Convention between Great Britain and the United States of America for the settlement of all outstanding claims.—Signed at London, January 14, 1869., the fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine

Convention between Great Britain and the United States of America for the settlement of all outstanding claims.—Signed at London, January 14, 1869.

Whereas claims have, at various times since the exchange of the ratifications of the convention between the United States of America and Great Britain, signed at London on the 8th of February, 1853, been made upon the government of the United States on the part of subjects of her Britannic Majesty, and upon the government of her Britannic Majesty on the part of citizens of the United States; and whereas some of such claims are still pending and remain unsettled, the President of the United States of America, and her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, being of opinion that a speedy and equitable settlement of all such claims will contribute much to the maintenance of the friendly feelings which subsist between the countries, have resolved to make arrangements for that purpose by means of a convention, and have named as their plenipotentiaries to confer and agree thereupon, that is to say:

The President of the United States of America, Reverdy Johnson, esq., envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the United States to her Britannic Majesty;

And her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the right honorable George William Frederick, earl of Clarendon, Baron Hyde of Hindon, a peer of the United Kingdom, a member of her Britannic Majesty’s most honorable privy council, knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, knight Grand Cross of the most honorable Order of the Bath, her Britannic Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

Article I.

The high contracting parties agree that all claims on the part of citizens of the United States upon the government of her Britannic Majesty, including the so-called Alabama claims, and all claims on the part of 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 26th, of July, 1853, the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the convention concluded between the United States of America and Great Britain, at London, on the 8th of February, 1853, and which yet remain unsettled; as well as any other such claims which may be presented within the time specified in article III of this convention, whether or not arising out of the late civil war in the United States, shall be referred to four commissioners, to be appointed in the following manner, that is to say: two commissioners shall be named by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and two by her Britannic Majesty. In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of any commissioner, or in the event of any commissioner omitting or declining or ceasing to act as such, the President of the United States or her Britannic Majesty as the case may be, shall forthwith name another person to act as commissioner in the place or stead of the commissioner originally named.

The commisisioners so named shall meet at Washington 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 judgment, 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 person to act as an abitrator or umpire, to whose final decision shall be referred any claim upon which they may not be able to come to a decision. If they should not be able to agree upon an arbitrator or umpire, the commissioners on either side shall name a person as arbitrator or umpire; and in each and every case in which the commissioners may not be able to come to a decision, the commissioners shall determine 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 as 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 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 person shall be named, in the same manner as the person originally named, to act as arbitrator or umpire in his place and stead, and shall make and subscribe such declaration as aforesaid.

Article II.

The commissioners shall then forthwith 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 think proper, but upon such evidence or information only as shall be furnished by or on behalf their respective governments. The official correspondence which has taken place between the two governments respecting any claims shall be laid before the commissioners, and they shall, moreover, be bound to receive and peruse all other written documents or statements which may be presented to them by or on behalf of the 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 decide by a majority upon any individual claim, they shall call to their assistance the arbitrator or umpire whom they may have agreed upon, or who may be determined by lot, as the case may be; and such arbitrator or umpire, after having examined the official correspondence which has taken place between the two governments, and 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.

Nevertheless, if the commissioners, or any two of them, shall think it desirable that a sovereign or head of a friendly state should be arbitrator or umpire in case of any claim, the commissioners shall report to that effect to their respective governments, who shall therenpon, within six months, agree upon some sovereign or head of a friendly state, who shall be invited to decide upon such claim, and before whom shall be laid the official correspondence which has taken place between the two governments, and the other written documents or statements which may have been presented to the commissioners in respect of such claims.

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, and dated.

In the event of a decision involving the question of compensation to be paid, being arrived at by a special arbitrator or umpire, the amount of such compensation shall be referred back to the commissioners for adjudication; and in the event of their not being able to come to a decision, it shall then be decided by the arbitrator or umpire appointed by them, or who shall have been determined by lot.

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, or of the arbitrator or umpire, as the case may be, as absolutely final and conclusive upon each of such claims decided upon by him or them respectively, and to give full effect to such decision, without any objection or delay whatsoever.

It is agreed that no claim arising out of any transaction of a date prior to the 26th of July, 1853, the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the convention of the 8th of February, 1853, shall be admissible under this convention.

Article 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 two years from the day of their first meeting. It shall be competent for the commissioners, 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, or laid before them, either wholly or to any and what extent, according to the true intent and meaning of this convention.

Article 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 in coin or its equivalent by the one government or the other, as the case may be, within eighteen months after the date of the decision, without interest.

Article V.

The high contracting parties engage to consider the result of the proceedings of this commission as a full 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 and barred, and thenceforth inadmissible.

Article VI.

The commissioners, and the arbitrator or umpire appointed by them, shall keep an accurate record and correct minutes or notes of all their proceedings, with the dates thereof, and shall appoint and employ clerks or other persons to assist them in the transaction of the business which may come before them.

The secretary shall be appointed by the Secretary of State of the United States and by her Britannic Majesty’s representative at Washington, jointly.

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 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 their respective seals.