The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-01
The WASHINGTON TREATY.
The American Reply to Earl Gran
ville's Communication.
The Subject Before Both Houses Of Parliament
Explanations # the Foreign Minister and Pre-
mier Gladstons-Commants of the Lon
don Press on Americas Answer.


Granville OF February a. was the subject OF inquiry.
The Earl OF Mamesbury> rose and desired 10 know
when Her Maiesly's eovernMe l>sntends TO lay ne
fore tue House the despatch WM0ohad been re.
ceived from the government OF the United States.
The Earl was. moreover anxious 10 aear
IRON the head OF the Foreign ONCE what is
the present state OF the negotiations that now
going on with respect to The treaty. Earl Granville
III response replied that the American reply had
been received four days previous. "When was
leaving" continued Earl Granville "tae House
was informed that General schenck was waiting
Tor NE at the Foreign office. / went over to him,
and he presented me with copy OF the de-
spatch when he had received from Mr. Fish.
III appears 10 her Macstys government
that the document requires an answer, and,
indeed, seems 10 invite part OF
Her Majes,yis government Un0er these clrcum-
stances 1t Is Impossible for me 10 specify the exact
time at winch we can produce tie correspondence
state the exact condition oil the Negotiations.
MY lords, July appreciate what the noble Earl has
said with regard 10 the anxiety which we mus an
feel on this Important question. That anxiety Is
shared 10y Her Malestys government, who are de-
sir us TO maintain the treaty. and tney feel the very
grave responsibility wnich lies unon them 10 man-
tain the dignity aud the interests ~ this country.u
In the House oil Commons Mr.. Gladstone informed
the members OF the reception OF The American
reply foows:-
! take this opportunity of replying to the uues
ton put to me on Friday last by the right honorable
gentleman the member for Bucknghamshire. The
reply OF me government Of the United states to the
communication OF Lord Granville, dated lhe Sd
OF February, IS dated the 9TH OF February,
ana saa nv was PLACED n t@e hands rS Of Lora
OF the American government Is couched In
courteous and friendly terms IL does not accept our
requires an an answer--whcn, indeed, the govern
ment OF the United states appear 10 anticipate and
should be this reply on ky Bart
oil Her MaJestys government WILL hope, be sent
to the American Minister IN time for ms usual or
IN VIII TIA
government that is to say. on or before Thursday
next. understood the right honorable gentlemen
to nut a question as 10 the mode In which the gov
eminent OF the Queen were disposed to deal with
the American despatch, In respect OF LAYING It or
and have to say that 1t would not In our opinion,
be consistent with tine public interests tnat the
should ald before Parliament at the present
tlme. with respect to an apprehension which lie
terpret as part OF the question: that 1t would be
matter OF necessity for Parliament to deliberate upon
the subject OF the Treaty oil Washington, with view
10 some decisive Issue, before the 10Th day OF April,
have to observe that 1t would be premature to
assume at the present stage that there will Of
sty ne any interruption AT or before that date IN
the proccc iings contemplated by the treaty. As
regards the production OF the document both the
House or Representatives aud life senate OF the
Uuiled States, the later OF which, as the House
Is aware. occupies peculiar and authoritative
have, as we understand. declined TO cali
upon the President for any Information as
to The tenor OF his communications with the British
government and both nope aud anticipate that
the House OF Commons VIII, under tine existing CIR
cumstances observe a similar forhearance We
Shall on our part be most uesrous OF giving any in
formation we possess TO Parliament at The earliest
moment the puolc interest VIII permit. nave only
10 aud that While on the one mani we continue TO
be most anxious TO MAINTAIN ana carry out the
Treaty OF Washington, on the other trust we shall
be found not 10 Iail IN thai sense OF the state and
nature OF the case which the nonOr Of TINS country
may demand.
Comments af the English Press tie Ameri-
can Reply.
