Page images
PDF
EPUB

ship had sailed, but was not paid in consequence of the government having used the money for its own purposes.'

The above outline of events that occurred at Callao appears to be recited in the memorial merely by way of inducement to the statement of the injuries complained of in this case. No claim is made for the seizure or damages to the ship. The property of the ship was in other claimants, who are allowed for the detention and injury. No claim is made for the the coin; the twenty thousand dollars were returned and the six hundred dollars has been awarded to the rightful owner.

"After reciting the facts in the manner above mentioned, the memorialist proceeds to state the grounds of his claim, for remuneration out of the indemnity stipulated in the convention of the 17th March 1841. The following is an exhibit of the amount claimed and of the several items thereof as appears by the schedule annexed to the memorial of the claimant on file:

For damages sustained resulting from illegal arrest of Henry D. Tracy to his mercantile establishment and credit as set forth in the memorial hereto annexed..

For sundry expenses incurred in his defense and in defense of his property

For interest in $26,500 from 12 May, 1823 to 29 March 1847 at 6 per cent

For cost of proof and translation

$25,000.00

1,500.00 37, 987.75 250.00

64, 737.75

"Having examined the memorial in this case, and the records, documents and all other papers transmitted from the State Department relating thereto, and having heard the evidence offered by the claimant in support of the claim, and maturely considered the same, I do hereby adjudicate and determine, that no part of said claim is embraced within the terms of the convention of the 17th March 1841, and that the whole claim be and the same is hereby rejected.

"The sum of three hundred thousand dollars was stipulated to be paid by the Government of Peru, in order to make full satisfaction for various claims of citizens of the United States on account of seizures, captures, detentions, sequestrations and confiscations of their vessels, or for the damages or destruction of them, of their cargoes, or other property at sea or in the ports and territories of Peru. It is not alleged or pretended that the mercantile establishment of Henry D. Tracy was seized by the order of the Government of Peru. There was no seizure, and it is very clear that consequential damages altogether imaginary cannot be allowed. No claim is made directly for the false imprisonment, doubtless for the obvious reason that none such is provided for in the convention.

"Attest:

"JOHN T. REID, Clerk."

"NATHAN CLIFFORD, Attorney-General.”

In the case of the brig Elizabeth Ann, Thomas DunCase of the Brig "Eliza- lap, assignee of Perit & Cabox, claimed: (1) For loss beth Ann." on the sale of the brig, through deterioration, loss of

tackle, etc., occasioned by her unlawful detention, $3,000; (2) money paid by the master to the charterer, in consequence of the brig's inability to proceed to Guayaquil owing to her detention, $1,100; (3) the estimated loss of homeward freight, owing to the damaged condition of the brig, $3,000; (4) expenses incurred in going to Iquique and Tarapaca to receive part of the price of the brig when sold, $315.50; (5) expenses incurred in a lawsuit (representing presents for three judges and the fiscal, $850; treasurer of the custom-house, $425; a horse given to General Valero, $250;

saddle and bridle for the same, $130), $1,655; (6) board and horse hire of the master while attending trial, $290; (7) medical attendance on the master, $200.25; (8) passage and stores of the master to Arica homeward, $112.50; (9) passage, freight, and stores of the master to Philadelphia, $448; total, $10,121.25.

The Attorney-General allowed the sum of $3,950.50, which included $2,000 on the first item for deterioration and injury of the vessel and loss of tackle by the detention; the whole of the second item, it appearing that the money was actually paid to the charterer; the sixth item, for board of the master, and the eighth and ninth items, for the passage of the captain, it being necessary for him to return after the sale, the vessel having become unseaworthy by the detention. The allowance on the first item was for loss arising from the "direct injury" to the vessel, the residue being rejected on the ground that it fell "within the rules of speculative damages." The third item, for freight not earned, was declared to be "clearly inadmissible for the same reason." The fourth item, for the expenses of a journey to receive part of the price of the brig, was considered "too remote to be taken into the account." The fifth item, for presents to the judges and other officials, was rejected as "wholly inadmissible. No allowance can be made for bribes." The seventh item, for medical attendance, was rejected as falling "within the rule of speculative damages."

Another claim in the case of the Elizabeth Ann, made by Joseph A. Clay, administrator of the estate of Charles G. Swett, for loss of cargo by reason of the detention, was allowed to the amount of $4,435.56. This allowance included an item of $1,885 for the value of the goods; of $1,750 for demurrage paid to the master in cash; of $620.56 paid to the master for expenses; and of expenses of board, etc., during the detention.

Case of the Ship "Catharine."

In the case of the Bremen ship Catharine the claimants demanded (1) $1,575, the amount of export duty paid to the Colombian Government on a quantity of cocoa shipped on that vessel at a Colombian port, and afterward exacted by the Peruvians again, on their entering into possession of the port; and (2) $700 for demurrage alleged to have been paid by the owners of the ship in consequence of the detention caused by the above-mentioned incident. The Attorney-General allowed the first item. The second he rejected for want of evidence that the demurrage was paid, or that any claim for it was enforced.

and other Cases.

