New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-10
vGC Geneva Arbitration
Results of the Treaty OF washtngton-Eirst
Session of the Geneva Trtbonai-Rra ain :
the AvaIt,-Course OF Sir Alexander Coo X

ington provided that the Tribunal should, If
possible, render its Judgment within three
months from the closing arguments, that Is
TO say-the 10th of September. The Grbl-
traitors improved on these instructions hy one
day, the 18th being Sunday, and national
fast in Switzerland. Careful Interpreters OF
the Treaty, they persisted in observing even
the limits of trial suggested by that famous
compact. At the session OF last Monday 1t
was voted that the beard should sit on sat
urday with open doors. This meant that the
Arbtrators might invite their friends to Sit
in the council chamber, hear the decision
read, and see four representative men attlX
their signatures to an historic paper. \ urst
it was intended to weed out the Journalists
and bar the gates to them, but the plan
worked badly. Finally the doors We're
opened, and miscellaneous party, including
men whose connection with newspapers .ocS
no further than the subscription list, soon
filled up the attractive little hall. The rep
resentatiyes Of all nations were there. Count
Sclopis and the Countess, Madame the Baro-
ness of d'Itauba, the families Of Mr.. Adam,
and Mr.. Davis, the American Consul, the
members of tie Council d'Etat in fall dfNaS,
and various other dgnitarie&. \ still larger
throng OF unofficial visitors toilea up the steep
hill only to be repulsed by the memorable
usher.
The Arbitrators were promptly in their
seats, with the exception of the Chief JUS
tee, who came In Is minutes late. Lord
Tenterden came still later. 1t has been re-
marked that the English representatives are
nearly always the last to arrive. In general
this is ineXcusable, but it was generally
agreed to-day that their hardness was as
easily explained as the promptness Of the
Americans. Mr.. Eyarts and Gen. Gushing
were i'll their places. Mr.. White had left the
city. Mr.. Evarts pOred over the printed
copy Of the verdict, while Gen. Gushing Cos
siped with the ladies. At about | O'Clock
Count Sclopis called the members to order,
and pronounced the session to be opened.
The protocol Of the preceding session was
read and duly approved. Then the Secretary
was directed to read final the decision Of the
Board. NJ. Favrot understands English
well, but speaks it with marked accent.
He stood under painting which represents
woman holding Swiss flag, the significant
White Cross of the Alps, and read amid a
profound silence on the part Of the little au-
ditory. The decision was unexpectedly brief
and concise. 1t contains only the general
conclusions, without any indication of the
procedure by which each was reached. The
reading occupied about ten minutes.
During the reading OF the decision the at
tention Of the curious was closely fixed on
SHlII NclhDuius llc CIOuEl.tu tOhll
in his chair, nearly hid behind an enormous
pale Of manuscript, which, without exagger-
alton, was five inches thick. When his affirm
alive vote on the case of the Alabama was
announced the spectators began to hope that
| he might show similar degree Of independ-
ence i'll the other cases. But this hope was
disappointed. The solitary NO" in the
case of the Florida was his; one of the
"Noes - in the case Of the Shenandoah was
his, the other being that Of Viscount d'Ita-
juba. SO, as the reading proceeded and the
| spectators showed their satisfaction, the
| Chief Justice became more and more nervous,
and attracted more and more the attention
Of lis friends. Scarcely was the ceremony
finished when he began: Mr.. President:
Not being able to agree to" when Count
Sclopis inlpatiently begged him to wait.
After other formalities had been completed,
the President settled back in his seat and
motioned for the venerable jurst to proceed.
SO he renewed the attempt, this time with
success. "Mr. President: Not being able
to agree to the conclusions expressed IN the
decision Of the Tribunal, have prepared
paper which expresses my individual views.
| ask that it be annexed to the protocols Of
the Tribunal, and printed herewith" No
objection was made. On the contrary, there
was heard general sign Of relief from those
who had been regarding with alarm the
! bulky document which hid the speaker. The
sun was very hot, and the audience were in
no temper for dissenting opinions. a study,
but little less interesting, was afforded by the
| other British representatives. Sir ROundcll
Palmer, as the losing attorney, of course felt
his defeat keenly, and did not attempt to
hide his chagrin.
After tho reading was finished the Secre-
tary presented the document for signature
1t had been previously printed unofticially,
but the official copies were finely engrossed
on parchment, and decorated with inexpen-
siye and neutral ribbons. There were three
duplicate copies. In accordance with the
terms of the treaty, one was for the agent of
her Majesty, and one for the agent of the
United States. The third copy was prepared
at the instance of the tribunal, 10 be depos-
tied among the archives of the Government
of Geneva. Mr.. Adlms signed first, in his
usual dignified manner, and with q carefully
finished hand, Count Sclopis, who followed,
was more nervous, and spread his name in
black ink over half the line. Then came NJ.
Stamph, the bluff Switzer, who wrote his
name in exactly two seconds, and Vlscount
d'Itaiuba, who has q dilettanti manner and a
delicate chirography. The Lord Chief Justice
watched the proceedings with some embar-
rassment. The two agents were then called
up to receive each his copy of the decision,
the third copy was handed TO the PreSltnnt
of The Consel d'Etat, and the work was
done. AT this point Sir Alexander Cock
burn "rosc to explain" his refusal to sign
the Judgment, or rather to state that his rea-
sons might hereafter be sought in some two
thousand pages of octave argument. Moth
ing now remained but the adoption Of the
last protocol and the adjournment. The
protocol simply recorded the proceedings
which L have described; and as their order
had been prearranged, the protocol itself
had been printed In advance.
The President, Count Sclopis, closed the
session in another of his neat little speeches.
lie briefly alluded to the nature Of the dis
pute which had called the Arbitrators to-
sether, and of the difficulty of their task. 1t
would, at least, be one Of their merits that
they had not been idle. Of the relations be-
tween the members of the court all could
speak with pleasure. Nothing had occurred
to mar the friendly character of the delibera-
tons. The highest eulogy that could be
paid to themselves was paid by the govern
ments which named them for their RESPONSE
BILE posts. Ha would say nothing about the
decision which had just been rendered. 1t