Each government shall pay the salaries of its own commissioners. All other expenses. and the contingent expenses of the commission, including the salary of the secretary, shall be defrayed in moieties by the two parties. ARTICLE XII. The present convention shall be ratified by her Britannic Majesty and by the Presi dent of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at London as soon as may be, within twelve months from the date hereof. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto their respective seals. Done at London the tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight. [SEAL.] [SEAL.] STANLEY. Claims protocol not received. Convention must sit in Washington. We thought this understood-absolutely essential under circumstances. Get this, and all will be right. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. REVERDY JOHNSON, Esq., &c., &c., &c. Mr. Johnson to Mr. Seward. [Telegram per cable.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, November 12, 1868. Will try Washington. Best for Alabama claims. All proof here. If umpire European, Washington would much delay settlement. Did not understand you wished Washington. Your 375 to Adams says not of sufficient importance to insist on. Stanley not here. Can do nothing without him. Convention, yesterday's mail. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. REVERDY JOHNSON. Mr. Seward to Mr. Johnson. [Telegram per cable.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Insist, in view of highly disturbed national sensibilities, Washington Washington, November 12, 1868. is indispensable. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. REVERDY JOHNSON, Esq., &c., &c., &c. No. 53.] Mr. Johnson to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: As you will have seen before this reaches you, your cable cipher dispatch of the 11th instant was duly received. The one of the next day was also duly received. Lord Stanley will not be in London before Wednesday or Thursday next, and until then I shall not be able to inform you whether Washington will be substituted for London as the place for the meeting of the claims commission. As stated in my cipher dispatch to you of the 12th instant, I agreed to London as the place for two reasons: first, because what are known as the Alabama claims against this government, involve a much larger amount than all the other claims of our citizens, and the evidence in support of them, as well as any other that may be called for by the commissioners or the umpire, is in England; and, second, because I suppose it to be almost certain that the umpire in relation to these claims will be the head of a European state, to whom the claimants and the agent of our government could have much more speedy access than if the commission was in Washington; and I cannot help thinking that the proposed change, if effected, will operate to their injury, or at least to their inconvenience. If, however, I had been instructed to insist upon Washington as the place of meeting, or had understood that such was the wish of yourself and the President, I should have insisted upon it. But I was not so instructed nor did I so understand. Your original instructions to me of the 20th of July, 1868, are altogether silent upon the point, as are also everything which you have forwarded to me since, prior to your cipher dispatch of the 11th instant; and, before signing the convention, I referred to your dispatch No. 375, of 21st October, 1862, to Mr. Adams, in which I found that although the evidence on which the then "British claims," or the most of them, rested, was said by you to be in the United States, a suggestion doubtless made with a view to induce this government to agree to Washington as a place for the meeting of the commission you then desired. You informed Mr. Adams that, if it was strenuously objected to by this government, it was "a matter not of sufficient importance to be insisted upon." Although I cannot say that Lord Stanley strenuously objected to the change-and I hope he will not now-yet he urged me to agree to London as the place best suited for the interest of all claimants, British and American, and as being much more convenient and less expensive. I thought this view was the correct one, and acted upon that impression. Under these circumstances I hoped that the President and yourself will not think that I committed any great mistake. It may be true that at home there exists "a highly disturbed national sensibility," which for a moment would influence the public judgment upon the subject, yet I have such confidence in the good sense of our people as to believe that when all the facts are known and the reasons which have governed me are disclosed, that judgment would be satisfied with what I have done. But, however this might be, I will now do whatever I may be able to get Washington instead of London made the place for the meeting of the commission, and will, at the earliest moment, advise you of the result. I have the honor to remain, with high regard, your obedient servant. REVERDY JOHNSON. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Mr. Johnson to Mr. Seward. [Telegram per cable.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, REVERDY JOHNSON. Have reason to believe Washington will be agreed to. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. No. 61.J Mr. Johnson to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Lord Stanley and myself have signed to-day a supplement to the claims convention, which makes two changes in the original. The first is that Washington is to be the place of meeting of the commission instead of London; and the second, rendered necessary by that change, is that the secretary of the commission is to be chosen by our Secretary of State and the British minister at Washington. I am glad to say that Lord Stanley very readily assented to these alterations, and that he has from the first evinced an earnest desire to settle upon terms entirely satisfactory to the United States every disputed matter, while scrupulously guarding what he believed to be the rights and honor of his own country; and I am equally glad to say that this is in accordance with the manifest sentiment of the people of all classes, and especially of the statesmen who, if there be a change in the administration here, will be called to the government. I have the honor to remain, with high regard, your obedient servant, REVERDY JOHNSON. