Office of the Historian

No. 134.
Mr. Roberts to Mr. Bayard.

Legation of the United States,
Santiago, January 6, 1888. (Received February 25.)
No. 171.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose translation of protocol for the settlement of French claims against Chili, amounting to about $3,400,000.

I am, etc.,

William R. Roberts.
[Inclosure in No. 171.—Translation from the Diario Oficial, No. 3191, December 31, 1887.]

Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Whereas the national Congress has given its approval to the following protocol:

At a meeting in this department Señor Miguel Luis Amunategui, minister of foreign relations of Chili, and Mr. Arthur Lanen, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Republic of France, being authorized by their respective governments, have agreed to the following:

1.
To approve the arrangement which the accredited agents of the one and the other country before the arbitration tribunal have entered into for the canceling of the eighty-nine claims submitted to its decision, for the sum of 300,000 Chilian silver dollars, to be paid by the Chilian Government within fifteen days after the approval of this agreement by the national Congress, from which sum 6 per cent, is to be deducted, which, according to the convention of November 2, 1882, is to be applied to the expenses of the aforesaid tribunal, and in consequence of which the said claims remain extinguished.
2.
The envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the French Republic will receive the referred to sum, and will distribute it among the owners of the eighty-nine claims in amount, mode, and form he may deem proper, without the Government of Chili having any responsibility in its distribution.
3.
That it remains expressly established that the Government of Chili has effected this friendly arrangement with the object of bringing to a prompt conclusion the claims pending, and without this arrangement affecting either directly or indirectly the principles and jurisprudence which the Government of Chili has maintained and sustained before the arbitration tribunals.

In testimony whereof they authorized this with their signatures and seals in duplicate, in Santiago, the 26th day of the month of November, 1887.

Miguel Luis Amunategui. [l. s.]

A. Lanen. [l. s.]

And whereas, it having been heard by the council of state, it has been deemed proper to approve and sanction the same:

Therefore, let it be promulgated and brought into effect in all its parts as law of the Republic.

Santiago, December 30, 1887.

  • J. M. Balmaceda.
  • Miguel Luis Amunategui.