2. Assigning to the church claimant half of the capital of the debts of the fund against the public treasury. 3. Granting interest upon the half assigned of said debt also from May 30, 1848, to July 31, of the present year. 4. Insisting on assigning to the church, claimant, only interest, as if the decree of October 24, 1842, had given it right to receive it; but regulating its settlement according to said decree. 5. Conceding, moreover, the payment of the interest, which can be considered as acknowledged as being due on the debts of the fund against the public treasury on account of the law of June 28, 1824, and article 7 of the treaty of December 28, 1836, between Mexico and Spain-the only grounds alleged in support thereof, and the only provisions applicable in this particular case. First settlement. Annual interest upon the sums of $172,627.661, $10,357.66, compute from May 30, 1848, to July 31, 1876.. $291, 746. 09 NOTE. This settlement is made from May 30, 1848, that being the date from which the umpire has considered the claimant as having American citizenship; but according to the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the Mexican residents of Upper California were not to be considered as American citizens until after May 30, 1849. Second settlement. (See § 91.) Half of the debt of $20,000 placed in the Caja de Consolidacion during the Spanish rule Half of $201,856, 6 reals 4 grains which the Spanish Government took from the fund for its necessities Half of $162,618, 3 reals grains that the Tribunal del Consulado owed. Half of the capital of $38,500 that the College of San Gregorio owed to the fund... Half of $68,160, 3 reals that Minister Esteva distributed in 1825 Half of a note for $15,973, 5 reals due when a certain mortgage on the Total... $10,000.00 100, 928.37 81, 309. 20 19, 250.00 34, 080. 18 1,500.00 7,986. 81 255, 054.57 NOTE.-The debt, of $7,000, classed as bad by the American commissioner, is not included. Third settlement. Interest, at 5 per cent, on half of the debt of $20,000, this being the rate Interest, at 5 per cent, on half of $201,856, 6 reals 4 grains taken at that $14,083. 56 142, 143. 13 137, 414. 72 Interest, at 3 per cent, on the half of the debt acknowledged at this rate by the College of San Gregorio ... 16, 266. 51 Total..... 309, 907.92 NOTE. The interests have been computed at the rate of their respective investments and only upon the assets that yielded them, because neither the law of June 28, 1824, nor article 7 of the treaty of December 28, 1836, nor any law or decree changed the rates of the interest of the public debt to the fund, nor was the part of that debt which yielded no income acknowledged as bearing interest. FR 1902, PT 3—32 Fourth settlement. Half of the annual interest on the value of the properties of the fund, estimated according to the decree of October 24, 1842—that is, by that corresponding to their proceeds calculated at 6 per cent (see § 47), $9,715. Amount in twenty years, viz, from October 24, 1849, until the same date of 1868 Half of the annual interest of the proceeds of the debts of fund against private parties (see §§ 63-90), $642.66, amounting in the time stated in the previous item to..... Total...... $194, 300.00 12, 853. 20 207, 153. 20 NOTE. The interests have been computed only from October 24, 1849, because the claimants themselves have recognized that it should be thus, expressing themselves in these terms: "We have no right to claim all that was due and remained unpaid before the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, because until that time the nationality of the church had not changed, and the damage (absque injuria) was not caused to citizens of the United States. But the first payment after that date became due on October 24, 1849, and then, for the first time, it could have been demanded (although it was not).' last reply of Mr. Doyle, dated January 1, 1875, No. 50.) (See the Thus, to grant interest to the claimants from the year 1848, inclusive, is to give them more than what they themselves ask, and, as it is said, "to show one's self more popish than the Pope." Fifth settlement. Annual interest upon half of the first debt of the fund against the public treasury at the rate of its investment, $500. Amount in twenty years from 1849 to 1868 Annual interest upon half of the second debt at the same rate of 5 per Annual interest upon half of the third debt at 6 per cent, which was the Total..... $10,000.00 100, 928. 