The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-16

governments. lie has set them forth be.
iOrc tho Geneva tribunal content tO accept
any award that tho tribunal may think
right TO make Oh their own account. II
Is within your personal knowledge that
this government has never expected or
desired my unreasonable pecuniary com.
pensation on their account, and has never
entertained visionary thought Of such an
extravagant measure Of damages as found
expression In the excited language OF the
British press and as seems most Gccounta.
bly 10 have taken possession OF the minds
OF some even Oi the statesmen OF Great
Britain. A mixed commission Is now In
session In this city under the treaty, 10
which are referred all claims Of citizens or
subjects Of either power other than the
Alabama claims, which arose out Of acts
committed during specified period.
In the correspondence which proceeded
the argument in tho meeting Of the Joint
High Commission, which negotiated the
treaty, the language was purposely agreed
upon and used TO express the idea which
tho representatives Of the two govern.
ments entertained, that no claim founded
on II contract and especially no claim or
account Of tho rebel or Confederate cotton
debt was 10 be presented. Similar Ian.
glage and for the same avowed and ad.
mltted purpose was used In the treaty.
Among other claims Of an unexpected
character presented by the agent Of the
British government there was one for a
part Of tho Confederate debt, which Is uu.
derstood to be held in Great Britain to the
extent Of many millions. Immediately on
Its presentation tho United States remon.
strated, and requested tho British gov.
eminent TO instruct their agent to
withdraw that claim. Their remon-
STRANGE was unheeded Their request
was not answered. II any instruction
was given, this government was not in.
formed thereof, and 1t failed TO be OBJ.
served and the claim was pressed to
argument. The United States demurred
before the Commission TO It's jurisdiction
over claims Of that description, and the
decision of the Commission disposed Of
the case adverse TO the claimant.
The attitude Of the two governments Is
now reversed, with the difference In favor
OF the United States, and that there was
no question raised as to the understand.
ing Of both governments OF the date Of
the Treaty with reference to the exclusion
OF the claims Of the character then pre-.
sented. The United States seek not to be
the judge in their own case. The course
which they pursued offered the happy
solution to what might have been ques-
tion OF embarrassment. They desire TO
maintain Jurisdiction Of the tribunal Of
arbitration over all unsettled claims In
order that being judicially decided and
questions of law involved therein being
adjudicated, aud all questions connected
with or arising out Of the Alabama
claims, or growing out of tho acts OF
cruisers, may be forever removed from
the possibility Of disturbing the perfect
harmony Of therelations between the two
governments The Presidentregrets that
there should be any difference Of opinion
between the two governments on any
questions connected with the Treaty.
de indulges, however, 10 the earnest
hope that tho disposition which has
been equally manifested by both
governments to remove all causes
OF difference between them, will
bring them 10 an agreement upon the in.
cidental question which has arisen, and
will allow no obstacle to deprive the
world ol the example advanced and civ
l!iz4tion presented by two powerful
States, exhibiting supremacy of law and
reason over possessions, and dcterring
their own judgments to the calm inter.
pretation OF q disfnterested and discrim.
mating tribunal
Your obedient servant,
Signed HAMILTON Fish.
10 Cen. Robt. O. Schcnck.
Numbers five and six are from Scheuck
to Fish, accompanying letter and mem.
orandum from Earl Granville.
[NUMDER SEVEN.
Earl Granville to Gen Schenck:
FOREIGN OFFICE, March 20, 1879.
SR-I have laid before my colleage
Mr.. Flsh's dispatch oil the 9th ult, Of
which, at my request and authorized by
your government, you gave me copy,
and on the 14th inst. Her Majesty's gov.
erIment recognized with pleasure the
assurances Of tho President that he sin.
cerelY desires TO promote firm and abiding
friendship between the two nations; and
animated by the same spirit, they gladly
avail themselves Of the invitation which
your government appears to have given,
that they should state the reasons which
induced them to mako the declaration
contained in my note TO you Of the I'd ult,
and which / then purposely omitted, in
the hope OF obtaining, without any con-
troversial discussion, the assent OF the
United States government. Mr.. Fish says
what are called indirect losses and claims
are not now put forward, for the first
time, for years they have been prominent.
ly and historically part of the Alabama
Claims. 1t would be superauous 10 quote,
and, perhaps, even TO refer to the particu.
lar passages in the published instructions
OF the government TO their Minister to
Great Britain, In the notes OF the Min.
lister to Her Majesty, tho principal Secre.
tary OF State for Foreign Affairs or In
other public papers, to show that the ex.
pectations OF this government from
the beginning Of theacts which gave rise
to the Alabama Claims, have been that
the British government would indemnify
the United states. Incidental or consequen.
tial damages were afterwards mentioned
as included In the claims. This does not
appear to accurately represent 1t as
they are shown in the correspondence be.
tween the two governments. 1t Is true
that in some Of tho earlier letters oil Ad.
ANS various suggestions were made as to
the possible liabilities Of this country, ex.
tending beyond the direct claims 0l the
American citizens for specific losses aris.
Ing IRON the capture Of their vessels by
the Alabama, Shenandoah and Georgia
but no claims were defined or formulated
and certainly none were ever described
by the phrase Alabama Claims, except
those direct Claims OF tho American CHI.
zens. No claims for national or indirect
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