The London Ti9,tes Of the 19tn commenting on
the statements made by Loru Granville ana Mr.,
Gladstone in Parliament the night Previous con-
Guides as ioilows:-
1t ls not Impossible, but all the prudence
shown nv tile Foreign Secretary during the Franco
Prussan war aud IN the slack Sea negotiations
will be necessary 10 prevent our hUundering
deeper and deeper through excessive hopeiulness
that we snail md land al length, aud tnat things
may still 20 right. "As ml2ht have been f0reseen
from The nrst-that Is from the moment wnen It
was found tnal the two parties mad understood
each otner,'' these words OF NJ. John Lemolnne, III
the De1atS of yesterday express the Judgment or
ton the extreme Impr0Dabity-we may
say hopeessness-oI bridging over the
difference OF construction revealed by the
appearance OF the American case Any
person capable OF freeing MS mind from the effect
OF The circumstances about INN must nave arrived
AT the same conclusion. Our opinion mas never
been concealed, not because we are pleased 10 take
pessimlst view OF the emei gency, but because we
have Ioreseen and deprecated the possibility OF
enlangng our ewes more ard moe IL mesh that
tnat the failure oil he Alabama Arbitration
might do as little damage possible Oner inter-
csts. IL must be remembered that the Treaty OF
Washn= TON covers much more than reference or
the Alabama Claims to the Tribunal at Geneva. It
provides for the settlement by the Commission at
Washington Oh private claims mot growing out
OF the acts" oil the Alabama and her consortl. 1t
provides Tor tue settlement oil the fishery disputes,
the free navigation OF the 1T. Lawrence ana the
canals and. finally Tor The SUBMISSION OF the San
Juan dispute 20 the aroration OF the Emperor OF
Germany. All these matters are included In one
document. ana yet the form o, the treaty indicates
an intention TO regard eacn independent OF
tne other. The settlement OF the fisheries cues
ton, Tor example, Is accompanied by stipulation
Tor the payment OF inc dircreEce in the value OF
the rights To be dealt witn 1t Is made snolect
to cooperation OF the Domlnlon and Colonial Par.
liaments, and IS limited tor term vi ten years, aud
until IT. snail be PAT an END 70 by noucc ON either
side. The san Juan ArplratIon again. STANDS by
Itself. everything, indeed, points 10 toe con-
c!uslon that the dfereK parts OF the
others, but we do not know whether this
opinion would be approved by the United states
government. In RECOGNIZING the Too great proba-
abily that the Alabama Arbitration VIII lapse
the Judgment OF tue Cabinet OF Washington on the
effect such lapse would have on the rest OF tue
ueaty Ought, therefore, TO be ascerianed. The
Executive government could not. indeed, do more
tnan declare their own opinion tuat the several
parts OF tne treaty are not inseparanly bound up
togeher-if sucn be their view-ior the Senate
might ut any time protest that they had tihed
Convention as whole. Al the same time we are
bound, If only out OF respect TO the Emperor Ger
many, 10 come To an understanding with the United
States government on this point, so "a to save
HIS Majesty nom the modification OF de-
llvering judgment which may he repu-
dated ON grounds OF which ne can have no cog
nilance. As II ls we are drifting on, not know
ing what may happen. and so lar a. We know, not
making any preparation for an emergency wniCn
seems inevitable. When that occurs which, a NJ.
Lemoinne writes, 'mi1ni nave ueen foresecn from
the nrstn snail we nave the satisfaction OF being
able To say that we nave used the interval 50 that
the abortve result OF the Alsbama arbitration mgy
Involve us IN no new enbariassmcnts, and not
bring TO end with IL the promised settlement OF
other difficulties we had hopefully anticipatedS
The ho,nng Posi- Of the l9tn, commenting on the
statement made by the Premier, says that ''ahouga
Mr.. Gladstone has told us very little. That little II OF
grave mpOrl.3 Ii ~ well known trat
great progress has already oeen made IN The prepa
ration OF the Lngllsn counter case ana rs II must
be printed before being delivered at Ge-
neva, on the 10Th OF April, II viii prob
ably be completed before Earl Granville's
despatch comes under the consideration
OF President Grants Cabinet We are therefore IN
this very cquIvUca position, that white, through
the ordinary diplomatic channels. Great Britain 10
protesting against being supposed To have entered
into most preposieI0us engagement she is, at ihe
same time, through her recognized agents treat
ing that engagement as binding one and