The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-19 00:00:00

AGItICIJLTURAL PROSPECTS.

The agricultural prospects have by no means been
improved this past week. The continued wet and the
continued low temperature are gradually spoiling the
wheat crops. We shall have a bad harvest if this
weather continue long.

FOREIGN NOTES.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
Mr. Motley, the successor of Mr. Reverdy Johnson, was
to set sail for England yesterday. On the 2nd inst. he had
a long interview with President Grant, and another with
Mr. Fish, who has taken Mr. Seward's place. Some specific
information as to what transpired at these final con fere”-^s
is given in various quarters. The Times Philadelphia -
respondent is very precise. This authority telegraphs that
Mr. Motley has been entrusted with power of direct action,
but only in case the Alabama question is again brought
forward by England. "It is understood that they (the
Ambassador's instructions) maintain the ground here-
tofore assumed by the American Government, avoiding
the extravagance of Mr. Sumner's propositions. The
question of England's moral responsibility for the results
of the Neutrality Proclamation of May 1861 is still insisted
on for reference to arbitration, and if decided against Eng-

land, then all damages resulting therefrom will be pressed
for payment. For the present Mr. Motley is not himself
to take any steps towards reopening the controversy."
The New York Herald says that the policy of the new
Ambassador is to be based on Mr. Sumner's speech ; but
" there is to be no hurry in reopening negotiations." The
London correspondent of the Independence Beige deems
himself authorised to affirm that Mr. Motle'y's instruc-
tions are based upon a thorough spirit of concilia-
tion, and that no demand in any way likely
to lead to war will be made. The writer
adds that Lord Clarendon, after the rejection of the treaty,
and before Mr. Motley received his directions from
General Grant's Cabinet, wrote to Washington desiring
to be informed as to the nature and extent of the conces-
sions which the American Government was disposed to
make. The British Minister very plainly left it to be
inferred that any negotiation on the basis of Mr. Sumner's
demands would be mere waste of time.
The information of the Times and the New York Herald,
it will be seen, support the statements already made that
Mr. McVey will come to. England with virtually no
policy at all. He will, indeed, have his terms ready in
case the English Government desires to treat,
but he will not reopen negotiations unless
England take the initiative. America will preserve
an attitude of " masterly inactivity." On this important
point the New York journals are pretty unanimous. The
Tribune remarks that Mr. Motley will do nothing more
than " tell the British Secretary for Foreign A (fairs that
we are assured in our position, and can afford to wait."
America does not threaten war, nor raids upon Canada
and the West Indies, says the Tribune—as if anybody in
England needed such an assurance. The Herald, as is the
custom of American papers, sent a correspondent to
"draw Mr. Sumner out." The journalist found the
senator busily engaged, but though "delving at a mass of
letters and papers," he had yet time to entertain the
representative of the Herald, and allowed himself to be
" drawn out " to the extent of well nigh a column of print.
But it does not appear that anything of particular moment
was elicited. Mr. Sumner was very hard upon England
and upon Mr. MacCreery, the unhappy Democratic
senator who voted alone for the ratification of Mr.
Reverdy Johngon's treaty. He was quite sane that Eng-
land was in the wrong, and that she would at length be
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