In the case of the schooner Henry, which was a claim The Schooner "Henry," for the unlawful detention of the vessel, Samuel F. Tracy, as assignee of Henry D. Tracy, demanded: (1) For the value of two brass cannon and their carriages, taken by the captors, $400; (2) for a boat and oars taken at Callao, $200; (3) for money expended in defending the property, $2,000; (4) for money expended in releasing the master from prison, $200; (5) for loss of the master's services while in prison, $200; (6) for loss of profits in the exchange of the cargo at Pisco, and for breaking up the voyage, $5,000; (7) for demurrage, and support of the officers and crew during four months, $6,000; (8) interest, $20,659.33; (9) cost of preparing proofs and translations, $200; total, $34,859.33. The Attorney-General allowed the sum of $8,800, being the whole of items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7. The fifth item, for loss of the master's

services, and the sixth, for loss of profits and for the breaking up of the voyage, were disallowed, as not being within the terms of the convention. No allowance was made for the preparation of proofs and translations, or for interest.

The principles applied in this and the preceding cases were also applied in the cases of the ship Flying Fish and the schooner Wasp, in which claims for unearned freight, for interest, and for the expenses of preparing proofs and translations were rejected, only the actual losses and costs in Peru being allowed.

In the case of the bark Peru, of Salem, the claim was composed of the following items: (1) Detention and sequestration of the bark for the transportation of 335 soldiers, say at $10 a head, $3,350; (2) articles stolen by the soldiers, $708.621; (3) damages to the ship and detention for repairing them, $300. From the aggregate of these items the claimant deducted the sum of $1,641.75, realized from the sale of a Peruvian draft for $2,512.50, leaving as the whole amount claimed, exclusive of interest, the sum of $2,716.874. The Attorney-General allowed the sum of $1,008.63, being the whole of the second and third items. The first item was disallowed for the reason that it appeared that the charge had been made the subject of a settlement between the agent of the claimant and the Peruvian Government two years before the date of Mr. Larned's note to the minister for foreign affairs.

In the case of the ship China, of Salem, the claimants demanded: (1) For wrongfully causing the ship to deviate from her intended voyage, resulting in her detention from February 25 to March 3, 1824, six days, at $100 a day, $600; (2) for damages done the China by a 24-pound shot fired into her, $500; (3) for damage done to the cargo by the shot, $1,610. The Attorney-General allowed the sum of $2,710, being the whole claim, exclusive of interest.

The schooner Robinson Crusoe and her cargo were seized and appropriated by Admiral Guise, of the Peruvian navy, without legal adjudication, and were destroyed while in his possession. The sum of $10,000 was allowed, the actual value of the vessel and cargo.

A claim was allowed in favor of Samuel F. Tracy, assignee of Henry D. Tracy, for the seizure on land of naval stores, furniture, and other property, which were guaranteed by the capitulation of Lima, but were seized by the Peruvian authorities in violation thereof.

Case of the "Macedonian."

We have narrated elsewhere the history of the claim against Chile growing out of the seizure by Lord Cochrane, in the valley of Sitana, Peru, in May 1821, of a sum of money, the proceeds of the sale at Tacna of a part of the cargo of the American brig Macedonian. At that time the greater part of the cargo remained unsold, and the master of the brig, Eliphalet Smith, was on his way to Arequipa with a view to dispose of the residue. In July 1821 the combined forces of Chile and Buenos Ayres, under General San Martin, obtained possession of Lima and established there a provisional government. In December of the same year Captain Smith, having found a part of his cargo unsalable at Arequipa, sent it under convoy to Lima, in charge of Stephen B. Howe, his nephew, with orders to consign it for sale to Abadia & Arismendi, his usual commission merchants, if that house continued to exist, and if not, to some other suitable consignee. It turned

1 Supra, 1449.

out that the house had not only been broken up, but that its members, in consequence of their connection with the old government and adherence to its cause, had fallen under the displeasure of the new government, and after being imprisoned were either compelled or voluntarily chose to depart from the country, and that their property was decreed to be confiscated to the use of the state. The Macedonian and her cargo were consequently consigned by Howe to the English house of John Thwaites. The government at Lima, however, instituted proceedings against the brig and her cargo and such of the proceeds as were in the hands of Mr. Thwaites, as the property of the Spanish refugee Arismendi, and upon that ground condemned the whole to the use of the state.

The Attorney-General held that the vessel and cargo were American property, and awarded for the vessel the sum of $32,193.63, and for the cargo the sum of $59,093.87; total, $91,287.50. This sum was made up of five items: (1) Value of the brig, $25,000; (2) money paid to the officers and crew, $7,193.63; (3) actual value of the confiscated cargo at the time and place of seizure, $47,440.75; (4) debts confiscated to the use of the government, $6,167; (5) a particular and separate part of the cargo, $5,486.12. "The residue of the claim not already allowed (except the charge for interest) is," said the Attorney-General, "rejected, in accordance with the principle which I have adopted throughout limiting the claims of the respective parties to the actual loss sustained, excluding prospective profits dependent upon the chances of business and the uncertain state of the markets, regarding all such charges as falling within the rule of speculative damages. This rule is uniformly adhered to by courts of law in the investigation of similar cases and in my judgment it is entirely.consonant with justice and equity among the respective claimants, to apply it in adjudicating these claims. The charge for interest is rejected for the reason assigned in the award in the case of the ship Providence."

thorities.

