The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-02

PECULIARLY UNFORTUNATE.


PECULIARLY UNFORTUNATE
Admitting thar these British claims are Just and
ought to be settled, Senators best informed on the
subject hold that they are not Of the same character
as our claims and should not be placed the same
footing. Most OF the properly taken, II not all OF it,
came into our hands In the ordinary exigencies OF
war. There was no generalization, no knowledge
on our part as to whom the property belonged
as there was In the case OF the English
when they fitted out pirates to prey upon
vessels carrying the Dag or the United STATES. It
IA the opinion or Senators who have taken great
pains to examine the subject that all the English
claims that can be presented will far exceed our
modest money demands for the depredati0ns or the
anRlo-rebel cruisers. These claims are reckoned by
Englishmen at from
FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MILLIONS STERLING,
while the Alabama claims, as they are called are
generally set down at $l5,OOoOOo. 1t Will be OBJ
served from this THAI according to English cacula
tton their claims against US exceed ours against
them by about $aO,oO0,oOO. According to this the
result Of this part OF the treaty win be that will
be compelled to pay out OF tho national treasury q
UNI to Great Britain, instead OF re-
cerving anything In the way Of damages
As prominent person In conversation
to-day said, "After having taxed our people
to pay the expenses Of war prolonged
at least two years, II not longer, by the action OF
Great Britain, we will be compelled to tax them
yet more to pay for property taken the result Of
that war and the prosecution OF It." One OF the
provisions OF the treaty is TO the effect that here.
after neither the United states nor Great Britain
shall sell vessels to other Powers or
ALLOW THEM TO DE BUILT
and fitted out In their ports for privateering pur
poses. This seems to be intended to prevent the
possibility OF future Aiabamas, Foridas and Shenan-
doahs. 1t Is suggested that this new principle OF
international law comes little too late. With re.
gard to
THE FISHERY QUESTION,
the treaty provides that the fishermen OF the United
States shall ne allowed 10 fish inside the marine
league or three miles from the shore from which
they have heretofore been excluded provided GER
tain sum OF money s paid the Canadian authorities.
They are also allowed to fish from headland to
.headland. This is regarded here as more of sue.
for the Canadians than for the American fisher.
men. The latter could probably have obtained as
liberal concessions long ago from the Canadians
without either a Joint High Commission or treaty
TIE SAN JUAN QUESTION
is not absolutely settled by the treaty. Like the
Alabama claims 1t IL left open for arbitration. The
American Commissioners are OF opinion that the
arbitration will result in giving the boundary line
80 long claimed. This, however, Is regarded as Of
Germs particularly only the people Of the Pacific
coast The treaty provides for the free navigation
OF the St. Lawrence by American vessels and for
the use OF
THE CANADIAN CANALS
upon the payment Of the regular toll. This Is the
only clear decisive concession to the United States
In the treaty. Considering that the canals and the
st. Lawrence are only open for navigation aboutsix
months in the year, this cannot be regarded as OF
vital Importance. The effect OF 1t will be to make
Montreal instead Of New York the outlet to the
ocean for the produce OF the Northwest;
that Is, 80 much Of II az can be shipped by way OF
the st. Lawrence and the woand Canal Such are
he main points Of the treaty which ia to be sub
mitted to the Senate the 10th inst. While 1t Is
Improvement in some respects upon the Clarendon.
Johnson treaty 1t Is considered TO be hardly up to
the standard Of
SENATOR SUMMERS FAMOUS SPEECH
on that convention, which at the time received the
approval OF the great mass Of the American people.
New York paper to-day gives prominence to the
substance OF leading article on "The Work OF tho
Joint High Commission which appeared in one OF
the " ashington weekly papers yesterday, "said,"
the correspondent writes, ito be from the
pen Of Caleb Gushing, which foreshadows.
1t Is understood, more clearly and more
accurately than any previous publication,
ut least tho basis Of the great treaty." The
name Of CaleD Gushing, who Is the Attorney OF the
State Department. is probably coupled with the
article on account Of the general accuracy OF the
statements made In It. There ID positive authority,
however, for stating that It ts not from tho pen Of
Caleb Gushing, but IL Ia questionable whether the
venerable legal adviser OF the State Department
could readily have given Q much more correct ac-
count Of 'the work Of the Joint High Commission"
It Is understood that Caleb Cushing mas not been
systematically consulted about the business; but
that, the contrary, our Commissioners have, for
the most part, kept their own counsels and acted
according to their own Judgment It now appears
that II they had the work to do over again
they would not have been 80 reticent, but
would have sought information and opinions
in quarters outside the sacred circle OF the
Commission, With reference to the article itself the
readers of the HERALD would easily perceive
that 1t is like former editorial on the same sub.
ject In the same paper some Sundays since, only
careful collation. OF tho statements, and in some In
stances OF the phrases, which have appeared from
time to time IN the special dispatches OF the
HERALD. The elaborate special despatch Of
week ago to-day from here TO the HERALD
contains summary OF the situation OF
the questions before the Joint High
Commission up to that period. 1t has created con-
siderable comment IN Official and diplomatic circles
here and has been pronounced by those who know
all the facts to be substantially correct in all
tal particulars indeed, 1t Is matter OF some
prise to many people how the HERALD has been able
to obtain so much information about the discussions
OF this High Commission, when sucn extraordinary
care has, been taken to keep everything
concerning Its proceedings 80 profoundly
secret. the HEsALD's dispatches about the Joint
high Commission have not only been extensively
copied In many newspapers In the United States ana
the Canadas but have formed the basis OF leading
articles something similar to the one which your
contemporary has quoted. They have also been
to England and have furnished food for
dissertations In the English journals which could
not be obtained from the British government. This
is only one OF many illustrations that have re-
Gently appeared to show the power and importance
OF the HERALD.
LEASE or THE CAMDEN AND Am;0f RAILROAD.