The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-30
affairs may take, the senate~will be called upon for
immediate action or no action ct all.
THE QUESTION IN ENGLAND.
A Joint High Commissioner on Representative
Defence.
TELEGRAM 70 THE NEW YORK HERALD.

LONDON, May ~, losz
Right Hon. Montagu Bernard, who was one of
the members OF tho Joint High Commission, deliv-
cred lecture last night at Oxford on the Treaty
OF Washington.
In the course OF his remarks he said circumstances
prevented him from replying to the accusations
which had been made OF carelessness and too i'm
plicit reliance upon understandings on the part OF
the British members of the commission. The
speaker gave the highest praise to the American
government and people for the good temper dis
played by them throughout the negotiations
Sir Stafford Northcotc's Opinion OF the
Treaty and the Good II VIII Effect at
Home and Abroad.
Sir Stafford Northcote member of the Joint
Commission which negotiated the Treaty OF Wash
ington delivered an address May l5 TO the Exeter
(England) chamber OF Commerce. In which he
referred to the Treaty OF Washington IA follows:-
Sir STAFFORD NoRrHcoTE said attention had re-
Gently been called to the French Treaty. Perhaps
| It was due to our own congratulations on the sub
SUPP that because It benefited England It must
inure France. They did not see that II really was
OF advantage to both Sides On the whole, perhaps,
reciprocity treaties were not desirable, and he made
that remark bearing in mind the treaty cancelled
by America some years since which existed
that that treaty was extremely advantageous
to both parties, and he thought America
it was not te consistent sa sne in he
position as u sovereign Power, should be hampered
by her negotiations with another country In fiscal
matters. He believed the arrangements made last
year in the Treaty of Washington, so far as they
ferred to the relation between the United States
and Canada, II they could be maintained, would
prove to be not only advantageous in themselves,
but lead to freer development Of the commercial
the fishery question, and of that relating to the
navigation Of st. Lawrence and the canals, great
future was opened to her, and the United States
would find In her a most valuable neighb0r and
customer. Having said thus much on the Treaty of
asked to be allowed to make few observations on
another part ofita part not so strictly connected
eral bearing on the commercial interest Of the
country This year had been one OF great anarchy
questions raised under that treaty. Until within
the last day or two he and his brother Commits
sioners mad FELT themselves IN position In which
ones tongue was often very agreeable and very
right but there were occasions in which, it imposed
and involved considerable sacrifice. (.Hear
hear.'D He thought, however, the country gene
rally had appreciated the motive which had led to
better that they should be subject even to misrepre
sentation, or mt all events to suspiciOn-whch they
thought they could have cleared away If they had
been able to speak-rather than to say anything
which might by any possibility mar the settlement
to which they were anxiously looking; but the
placed the Commissioners In a somewhat different
position. 1t did not, indeed, absolve them from
ciay of anything of personal Character but il did
place them In position In which they might speak
with more freedom. Two questions had been
raised-one personal question-aS to what was
the understanding between the commissioners at
the time the treaty was negotiated; and, second,
damages or indirect claims. with regard to the
personal question he would only say that the COM
| missioners were distinctly responsible for having
represented to the government that the under
standing and promise given We're that those claims
(Applause II the English Commissioners were to
| maintain that position they must, OF course, be
| and their American colleagues on that commission.
1t would have been unjustitiabe that while the mat
ter was under discussion they should have allowed
any desire to make out their own case interfere
with the great international settlement that was
going on. Whether the time would ever come
ana V compaFatively did not care; What he was
anxious for was that a reasonable arrangement
might be come to which would secure to both cOun-
tries aud he would go far to say to the world
at large, those advantages which they promised
one between the two governments, they
called on to act in the manner he had stated, but II
ment that had been previously come to between
the two governments was now awaiting the sane
ton OF the Senate OF the United States and IL must
then como before Parliament and the people OF
this country with view to Its ratification by them
also. l''Hear, hearD He therefore spoke with some
little freedom, because he felt he could do so with
out raising the other class OF questions to
which he had referred. There was very great
satisfaction in America, and he believed, on the
whole, In England also, when this treaty was
concluded last year. (''Hear, hearty At all events
both countries believed that q settlement OF the
troublesome question had been arrived ct, and that
principles were agreed upon which were likely to
be Of very great Importance to the future peace and
prosperity Of the world. ("Hear, hear.') Suddenly
and most unexpectedly did this country and he
was convinced that as Unexpectedly did the people
OF the United States see difficulty raised which
seemed likely to overthrow the whole settlement
Nothing could have been more honorable to the
public of both nations than the manner in which,
In this great disappointment, they behaved. There
had been no disposition to irr1tate embarraSs
either side; but, on the contrary there had been
anxious desire cvinced on both sides to endeavor If
possible to undo this knot, and to arrive at salts
factory conclusion lie firmly believed that the
natural irritation which prevailed in large portion
OF the United States after that terrible civil war
through which they passed greatly allayed by
the work of last year; and II this arrangement
should-tnOugh he hoped 1t would not-fall through,
that disposition which had been shown to friendly
settlement would not be without its fruit. ZAP
plause) Looking Mt the difficulties under which
considering the supremacy of the Senate, which sat
In secret. and where the Ministers could not attend
personally to state their views-lookng also at the
fact that this not only a treaty supcrscding IL
previous engagement, but one dealing with varied
ard complicated interests, he was bound TO say
that the spirit in which all these difficulties were
met by the government and the Senate and the peo-
pie Of the United States was spirit most cncourag
Ing; for 1t showed they were ready to place great
international considerations above nero personal
interests. They dealt with the affair In q broad,
statesmanike manner, which, he trusted, augured
well for the future settlement OF this question.
Senate in the spirit that 10 dealt with the
Gotlations last year they would before long have
such settlement as would secure to the world
those results which they confidently expected AZ
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