and press. He came to New Orleans, and thence to New York, where he became a naturalized citizen of the United States, and in that capacity brought in a bill of $398,690 against the Mexican Government for damages ! The Mexican Commissioners denied that anything was due ; the Ame- rican Commissioners allowed him $83,440—which the Umpire cut down to $50,000, one-eighth of the demand. On what principle this eighth was allowed, it is difficult to imagine.
Rhoda McCrae claimed $6,094.04 for a pension for her son killed in the Mexican service. The American Commissioners to their shame allowed the claim, and the Umpire to his credit rejected it.
Sophia M. Robinson claimed, for services rendered by her husband in Me.xico—then a province of Spain—in 1817, (!) $16,000, and as much more for interest. The American Commissioners allowed her $32,000 ! The Umpire most righteously refused her a cent.
John Baldwin claimed for a trunk of wearing apimrel^ seized by a Mexican custom-house officer, $1170. Interest $311.50 : $1481.50. All allowed by American Com- missioners. Undecided by Umpire.* Mr. Pendleton, of Virginia, in a very able speech in Congress, 22nd February, 1847, on these claims, thus comments on one of them : " There is one particular item —a beauty of its kind—which I will mention. The item is for fifty-six dozen bottles of porter. I believe the best London porter can be purchased in any part of the world for something like three dollars a-dozen ; and I estimate this porter, therefore, very hberally, when I put it down at two hundred dollars. What do you suppose is charged for it in this account ? Why, sixteen hundred and ninety dollars ! But that is reasonable, compared with the in- terest charged upon the price. That is for less than six years set down at $6,570 ; making for fifty-six dozen bottles of portei'the nice little sum of $8,260 ! I do not say that all these accounts are of that sort ; but this I will say, that many of them are more unreasonable." f One of the claims left undecided was preferred by a