The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-22 00:00:00

I3ITRISON3IENT OF A CHILD.

The singular case of arresting a child, 14 years of
age, for debt, has received some further explana-
tions. The case was heard in the Judge's Chambers
on Friday, when it was stated that in November last
the plaintiff sought to eject one Richard Evans
from some premises, which he claimed. An
affidavit was made by Emily Cope, the elder
sister of the imprisoned girl, to the effect that she
and her sisters were the landladies of the premises in
question. Emily Cope was not of age, but she and
her sisters made an affidavit before a magistrate in
the matter. The affidavit contained statements
which, in the judge's opinion, were groundless, and
he ordered the Copes to pay the plaintiff the costs
which he had been put to by them. The costs and writ
amounted to the sum of £53 lls. 3d., for which
the girl Elizabeth was arrested. The judge, on
hearing the full particulars on Friday, expressed
great surprise, and ordered the child to be released
from custody and exonerated from the payment of
costs. Meanwhile the plaintiff's attorney has written
to the Times defending his client from the charge of
inhumanity, as neither he nor the attorney wis
aware of the age of Elizabeth Cope. As they knew
that she was the youngest of three sisters, all under
age the public impression of unnecessary harshness
is not likely to be removed by this plea.

FOREIGN NOTES.
IFJECTION OF THE " ALABAMA " TREATY.

The Alabama Claims Convention has been the one topic
of discussion in America since the text reached the States,
and its rejection is i4oNv gravely occupying public opinion
in England. All the leading papers discuss it, and almost
all in a kindred spirit, amid general regret that public
sentiment in America should be so hostile to England. The
opinion is equally general that England has esoaped mischief
by this rejection. The Times will not regret any postpone.
ment, however indefinite, of the ratification by the Senate,
nor will it deeply lament if the Convention be immediately
rejected. If it should appear that the rejection of the Con-
vention has been agreed upon by the Senate upon such
grounds as were submitted in Mr. Upton's petition, we
shall be compelled to adopt one of two conclusions—
either that there is a disposition in the Senate to main-
tain an unfriendly feeling towards this country among
the citizens of the United States, or that a resolu-
tion has been formed to advance pretensions which are
incapable of being settled by peaceful diplomacy. In
either event, the rejection of the Convention would leave
our national conscience clear—clear, we are frank enough
to admit, to a degree we have not hitherto known in this
matter. The Times believes that the prospect of a good
understanding between the two countries will not be en-
dangered by the decision of the Senate, foreshadowed by
the Foreign Committee. A new and better treaty will soon
take the place of the dangerous agreement which Mr.
Reverdy Johnson brought about.
The Daily News believes that the whole subject
will now be re-discussed from a point of view
less favourable to America. The English people have
put themselves right before the moral judgment of the
world by these concessions. The Standard concludes that
England has gone as far as she can in willingness to meet
their views, and that she will yield no further. The
Telegraph and the Post both note that the more England
concedes, the more America is inclined to demand. It
remains for the United States Government to come
forward with its scheme of settlement.
in America, on the other hand, is
The tone of opinion
not less decisive. We have already given various quota-
tions from one of the leading New York papers, and in
one or two cases only was the Convention discussed in any
conciliatory spirit. For . the first time we hear the
Alabama spoken s
of as a "pirate." The Spirit of
the Times gabhih
series of very strong articles
c a
on the Convention. The editor is a personal
friend of the President elect. This journal considers
us responsible only for the ships burned, but for the
commerce
whi
which
An
glo-Rebel pirates" drove from the
sea. Many of the dailies write moderately, but only one
or two support the Convention. None of them, in their
indignation against English hostility to the United States,
say anything about the bullying of England by America
—the sympathy with our enemies in all our wars, the tone
of American statesmen in their despatches, the foments of
the Fenian movement. If the balance were struck between
English and American animus, there can be little doubt
tage of moderation would lie.
oil which side the advan