Whereas, pursuant to the convention between the United States and Spain for the adjustment of the question of reclamation arising from the capture of the Virginius, entered into upon the 27th February, 1875, and duly ratified upon the 11th day of March, 1875, the Spanish Government engaged to deliver to the United States the sum of $80,000, or 400,000 pesetas, for the purpose of the relief of the families of those of the ship’s company and of such of the passengers as were citizens of the United States who were executed, and to afford compensation to such of the ship’s company and to such passengers as in like manner were citizens of the United States who were detained and suffered loss, excluding from any participation therein all individuals indemnified as British subjects; and

Whereas it was therein further provided that when such amount should have been received the President of the United States would proceed to distribute the same among the parties entitled thereto, in the form and manner which he may judge most equitable; and

Whereas such amount has been duly paid at Madrid and the proceeds thereof are now in possession of the Government of the United States: 

Now, therefore, pursuant to the provisions of article 3 of said convention, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby direct that such amount so received shall be distributed among the parties entitled thereto in the following amounts and proportions and pursuant to the following rules: 

I. The amounts allowed are determined with a general reference to the rates of wages of officers and crew.  All of the ship’s company (constituting the crew) are to be regarded and considered as American seamen; but inasmuch as the British Government has demanded and received from Spain certain indemnity and promises of further conditional indemnity for and on account of certain of the crew as being British subjects, those of the crew or passengers who were British subjects, or who have been claimed as such by the British Government, and for whom the British Government demanded or received indemnity from Spain, are to be excluded from the distribution to be made of the indemnity above referred to.

II.  Distribution will be made on account of those who were executed as follows: 

For each one (being thirteen in number) of the ship’s company rated or serving as fireman, mariner, cook, cabin boy, or otherwise than as one of the officers or petty officers hereafter mentioned, who was executed, and excluding those referred to above, and also to each passenger who was executed, being at the time an American citizen, the sum of $2,500.

For each assistant engineer, second, third, fourth engineer or third mate, 40 per cent in addition to the above sum; that is to say, $3,500 each.

For the first mate and first engineer, 80 per cent in addition to the said above-mentioned sum; that is to say, $4,500 each.