their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows: ART. I. The High Contracting Parties agree that all claims on the part of corporations, companies, or private individuals, citizens of the United States, upon the Government of her Britannic Majesty, and all claims on the part of corporations, companies, or private individuals, subjects of her Britannic Majesty, upon the government of the United States, which may have been presented to either government for its interposition with the other since the signature of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, concluded between the United States of America, and Great Britain at Ghent, on the 24th of December, 1814, and which yet remain unsettled, as well as any other such claims, which may be presented within the time specified in article III, hereinafter, shall be referred to two commissioners, to be appointed in the following manner that is to say: One commissioner shall be named by the President of the United States, and one by her Britannic Majesty. In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of either commissioner, or in the event. of either commissioner omitting or ceasing to act as such, the President of the United States, or her Britannic Majesty, respectively, shall forthwith name another person to act as commissioner in the place or stead of the commissioner originally named. The commissioners, so named, shall meet at London at the earliest convenient period after they shall have been respectively named; and shall, before proceeding to any business, make and subscribe a solemn declaration that they will impartially and carefully examine and decide, to the best of their judgement, and according to justice and equity, without fear, favor, or affection to their own country, upon all such claims as shall be laid before them on the part of the Governments of the United States and of her Britannic Majesty, respectively; and such declaration shall be entered on the record of their proceedings. The commissioners shall then, and before proceeding to any other business, name some third person to act as an arbitrator or umpire in any case or cases on which they may themselves differ in opinion. If they should not be able to agree upon the name of such third person, they shall each name a person; and in each and every case in which the commissioners may differ in opinion as to the decision which they ought to give, it shall be determined by lot which of the two persons so named shall be the arbitrator or umpire in that particular case. The person or persons so to be chosen to be arbitrator or umpire, shall, before proceeding to act as such in any case, make and subscribe a solemn declaration in a form similar to that which shall already have been made and subscribed by the commissioners, which shall be entered on the record of their proceedings. In the event of the death, absence, or incapacity of such person or persons, or of his or their omitting, or declining, or ceasing to act as such arbitrator or umpire, another and different person shall be named as aforesaid to act as such arbitrator or umpire in the place and stead of the person so originally named as aforesaid, and shall make and subscribe such declaration as aforesaid. ART. II. The commissioners shall then forthwith conjointly proceed to the investigation of the claims which shall be presented to their notice. They shall investigate and decide upon such claims, in such order, and in such manner, as they may conjointly think proper, but upon such evidence or information only as shall be furnished by or on behalf of their respective governments. They shall be bound to receive and peruse all written documents or statements which may be presented to them by or on behalf of their respective governments, in support of, or in answer to, any claim; and to hear, if required, one person on each side, on behalf of each government, as counsel or agent for such government, on each and every separate claim. Should they fail to agree in opinion upon any individual claim, they shall call to their assistance the arbitrator or umpire whom they may have agreed to name, or who may be determined by lot, as the case may be; and such arbitrator or umpire, after having examined the evidence adduced for and against the claim, and after having heard, if required, one person on each side as aforesaid, and consulted with the commissioners, shall decide thereupon finally, and without appeal. The decision of the commissioners, and of the arbitrator or umpire, shall be given upon each claim in writing, and shall be signed by them respectively. It shall be competent for each government to name one person to attend the commissioners as agent on its behalf, to present and support claims on its behalf, and to answer claims made upon it, and to represent it generally in all matters connected with the investigation and decision thereof. The President of the United States of America, and her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, hereby