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. ADDITIONAL ARTICLE. Whereas by article I of the convention between her Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, signed at London on the 10th day of November, 1868, for the settlement of all outstanding claims, it was agreed that the commission thereby stipulated to be appointed for the investigation and decision of such claims should meet at London; and whereas it has since appeared desirable that the place of meeting of the said commission should be Washington, the plenipotentiaries who signed that convention, having met together, have agreed to substitute Washington for London as the place for the meeting and sitting of the commission aforesaid. They have further agreed that the secretary of the commission shall be appointed by the representative of Great Britain at Washington and by the Secretary of State of the United States, jointly, instead of in the manner provided by article XI of the convention. The present additional article shall have the same force and effect as if it had been inserted, word for word, in the convention of the 10th of November, 1868. It shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at the same time as those of the convention. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto their respective seals. Done at London the 23d day of November, in the year of our Lord 1868. [SEAL.] [SEAL.] STANLEY. Can San Juan protocol be made a convention? Thought advisable. Answer. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. REVERDY JOHNSON. Mr. Johnson to Mr. Seward. [Telegram per cable.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Can San Juan protocol be changed to convention? Asked Monday; not answered. Auswer. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. REVERDY JOHNSON. Mr. Seward to Mr. Johnson. [Telegram per cable.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Let San Juan rest. Claims convention unless amended is useless. Wait for dispatches Friday or Saturday. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. REVERDY JOHNSON, Esq., &c., &c., &c.: Mr. Seward to Mr. Johnson. [Telegram per cable.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 27, 1868. The following amendments referring to British printed copy are essen tial in the claims treaty: Article I, line 20, insert after President, "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate." Same article I, second paragraph, strike out "London" and insert "Washington." Same article I, third page, strike out, "save as otherwise provided in article IV of this convention." Article II. Strike out the last paragraph entire. Article IV. Strike out all after word "claims" in fourth line, or, if preferred, cancel the whole of article IV. Article V. If article IV is amended and retained as above proposed, article V may then stand without amendment. If article IV is canceled entirely, then amend article V, line 2, by striking out the words, “mentioned in the next preceding article." Article VI. Either cancel the whole article, or substitute the following therefor: "In case of every claim, the official correspondence which has taken place between the two governments respecting the questions at issue shall be laid before the commissioners, and, in the event of their not coming to a decision thereupon, then before the arbitrator. Either government may also submit further evidence and further argument thereupon, written or verbal." Article IX. Strike out "12" and insert "18." Article XI, second paragraph, strike out all after the word "the" and insert "representative of her Britannic Majesty at Washington and the Secretary of State of the United States, jointly." If these amendments be not accepted, let San Juan remain in protocol. If they are accepted, sign the claims convention as amended, and convert San Juan protocol into convention and sign the same. Full explanations go by post, but time is important. REVERDY JOHNSON, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Johnson. No. 47.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 27, 1868. SIR: I have received your dispatch of the 10th of November, No. 49, which is accompanied by a convention which you signed with Lord Stanley at London on the 10th instant, for the settlement of all outstanding claims. Your dispatch gives your reasons for assenting to the convention, and especially to some of its provisions. Having submitted these papers to the President, I am now to give you his directions concerning the matters thereby presented. In order to do this with greater perspicuity, I shall take notice of the several articles contained in the convention in their proper order. Article I provides for the appointment of four commissioners for the adjustment of mutual claims, two to be named by her Britannic Majesty and two by the President of the United States. In the event of any commissioner omitting or ceasing to act, her Britannic Majesty, or the President of the United States, as the case may be, shall name another person to act as commissioner instead of the commissioner originally named. Article I further provides that the commissioners shall meet at London, and make and subscribe a solemn declaration therein prescribed. This declaration shall be entered of record. This article further provides that the commissioners shall then, and before proceeding to any other business, name some person to act as arbitrator or umpire, to whose |
