Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-23
WASHINGTON.
Our Counter Case at Geneva.

WASHINGTON, April 22.-The President
| to-day transmitted for the information of
the Senate. a copy of the counter case of the
/ United States in favor of the claims against
Great Britain presented to the Board of
Arbitration. 1t concludes as follows:
"The United States concur with Her Ma
iesty's government in the opinion that a
calm on the part of belligerent to be in
| Identified at the expense of a neutral for
losses inflicted or occasioned by any of the
ordinary operations of war is one which in
wolves grave considerations, and requires TO
be weighed with the utmost care. Without
the explanatory observations which Her
Maiesty's government reserves the right to
make in a later stage of the proceedings,
they cannot say how far they do or do not
concur in the further statement that COM
pensation can only justly be awarded by
the tribunal in respect to losses of which the
negligence Of the neutral is the direct and
proximate cause. 1t appears to them, how
ever, that certain general considerations
may reasonably be assumed by the Arbi-
traitors
81. Both parties contemplate that the
United States will endeavor to establish in
these proceedings some tangible connection
of cause and effect between the injuries for
which they ask compensation and the acts
committed by the several vessels which the
treaty contemplates are to be shown to be
the fount of these injuries.
so. The tribunal Of Arbitration being a
Judicial body, invested by the parties with
the functions necessary for the determinin-
ing of issues between them, and being now
seized of the substance of the matter in
dispute, will hold itself bound by such rea-
sonable and established rules of law regard
ing the relation of cause and effect as it
may assume that the parties had in view
when they entered into their engagement
to make this reference.
"3. Neither party contemplates that the
tribunal will establish or be governed by
rules in this respect, which will either on
the one hand tend TO release neutrals from
their duty to observe a strict neutrality, or
on the other hand will make course Of
honest neutrality burdensome.
''Leaying now the issues raised by the
case and the counter cases of the two gov
ernments, to the arguments of the counsel
and to the decision of the tribunal; the
United States repeat with strengthening
conviction the language with which they
closed their, case. 1t is the highest interest
of the two great powers which appear at
this bar, that the causes of difference which
nave arisen between them should be speedi-
" and forever set at rest. The United
States entertain the confident expectation
that Her Majescy's government will concur
with them in this opinion"
AntI-RaiIrOad Indians.
Indian Superintendent Bedell telegraphs
that about hundred lodges Of the Sans
Arcs Indians are at the agency, near Big
Cheyenne river under Spotted Eagle. During
a Council with Col. Stanley Spotted
Eagle objected to the building of the
Pacific Railroad through his country,
and said he would tear up the road and kill
its builders. He declined rations and said
the Sioux were not authorized to speak for
him or his tribe. Col. Stanley informed |
Spotted Eagle that the Pacific Railroad !
would be built despite his opposition, and |
his threatened course would lead to the |
ruin of his tribe. Spotted Eagle admitted |
that, but said the driving away of the buff |
falOes was death and he would fight know |
ing he would be beaten. Several other |
Chiefs spoke in the same defiant strain. Col. |
Stanley believes that Spotted Eagle meant |
all he said and that it will be necessary to |
employ a large force of troops to guard the |
working forces west Of the Missouri river.
Queer.
The President has prepared another veto /
returning to the House without his sigma
tUre the bill granting pension to Richard 7.
Crawford, for the reason that Crawford is
now drawing pension as q private soldier,
the wound on account Of which he was
pensi0ned having been received before his
to Lieutenant.
Fraudulent Claims for Pensions.
1t has been estimated that of vast num-
Der of claims for pensions growing out Of
the rebellion, probably one-fourth are fraud
,la;r,t- A plan has been proposed to the
s,o,T,,,,issio;ner Of Pensions and 10 the Con-
Treeeionai Comm Zee Cd Pensions by which
hat system of fraud couiG he destroyed,
and which would lead to the detection OF
he fraudulent claims heretofore granted:
It is to publish in each county alphabetical
lists of all persons to whom pensions haye
1een or shall be granted, giving'the residen-
,es, ETC., of each pensioner, and to furnish
copv thereof to each Federal and State
,flicer of the county. This, it is believed,
would result in saving millions Of dollars
annually to the Government, and in bring
NO to punishment all concerned in the
rauds, and would enable the Commissioner
# Pensions to modify the requirements OF
lis office so as to render it possible for all
.onest claimants to comply with them.