20 97,571.00 11, 550.00 220,049. 20 NOTE. The reasons for this proposed settlement are the same as expressed in the notes to settlements 3 and 4. The Government of Mexico trusts that the umpire examining this case anew will render finally a decision on it that, without depriving unjustly the inhabitants of Upper California and all the people of the United States of the benefits to which they may be entitled with respect to the Pious Fund of the missions, will either leave the question intact as outside the jurisdiction of this tribunal or decide it in a complete manner and without imposing more hardship upon the Mexican people than that which legal justice, equity, and the principles of public law require. ELEUTERIO AVILA. WASHINGTON, September 19, 1876. PART VI. Record of proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration under The Hague Convention of 1899 in the matter of the Pious Fund of the Californias, from September 15, 1902, to October 14, 1902, including copy of the official minutes, or procès-verbaux, with index. 499 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS. In the judge's room before the opening of the sessions of the Tribunal, the following address of welcome was delivered by Baron Melvil van Lynden, President of the Administrative Council:" "MESSIEURS LES MEMBRES DU PREMIER TRIBUNAL ARBITRAL: C'est avec un véritable intérêt et un sentiment, je dirais presque d'allegresse, que nous vous faisons accueil au nom du Conseil Administratif dans ces locaux, destinés au fonctionnement de la Cour Permanente d'Arbitrage. "Ladite Cour, dont vous êtes les représentants, a été instituée par l'entente commune des Puissances, qui se sont réunies sur la généreuse initiative de l'Auguste Souverain, Empereur de toutes les Russies, pour diminuer autant qu'il leur serait possible les horreurs de la guerre, et, en premier lieu, de les prévenir, en fournissant au monde une autre manière de résoudre les difficultés et les questions qui surgiraient entre Nations. Cette entente a mené à la conclusion de la Convention de La Haye pour le règlement pacifique des conflits internationaux, par laquelle, entre autres moyens, un système d'arbitrage a été élaboré, partant du principe que la décision des questions internationales serait dévolue aux hommes les plus compétents, désignés à cet effet par les Gouvernements signataires, et jouissant d'une indépendance complète. Les hommes éminents, ainsi désignés, formeraient la Cour Permanente d'Arbitrage, du sein de laquelle seraient pris les juristes, qui composeraient pour chaque cause le Tribunal arbitral. En son entier, la Cour ne se réunit jamais; mais chaque Tribunal arbitral la représente, en quelque sorte comme dans la procédure ordinaire chaque Chambre d'une Cour rend ses arrêts au nom de cette Cour. "Après la conclusion de la Convention on a de suite procédé aux mesures nécessaires pour la mettre à exécution, en sorte qu'au premier janvier 1901 tout se trouvait prêt pour mettre en activité le système d'arbitrage. Les locaux se trouvaient préparés, les fonctionnaires du Bureau International étaient nommés, les services étaient organisés, un nombre suffisant de Membres de la Cour étaient désignés, on n'attendait plus que les causes à juger, mais comme si les questions n'abondaient pas-les causes faisaient défaut. Personne ne semblait vouloir inaugurer une manière de procéder, que tous avaient pourtant jugé être la meilleure. Il était réservé au Nouveau-Monde de donner l'exemple et de réveiller la Vieille Europe, qui semblait assoupie, ou du moins insoucieuse à cet égard. La grande République de l'Amérique du Nord et sa voisine, celle du Mexique, voyant que personne ne bougeait, et qu'une institution, qu'elles aussi avaient contribué à fonder, risquait de tomber dans l'oubli par désuétude, se sont mises d'accord pour montrer au monde civilisé que ce n'est pas à une vaine chimère qu'elles avaient adhéré en constituant cette Cour, mais qu'elles entendaient en faire vraiment un instrument vivant de paix et de concorde, en lui déférant la solution de différences d'opinion existant depuis longtemps entre elles. |