Evening star., 1915-02-07

Deen cast upon MormonS. In the Court
of Claims the claimant could not show
that the Indians were solely responsi-
bic. nor could she show that they were
at all responsible. Hence the Judgment
against her.
while the largest judgment ever en-
tered by the Court of Claims against
the government was in the sum of
So.Ooo,O00, arising out of Indian land
claims, by far the most interesting
litigation with which it has had to do
was IN what are known the French
spoliation cases. now about to be con-
cluded so far as the court is concerned
w hen the American colonies were
fighting for their liberty France came
to their assistance with troops and
money. This aid turned the scale in
favor of the colonies. In 1878. while the
war was in progress, the new confed-
Grated colonies. out of gratitude. en-
tered INTO Il treaty with France by
which they agreed to protect French
trade in American waters, to give it
certain advantages therein and further
to protect the title of France to her
possessions in the West Indies 1t was
a treaty which bound the colonies to
certain armed services to France in the
case OF a rupture between her and Eng
land.
hen. in February, .93. France and
England went to war, the United States
proclaimed neutrality. and practically
repudiated the earlier treaty. England
seized the French Wes: Indian colonies
without protest from America Eng
land also treated as belligerent all
American ships plying between France
and the West Indies. English naval
officers were instructed to regard
breadstuffs as contra band if bound for
France, even though owned by neu-
trails and in neutral ships.
France promptly retaliated. She
instructed her ships to capture and
condemn English merchandise on
American vessels. Provisions owned
by Americans en- route to England were
to be forfeited as contra band. Still
more rigorous action followed. Our
ships were confiscated for carrying
English goods, though not contraband
Both France and England were trying
to starve each other out, and the Unit
ed States suffered at the hands of each.
LAS result we were on the verge of
war with each. Particularly did our
people feel aggrieved against France.
for she had seized some 5000 of our
ships. but France had many counter
charges against US, arising out of the
violation of the treaty of ITS.
Finally, in 1900, when Napoleon be-
came first consul, France, which had
been fouting this new nation in every
way, adopted conciliatory attitude.
and Napoleon brought about a settle
ment. treaty was negotiated by
which France abandoned her claims
against this country in. exchange for
this country's abandoning the claims
of its citizens against France for the
seizure of their 5000 vessels. OF course.
matter of law and justice. this ma
tion had no right so to forfeit the
legitimate claims of it's citizens, but it
did SO, nevertheless.
After many years of agitation. Con-
gress, as a preliminary step to rlshting
the wrong, in 1885 conferred Jurisdic-
ton on the Court of Claims to hear and
report to Congress its findings and con-
clusions in the claims arising out of
the seizure of ships and cargoes by
France prior to the Napoleonic treaty
of 1900.
Under this act there have been o,569
principal petitions filed in the court re
latine to 309 vessels. There have been