The New York herald., 1868-03-13

for which we owed them reparation. What the
Americans had claimed was that tney snou,n De
to convince the arbitrator that the depredatons OF
the Alabama would not have taken place o. al or ~
for that unfriendly act on our part. Whetner tnlA
was good argument he would not say. But II ~ were
be allowed to use it ana il it were not reiavant,
why should this country stipulate Tor IT'S excusons
For II we were to stpulate Tor tne OF every
frivolous or Irrelevant argument he feared there would
be very long list OF such stipulatons. surely
any one competent TO arbitrate between Two
great States was competent TO decide what
arguments were relavant and what were not.
No impartial person would have any diniculty III
what arguments they pleased. and to listen to any
thine that might be urged against the conduct OF this
country by way OF aggrayation OF tne claim against
only by the check imposed by the good sense and
forbearance Of the disputants on the other side.
They might stpulae on their part that this country
should not irrelevant arguments, but they have
not done so. (Hear hear.) This, however, was only
Of ,Re oa sy the noble as
OF solving this question In some other way than by
arbitration. Indeed, he did not see for what arbi-
tration specially required In this country at
present. Who were disposed to deny that we owed
reparatiOn In some sort OF degree to the United
Of this opinion. This, therefore was not a case in
which arbitration was wanted II we owed any
thing we must pay u; and what we wanted was some
one to say, not whether we ought to pay, but how
much and this would be best decided not by arbitra-
tion, but by mixed commission. (Hear, hear) The
u
tgate the claims In each particular case and to
say what might be rejected altogether and what had
the Alabama and to ascertain, in fact what damage
the commerce Of the United States had received from
our negligence in allowing the Alabama to leave our
ports lie could not but think that there was great
Increase Of good and friendly feeling both sides Of
the water. There were few people in this country
who did not believe the arbitrator would decide
against u.s. and that would be exceedingly bad for the
interest OF this country that he should do SO. Hear
hear In such state Of affairs, II some person, he
"a mann
Americans, were sent to them, and II nego-
admission that we owed them reparatiOn, and that
the object was merely to ascertain the amount, he
dIcuIty in arriving at settlement % witSont roine
beyond the two dispatches. He earnestly hoped that
something OF this kind was intended in the hint
which Mr.. Seward had thrown out. The great point
for consideration that there should be settle
ment of what was the real law Of nations ON this
matter, and that question was settled when we ad-
mitted that reparatOn was due from us. II this
country admitted that we owed reparation for acts
which the Alabama, without any intention on our
ternatonal law which might again be the subject Of
quarrel would, so far as these two countries
Mr. GLADSTONE-The observations have to make
very few, and they will be confined to the point
close without expressing my obligations to my hon
Orable friend the member for Reading for the very
temperate and able manner In which he brought this
subject before the House. am bound also to express
my obligations to the noble Lord the Secretary Of
State for Foreign Affairs account Of the statement
which he has made here That was speech of the
most thorough equity, both to those who preceded
him In office and those with whom he has come in con-
tact during these very difficult negotiations Hear
hear.) In referring to the proceedings of Earl
Russell he fairly stated the difference made
by time and circumstances In the nature OF the same
proposal when it proceeds from the same parties
Bearing that In mind think may admit that the
noble lord, when he determined to make his proposal
out in any degree compromising the honor OF this
country took step which was likely to lead to the
termination OF difficulty OF very serious charac.
ter / listened with great respect to the speech OF
my honorable friend who has just sat down, and
there was one material point in which ! con-
cur. cannot understand from the papers
on what precise point it was that the negOta-
tions came to close. MY honorable friend how
ever, put q construction upon the expressions
used by Mr. Seward In declining to waive his title to
bring certain question before the arbtrarOrs which
was entirely different from the construction Of the
noble Lord. i must own that on reading these
papers, having no other source Of information open
to me, am not able to decide what was really the
meaning Of Mr.. Seward and in what manner he in
tended to treat the question of belgerent rights
when 1t should come before the arbitrator II lie in
tended SO to treat II as TO obtain the Judgment OF the
recognition, then that s one respect OF the case;
but II Mr. Seward intended to treat as matter Of
collateral illustration and to show, incidentally,
the mischief which resulted to the United States
as consequence Of that act, or to show that we
were not sufficiently alive to our duty neutrals
then the question has assumed quite different
aspect own that II the effect Of the speech Of the
noble lord had been to leave the House without any
prospect OF the practical resumption of the nego
tiaton should have regarded with very great pain
and regret what appeared to me to be an ambiguity
who has just sat down may be right In the cOnstruc-
ton which he puts on the words OF Mr.. Seward. II
we look narrowly at the words Of Mr.. Seward In his
letter OF the 10Th OF November, 1867, all that he
refuses is to waive, bya preliminary admission, his
title to contend before the arbitration that the
Queens proclamation was not justified. ] think
may proceed with safety far to congratulate the
noble lord on the effect which he evidently had pro-
duced In the mind OF Mr.. Seward between the date
at which Mr. Seward first proposed to refer the whole
controversy as It originally stood in the papers and
the date at which he made the comparatively limited
claim that he should not be required by preliminary
admission to waive his contention before the arbi-
traton; that the matter Of the Queens proclamation
Is relevant TO the main issue. am bound, however,
to say that in one opinion expressed by my honor
able friend who has just spoken | am not able
to concur, ana notice 1t simply because 1t is de-
sirable that a misunderstanding should exist on a
point OF fact. understood my honorable friend TO
say that he thought there no, at least but
few, members of this House who would hesitate to
admit that reparation In some form other is due
nom us to the United States In the matter OF the
Alabama; and he treated the speech of the noble
lord as having conveyed on the part Of the noble
lord the admission that although we might go before
the arbitrator, 10 would he with the expectation that
the arbitration would he against us). confess, sir,
that whether rightly OF wrongly. did not SO under
stand the speech of the noble lord QIear hear)
But whether understood rightly or wrongly the noble
lords speech, must frankly own that although
should be thoroughly satisfied IL this question he
brought before the Judgment OF tribunal more Inn
partial than our own. Yet | certainly am not pre-
pared to make the admission which my honorable
ITItuu NiiikS VIII universally anu without question
be maze. The reparation as due from us 10 America
In the natterofthe Alabama question: of whether what
may fairly he called lacnes can be charged against
US In the case, take to be the very question which
IL to be referred. (liear hear) But undoubtedly, II
We are all OF opinion II The great majority Of us
OF opinion that the arbitrator Is 90 decide against
us, the meaning Of that IL that we are of
opinion We have committed an International
wrong and IL we have committed such %
wrong then ought not to 30 before the
arbitrator at all. lIlear, hear) But we should by
action Of our own tender reparation. GIear, hearl
United States should feel that they have cause OF
complaint n the case OF the Alabama. On the other
hand, confess IL appears 10 me tnat when we so
before an arbitrator IL we do go before him, may
do so witha perfectly good and clear conscience pre-
pared to demand that II any failure or miscarriage
has occurred-and no doubt some failure or miscar-
riage did occur-it was failure or miscarriage
OF such nature as Is necessarily Incidental TO
all administration OF laws by human hands,
and that we may very fairly and with
perfect honor abide the issue, whatever II
may be. tlear, hear) I confess also that am
afraid II rightly understand my honorable friend,