solemnly and sincerely engage to consider the decision of the commissioners conjointly, or of the arbitrator or umpire, as the case may be, as absolutely final and conclusive upon each claim decided upon by them or him respectively, and to give full effect to such decisions without any objection, evasion, or delay whatsoever. It is agreed that no claim arising out of any transaction of a date prior to the 24th of December, 1814, shall be admissible under this Convention. ART. III. Every claim shall be presented to the commissioners within six months from the day of their first meeting, unless in any case where reasons for delay shall be established to the satisfaction of the commissioners, or of the arbitrator or umpire, in the event of the commissioners differing in opinion thereupon; and then, and in any such case, the period for presenting the claim may be extended to any time not exceeding three months longer. The commissioners shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim within one year from the day of their first meeting. It shall be competent for the commissioners conjointly, or for the arbitrator or umpire, if they differ, to decide in each case whether any claim has or has not been duly made, preferred, and laid before them, either wholly, or to any and what extent, according to the true intent and meaning of this Convention. ART. IV. All sums of money which may be awarded by the commissioners, or by the arbitrator or umpire, on account of any claim, shall be paid by the one government to the other, as the case may be, within twelve months after the date of the decision, without interest, and without any deduction, save as specified in article VI. hereinafter. ART. V. The High Contracting Parties engage to consider the result of the proceedings of this commission as a full, perfect, and final settlement of every claim upon either government arising out of any transaction of a date prior to the exchange of the ratifications of the present Convention; and further engage that every such claim, whether or not the same may have been presented to the notice of, made, preferred, or laid before the said commission, shall, from and after the conclusion of the proceedings of the said commission, be considered and treated as finally settled, barred, and thenceforth inadmissible. ART. VI. The commissioners, and the arbitrator or umpire, shall keep an accurate record, and correct minutes or notes of all their proceedings, with the dates thereof, and shall appoint and employ a clerk, or other persons, to assist them in the transaction of the business which may come before them. Each government shall pay to its commissioner an amount of salary not exceeding three thousand dollars, or six hundred and twenty pounds sterling, a year, which amount shall be the same for both governments. The amount of salary to be paid tho the arbitrator (or arbitrators, as the case may bet shall be determined by mutual consent at the close of the commission. The salary of the clerk shall not exceed the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, or three hundred and ten pounds sterling, a year. The whole expenses of the commission, including contingent expenses, shall be defrayed by a ratable deduction on the amount of the sums awarded by the commission; provided always that such deduction shall not exceed the rate of five per cent, on the sums so awarded. The deficiency, if any, shall be defrayed in moieties by the two governments. ART. VII. The present Convention shall be ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by her Britannic Majesty; 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 the seals of their arms. Done at London, the eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty three 1. La prolongation des pouvoirs de la commission arbitrale, instituée par le précédent traité, fut convenue par un traité subséquent du 17 juillet 1854 2. Cet arbitrage qui portait principalement sur le fait, par les autorités anglaises, d'avoir laissé s'échapper les esclaves révoltés d'un navire américain, donna lieu au surarbitrage d'un jurisconsulte londonien, M. Bates: ce dernier donna raison aux réclamants américains et conclut à la restitution des esclaves ou au paiement d'une indemnité. La décision prononcée par lui n'a pas été publiée jusqu'à ce jour. XI. Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Nouvelle Grenade 10 septembre 1857 Dans cette affaire, il s'est agi de réclamations faites par des citoyens américains à la charge du gouvernement de la Nouvelle Grenade, à raison principalement des dom 1 CHARLES SAMWER. Nouveau recueil général de traités. Tome XVI, partie I, p. 491 à 496. 