The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-06-18
THE GENEVA TRIBUNAL.
Both Governments Fighting shy-The
English Agent Declines to Present the
British Case, and Pleads for an Adj
journment.

GENEVA, June II.
The question of adjournment will occupy
the tribunal to-day, and probably longer, as
the arguments can only be heard to-day. and
the delicate issues involved Will not be deter
mined hastily. The English case was not pre-
sented Saturday, The American argument
was presented to the court In an octave vol
ume Of six or seven hundred pages, with q
smaller supplementary volume printed only
in the English language, and the American
agent declared himself ready to proceed.
The English agent failed to comply with the
stipulated tormalIty OF presenting papers, aud
simply asked for an adjournment In order that
opportunity to endeRvor 10 reconcile their
differences on one main point at Issue, but he
did not ask Tor an adjournment 1or nXed
period or definite number Of months. The
Americans answered that the request of an
adjournment without the presentation OF final
papers was not according TO the procedure
laid down In the treaty, and that they found
themselves In the presence Oh an eventuallty
not contemplated by their Instructions. They
hoped. therefore, that the tribunal would not
decide without giving them an opportunity to
refer the subject by telegraph TO the United
States Government, inasmuch as the whole
legal ground upon which the tribunal stands 1B
comparatively uneXplored region, the exact
character. and power OF the arbitrators not
being we'll defined, and he'scope and limit of
their power being undetermined. 1t was
Judged wise to accept this proposition, and
Monday was fixed as The day upon Whlch tne
counsel should present, In the iignt OF Cnelr
latest advIces from the two governments,
their arguments upon the point presented by
the English Government. It thus becomes
apparent that neither government has thought
1t safe to trust It's case altogether TO lib agents
here, but each keeps up sncf constant COM
munication BY telegraph that. In fact the
and for America Secretary Fish. AS The
English representatives have nncomprOms-
ingly adhered to their determination not to
present their papers, it Is but natural to sup.
pose that the Americans will also adhere TO
their views that the English are not properly
ln Court, and that they ask the court to wan
der from Its jurisdiction on o point for which
the treaty makes noprovision. Ii the English
Insist that they are properly IN court an I'M
portant consequence will follow, for If they
are In court they are bound to recognize the
validity of Its judgments, no matter upon what
point II Is possible, therefore, that they may
suddenly find themselves Involved In posi-
lion from which they could not escape with
out fragrant disregard of diplomatic proprlety
and disrespect to the tribunal. The proceed
ings on Monday will, however, depend entire
ly on The latest dispatches from Earl Granville
to the English agent. The Americana are
fully Instructed as to every step, but the Eng
lish are drifting, and 1t Is impossible to say
with what result. They are availlng them
selves OF every chance to ascertain the temper
of the court and how fur the Americans Will
20 In conceding length OF time on the adjourn