Congress has at
last passed an act for their relief, but Of
so guarded aud qualified character
that If there is any substantial realiZa-
ton it is not likely to reach beyond a
proportion only of those interested. The
act, which wa. approved on January
Goth last, was published in full at that
time. but as inquiries are daily re-
ceiyed here inquiriHg as to its provisions
the salient points will be once more
stated. Claimants are allowed two
years from the passage OF the
ACT in which to present their
petitions to the Court OF Claims.
and after the expiration of that
period are forever barred. All claims
are expressly excluded except those
arising out Of illegal captures, deten-
tons. seizures. COMBINATIONS. and
confScatiOns prior to the ratification Of
the treaty with France concluded Sep
TENDER 30. 1900. On the first Monday
in December in each year the Court of
Claims is required to report to Con-
gresS the progress which it has made in
the cases before it and its conclusions:
but its Judgment is not made binding
on Congress, which expressly reserves
that nothing in the act "shall be con-
strued as committing the United States
TO the payment of any such claims
RUFFTA IN UNJFORB