The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-03
Tho Geneva Tribunal-Progrcss OF the
Arbitra tion.

|
| Arbitration.
The Geneva Tribunal sits with closed doors,
and the members thereof between the sittings
are extremely reticent, and yet from time to
deliberations of the arbitrators which indicate
their progress in the settlement of our so-called
Alabama claims. Our latest reports of these
proceedings inform US that the English repre-
sentatives have submitted to the Board sup
Elementary case, establishing, in the judgment
of the signers, the fact that England faithfully
executed her laws of neutrality in reference to
the Alabama and her Anglo Confederate
cruisers and that the American agents have
put in an answer in which they claim that the
conduct of England in the premises cannot be
judged upon this plea of fidelity to her own
laws regulating her duties and rights as a
neutral, but that her liabilities in this business
arise chiefly from the non-fulflment Of her
obligations as defined by international law.
In other words, assuming that the British
agent, Lord Tenterden, has presented the sup
Elementary case suggested, Mr. Bancroft Davis,
the United States agent has responded that the
local laws of England are superseded where
they conflict with the higher law of the three
rules of neutrality, adopted in the Treaty of
Washington, not only as the supreme law of
neutrality to the high contracting parties for
the future, but as the law which shall govern
the Geneva Tribunal in the settlement Of these
Alabama claims If England, after the years
Of discussion in which, upon this subject she
was fully answered by Mr.. Adams touching
her innocence of any violations OF her local
laws Of neutrality, has again fallen back upon
this untenable plea, she virtually confesses
that under the rules of the treaty she has no
case, or that she is pleading the non-existence
Of these rules during the period in which her
alleged offences were committed, for mitiga-
ton of damages. This begging of the ques-
should be, entirely disregarded by the arbitra-
tors with the three rules before them by which
they are to be guided.
Indeed, the general statement is put forth
that so clearly defined in the treaty are the
Jurisdiction of the tribunal and the principles
VAAfeV oAA BA"VO Hueo'ioAAc - AZ
gard to England's liabilities are settled, and
that the arbitrators are now celebrating upon
the details Of the prospective adjustment-that
u.s. the bill of damages fairly due the United
States upon each Of the cases of the Alabama,
the Florida the Shenandoah, &C., or upon all
of them, Jumping the costs in general bill.
It is surmised, too, that final settlement is
likely to be reached much sooner than has
been generally expected, and we hope that this
conjecture will prove correct. If the tribunal
have agreed upon the general principles which
shall apply to these Anglo-rebel cruisers
against our commerce during our late civil
war, however widely these cases may differ
from each other touching England's RESPONSE
bility, there hardly remains anything more to
do than the revision Of the final settlement as
to dollars and cents of the several bills pre-
sented.
Meantime the opinion at Washington, in
the neighborhood of the State Department,
touching the probable sum of the indemnities
that will be required from England appears to
be that about twelve millions and a half of
dollars will be the extreme limit to which the
arbitration will be likely to go, and it is not
expected to fall much below that sum. This
estimate it seems, has been made from the
reported action Of the tribunal upon the case
of the Florida.