The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-01
THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.
Defining the Action Of the Confer
ence Rejecting the Indirect Claims
..Speech Of the Presiding Officer.
AdiOuFnment IN JulV I6.

NEW YORK, June VA special Gene.
va dispatch says that the session Of the
Arbitratos on theAlabAma claims yester.
day was mainly occupied in giving
technical form and completeness 10 the re.
suits already obtained. The ilrst matter
considered was the protocol Of yesterdays
proceedings, the agreement upon which,
In such case, Is very important, as afford.
ing the official and formal expression q
the position Of either side, and the exact
points Of difference and Of agreement be.
tween them, consequently Il is a docu.
ment in which the misplacIng Of q particle
OF the contents may give false color to
the record and destroy the labor OF DAYS.
The final minutes Of the arblrators will
show the true expression 10 be used in re.
ference to indirect claims, and also that
what has been done in Geneva is that
these American claims have been disposed
Of upon a preliminary consideration by the
arbitrating tribunal suitable to and con.
sistent with the dignity OF the Court itself
and satisfactory TO both parties engaged;
and that the Court Is now in full. posses.
sion OF the whole matter ih controversy
between Great Britain and the United
States, with the exception OF what has
been put away from the legal pleadings.
II Is absolutely important To under.
stand that It Is inaccuratet to say that the
President Of the United States consented
to the withdrawal of the claims for com.
pensationfor indirect damages. On the
other hand, 1t Is also incorrect TO say that
the American bill for indirect claims
compensation has been adjudicated upon.
Let US suppose the existence Of an anala.
gols case in an ordinary court of Justice.
The parties come before the Court but
differ on the matter Of its right Of juris.
dlction; one party maintaining that the
Court has full competence to decide the
point at issue, the other party holding an
opinion exactly contrary, and that, seeing
the difference existing between them, the
Court delivers q qualified dictum, and
says: III we have jurisdiction III the
matter we decide against the plaintiff in
the case"
Such declaration coming from a court
OF equity clearly prejudices nothing, and
may save everything; and 1t was BY the
use Of such o declaration that the Geneva
Arbitration Court has saved the Treaty
of Washington.
1t Is worthy Of note that such iudg-
ment could scarcely be so unacceptable to
the parties in the United States to the in.
terests of whom its delivery was hostile
as an opinion that the Court had iurisdic.
ton. England, on the other hand, could
not be dissatisfied with the accomplish.
ment of a result fully meeting her own
views on the subject.
LEGAL CAUTION COMBINED WITH DIPLo.
MACY.
Had the American, agent acting before
the Arbitration Court, insisted on the de.
livery OF strict letter Indication his &C.
tion would have driven Great Britain
out Of Court. 1t was far more
wise and prudent on the part of the con.
Quoting agents TO agree on essential points,
and, neglecting unnecessary formalities,
triumph by the exercises OF diplomatic
skill, thus to find a common ground for
agreement between the parties almost at
the very moment of the presentation OF
the point at issue.
Lord Westbury's "boys Of ten years
old, and whom he would have trusted to
make, treaties" would not have thus dis.
covered the right way toa friendly set
tlement, but, on the contrary, would have
insured q failure OF the proceeding in
Geneva, and placed the two nations, the
United States and Great Britain, at log.
gerheads. E3h
His Excellency Count ,sclopis, Presi.
dent Of the Alabama Claims Arbitration
Court, delivered the following speech to
his judicial colleagues to-day, Just before
the rising of the members oFthe tribunal
tottemporary adjournment
Count sclopis said:-At the moment
when the knot oil the complications which
threatenedto prevent the due execution
Of the Treaty Of Washington is about to
be cut, the moment when our labors for
arbitration between the United States
and Great Britain are about to take free
and regular course Of action, permit me;
my dear and honored colleagues, to as.
sure you how highly appreciate the
distinguished honor OF sitting In company
with you in this tribunal, on which, and
its proceedings, the eyes Of the people Of
the civilized world are fixed. Let me mn.
press on you the full measure Of my graf.
itude for the very flattering mark Of con,
fldence you have bestowed upon me BY
placing me in the Presidential chair,
distinction quito unmerit9d on my
part. The assemblage of this tribu
nal signifies that a new direction ha:
been given to the impulse OF the ideas
governing,the policy Of the nations most
advanced in the path Of civilization
direction for the control Of which an ele.
vated sphere and range iof politics pre-
walls over the tendencies OF the ancieni
system Of routine, which induced to dis
astrous wars, and thus places the inter
ests Of our common humanity above thai
Of q mere temporary policy. The accom-,
plishment Of work such as this will be
hailed by every generous heart on eartt
as the act Of iulflment OF the wishe,
which were expressed in the Congress O
Paris in the year 1856: TO refer points o
difference arising between friendly ma
tions in the future to arbitration for ad
justment. Thanks to the initiative which
has been taken by the statesmen of Eng-
land and the United States of America
this grand.ide bears fruit to-day, and his
tory will tell to posterity how, even annie
the excitement produced by the utteranct
Of continued recrimination, both sides
even when engaged in argument, may al
ways have left open ameans Of ofsettlemen
Of an international dispute peacefully
To have produced this happy.fesult mus
have required the possession Of rare de
gree Of tirmness Of mind and Of devotion
to the interests Of Humanity. The PrimI
Minister Of England has already spokel
of the Treaty Of Washington as an ex
ample for all the other nations Of th,
world. Let us, gentlemen, congratulate
ourselves on our assisting in this work
and let US also hope that our joyful antlci
pations may be fulfilled. The old maxim