2 Treaties and Conventions between the United States and other Powers, 1776 to 1887, p. 445 et 453. mages causés lors d'un soulèvement à Panama. Les ratifications du traité d'arbitrage ne furent échangées que le 5 novembre 1860. Convention entre les Etats-Unis d'Amérique et la République de la Nouvelle Grenade, relative à certaines réclamations, signée à Washington, le 10 septembre 1857. ART. I. All claims on the part of corporations, companies or individual citizens of the United States, upon the government of New Granada, which shall have been presented prior to the first day of September 1859, either to the Department of State at Washington, or to the minister of the United States at Bogota, and especially those for damages which were caused by the riot at Panama on the fifteenth of April 1856, for which the said government of New Granada acknowledges its liability, arising out of its privilege and obligation to preserve peace and good order along the transit route, shall be referred to a Board of commissioners, consisting of two members, one of whom shall be appointed by the government of the United States and one by the government of New Granada. In case of the death, absence or incapacity of either commissioner, or in the event of either commissioner omitting or ceasing to act, the government of the United States, or that of New Granada, respectively, or the minister of the latter in the United States, acting by its direction, shall forthwith proceed to fill the vacancy thus occasioned. The commissioners sonamed shall meet in the city of Washington within ninety days from the exchange of the ratifications of this convention, and, before proceeding to business, shall make and subscribe a solemn oath that they will carefully examine and impartially decide, according to justice and equity, upon all the claims laid before them, under the provisions of this convention, by the government of the United States. And such oath shall be entered on the record of their proceedings. The commissioners shall then proceed to name an arbitrator or umpire to decide upon any case or cases on which they may differ in opinion. And if they cannot agree in the selection, the umpire shall be appointed by the minister of Prussia to the United States whom the two high contracting parties shall invite to make such appointment, and whose selection shall be conclusive on both parties. ART. II. The arbitrator being appointed, the commissioners shall proceed to examine and determine the claims which may be presented to them, under the provision of this convention, by the government of the United States, together with the evidence submitted in support of them, and shall hear, if required, one person in behalf of each government on every separate claim. Each government shall furnish, upon request of either of the commissioners, such papers in its possession as the commissioners may deem important to the just determination of any claims presented to them. In cases where they agree to award an indemnity, they shall determine the amount to be paid, having due regard, in claims which have grown out of the riot of Panama of April 15, 1856, to damages suffered through death, wounds, robberies or destruction of property. In cases where they cannot agree, the subjects of difference shall be referred to the umpire, before whom each of the commissioners may be heard, and whose decision shall be final. ART. III. The commissioners shall issue certificates of the sums to be paid by virtue of their awards to the claimants, and the aggregate amount of said sums shall be paid to the government of the United States, at Washington, in equal semiannual payments, the first payment to be made six months from the termination of the commission, and the wole payment to be completed within eight years from the same date; and each of said sums shall bear interest (also payable semiannually) at the rate of six per cent. per annum from the day on which the awards, respectively, shall have been decreed. To meet these payments, the government of New Granada hereby specially appropriates one half of the compensation which may accrue to it from the Panama Railroad Company, in lieu of postages, by virtue of the thirtieth article of the contract between the Republic of New Granada and said Company, made April 15, 1850, and approved June 4, 1850, and also one half of the dividends which it may receive from the net profits of said road, as provided in the fifty fifth article of the same contract; but if these funds should prove insufficient to make the payments as above stipulated, New Granada will provide other means for that purpose. ART. IV. The commission herein provided shall terminate its labors in nine months from and including the day of its organization: shall keep an accurate record of its proceedings, and may appoint a secretary to assist in the transaction of its business. ART. V. The proceedings of this commission shall be final and conclusive with respect to all the claims before it, and its awards shall be a full discharge to New Granada of all claims of citizens of the United States against that Republic which may have accrued prior to the signature of this convention. ART. VI. Each government shall pay its own commissioner, but the umpire, as well as the incidental expenses of the commission, shall be paid, one half by the United States, and the other half by New Granada 1. 