The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-25
In the House Of Lords,

Earl Granville-My lords 1t will be in the recol-
lection Of your lordshps that this day last week
made an appeal to my noble friend near me earl
RusselD to postpone the motion which then stood
in his name on the minutes Of the House for that
evening. did not make that appeal for the third
time az had been generally supposed and think II
necessary to say that In justice to my noble friend
wh0seIprevious postponements had beenmade on no
request OF mine. At the same time, I gave an
assurance to the House that should be prepared
on or before thiSday lay papers yonr lordships
table, or that would at all events make state
ment to your ordships on the present state and
prospects OF the negotiations In that statement
wish particularly to avoid all irrelevant matter
do not mean to touch on the general question of the
Washington Treaty, though 1 may perhaps be
allowed, after the disparaglng language which has
been held by some persons with respect to
an omission in it, to say that, although
deeply regret, and always have regetted that
omission, think it was inevitable. l think that
THAT TREATY WAS GREAT WORK,
not only with regard to the past good but tht
present, and highly advantageous to tile interest:
ofboth great countries in the future. shall con
fine myself to q statement of what has passed since
the presentation OF the cases in December las t.
ashamed to 90 into detail Ii it were not that some
OF my noble friends had told me that it was one Of
the oanses OF that want OF confidence in the steadias
course OF tho government which had been mani
tested to a certain degree in this House. Cur case
was presented, and so was the of the American
government In the middle OF December. II there
was any person guilty OF delay In dealing with the
American case 1t was necessarily myself as con.
nected with the Foreign Office; the gentlemen
charged with drawing up our case and the duty OF
the answering that OF the United States and finally
the Cabinet itself. My lords, was very i'll at the
apologize TO your l0rdsbips II, considering that
did not know that that case was otherwise than
business like, dry document like that furnished by
ourselves, considering that we had four months in
which to deal with II, and considering that was
NOT AWARE THAT 1T WAS THE iSTENTIoN OF THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TO PUBLISH 1T.
l say under all these circumstances, my lords, I
should not have apoogized for not having read that
case until il had been Inquired and reported upon
by the very competent persons to whom have
alluded, which in due course would have been done
before 1t was necessary for me to take the respon-
cision in the matter. AS 1t happens as soon as I
was able | read the case-I viii not describe the
feelings with which did read it. ! can only say
that they were not SPECIFIC for the govt.
u.aughter At the Introduction of the indirect
claims was greatly annoyed. The chapter relat-
ing to motives which appeared to me TO be incon-
gruous and out OF harmony with that statesman like
and concatory feeling which / did belieye-and
now at this moment firmly believe-actuated the
government and the commissioners of America i'm
the negotiations and the conclusion of the treaty.
My lords, had some private correspondence on the
obligation to noble and learned lord behind me
for the letters no wrote to me on the subject On
the eth January Possessed myself Of the views Of
In the case and think 1t would be more satisfac-
tory 4 your lordships would allow me to read the
ed to him. The noble lord then read the following
n0te:-
SIR RoUNDEII. PALMER's LETTER.
DEAR LORD GFAsvuIr-The facts as 70 time $50 lar as
at sff lie a; very a%
a. on om the @9 ws % ana s
the Limits Of the reference bin BY introducing the Indirect
counter "HS (Which the duty g s
be necessary for Us to separate What was within the Prov
ince Of the arbitrator from what was beyond their
The preparation of the British case as you may
ssppspciay to Mr. Bernard on whom ooh in i his Wo
and IN the Of the oG case
ment made by the government
My lords, take the liberty to interrupt the
reading OF this note to bear my testimony to Mr.
Bernard, and to say that, though other members OF
the High Commission possessed legal attainments
he was eminently fitted to be one OF the legal
commissioners we appointed. l cannot avoid
reminding your lordships how short time ago 1t
was since the government was exposed TO certain
criticisms to the presentation of our coun
ter case, even subnOdo. believe, however, that
most OF your ordships are now OF the opinion that
we did well to present the counter IN that con-
dittonal manner-and | believe that all your lord
ships who have read that counter case believe that
1t Is a document not unworthy Of the country from
ing out that while the counter prepared by
the legal commissioners at Washington, its prepa-
ration was aided by the sending to the Commission
Lord Tenterden-whom remember that the noble
earl opposite recommended TO me as one of The
three best international awyeis In the country
that IL was infinitely supervised by sir Rounded
Palmer, and that IL was carefully corrected by the
Cabinet comprising most OF those persons who
nave been described as so inexperienced, ignorant
and inapt In the drafting of the original treaty NV
letter.
An concerned however, had taken their share and in
inc Tour months before MS for the next stage and the
christmas holidays approaching, wanted as we
We first met 10 consider the American the bth or
9th January Mr Bernard had inst then lost very near
meeting p rs should the ransht Of the Counter
case and s,1gld dstingnish IN doing between o.e
which were not Down 70 that time had not eommnni
being ascg hat fhT s amc i%sTs' sas
sonsnGG fp % mt from what understood
cent Tor US 70 define Sar own Position when
very doubtful on b point and dsTSus that
considered ito do exceeded ne limits Of the difference
proper course for the take order to keep
XII link naa that % ayns %a +. with s
duet Of what call the defence should have looked
Ing question Of Importance arising the upon
which Her Maestys goysrnment might have q form
q On, DC s Ioh p Janaary AK fcT opinion
on he os snna
9qs sOu to p avsE Of
s sas VA, % %sSt
eAp4naon IN writing OF my Views the whole matter
ahd nave reason TO know that afterwards lost no
me In obtaining the opinion Of the law officers Of the
crown upon u In the ordinary way.
may add That felt the matter TO be Of extreme
rptSl,y anu Importance, and requiring great and
, ni2craton az 10 the proper Of proceeding
0 i rna my own Judgment rom the time that st
~ ntureu upon the subject altogether In
I'M course which the government actually took
fully, my ae"i horp o TirrvsnylIe, YOUR ialth-
THE 1NDIRRCT CLAIMS
Wy, mr LoRDs-l may state that as soon az was in
r. OF their views, and not until then wrote
70 me noble and learned Lord ON the wnoisacr ana
~ MI uedstone on the subject very few days
,,eo,,n namely on the 18th January on the first
tmem VI ine cabinet, brought the subject before
se ~ ,VI ine debeiation. At that meeting we
oie =, Ipoa mat II was Impossible for the conn.
never sweryed from that opinion: we have never
said or zone anything that could weaken our nosi
&ou WIN fe3ard W H. 'uear. heara am really
$780,