New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-16
SURRENDER TO ENGLAND.
PROSPECTS OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY
TREATY IN THE SENATE.


TON OF THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRBUSEl
w.surSGroN Nav I5.-The Foreign Relations
Committee Of the Senate held another meeting to-
day. to consider the proposition of the British Gov
ernment for settlement of the indirect damages
mudde, but took no vote upon 1T. Though TINS
Committee has n strong pro- Administration MAJOR
ity il is not by any certain that it Will advise
the acceptance of Granvilles last and most objec-
tionable plan for surrender on our part at the
dictation of Great Britain. unless 1t is
finally concluded that the Administration VIII
have less 10 lose from square back-down, the re-
sponsibiy ofwhich shall be divided with the Senate
than from the failure of the Treaty. One Admins
tratiOn member. at least of the Foreign committee
is not very enthusiastic over the Treaty any way.
In conversation. recently, he expressed the belief
that the United States would gain very little by it
if it were allowed to stand as 1t is and
without any change in our case. III the
ouestlon had not now an element OF
party politics in it. this Senator would undoubtedly
vote against the unconditional surrender now pro
posed and so insure its defeat in the Committee But
even if the Committee should report fayorably on
the proposition, it is far from probable that Two
thirds Of the Senate would vote III favor OF ratlh-
cation of such a supplemental Treaty as Granville
has offered
II has been said to-day that a vote of twO-thirds
of the Senate viii not be necessary to pass resou-
ton advising the President on this subject Ihs is
90: hut As the final settlement is to be in the form
of an additional treaty any advice to the President
sustained by less than two-thirds of the Senators
would be idle, for Senators who would not commit
themselves TO such a measure in advance would be
sure to vote against ratification when the ques-
ton presented itself in that form. Among
the strong administration Senators VINO
are expected to oppose the supplementary Treaty
I'll l., or,d Dot will
bered that on the 9th of February last Edmunds
introduced resolution written in sharp, terse Ian
cuage requesting the President to send to the Sem
ate any information he might have in regard to the
refusal of ngland to proceed with the arbitration
nj Geneva unless we withdrew our claims for IN
direct damages. In speech which he made at that
time he said;
Every word in the Treaty from beginning to end
shows ms that the people OF the United states had gwen
up what they considered to be valuable rights and priv
eges the interest OF arbitration between nations LOT
the settlement OF their disputes so that this treaty is
tie product Of large concession upon our slae'
After stating that the ground given by England
for repudatng the Treaty was the pretension that
the Claim for consequential damages were not those
which the Treaty will fairly embrace, that was
one of the very questions" he added, which you
might suppose would be proper for that tribunal to
try that was the object of having tribunal-to try
and decide something" He then quoted from the
plated by the Treaty and continued:
Now. Mr. President what does! this meant 1t would
almost like pretext for reyoking the Treaty or
continuance 70 exert e1terhal lhnselce upon ' ~ CO.
eminent or Parliament of Great Britain were 70 assume
the attitude Imputed them by the press reports II
II be the rst then let US say amen and enter more
into treaties with powers who are so ready ana
the proper time TO viDdieate the honor ana en-,
the motive of the British in its supposed at
titude be the other have mentioned namely, 10 exert
az me inT2 through ciamor and passion then the
sooner that fact known the better Tor all parties con-
cerned."
On the 9th Of February. when the same question
came up again. Senator Patterson said:
The Secretary of State having been member Of the
powers are the Treaty. If he does not know and
the members Of the Government generally 90 hot
know, what they have right 10 present 10 the Court OF
Arbitration sitting at Geneva, then all have TO say IS
they are haTdy ~ 10 eOnuuc1 s19 as u 49, r t aIc
very disengenuOus II they have presented claims which
they we're not authorized present under the law think
no Senator would care 10 assume that Government
does not understand the limitations OF the Treaty OF
what 10 allows them TO present 10 tns court anu
knowing what they have right to present presume
We should hardly be wiling TO allow that they have pre-
sented anything which they nave nQI II5n 20 @ %
They must have been either very neomletehJ OF very
dsngenuOus in what they nave done II theV nave uOhe
anything wrong
The speeches are understood to have committed
these Senators TO the frnest policy toward Great
Britain on this question, and it is reported that
there are other Administration Senators who think
as they do But even if all of the Grant men should
support this proposed treaty. it not at all GER
tain that two-thirds Of the Senate will then be Sc
cured. All of the Democrats and Liberal Repubi-
cans are understood to be opposed to any surrender
Senator Sumner AS has before been reported is pre-
pared to make a strong speech against it;
and his long experience at the head OF the
Foreign Committee, his learning in international
law. and the fact that he gave the Treaty when it
was before the Senate year ago, his heartest sup
port give him great influence when this subject Is
considered in Executive session. He was able to
carry tho Senate unanimously, with one exception,
against the Johnson Clarendon Treaty, of which the
greatest fault was that it failed to recognize our
claims for indirect damages; and if those are taken
out of this Treaty. he is understood TO consider 1t no
better than the former one
The publication of the Presidents message and
portions Of the correspondence has caused great ex-
ctement in Administration political circles. 1t has
been the policy of the State Department ever since
this controversy began 10 dole out just so much OF
the truth as suited their purpose, and to color what
they have made known to suit themselves. So
great was the CONSERVATION at the State Depart
ment when THE TRIBUNE editorially announced,
two weeks ago, that Secretary Fish had
sent a private dispatch to Gen. Schenck
in which he proposed to surrender everything for
which he had cOntended in his dispatches TO Gran
VILE that it is said that yicariOus sacrifice of AS
sstant Secretary Hale was at determined upon.
though there was no more ground for suspecting
that he had given the information to the Editor of
The TRIBUNE than that Secretary Fish had done it
himself When 1t was proved that this theory
Hail.