New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-28
BRITISH NOTES.
INTERNATIONAL LAW.

,rpow THE REGULA R COMMENCEMENT OF THE TRIBUSEJ
LONDON, July 15.-A corner of that mantle when
Earl Russell has not yet thrown off is in the grasp OF
Lord Penzance, who is pretty much hidden by IL.
Lord Penzanco known best to the worid
so much of it az knew him at all
AS Judge Of the Divorce Court Iia1
post he resigned some three years ago. and he has
not since been very important figure. lie turned
I'D on Monday night in the House of Lords with a
question to the Foreign Secretary about the Belgian
Duchesne episode--a matter there was good reason
to hope we might be permitted 10 forget all about.
Lord Penzance's memory, unluckily. is better than
other peopes-or perhaps no has been paying visit
TO Pembroke Lodge. There or elsewhere, his rest
has been disturbed by a sentence in Prince Dis
marck's dispatch way back in February last to this
effect:
They are ncontestahe principles Of international law
that State ought not 10 permit its subjects a. Va tt
the internal ucace another State ard i Ound 10 hc
care by its laws that ii is in position 10 iu tnS ho
national obligation.
This doctrine Lord PenzaDce does not like, ana he
begged Lord Derby to tell him whether he had been
asked to acquesce in it. and. If So with what result
Lord Derby promptly assured his questoner that no
such application had been made to him. There
tho incident might have ended, but Lord
Derby with perhaps less than his usual
canton. improved the occasion to deliver
brief and not ulinterestng discourse on Inter
national Law, interspersed with bits Of current IN
formation He is of opinion (which is COMFORT
that the Duchesne question is disposed OF, ana mas
left no unfricndly feeling either side. The qucs
ton raised by Lord Penzance, Lord DERBY thouShV
theoretical telling in true English spirit, tAa'
if he had to express opinion on the Herman prop
os;tion, he should have looked to the Substantial
iusticc OF ipiustice of the thing demanded not to
the merits of the abstract proposition. ii mght Dc
interpreted in two ways; one 80 Understandable that
he was sure the Germans could not mean it, and
one 40 reasonable that everybody could assent TO H.
The latter would be easily dcfensble rs principe
of International Law except that in fact, there IS no
such thing as International Law. Lord Deroys re-
marks on this latter point, though not new are sen
sible enough TO deserve Quoting III these days oi
pragmatic augmentation OIL that topic. lie says
We speak Of international law and 1t is convenient
phrase Int in the strict Of The word law presup,
poses The existence of Lcssa'uIc 10 make ~ ajucii
authority to declare and TO deh@ ~ ana an ~ M go
that assembage OF lnteInitlOlhl ustcS NIcn We on
International Jaw all these three c9n,ii,ons are weh h
and NJ n neutral consequence, II Follows ttat 'nohS'
certain leading principles are universally a1nltted ytt
and accuracy which d.. t1guis. on at leas ought to as,
tnglrsh law. as framed by National Legislature ana
interpreted By National tribunal
There follows a passage which has particular use
for us:
and ccncgal prnpositio-anl dd ret understand him .
admit exceptions To itthat each state ~ nscesally
mat no other state has right 10 call upon y 10 make
alterations in that Rat doctrine no doubt repro
tiiionaiiy II seems to me open To criticism.
because it shuts you up to the c9iclSIon ny tY,fy
national duties Now, that is equivalent to -ayng
that there or soon VIII re- rs many different ssms
and ta again. is uch like saying at thcfc is no
scb thing as international law at all II sceI.s 10 me.
recognized international Obligations toward ahothef
safe lis no dns.cer 10 eioyge of ddimeni oJnose
di3 nat GNpir OF Gbcr JtFHncif Inc Hatc 0G5ficEcI
might surely reply to tGSt Plea ded RAJ Is yo
can mend il; bnt the badness OF your n,nieinal esia,
yoI" once admit that nation can bo called urCi 10
III its internal laws however detective by any other
nation and you put end to all International contracts;
from an ncouyenen obligation 20 another state Las
nothing to 30 except alt,i its laws in such man
ncr as 10 make the mlnent of that obligation iiids-
sbl. and then, according Ia the theory, the oogutlOn
Itself ceases. surely that sycy Ike saying that no STATE
Is ever TO bc bound TO anything, and then what are
treaties WOrthl
If the sentence have italicized had been acted on
by England 1862 and later, the history Of her It
latiors with rs would have been more creditabie 10
her than it was. Lord Derby, mad he been Foreign
Minister III place OF Lord Russell, could hardly have
told us 10 mind orr own business when we COM
plained of the inclicioncy OF the British Foreign
technical compliance with the requirements of al
imperfect municipal statute exhausted the interna-
tonal obligat IONS cf the British Government.
Sigaor oalyini's London season ends with his APP
pearance tomorrow evening 40 OtGell0 the chaIac-
ter in which he has been most liked in England.
His Hamlet, Though iall of good points ard unde-
niabe eXcellcnccs as not, Us Il wnolc, such con-
ceptiOn as could be satisfactory 10 SUI
dent Of Shakespeare. Certainly il did not
shake Mir. lrvng's hold on public esteem as The
hest Of recent repI, -Cntaves OF the Prince Of Dem
mark OF Sigror ,alvini's Otheilo also, il must be
said that il departed in hot few particulars ircin
ohakespelre's; ana departed wiiully. The Italian
admitted much and justified himself on the ground
thai his Otjieo. though NOT Shakespeares, was such
an Olhello us shakespeare would have dawn had 10
understood the Moorish character rs well ~ S.m0r
Salyn,. a defense of that kind strikes rs dam
aging TO its author We may he excused for prefer
ring Shakespeare as he is 10 Shakespeare with mod
ern Improvements. Sill, we went to see Salvini in
great numbers, and his general influence on
the drama has been Eood-on actors also good, for
they showed commeudable readiness TO admire
their foreign comiade. and tlrOnged 10 see the
afternoon performances. 1t IS impossible
many of them should not have learned
much. And he was liked personally
For two months and more he has been kind Of
lion, much sought after and much liked in society.
His season at Drury Lane is said to have brought
him $4,000, which. hope, is true This fer al
actor who does not speak word of English, and
who is forced to translations which only be
called vile, is extraordinary success. 1t is under
stood he means 20 return next year
Mr. Irving has been giving two readings; one at
Grosvenor House Duke of WestminStei's n aid of 4
charitable fund, and a second yesterday at the
CRYSTAL Palace. Tho former is an instance
of tire kindly practice which prevails among
some of the great peape who net infrequertly open
heir hnnsns for drnlnatir or rnsicnl nnrfrrnanccs