The record-union., 1895-11-26
ambassador PaunCefOte'S Correspondence
With the Foreign Office
RESPECTING THE CLAIMS MADE
BY GREAT BRITAIN.
His Reioinder to the Argument OF
Senator Morgan of Alabama Against
the PAYMENT of Four Hundred ana
Txvantv-five Thousand Dollars the
Most Interesting Feature OF the
Correspondence.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-The full
CORRESPONDENCE between Sir Jullan
Pauncefote, British Embassador 10 the
United States. and the Foreign once
covering the period from May 5, 1854, TO
August 81. 1895, respecting the CLAIMS
in connection with the Behring sea
seizures. was received by the State
Department to-day. An abstract OF II
was cabled by the United Press from
London a week ago. But many Inter
esting points remain to be covered
1t would appear from Sir JuIlah us
patch to Lord Kimberly on the @olh u
February last that the adverse maJorlly
in the House of Representatives against
= settlement of the claim for S49O,UUO
was "a surprise, as well as grave dls-
appointment" to him. Strong party
feelings he continues, would seem 10
account for the rejection OF such an
equitable and just claim, and as your
lordship will have noticed from the IN
closures in my dispatch, statements
have been made in Congress winch are
entirely misleading, botE as TO the Id"
and the facts Of the case.
Sir Julian then reviews some OF these
statements. and concludes ms letter
with the declaration that they were
calculated to prejudice the minus OF
many members of Congress ana also TO
1urn public opinion against a settle
menr of the question, when was equlL-
able and advantageous to both partes.
The most interesting feature OF the
correspondence is the dispatcn written
under date of March 10th last TO Lofo
kimberlv in which Sir Julian makes d
T-aiAinnaT he aI&QnenI Ol
Senator Morgan of Alabama against
f1e navnent of the S425,0OO. His sum
mary of Senator MOrgans Objections
which Sir Julian says the Senator was
refused leave TO print IN the congress
sicnal Record as d part OF ms speech
and which We're communicated 20 the
press in the form OF MEMORANDUM
after the adjournment OF Congress-
covers the following points:
THAT the United States never agreed
to arbitrate the question OF thelf Ia
bility for damages, consentlng ohly TO
negotiate respecting them; that the
total amount claimed by Great Britain
vas $.i12 1869: that the items tor loss of
profitS should not be allowed; that the
excess proposed to be allowed by the
ing only S:'6 2S9 and thatSl6,oUO OF
that ten of the ships seized We're owned
bv citizens of the United states, ana
mat the amount claimed Dy bfitlSh
subjects, less speculative damages, was
onIv O924: that even this amount
was excessive, inasmuch as the per
sonaI claims should be deducted, leaV-
ing only $50, 2S9, and that 0l6,oUO OF
this sum is not allowable as charge
Tor the, seizure of the Henrietta, which
occurred under the modus YiNendl-
Replying to Senator Morgan's first
contention That the United States
never agreed to arbitrate the question
OF their liability for damages, etc, Slr
Julian observes that NO admission OF
liability became necessary from the
s7noment that the Paris tribunal, by Its
award, had rejected the legal preten-
sions of the United States to a special
property in the seals resorting to the
PribyIoff Islands. That decision at
orce proclaimed the illegality of the
seizures, and the liability Of the United
States to satisfy the claim. That was
the basis of the diplomatic negotiation
for the adjustment of the claims, and /
am at loss to conceive what othef
view could be taken without dlsputlng
the Paris award.
SIR Julian goes on to show that Sen
ator Morgan was mistaken in fixing the
total amount of the claims at SOL, 169
1t was he says, upwards OF SioO,VOO
Senator Morgan, he says, would allow
no COMPENSATION for loss or pfOHU OF
the fishery season, and quotes from the
Judgment of the tribunal IN the Geneva
arbitrat ton the well-known passage to
4he effect that no compensation can be
awarded under the head OF Prospect
i've Earnings" as they depend upon
future and uncertain contingencies,
but Senator Morgan omits to mention
that the tribunal did, in fact, take sucn
losses into consideration IN awarding
q gross sum by way OF indemnity, the
tribunal allowing a large item IN Heu
This * shown DX the eSLl-
males of damages contained IN protocoi
No. % of the Geneva arbitration, IN
which the decision to award the gross
eum of So. 100000 is recorded.
Continuing, Sir Julian says: But OF
all the unfounded objections which nave
been urged against the CLAIMS that
which seems to have made the greatest
ipnression upon the public mind IS the
etatarnent that most Of the vessels on
Lnbalf Of which the claims are made
we're owned by persons whom Senator
Morgan stigmatized in the Senate as
'recalcitrant and rascally Americans
Who hired themselves out to the BI1tlsh
Gag to rob the Government OF the
United States and TO violate It's laws
and dishonor the country
These .'vituperatiVe epithets, Slr
JnIian saws. are quite merited- Ihe
owner of a vessel may mortgage hef 10
an alien. but he does not thereby part
with his property in the Vessel. lie only
makes her a security for the loan
Sir InIian sarcastically inquiries why
The American citizen should be called
q s.,-aecal" What law has he violated
-, advancing this money, and in
What respect has the United States
C0xarnrneut been robbed" consider
ine II has no property in the fur seal,
oe was soiennly declared by the tri-
bunal Of Paris
The British flag and the law of ma
+;ops Sir Julian asserts, has been vio-
lated on the high seas, and ii appears
TO him that any inquiry into the sources
of the capital invested in the industry
n,,rsrled by the vessel at the time of the
seizure is admissible. Moreover, II
these vessels were owned by citizens Of
the United States they are liable 10
forfeiture to the British crown. and
the United States Government would
he hound to restore them or their value
to her majesty's Government for the
Durp0se Of such forfeiture.
re explains to Lord Kimberly that
Senator Morgan is Chairman OF the
senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
+ions, that he was one Of the two mem
hers reprcscnting the United States on
the tribunal. and chat IL is not surpris-
inc that his 6enunciations Of the ar
rangement should have prejudiced
Conprass and the public against it.
Narrower. he adds, the great pressure
If business. and the strong party feel
ING which marked the close or the ses-
sjon. rendered II impossible 10 obtain
= faiy and 6ispasSionate consideration
OF the ques. on
t1enent is TO be deplored," he con-