1 Treaties and Conventions between the United States and other Powers, 1776 to 1887, p. 210 et 213. Les Etats-Unis de Colombie conclurent le 10 février 1864 avec les Etats-Unis d'Amérique un traité qui prolongea les pouvoirs des commissaires. Quant à leurs décisions, aucun recueil ne les a publiées. XII. Chili, Etats-Unis d'Amérique Cette contestation, connue sous le nom de l'affaire du Macedonian, ne présente aucune particularité spéciale. L'objet du différend est indiqué, d'une manière fort nette, par les documents reproduits par nous. Convention entre les Etats-Unis d'Amérique et la Republique du Chili relative à la constitution d'un arbitrage au sujet de certaines réclamations, signée à Santiago le 10 novembre 1858. The government of the United States of America and the government of the Republic of Chile, desiring to settle amicably the claim made by the former upon the latter for certain citizens of the United States of America, who claim to be the rightful owners of the silver in coin and in bars forcibly taken from the possession of Captain Eliphalet Smith, a citizen of the United States of America, in the valley of Sitana, in the territory of the former Vice Royalty of Peru, in the year 1821, by order of Lord Cochrane, at the time Vice Admiral of the Chilean Squadron, have agreed, the former to name John Bigler, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, and the latter Don Géronimo Urmeneta, Minister of State in the Department of the Interior and of Foreign Relations, in the name and in behalf of their respective governments, to examine said claim and to agree upon terms of arrangement just and honorable to both governments. The aforesaid plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their full powers, and found them in due and good form, sincerely desiring to preserve intact and strengthen the friendly relations which happily exist between their respective governments, and to remove all cause of difference, which might weaken or change them, have agreed, in the name of the government which each represents, to submit to the arbitration of his Majesty the King of Belgium, the pending question between them, respecting the legality or illegality of the above referred to capture of silver in coin and in bars, made on the ninth day of May, 1821, by order of Lord Cochrane, Vice Admiral of the Chilean squadron, in the valley of Sitana, in the territory of the former Vice Royalty of Peru, the proceeds of sales of merchandise imported into that country in the brig Macedonian, belonging to the merchant marine of the United States of America. Therefore the above-named ministers agree to name his Majesty the King of Belgium as arbiter, to decide with full powers and proceedings ex aequo et bono, on the following points: First. Is, or is not, the claim which the government of the United States of America makes upon that of Chile, on account of the capture of silver mentioned in the preamble of this convention, just in whole or in part? Second. If it be just in whole or in part, what amount is the government of Chile to allow and pay to the government of the United States of America, as indemnity for the capture? Third. Is the government of Chile, in addition to the capital, to allow interest thereon; and, if so, at what rate and from what date is interest to be paid? The contracting parties further agree that his Majesty the King of Belgium shall decide the foregoing questions upon the correspondence which has passed between the representatives of the two governments at Washington and at Santiago, and the documents and other proofs produced during the controversy on the subject of this capture, and upon a memorial or argument thereon to be presented by each. Each party to furnish the arbiter with a copy of the correspondence and documents above referred to, or so much thereof as it desires to present, as well as with its said memorial, within one year at furthest from the date at which they may respectively be notified of the acceptance of the arbiter. Each party to furnish the other with a list of the papers to be presented by it to the arbiter, three months in advance of such presentation. And if either party fail to present a copy of such papers, or its memorial, to the arbiter, within the year aforesaid, the arbiter may make his decision upon what shall have been submitted to him within that time. The contracting parties further agree that the exception of prescription, raised in the course of the controversy, and which has been a subject. of discussion between their respective governments, shall not be considered by the arbiter in his decision, since they agree to withdraw it and exclude it from the present question. Each of the governments represented by the contracting parties is authorized to ask and obtain. the acceptance of the arbiter; and both promise and bind themselves