The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-31
LONDON LETTER.


Claims-An international Fan Com petI-
tiOn-Rejected Addresses-The TlchbOrne
Claim - The Battle of DOrIing-Tom
Hughes on Canada, Etc., Etc.
From Oar 0,on Correspondent
LONDON, May 16, 1871.
Thanks 10 the enterprise of the Times corre-
spondent at Philadelphia, we have got the full
text of the Treaty of Washington before us, and
public opinion is of course very busy upon it.
The general feeling is, l think, one of satisfae-
tion and relief, for we all feel that we have
right to look you confidently in the face and
claim to have proved the sincerity of our desire
to sacrifice anything, short of national honor,
for the sake of lasting amity. Surely, the ques-
tien has reached its dying day at last. Nine
years have passed away since the unfortunate
escape of the Alabama brought it into being,
and now we heaye a deep sigh of relief (not
regret) at the prospect of relegating it forever
to the mummy-chamber of history. We gladly
notice that, on your side that position which no
Englshman would ever have conceded-that the
Queens proclamation of neutrality was a griev-
ance-is now tacitly abandoned, and that there
is nothing in the treaty that alleges or even
hints that we have any atonement to make be-
yond such as may be found to be due in respect
of damage actually done by the Alabama and
her consorts. More substantial proof of the
friendly spirit" in which this country has ap-
preached this settlement could hardly have been
given than her consent to waive the advantages
of her strictly legal position in the question of
liability and to be judged by a retrospective
application of new rules of international law.
Rule bears obvious marks of having been ex-
pressly framed to convict us in the mat
ter of the Alabama, but it may still be
doubted how far the arbitrators will find us
xvb fboxy fo
Intentionally vague expressions "due diligence
reasonable grounds for belief" "(vessels) in
tended to cruise" to actual circumstances. 1t
may not be difficult to see on which side the
balance of concession lies, but we are not dis
posed to be too curious to look. Enough for
us If we have convinced you of our national
goodwill, and by this treaty secured a more
cordial understanding between the two great
branches of the Anglo-Saxon family.
This morning we learn by cable that there is
every probability of the treaty being ratified by
the Senate, and little doubt is felt here that
Parliament will do the same, though a threaten
ing cloud has, l grieve to say, appeared in the
atmosphere of the House of Lords, where last
night Lord Russell gave notice that, on Monday
next, he will move an address TO her Majesty
praying that no convention for the settlement of
tne Alabama claims may be ratified which con-
tains conditions contrary to the law of nations
and the British municipal law in force at the
date of the alleged depredations. But the treaty
will, If the steamer bearing it arrives in due
course, have been ventilated in the Commons
before Monday comes, so we may hope this
storm-cloud will be dissipated ere it bursts.
There was something both new and true, to
our thinking, in Lord Redesdales remarks on
the same hackneyed question O few nights back.
Has any one observed, he asked, now that
President Grants Government represents all the
States alike, that the South is in effect asking
damages for injuries which the South itself
committed When the principal has been for
given, are not claims against the agent ipso fdcto
barred? Is not this case of A allowing his
partner to proceed against AS own agent?
But enough of this grave subject, absorbing
though 1t is just now. One of the novelties of
the London international Exhibition, which has
by this time been found to be worthily popular
and attractive resort, is an international fan
competition. The competition was confined to
ladies under the age of five and twenty, and as
many as 120 fan mounts, beautiful and artistic
workings in and on such diverse materials as
silk, vellum, ivory, lace, woods, paper and
peacocks' feathers, were sent in. Princess
Louise, Marchioness of Lorne, has carried off
the third prize, f10 note q, with an admirably
executed Skating Scene" Her art faculties
are indeed of an exceptionally high order, and
they have been carefully and thoroughly trained,
as all will allow who saw the bust of the Queen
which she exhibited at the Royal Academy a
couple of summers back.
Mentioning the Royal Academy, l cannot re-
frain from noting en- pdSSdnt that after accept
ing the many hundreds OF pictures which throng
the walls of its halfscore galleries. it this year
rejected no less than two thousand five hun
dred One would hardly have believed that
even in crowded London so many luckless
wights were struggling with brush and palette
for livelihood. Manchester naillionaires must
all have their picture-galIeries nowadays, and
their long and not discriminating purses are
answerable for a great deal of the trash upon
which good oil colors are wasted.
Two causes celebres at Westminster have
formed an item in every public print and most
private conversations of these last few days.
The Crown has been prosecutingseveral young
men, among whom Boulton and Park are the
prominent names, on a very serious but uumen-
tionable charge, of which they were last night,
much to the relief of the public, acquitted;
while in the Common Pleas Sir William BoVill
and special jury are busy with the so-called
Tichborne claim, which involves an ancient
baronetcy and rent-ron of e24, 900 year.
Seldom, if ever, has so interesting and romantic
story beer laid before British jury. Seven
teen years ago the young officer of
carbineers who, if the present claim
ant be really he, is now Sir Roger Tichborne,
was shipwrecked in the Southern Seas, and be-
lieVed by all but his mother to be lost. Ten
years later, the mothers repeated advertise
OAY naA ~