188 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



all existing claims of citizens or subjects of the one 

 Government against the other, but only claims for 

 acts committed against persons or property on either 

 side between certain defined dates, that is, durino; 



/ O 



the pendency of actual hostilities in the United States. 

 It is a provision, supplementary in effect to the pre 

 ceding clauses of the Treaty, conceived in the appar 

 ent-intention of thus closing up all subjects of conten 

 tion growing out of our Civil War. 



The Commission was duly organized by the ap 

 pointment of Mr. Russell Gurney, Commissioner on 

 the part of Great Britain, and Mr. James S. Frazer, 

 on the part of the United States, and of Count Corti, 

 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary 

 of Italy, Commissioner named conjointly by the two 

 Governments. 



The Treaty contains detailed provisions for the 

 prosecution of the business before the Commission, to 

 be completed within two years from the day of their 

 first meeting; and the contracting parties engage to 

 consider the decision of the Commissioners absolutely 

 final and conclusive on each claim decided by them, 

 to give full effect to such decision without any ob 

 jection, evasion, or delay whatsoever, and to consid 

 er every claim comprehended within the jurisdiction 

 of the Commissioners as finally settled, barred, and 

 thenceforth inadmissible, from and after the conclu 

 sion of the proceedings of the Commission. 



The Commissioners assembled at Washington on 

 the 26th of September, 1871, and are assiduously en 

 gaged in the determination of the claims submitted 