in the most solemn manner to acquiesce in and comply with his decision, nor at any time thereafter to raise any question directly or indirectly connected with the subjectmatter of this arbitration. This convention to be ratified by the governments of the respective contracting parties, and the ratifications to be exchanged within twelve months from this date, or sooner, if possible, in the city of Santiago. In testimony whereof, the contracting parties have signed and sealed this agreement in duplicate; in the English and Spanish languages, in Santiago, the tenth day of the month of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight 1. Le Roi des Belges, Léopold Ier, rendit sous la date du 15 mai 1863 la sentence suivante : Nous Léopold, Roi des Belges, Ayant accepté les fonctions d'arbitre qui Nous ont été conférées par une convention signée à Santiago le 10 novembre 1858, entre le Chili et les Etats-Unis, dans le différend qui s'est élevé entre ces Etats au sujet de la saisie d'une somme d'argent opérée le 9 mai 1821 par ordre de Lord Cochrane, vice-amiral de l'escadre chilienne, dans la vallée de Sitana, sur le territoire de l'ancienne vice-royauté du Pérou, laquelle somme provenait de la vente de marchandises importées par le brick Macedonian > ; Animé du désir sincère de répondre par une décision scrupuleuse et impartiale à la confiance que les Hautes Parties contractantes Nous ont témoignée ; Ayant, à cet effet, dûment examiné et mûrement pesé la susdite convention, ainsi que les mémoires avec leurs annexes que l'Envoyé extraordinaire et Ministre plénipotentiaire du Chili et le Ministre Résident des Etats-Unis à Bruxelles ont communiqués à Notre Ministre des affaires étrangères, sous la date du 7 juillet 1861; Voulant, pour remplir le mandat que Nous avons accepté, porter à la connaissance des Hautes Parties contractantes le résultat de Notre examen et Notre opinion sur chacune des trois questions soumises à Notre arbitrage, savoir: 1o La réclamation faite par le gouvernement des Etats-Unis d'Amérique à celui du Chili, au sujet de la saisie de l'argent mentionnée dans le préambule de la convention, est-elle fondée en tout ou en partie? 2o Si elle est fondée en tout ou en partie, quelle somme le gouvernement du Chili doit-il payer à celui des Etats-Unis pour l'indemniser de cette saisie? 3o Le gouvernement du Chili, outre le capital, doit-il l'intérêt et, dans l'affirmative, depuis quelle date et à quel taux l'intérêt doit-il être payé? 1 CH. SAMWER. Nouveau recueil général des traités. Tome XVII, première partie, p. 243. Treaties and Conventions between the United States and other Powers, 1776 to 1887, P. 142. Quant à la première question : Il est de fait que la saisie a eu lieu le 9 mai 1821 dans la vallée de Sitana, à plusieurs lieues des côtes, dans l'intérieur des terres; Considérant que, d'après les principes du droit des gens, la propriété privée n'est pas saisissable sur terre, qu'elle appartienne à un neutre ou à un ennemi; Considérant toutefois que le gouvernement des Etats-Unis n'a pu réclamer qu'au nom des intérêts représentés par ses nationaux ; Nous sommes d'avis que la réclamation faite par le gouvernement des Etats-Unis d'Amérique à celui du Chili est fondée en ce qui concerne la partie des valeurs saisies appartenant à des citoyens des Etats-Unis. Quant à la seconde question : Il est de fait que la somme saisie s'élevait à 70,400 piastres ou dollars; Considérant que cette somme provenait d'une opération entreprise en commun et dont la liquidation devait se faire sur les bases fixées dans le contrat intervenu entre les parties, le 25 novembre 1819; Considérant que, d'après ce contrat, le produit de l'opération devait se répartir de la manière suivante : 2/5 pour Arizmendi, du chef de son permis d'importation et des 50,000 piastres qu'il apportait en capital, 1/5 pour Smith, du chef du navire, 25 pour les prêteurs, du chef de leurs avances. Considérant que les prêteurs étaient des citoyens des Etats-Unis, à l'exception d'un marchand Ichinois de Canton dont Smith était mandataire; Nous sommes d'avis que le gouvernement du Chili doit restituer à celui des Etats-Unis les 3/5 des 70,400 piastres ou dollars saisis, soit 42,240 piastres ou dollars, dont 14,080 pour le cinquième de Smith et 28,160 pour les deux cinquièmes des prêteurs. Quant à la troisième question : Il est de fait que les ayants-droit ont été privés depuis le 9 mai 1821 des intérêts de la somme saisie; Considérant que la saisie n'étant pas fondée, la restitution du capital saisi doit entraîner celle des intérêts; Considérant, toutefois, que jusqu'au 19 mars 1841, le gouvernement des Etats-Unis n'a rien fait pour hâter une solution; Considérant, en outre, qu'à partir du 26 décembre 1848, les Hautes Parties contractantes étaient d'accord en principe, sur la nécessité d'un arbitrage; Considérant, enfin, que le taux légal de l'intérêt dans l'Etat du Massachusetts, auquel appartenaient le capitaine Smith et les réclamants, est de 6%, |