The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-05

would be asked how she could refuse 10 leave TO
Great Britain mad permitted to be raised under
slmllar circumstances. In justice, therefore, not
TO resist aggression, we must absolutely ana une
quivocally decline to entertain IN auy form. or
under any conditions. claims for consequential
damage.
The London Telegraph takes up the subject ana
considers the course pursued by Lora DERBY last
night In this light
Lord Derby awelt with some force on the peculiar
position OF Minister'S under the British constitution
compared with That neld under the American con-
stitdtlon; acting IN the case wiLhou, any check
on their power to conduct negotiations ana arran. &c
teattes. VINE Ia the other they were under the
control OF The Senate NO doubt the ultimate re-
sponsibiliiy OF our Executive Is greater tnan That
OF the American, but even II the Tact was 10, one
OF those constitutional anomalies which, the
whole, rather make Us proud OF our own system
we DO not see that Lord perbys compar.
son tells III his favor. ue conen1ed. that he
cause there was no check or parliamentary veto
On the results OF negotiations conducted by a
British Ministry, Parliament SHOULD -pe taken INTO
confidence and allowed 10 discuss Questions wniie
III progress. ike the press and The pubic, wnicn
nave un.esrlcsediy that power But In the irst
place, lAc NOPE lord cnits the circumstance that
even The United states Senate has such influence
on the conduct OF negotiations as he would cain
Tor the British Parliament. only when me Execu-
I'VE mas actually concluded treaty can the Senate
NEEDLE more effectively with Tue conduct oi The
previous negotiations than our nouse u Lords or
sivns which frequently arise guide action or
tnc BLUSH government. Not only. however, Is.tae
negotiation comes 10 an end-we go iurther, and
say That even tue existence oil such check tends TO
De more miscniey0us IMAM beneficial. British
Ministry knows that the soc Responsibility OF cen
Guiding treaty lies with itseiI--tnaL It's credit ana
as taorouenly 10 satisfy public opinlon ana secure
the national interests. On tue Otncr side OF the At
antc me responsibility IS divided ana the adverse
cou5eq aenceS 10 the Executive from Il failure 10
satisfy the 'checkng'' portion OF the legislature
are Tar less certain anu severe so that the negoti-
ators nave not the same stimulus TO produce sound
ana complete results as under the English system.
Nor IS there even an absolute security against bad
treaties III the revising power or The Senate; tne
question turns pretty much on The accidental fact
whether The majority is By political profession ia
moreover, L0ro Derry attributes TO the press and
the outdoor puoilc ln England monopoly
discussion o he does Paraea ae nuse Il cay
not be said that since the session began, leglsla.
tors either hereditary or elective have been at all
chaiy OF talK on the Alabama question. AS mat.
ter OF course they have MOI been able TO debate The
aiialr =, exhaustivey; but we 40 not suppose that
LORD DERBY himself would see national advantage
III such mOde OF helping the Mlnlstry, even Ii the
Information ne desires were gwen at every lresa
l0rd desires is the bringing OF puollC opinion "
bear ON the resolutions Of the Cabinet, We answer
work-that, practically, al ne wants IL done al.
ready, without the confusion even dagger
winch would inevitably result from the premature
disclosure OF wnat Is passing between two govern
menis so far apart Ia point OF time, Tor the formal
Engilsh.
The London St0ndn,d believes that Lord Derby,
when he asked what the government was going 10
do about the Washington treaty and how Ii would
meet the question OF consequential damages, only
expressed very general curiosity, ana it consld-
cred that Lord Graayiiies reply LORD Derby rne
Ordained oAicial reply, nom whicn the country viii
obtain no sort oil Satisfaction IL ~ mot the pub
nc interests TO make any explanations just now
swer questions" lie would NOT, II lie could, an
swer, Ard Ard he LEADS us TO believe tia. he can.
to give us IS thai , very usory W" one 'e tnst
the government win act N the spirit OF the
70 tue policy announced IN tho royal massage aud
lheg will say no more to what that policy Is.
that every endeavor would he made to maintain tue
treaty, which treaty was 'Ee1cra,!y accepted by
custom, Lori Granville Attempted 10 turn the edge
VI what - 70 him always an attack by reminding
summer that detect In Tie treaty out OF which ali
the present MISUNDERSTANDING Lave grown Now
this Is no argument Whatever favor OF the Minis
telial retlt ence II Is perfectly true that the treaty
OF Washington was generally accepted by Parlia.
inent and the country. bat on what understanding
meat Of the dispute between England and the Un,ied
STATES ana as definite conclusion to those Indirect
claims Witch had been so long held over our heads.
IL would not have Leen accepted certainly had there
been any idea that these claims had not been
barred The government were trusted so lar as 10
be credited win having zone what they undertook
TO do. mat Lord Derby, together win nearly al
the people of England. were deceived in thus trans
nations oil the government, aud believed them
when they sald Lney had disposed OF the indireet
clains--is only q reason the more why they should
DO disiruslu OF the Cover nment iii the present
stance. That these who deceived us should twlE
VAN having trusted them is surely u little too bad.
IL Is because we conAued once III the government
aud have been mtsled-because we believed
wnen tney had not excluded them--inat
We are justified IN asking what the government are
WIN the puylic mud be satisfied unless 1t has some.
thing muc;i more definite o. the lnlentons OF the
Ministry tfan has been voucnsaed hitherto by hr.
Gladstone aud Lord Granville.
The PAU Man gazette considers that the answer
or Lord Granville to Lord Derby amounts to th,s:-
II may be said that the language OF tho Queens
speech must be interpreted by the language used
by Ministers III Parliament later the same DAY.
But Lord Granville admits by the very lacG OF his
referring TO the queens speech rather Than to ms
own or Mr.. Ola stones speech that the latter nave
not that official and irrevocable character which
belongs to declaration VI policy. The statements
made IN them require to be reiterated from time
time so az 10 lit them 10 the changing aspect OF
negotiation. All that ths government arc asked to
say Is that they are going on with the corresponds
ence IN the hope that when the I'm ed States
government ina that IL Is absolutely Impossible Tor
England to consent on any terms whatsoever TO the
tial damages they Will consent TO withdraw that
part OF their case. Opinions may differ as to the
but what Is asked OF the government not thai they
should say how long they propose TO 30 on put only
going on Tor no other purpose than to inouce the
United States government 10 waive this part their
know tnl; much-lo know that is, mat the position
taken up by the government ons the first nl2nt OF
the session Will not DC departed from, and that while
every eEOrt Will be made TO carry out the meaning
which England has all along attached to the
reference no modification OF that meaning
CAN be accepted. IL Is talr, we say, to the
country that this assurance should be gwen, aud we
venture to say that It Is well for The government
that II should DC given. No man has right to feel
absolutely assured that at the end OF q long neSo-
tiation he win not ma himself committed to COM
PROMISE which, had it been suggested ar the begin.
hing, he would at once have rejected. lie does not
measure the distance between the point from which
he started anu that nj which te has arrived; he
only measures the distance between the point at
when he has arrived ana the stage at which he
halted on the road to 1t. The difference between
the last letter OF series and the last but may
be very sight il is only when the first ana the LAST
are set side by side that we see how large
space has been traverscd IN the interval.
1t Is well, therefore, that the government,
not this government in particular, but any govern
ment, should have occasional external landmarks
by which to gauge their own consistency. The best
thing their trends can visa Tor Them IS that oppor
tunitles Of resatng their views should from time 10
time be afforded them. The necessity OF saying In
Parliament the same thing winch they are under
stood to have said month ago, opens their eyes TO
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