The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-08
Rritish Neutrality.

Ii may OF may not be owing entirely to the
example OF our Mr.. Banks, but at any rate the
british Government has undertaken in earn-
cS' 'he business OF revising the laws of the
realm bearing upon neutrality. To this end a
Royal Commission has been appointed. con-
slstins OF twelve noblemen and gentlemen a
KIND OF aristocratic jury, who will really he
| trying the Alabama case while pretending
| merely TO consider the working of the present
| laws. For IL they decide that the laws must
| be amended in order to bring them into full
conformity with International obligations, they
| OF course decide that such obligations are
| more exacting than the laws, and as obliqd-
tons certainly binding in the case of the Ala
bama. The appointment of this Commission
was announced in the London Gazette, Feb.
5. As its composition is rather interesting in
view OF the negotiations now pending between
MIR. Seward and Lord Stanley, we copy from
the Philadelphia Press, the following notes,
evidently from the pen of Mr.. r. Shelton Mac
kenzie, respecting what are called the antece-
dents OF the Commissioners:
1. Baron Cranworth, aged n, was a common
law and equity jndge from 1889, to December
1852, whom he was made Lord Chancellor
which office he held until February 1858; was
reappointed in 1861, on the death of Lord Camp
bell, and remained in Office until June 1876
| He was one OF the abiest of the law-lords a
| decided liberal in his views, and has not OK
| pressed any opinion, in public, ON American
| secession
2. Baron Houghton aged SO, better known
as a writer OF verses than a legislator though
| he sat in the House of Commons for twenty-six
| years, then being Mr.. Monckton Mines. Was
| raised to the peerage in 1868. Has not shown
| any enmity to the American cause
8. Sir Hugh Cairns, Lord Justice of Appeal
| is 4S years old, born and educated in Ireland
l represented Belfast in the House of Commons
| from 1857 to 1866. Was Lord Derby's Solicitor
| General IN 1859 and is generally acknowl-
| edged to be the most able and brilliant LAWYER
| at the English chancery bar since the untimely
| death of Sir William Follet. Is understood to
| have regarded the $50 called Southern Confed-
Grafton" with some degree of sy mpathy and fa-
vor.
A. Sir Stephen Lushington, Judge of the
| Admiralty Court, is 50 years old and is not
| free from the suspicion of decided leaning to-
wards Rebeldom.
o. Sir William Erie, late Chief Justice of
the Court of Common Pleas for twenty years,
| is "A years old, and lately retired from the
| Bench. -He is an able lawyer, just man, and
no friend of snch law breakers as Rebels
i q. Sir George w. w. Bramwell, one of the
Barons of the Court of Exchequer since 1856, is
| % years old, and was one of the Judges (Sir
| Frederick being the chief who sat ON the AL
exandria case--may be considered as probably
leaning towards the Secessionists
Z. Sir Robert j. Phillimore, 81 wears old. is
| the Queens Advocate General, and it was his
very c0RUenient illness, when complaint was
made of the Alabama being fitted out as a p-
| rate, nominally in the Confederate service, 50
/ delayed proceedings against her that she slip
i ped out TO sea an hour SO before orders to
stop and seize her were received at the Custom
/ House, Liverpool.
| ney General to the respective administrations
| (lS6l--lSG6) of Lord Palmerston and Russell
and, OF course, participated in their Lordships'
| antagonism TO the American Unon
| 0. DIR. Travers Twiss, now 81 years old. ia
Chancellor of the Diocese of London (appoint-
| ed in 1851 and has written several works on
| international law-his first published in 1886,
being The Oregon Question Examined with
respect to Facts and the Law of Nations" He
| would probably be unpreiudiced on this new
inquiry.
10. William George Granville venable Yer
non Harcourt is Queens counsel, and author
| of the anti-American letters in the London
| Times signed "Historicus."
H. William Henry Gregory, NJ p for Gal
| way county, is 81 years old, and all through
| our Rebellion, was the agent-generally said
to have been the paid agent-of the Secession
| lists.
II. William Edward Forester, NJ p. for the
| English borough of Bradford, is 40 years old .
connected by marriage with Mr.. Bright, and
nauhS ior MS own Wife the eldest daughter of
the late DIR. Arnold, of Rugby. Mr.. Foster is
the warm and eloquent friend of Union in this
country.
An analysis of these notes shows that seven
OF the Commissioners are considered more or
less hostile TO the claims of the United States;
four, probably impartial; while one only Is
avowedly fiiendly-to this country. Under the
circumstances we shall hardly expect from the
Royal Commission a report recommending so
sweeping change of policy as Mr. Banks pro-
posed TO the American Congress.