, 1872-02-22
Trouble With England.

DUNG the blCcEaee OF Eastern news
very exciting events have occurred, OF
which we have not heretofore been al
Tised. Serious complications have aris-
en- in the Geneva Conference on the set
Element of the Alabama cLtims, which
threaten the abro2ation of the Treaty
and the probable appeal to the arbitra-
fion Of arms. The basis Of arbitration
eontended for by the american Commits
sioners, includes al damages, direct
and Indirect resulting from the depre-
datiens of the Alabama, amounting in
the aggregate to IN enormous sum-a
sum many times more than the amount
Of property destroyed by the Alabama,
principally made up by claims for re-
shifting damages to our commerce by
fine jeopardy thereby created The Eng
Tish Commissioners protest against this
basis of arbitration as not within the
purview or contemplation of the proto-
col. The American Commissioners re-
f1se to recede and further negotiations
are suspended for further instructions
from their several Governments. The
British Parliament and Press are very
indignant at what they consider mon
strous demand on The part Of the Amer
jcans, and chaIIenge war as the aiterna-
i've
The following Is the concluding por-
sioa Of the statement Of the American
Commissioners in regard to the claims /:
Claims stated by the American Com
missioners may be classified aS follows ::
First, fhe claims For direct losses grow
ing out of the destruction Of vessels and
their cargoes by the insarcent cruisers;
second, the national expenditures IN the
pursuit OF these cruisers third, the loss
in the transfer Of the American CONNER
eial marine to the British flag; fourth,
the enhanced payments Of insurance
fifth, the prolongation Of the war and
the addition of n large sum to the cost
Of the war and the suppression of the
rebellion. No summary in figures for
the claims under either of these heads
is presented in the statement. but refer
ence is made to such of the papers pre-
sented in evidence rs will enable the
tribunal to arrive at just estimate
The statement adds: To the amount
thus shown should be added interest up
on the claims to the day the award is
payable by the terms of the treaty
namely, twelve months after the date Of
the award The usual legal rate Of in
terest in the city of New York is seven
per cent. per annum. In some of the
States it is greater; in few of them
less. The United States make O claim
for interest at that rate. The computa-
ton of interest should be made from an
average day to be determined. The
United States suggest the first day of
July, 1868 as the most equitable day.
The statement sets forth in conclusion
the expedicncy of an award by the trib-
unal of gross sum to be paid by Great
Britain to the United States. The state
rnent itself is contained in q printed
volume of five hundred pages, and for
the greater convenience of the Arbitra-
tors, it has been translated into Flench.
It is accompanied by seven printed
volumes containing the documents, Of
fetal correspondence and other evidence
in with the United States rely, the right
being reserved to present hereafter I'D
ditional documents, correspondence and
evidence.
The Queens speech on the opening
of Parliament, makes only the follow
ing brief mention of the matter:
'sThe arbitrators appointed in accord
ance with the Treaty of Washington,
for the purpose of amicably settling the
Alabama claims, held their first meeting
at Geneva, when the cases were laid be-
fore the arbitrators on behalf of each
party to the treaty. In the case so sub
mitted by America, large claims were in
eluded which were understood on our
part not to be within the province Of the
arbitrators on this subject, and l have
caused friendly communication to be
made to the Government of the United
States.
LONDON, Feb. 6-The Times this morn
ing preserves the tone of moderation
it assumed yesterday on the subject
of the American claims. 1t deprecates
any Incorporate denunciations of the
Treaty, and hopes it will lead to
no hasty action. 1t continues, the
present dnty Of English statesmen is to
say or do nothing likely to prejudice any
attempt to remove the misunderstand-
ing"
The Dqily Telegraph pronounces the
claim for indirect damages an indefensi-
BILE and inadmissible business. 1t re-
grets any attempt on the part of the
London press to stigmatize these de-
1nands as they deserve, but the inten-
ton of England cannot be too strongly
impressed on the United States.
The Telegraph feels assured that the
American Government will withdraw its
extraordinary demands.
The Times reproduced, without word
of explanation or comment, the report
of the Queens speech as published in
the Pal MaH Gazette.
The Morning AdUertiser also copies the
speech and adds: The foregoing is
clear, and in America it will create a
powerful impression, which will only
be mitigated when the speech as actually
delivered is published.
1t is reported that the American Gov
ernment has ordered large number of
sea torpedoes of English manufacturers.
In Parliament on the same day the
following passage occurred:
q. Disraeli then rose and called the
attention of the House to the paragraph
in the Royal speech having reference to
the arbitration of the Alabama claims.
He animadyerted at some length upon
the Treaty of Washington, the faults
of which he blamed to Earl Granville