OCR Text |
Show The Pious Fund Again. SOME time ago, and before the international inter-national court of arbitration began be-gan its inquiry at The Hague, we published an explanation of the Pious Fund, along with the contentions of the republics of the United States and Mexico regarding the claim set up by the former. Some of our readers skipped this article at the time of its publication, and row that the decision of the court has awakened, interest, they ask for information. A few of them want to know what portion of the Pious Fund will be applied to this section sec-tion of the country, which ' formerly was Mexican territory, or if It will be applied entirely to California, because it was designated as the "Pious Fund of California." Answering such inquiries briefly, we begin at The Hague. On the 14th of October the international court of arbitration ar-bitration brought to an end its consideration con-sideration of the Pious Fund case between be-tween the United States and Mexico, giving a unanimous verdict in favor of this country. According to the telegram tele-gram sent from William L. Penfield, one of the United States counsel, to the ste department at Washington, "all our contentions involved in re Judicata are sustained by the tribunal and the full amount of - the claim is awarded." This means that Mexico must pay 51,420,682, Mexican currency, and an annual sum forever of $43,051. Dr. Matzen, president of the court, declared de-clared that a revision of the sentence was impossible unless new facts came to light. ..... Now concerning the Pious Fund itself. it-self. This disputed fund was established estab-lished by certain pious folk (hence the name) of Syain and Mexico back in 1697 for the support of Clithoiic missions mis-sions among the Indians of California. In 1767 the Jesuits who held the fund were driven from the country and the Spanish government assumed the trust, which in turn devolved on Mexico when that colony acquired independence. When upper California was ceded to ta.s country Mexico ceased to pay to the missions there the portion of the income due them. The matter has been in dispute since 1868, and at last was referred by Mexico and the Unjted States to The Hague tribunal for arbitration. ar-bitration. The award of the court has the appearance ap-pearance of being a big lump of money, and so it is when offered in Mexican, dollars. The value of Mexican coin, however, is rated the same as the market mar-ket value of silver bullion, and this practically results in cutting the Pious Fund award in two, making its value yt-:. l -: in round numbers J700.000 instead of $1,400,000. It must not' be forgotten, too, that the legal expense of bringing the matter to court has been considerable, consider-able, andthis has been borne by Archbishop Arch-bishop Riordan." When all these things are counted up, it will be seen that the Pious Fund is not such a windfall as many have magnified it. How will it be applied? Nobody just yet can answer that question decisively, decisive-ly, unless it be Archbishop. Riordan himself. He is now in Rome, or at least was there on Saturday last, where he had an audience with the pope4and afterwards mingled with the Irish pil grims who came to Rome to congratulate congratu-late his holiness. The dispatches say that Archbishop Riordan was surprised at the thorough way in which the pontiff pon-tiff grasped the whole matter of the Pious Fund, and with his complete (knowledge of affairs in this country. It may happen that Bishop Scanlan will receive a small part of the fund in order to carry out missionary work among the Indians of Nevada and Utah. But regarding, the detailed disposition dis-position of the Pious Fund of California Califor-nia Bishop Scanlan is in no position at this time to impart knowledge. |