It has been seen that by the terms of the convention Acts of the Spanish Au- the indemnity was intended to apply only to claims growing out of the acts of the Peruvian authorities. In the case of the schooner Rampart a claim was made for the seizure and detention of the vessel and for damage done her in a hostile attack, and for various articles plundered from the ship and cargo, amounting in the whole to the sum of $8,008. The claim was dismissed on the ground (1) that it was not "included in Mr. Larned's list presented to the Government of Peru," and (2) that the evidence showed "that the injuries complained of were committed by the Spanish authorities in Callao."

List of Awards.

In conformity with the provision of the act of Congress, requiring the Attorney-General at the close of his commission to report a list of his awards to the Secretary of State, Attorney-General Clifford on August 7, 1847, transmitted to the Department of State the following paper:

"PERUVIAN INDEMNITY.

"ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
"7 August 1847.

"List of Awards made by the Attorney-General of the United States under the Act of Congress, approved 8th August 1846, to carry into effect the Convention between the United States and the Republic of Peru, concluded at Lima, the 17th day of March 1841.

"Claims allowed.

"To Edward Carrington of Providence, Administrator of Ed-
ward Carrington, for detention of the ship Providence, of
Providence, and money extorted from the master, the sum of
three thousand eight hundred and forty dollars.
"To Francis Peabody and George Peabody of Salem and John
L. Gardner of Boston, Executors of Joseph Peabody, and
Tucker Saland, of Salem, Administrator of J. Augustus Pea-
body, for detention and damage done the ship China of Salem
and her cargo, the sum of two thousand seven hundred and
ten dollars..

"To Stephen C. Phillips of Salem for articles stolen from and
damage done to the barque Peru of Salem, the sum of one
thousand and eight dollars and sixty-three cents
"To George Nichols of Salem in his own right and as admin-
istrator of Jerathmeel Pierce and Ichabod Nichols, Lydia R.
Pierce of Salem, administratrix of Banjamin Pierce, Charles
Sanders of West Cambridge and Henry Pierce of Salem, for
detention of the brig Herald of Salem and money extorted
from the master, the sum of two thousand six hundred and
ten dollars...

"To George Nichols of Salem in his own right and as admin-
trator of Jerathmeel Pierce and Ichabod Nichols, Lydia R.
Pierce of Salem, administratrix of Banjamin Pierce, Charles
Sanders of West Cambridge, Henry Pierce of Salem and
Banjamin R. Nichols of Boston, for detention and injury to
the ship Friendship of Salem, the sum of four thousand dol-
lars..

"To George Nichols of Salem, administrator of Ichabod Nichols and Richard Meek of Marblehead, for money sequestered from the ship Friendship of Salem, the sum of six hundred dollars

"To Aimee E. Alsop, executrix, and John Sergeant and Gus-
tavus Cleeman of Philadelphia, executors of Richard Alsop,
for and to the use of his estate, and in trust for Edward L.
Scott, and John Huan or their legal representatives for the
capture and destruction of the schooner Robinson Crusoe and
cargo, the sum of ten thousand dollars.

"To Caleb Loring, Thomas B. Wales and Samuel Appleton of
Boston, Philo S. Shelton of Boston, executor of Benjamin P.
Hamer, Paschael Paoli Pope of Boston, administrator of
William H. Boardman, and Titus Wells of Boston, executor
of Abraham Touro, underwriters for part of the cargo of the
ship Esther of Boston, confiscated, the sum of one thousand
five hundred and eighty-four dollars and seven cents
"To John Dorr of Boston and Sullivan Dorr of Providence in
their own right and in trust for the estate of D. W. Child of
Boston, deceased, for confiscation of the ship Esther of Bos-
ton, the sum of twenty-eight thousand one hundred and
eleven dollars and ten cents.

"To Samuel F. Tracy of New York, assignee of Henry D. Tracy
for himself and in trust for others according to the said Henry
D. Tracy's deed, or instrument of assignment on file, for con-
fiscation of part of the cargo of the ship Esther of Boston the
sum of nineteen thousand six hundred and fifty-four dollars
and thirty-nine cents

"To Samuel F. Tracy of New York assignee of Henry D. Tracy for himself and in trust for others according to the terms of the said Henry D. Tracy's deed or instrument of assignment on file, for detention of schooner Wasp, the sum of eight hundred dollars........

$3,840.00

2,710.00

1,008. 63

2,610.00

4,000.00

600.00

10, 000. 00

1,584.07

28, 111. 10

19, 654.39

800.00

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »