PERU, 1863. CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF PERU, FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE PENDING CLAIMS OF CITIZENS OF EITHER COUNTRY AGAINST THE OTHER. CONCLUDED AT LIMA JANUARY 12, 1863; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT LIMA APRIL 18, 1863; PROCLAIMED MAY 19, 1863. Contracting parties. The United States of America and the Republic of Peru, desiring to settle and adjust amicably the claims which have been made by the citizens of each country against the Government of the other, have agreed to make arrangements for that purpose by means of a convention, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries to confer and agree thereupon as follows: The President of the United States, Christopher Robinson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of said States to Peru, and the President of Peru, Dr. José Gregorio Paz Soldan, the Minister of Foreign Relations and President of the Council of Ministers; Who, after having commuuicated to each other their respective full powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed as follows: ARTICLE I. Claims against Peru mixed commission. All claims of citizens of the United States against the Government of Peru, and of citizens of Peru against the Government of the United States, which have not been embraced in conventional to be referred to a or diplomatic agreement between the two Governments or their Plenipotentiaries, and statements of which, soliciting the interposition of either Government, may, previously to the exchange of the ratifications of this convention, have been filed in the Department of State at Washington, or the Department of Foreign Affairs at Lima, shall be referred to a mixed commission composed of four Number and apmembers, appointed as follows: Two by the Government of pointment of comthe United States, and two by the Government of Peru. In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of either Commismissioner, or in the event of either Commissioner ceasing to act, the Government of the United States, or its Envoy Entraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Peru, acting under its direction, or that of the Republic of Peru, shall forthwith proceed to fill the vacancy thus occasioned. ARTICLE II. missioners, Vacancies. The Commissioners so named shall immediately after their organisation, and before proceeding to any other business, proceed to name a fifth person to act as an arbitrator or umpire in any case or cases in which they may themselves differ in opinion. ARTICLE III. Commissioners to name an umpire To meet in Lima The Commissioners appointed as aforesaid shall meet in Lima within three months after the exchange of the ratifications of this convention; and each one of the Commissioners, before within three months proceeding to any business, shall take an oath, made and subscribed before the most Excellent Supreme Court, that they will carefully examine and impartially decide, according after, &c. To take and subscribe an oath. to the principles of justice and equity, the principles of international law and treaty stipulations, upon all the claims laid before them under the provisions of this convention, and in accordance with the evidence submitted on the part of either Government. A similar oath Oath of umpire. shall be taken and subscribed by the person selected by the Commissioners as arbitrator or umpire, and said oaths shall be entered upon the record of the proceedings of said commission. Claims to be examined. Mode of procedure. ARTICLE IV. The arbitrator or umpire being appointed, the Commissioners shall without delay, proceed to examine and determine the claims specified in the first article, and shall hear, if required, one person in behalf of each Government on each separate claim. Each government shall furnish, at the request of either of the Commissioners, the papers in its possession which may be important to the just determination of any of the claims referred. Papers to be furnished. Decision of commissioners final. ARTICLE V. From the decision of the Commissioners there shall be no appeal; and the agreement of three of them shall give full force and effect to be to their decisions, as well with respect to the justice of their Agreement of three claims as to the amount of indemnification that may be adjudged to the claimants; and in case the Commissioners cannot agree, the points of difference shall be referred to the arbitrator or umpire, before whom the Commissioners may be heard, and his decision shall be final. to be sufficient. Each party shall without appeal. made. ARTICLE VI. The decision of the mixed commission shall be executed without appeal by each of the contracting parties, and it shall be the exer te the decree duty of the Commissioners to report to the respective Governments the result of their proceedings; and if the decision Payments, how of said Commissioners require the payment of indemnities to any of the claimants, the sums determined by the said Commissioners shall be paid by the Government against which they are awarded within one month after said Government shall have received the report of said Commissioners; and for any delay in the payment of the sum awarded after the expiration of said mouth, the sum of six per cent. interest shall be paid during such time as said delay shall continue. Interest. Secretary to the commission. ARTICLE VII. For the purpose of facilitating the labors of the mixed commission, each Government shall appoint a secretary to assist in the transaction of their business and to keep a record of their proceedings, and for the conduct of their business said commissioners are authorised to make all necessary rules. Rules of business. Decisions. ARTICLE VIII. The decisions of this Commission, or of the umpire in case of a difference between the Commissioners, shall be final and conclusive, and shall be carried into full effect by the two contracting parties. The Commission shall terminate its labors in six months from and including the day of its organization; pro Commission to conclude labors in six months. vided, however, if at the time stipulated for the termination of said Commission any case or cases should be pending before the Decision of umpire umpire and awaiting his decision, it is understood and agreed on pending cases. by the two contracting parties that said umpire is authorised to proceed and make his decision or award in such case or cases; and upon his report thereof to each of the two Governments, mentioning the amount of indemnity, if such shall have been allowed by him, such award shall be final and conclusive in the same manner as if it had been made by the Commissioners under their own agreement; provided that said decision shall be made by said umpire within thirty days after the final adjournment of said Commission, and at the expiration of the said thirty days the power and authority hereby granted to said umpire shall cease. ARTICLE IX. Each Government shall pay its own Commissioners and secretary, but the umpire shall be paid, one-half by the Government Expenses of com of the United States and one-half by the Republic of missioners, umpire, Peru. ARTICLE X. &c, The present convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged in the term of four months from the date hereof. In faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same and affixed their respective seals. Done in the city of Lima this twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three. CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON. [L. S. [L. S. PERU, 1868. CONVENTION WITH PERU, RESPECTING CLAIMS. CONCLUDED DECEMBER 4, 1868; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED JUNE 4, 1869; PROCLAIMED JULY 6, 1869. Whereas claims may have, at various times since the signature of the decisions of the mixed commission which met in Lima in July, 1863, been made upon the Government of the United States of America, by citizens of Peru, and have been made by citizens of the United States of America on the Government of Peru; and whereas some of such claims are still pending: The President of the United States of America and the President of Peru, 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 two 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 names Alvin P. Hovey, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America near the Government of Peru; and the President of Peru names His Excellency Doctor Don José Antonio Barrenechea, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and true form, have agreed as follows: Certain claims up ments to be referred to sioners. ARTICLE I. The high contracting parties agree that all claims on the part of corporations, companies, or private individuals, citizens of the on the two Govern United States, upon the Government of Peru, and all claims two Commis on the part of corporations, companies, or private individuals, citizens of Peru, upon the Government of the United States, which may have been presented to either government for its interposition since the sittings of the said mixed commission, and which remain yet unsettled, as well as any other claims which may be presented within the time specified in Article III hereinafter, shall be referred to the two Commissioners, who shall be appointed in the following manner, that is to say: One Commissioner shall be named by the President of the United States, and one by the President of Peru. In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of either Commissioner, or in the event of either Commissioner omitting or ceasing to act as such, the President of the United States or the President of Peru, respectively, shall forthwith name another person to act as Commissioner in the place or stead of the Commissioner already named. The Commissioners so named shall meet at Lima at their earliest convenience after they have been respectively named, not to exceed three months from the ratification of this convention, 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 Peru, respectively, and such declarations shall be entered on the record of the Commission. Provisions as to Umpire. The Commissioners shall then, and before proceeding to other business, name some third person of some third nation to act as an Arbitrator or Umpire in any case or cases on which they may themselves differ in opinion. If they should not be able to agree upon the name of such third person, they shall each name a person of a third nation, and in each and every case in which the Commissioners may differ in opinion as to the decision which they ought to give, it shall be determined 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 to be 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 which shall have already been made and subscribed by the Commissioners, which shall be entered upon the records 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 and different person shall be named as aforesaid to act as such Arbitrator or Umpire in the place and stead of the person so originally named as aforesaid, 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 man ner as they may conjointly think proper, but upon such evidence or information as shall be furnished by or on behalf of their respective Governments. They shall be bound to receive and peruse all written documents or statements which may be presented to them by or on behalf of their 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 agree in opinion on any individual claim, they shall call to their assistance the Arbitrator or Umpire whom they have agreed to name, or who may be determined by lot, as the case may be, and such Arbitrator or Umpire, after having examined the evidence adduced for and against the claim, and after having heard, as required, one person on each side, as aforesaid, and consulted with the Commissioners, shall decide thereupon finally and without appeal. 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. It shall be competent for each Government to name one person to attend the Commissioners as agent 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. Decision of the Commissioners to be final. The President of the United States, and the President of Peru, hereby solemnly and sincerely engage to consider the decision of the Commissioners conjointly, or of the Arbitrator or Umpire, as the case may be, as absolutely final and conclusive upon each claim decided upon by them or him, respectively, and to give full effect to such decisions, without any objections, evasion, or delay whatsoever. It is agreed that no claim arising out of any transaction of a date prior to the 30th of November, 1863, shall be admissible under this convention. ARTICLE III. Every claim shall be presented to the Commissioners within two 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 thereon, and then and in every such case the period for presenting the claim may be extended to any period not exceeding one month longer. The Commissioners shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim within six months from the day of their first meeting. 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 by the one Government to the other, as the case may be, within four months after the date of the decision, without interest, and without any deduction, save as specified in Article VI, hereinafter. ARTICLE V. This Commission The high contracting parties agree to consider the result of the proceedings of this Commission as a full, perfect, and final settlement of every claim upon either Government arising out to be final settlement of any transaction of a date prior to the exchange of the prior to exchange of ratifications of the present convention; and further engage of all claims, &c., ratifications. |