The sun., 1870-10-27
The Alabama Claims.

EnSland owes various citizens Of the
United States about thirteen millions of
dollars for damages caused by the operations
OF the rcoel cruiser Alabama. These claims
belong to merchants of this city, TO insurance
companies, and TO shipowners in various
parts of the country. England is willing to
settle them. Mr.. JouN A. PARKER, Pres.
dent of the Great Western Insurance Com
pany, has been informed by gentlemen who
at his request have confulted Lord CLAIR
ESDoS and other Brit sh statesmen upon
the subject, that if the United States Govern
ment will consent, England will adjust the
amount due in each case and pay il. Upon
receipt of this Information, application was
made at Washington for the consent Of our
Government to such settlement of the
controversy. That consent was refused Con.
gress was then ssked to take means TO have
the amount OF the claims officially ascer.
tanned and TO buy them, so that the Govern.
mont, which alone assumes TO negotiate upon
the subject might alone be pecuniarly inter
ested This. however, WAS also refused aud
we learn fr m tie JOura0i If Commerce that
the owners of the claims are now about to
make new effort to obtain n settlement from
Great Britain independently of the action of
our Government.
The proposed proceeding ia iljudgcd
The question is political anl International rs
well as pecuniary, No individual or nssoc-
alton h individuals can negotiate upon such
a IN altar ,1.itl, tla I,ovnrnun- nj nf f,,rai ~
country. Even if these claims were TO be
purchased by Englishmen and duly ass gncd
to them, so tina; the pecuniary interest would
be exclusively between British subj ccts and
the British Crown the Government OF the
United States would still have to settle with
the Government of England. No other
agency except the Government OF the United
States exists or can exist by which such a
negotiation could be conducted, or the prin.
ciplca of international right determined, up
on which alone n settlement can be las d.
The idea of attempting such private ar
rangement as is contemplated by Mr..
PARKER's inquiries in England, or by the
| movement now on foot, is entirely fallacious.
The Administration of Gen. GRANT, weak
| and rcmiss az il has been in almost every
| thing, has nowhere been weaker or more
romiss than in its treatment Of this subject.
The whole matter might long ago have been
disposed OF aud tho money paid TO the claim.
ants, if we had had n President and Sccre
tary of State adequate to their duties. The
right course for the owners OF these claims
to take is 10 subject the Administration to
such power of public opinion as will com
| pei them 10 move clliciently in the matter
| The first thing to Do done is 10 secure the
| appointment of a suitable Minister to Eng
land. President GRANT has dnwdled will
this appointment long enough, hawking il
about the country 10 mon who could nor or
would not take 1t. His negotiation will
Senator MoRToN affords a complete illusira
tion Of his general method. When he frs
asked that S,nator to become Minister Il
England, he received n positive refusal No
content with this, he insisted upon Mr., Mon
TONS taking the office; and finally, eucl
was his pertnacty that he obtained from
him a qualified acceptance. MIR. MoRTo!
| was wiling 10 take II II the cloctlon IN In
diana should turn out favorably for the Ro
publcans. That election has resulted other
wise; and now Mr. MoRroN has renewe,
his refusal, and the President, after all hi
frivolous efforts. is still without Minister t.
England.
Let the Alabama claimants insist on hi
adopting more sensible course. Let then
urge upon him the example of England il
her selection of a member of the great mel
camille house of Barring Brothers to come I
the United States in 1911 for the arrang,
ment Of the northeastern boundary disput
Let Gen. GRANT choose some one of ou
loading merchants 10 90 to England to se
tie the Alabama question. Lot him tax
such a man an Mr. MARSHALL o. ROI
| LHls. Mr.. GEORGE orDyKI. Col. f