Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
A draft for this purpose was accordingly drawn in favor of the cashier
of the Bank of the United States for the amount accruing to the United
States out of the first installment, and the interest payable with it.
This bill was not drawn at Washington until five days after the
installment was payable at Paris, and was accompanied by a special
authority from the President authorizing the cashier or his assigns to
receive the amount. The mode thus adopted of receiving the installment
was officially made known to the French Government by the American
charge d'affaires at Paris, pursuant to instructions from the
Department of State. The bill, however, though not presented for
payment until March 23d, 1833, was not paid, and for the reason
assigned by the French minister of finance that no appropriation had
been made by the French Chambers. It is not known to me that up to that
period any appropriation had been required of the Chambers, and
although a communication was subsequently made to the Chambers by
direction of the King, recommending that the necessary provision should
be made for carrying the convention into effect, it was at an advanced
period of the session, and the subject was finally postponed until the
next meeting of the Chambers.
Not withstanding it has been supposed by the French ministry that the
financial stipulations of the treaty can not be carried into effect
without an appropriation by the Chambers, it appears to me to be not
only consistent with the character of France, but due to the character
of both Governments, as well as to the rights of our citizens, to treat
the convention, made and ratified in proper form, as pledging the good
faith of the French Government for its execution, and as imposing upon
each department an obligation to fulfill it; and I have received
assurances through our charge d'affaires at Paris and the French
minister plenipotentiary at Washington, and more recently through the
minister of the United States at Paris, that the delay has not
proceeded from any indisposition on the part of the King and his
ministers to fulfill their treaty, and that measures will be presented
at the next meeting of the Chambers, and with a reasonable hope of
success, to obtain the necessary appropriation.
It is necessary to state, however, that the documents, except certain
lists of vessels captured, condemned, or burnt at sea, proper to
facilitate the examination and liquidation of the reclamations
comprised in the stipulations of the convention, and which by the 6th
article France engaged to communicate to the United States by the
intermediary of the legation, though repeatedly applied for by the
American charge d'affaires under instructions from this Government,
have not yet been communicated; and this delay, it is apprehended, will
necessarily prevent the completion of the duties assigned to the
commissioners within the time at present prescribed by law.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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