The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-26
OUR LONDON LETTER.

IySm Our olOn Correspondent
LONDON, June 13, 1871.
Earl Russells motion, condemnatory of the
Retrospective liability clause in the Treaty OF
Washington, was discussed in the House OF
Lords la night, and, after most animated
debate, was negatived without division. One
service at least the motion has done us; we have
heard the assaable points of the treaty sharply
criticized and had all the pros and cons OF the
matter brought into the light OF day. Lord Kus-
sell devoted most of his speech Gas had been an
ticipated) to q detailed narrative of
all the circumstances connected with the
Alabama's escape. But his attack was
definitely made-the Government has agreed
to be Judged by rules that 1t declares did not ex-
list at the time when the acts complained OF
were done; and Lord Salisbury pressed the point
with acrimonious force, pointing out with some
truth the new burden that neutrals Will hence
forward have to bear, if they have to consider
not only what international law is but what
this or that belligerent may think it ought to
be. Earl Granville admitted his regret and dis
appointment-which, l may say parenthetically,
are widely felt in the country-that our COM
missioners failed to obtain recognition OF the
Fenian claims; 'but, said he, 1--WE did not press
these claims, because, knowing that in the
present state of parties it would be impossible
of them, we had to consider whether we ought
to destroy all the fruits of the High Commis
sion and allow third failure to be the result of
the negotiation He ended with a few words
in praise of the part taken in the treaty by
General Schenck, who was present during the
debate. All who spoke agreed that the fisheries
clauses must be left to the Dominion Parlia-
ment's judgment.
Serious political discussion claims precedence
in my letter, but you must not suppose that it
is in fact the leading topic of conversation this
week. No; ''Baronet or Butcher" is the one
absorbing question that is debated daily in every
place where men and women meet, from Not
ting Hill to Bloomsbury, and from Highgate to
Belgravia. The claimant himself-for it is of
course to the famous Tichborne Baronetcy claim
that allude-has now been for some days in
the witness-box, where he is tried in the furnace
of a cross-examination as penetrating, probably,
as ever mortal had to bear. He has been accom-
modated with an easy-chair in the box in con-
sideration of his six-and-twenty-stone weight,
but the indulgence has not prevented his health
from giving way SO seriously as to have rendered
frequent adjournments of the court necessary.
The public interest in the case seems to grow
with every day that it is prolonged. Never was
a better subject for people to take sides upon,
the issue being so simple:-Is the claimant Sir
Roger Tiehborne, or is he not?-and the argu-
ments on both sides being, in appearance at any
rate, pretty equally overwhelming. The only
peaceable course seems TO be to suspend ones
judgment till all the evidence has been heard and
the jurymen have given their verdict on it.
great deal of grave talk about our national
defenses has been excited by that able magazine
article "The Battle of Dorking," to which i
have already called your attention. The author
has preserved his incog. as yet with unusual
success. Rumor hints him young artillery
officer, but his writing is surely that of man
who has seen little service. Not few mill
tary experts have promulgated the uncomfort-
able doctrine that 10000 men, landed on our
coast by surprise, might entrench themselves in
three hours sufficiently to cover the disembarka-
tion of the main body of an invading army. If
this be so it is at least advisable that we should
assure ourselves without delay that any such
landing by surprise is an impossibility, even
though we may have good reason for holding
that the discipline and shooting powers of our
volunteers might be trusted against any enemy
meeting them at Dorking or elsewhere.
Although we are shivering in overcoats and
sealskins through the coolest and most windy
June that has been known in England for many
long year, London is full to overhowing, and
lodging-room In good hotels is almost as diff
cult to get as seat In Parliament. The huge
Langham, which, after going through the usual
stage of driving its first owners into insolvency,
seems to be paying its present proprietary fairly
well, is making itself still huger by the erection
of new wing; and General Schenck has had to
take refuge in the South Kensington Hotel, far
away on the very outposts of Belgravia. Why
does not Congress establish the American
Legation in some permanent 'local habitaton"
worthy of the great nation whch it represents?
1t may be Irrational but it is none the less true,
that we should all realize the presence and i'm
portance of the United States Minister among
us much more Yiyidly than we do if he had some
well-known official headquarters in London.
In lecture on his late visit to the States,
delivered on Saturday, Tom Hughes spoke with
enthusiasm of Philadelphia. The beauties of
contrasted color afforded by the red brick and
white marble houses and the lines and clumps
of bright-foliaged trees in street and square
have clearly taken strong hold upon his recol-
lection and he talked of them with an apprecia-
tion that doubtless made the New Workers and
Bostonites among his audience trife jealous.
The railway system of the West, the general
interest in newspapers, and freedom at the same
time from slavery to leading articles, and the
Massachusetts liquor laws, formed the principal
topics of the lecture.
The legal papers are aghast and melancholy
at the contemplation of the sanguine crowds
of educated young men that are thronging
into both branches of the profession.
For every morsel Of work that wants
doing there are a dozen competent
heads disengaged and ready. What reasonable
chance, then, can any average man be taken to
have who is called to the har ar adm tad an Of.