The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-22
WASHINGTON. Nav 1872.

WASHINGTON, May l, 1872
Tn the House OF Representatives tonight Mr..
Banks reported back the resolution which was
offered yesterday by Mr. Butler and referred to the
Committee Foreign Relations, calling for infor-
nation in reference to sir Stafford Northcote's
statement rs to the withdrawal OF the claims for
consequential damages.
MR.. BuTLER's SPEECH.
Mr.. BUTLER addressed the House on the subject.
Tie said he had felt IL his duty to bring the resou-
ton Of inquiry before the House, ana he fully be-
lieyed that the answer of the President would show
one Of two thngs-either that the utterances OF Sir
stafford Northcotc. as teegrap;ed ana spread over
the country. had been unsupported misconceivcd.
or that the Honorable Commissioner on the part Of
Great Britain was wholly mistaken In his memory
or understanding OF the plclimnaries OF the nego-
tiation OF the Washington Treaty, or had wholly
misconceived them, well as the
tives and acus OF the American government,
and had, therefore, mised his countrymen by
statement tending TO stir up strife between the
two countries. He Mr. ButleD had substantial
ground for saying that that statement of Sir stat
ford Northcotc was wholly wrong, in whatever way
II was taken He argued that If the claim for con-
sequen,ial damages were excluded from the Treaty
OF Washington, then the Johnson Ciarend on Treaty
was as inclusive and as extensive as it, and II that
were the case it was not supposabe that the
Senate, which had so unanimously rejected the one,
would have approved and ratified the other
THE VITAL QUESTION.
The question brought home TO the American ma.
tlon was how this demand Of Great Britain to
withdraw from the treaty should be met. If this
government wrong in presenting the claims
for consequential damages the government should
waive and abandon its demand In straight
forward, manly way. acknowledge its error and re
trace It's steps "a gracefully as possible But what
could
should not do covcrty. cor two such lessons why
forget the nobler and the manlier oneY" We
Napoleon said for his naton-"France never ncgo-
tiates under a threat" should we not say to
Great Britain, "Y0ur course leaves alterna-
tive. You did not appeal to our sense OF right but
to orr fears and between us there can be no fur
ther Covenant
BUFFERS SEVERE SARCASM
He proceeded to comment IN sarcastic strain
upon the dictation by the British Ministry Of the
supplementary article. which II the American Sen
ate would agree TO- Her Most Gracious Majesty
would accept, Mr.. Schenck ne said, had declined
to comment upon it. but he (AIr Butler) would take
the liberty Of doing So and of characterizng it as
aschemc by which the American government could
retract lo had the word skulk in his manu-.
that If we did not adopt this supple-
mentary article we would not be able to
necessary he asked, for us to sacrifice our national
honor In this matter in order to be able to borrow
prevent any further placing OF our obligations
abroad by which interest was to be paid to foreign
countries. us III cOndltiOn worse than the
Irish tenant who pays rent to absentee land
lord for one he should rejoice at it, He knew that
banks and merchants and capitalists were pressing
on the Senate the adoption OF this supplementary
article, and so were the newspapers that were in
iiucnced by their gold. This nation was brought to
pass under
THE INFLUENCE OF BRITISH GOLD
worse than ever was charged even under the most
slas!ling article OF newspaper editor who now
Presidential candidate. Usughter) He asked
which of the two nations could best stand the in
jury of our national credit by a failure OF the
treaty-the American people with 81 000.oo0,000 OF
British money In their pockets, or the British peO-
pie with $4,000 10000 OF our bonds in their safes
II the treaty were lost, would there be
war; Not unless we chose to make It, and we
have no occasion TO make 1t. We could take
care Of ourselves and leave them TO take care OF
themselves and treat them q man does any other
faithless and unfiendly neigibor-leave them Sc
verely and smartly alone If did lose the
treaty we would gain the commerce OF the great
lakes, get back fisheries ana get back the right
to say to England :-"l0u have made no reparati0n
and see to it, that you the pirate Of nations, keep
the peace hereafter!-
Mr.. BANKS made a few remarks, in which he ex-
pressed his disbelief in war resulting from failure
of the treaty.
Tie House then adjourned.