New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-07
Central Chill. The prospects for peace are no
bright.
THE GOOD YORK or THE NEUFOUND-
ftNU DELEGATES.

The GOUD UOlh VI
LAND DELEGATES
An irtorostinc letter from London is else
uhoro printod to-day giving n full account the
first anywhere published OF the CONCESSIONS ou-
toipod from Lord Salisbury by Newfoundland
delegates When these concessions are CRU
ically examined they are found to be subStah'Iu
and significant They show the colonial states
men 70 be persons Of remarkable polItlcal sd
cacity. II will not be strange, IN case Loru
Salisbury stands firmly to his side OF the bar
c,;n if il affords in time final solution OF the
French shore controversy. The trouble VIII
he we apprehend, in stiifenng the Premier
b.ckbonc H. has often seemed as ii 1t had a
topdoncv To become cartilaginOus in this AFFAIR
whenever the French suggested an offensive
rolicv in Egypt or China. Lord Salisbury as
we have ascertaned in our diplomacy Is nor
inherently weakling, and, were 1t poSSloie
for him 70 debate the Newfoundland question
with France mvexed by foreign consldera-
tions his attitude would quickly become I'M
compromising. But it has all along been PLAN
that France was simply using the Newfoundland
diricultv rs means of checking England
designs in other quarters Of the globe and tins
has compelled Lord Salisbury to reduce to the
minimum the amount of aggravation which ne
oonld wisely allow the French to claim they
bod roceived in the French Shore embarraSs-
ment.
It. was in obedience to this instinct that the
Knntsford Coercion Act was proposed ana inc
withdrawal of that measure upon the terms
finally agreed to has carried Lord Salisbury
mucb further toward q defiance of France than
il was supposed he would consent to go 1t was
I small matter to agree TO withdraw the Dill
mon the passage by the Colonial Legislature
Of a measure which accomplished precisely the
same end and had this been the sum total OF
the delegates accomplishment, they would have
socurpd victory purely sentimental. But they
obtained three additional concessions, and, in
the most probable event these will be OF IN
estimable importance. They reached LONDON
onportunely. The negotiations with France had
gone no further than the reference to arbitration
If the lobster issue but in a recent dispatch 10
Governor O'Brien Lord KnutSford had declared
tho Governments intention to proceed IN the
settlement of the whole controversy without
consulting the Colony at all. The delegates
addressed themselves to the task OF securing u
reversal of this decision, and some method OF
adiudicatine the treaties which should be quick
and ner,nancnt and which should eventually
afford safe guide as to the rights OF both
no,tios All this in the end, they obtained
ord Salisbury promised never to refer any
other issue than the lobster question to arDltra-
tion without the Colonial consent. lie prom
isod 70 compensate all British factory owners III
case the decision of the pending arbitration
wont AGAINST them and. what is OF much more
account. he promised the speedy establishment
If q court 10 sit on the French Shore, composed
Of English and Colonial judges, to pass upon
all issues arising under the treaties. IL Is TINS
final concession which, if promptly put into
object promises an ending of the dispute in tho
carly course of time. The decisions OF such a
tribunal would inevitably favor the Colonial
contentious.
We have 50 often discussed these con-
tontions ono Nv one. and the facts they rest
an are So intricate and numerous, that 1t Is
scarcely necessary or convenient to 60 over
them here again. But as each OF them ha6 been
affirmed by successive British Governments as
the British construction of the treaties, it Is i'm
nossiblc 10 suppose that a British court would
set them aside in favor OF construction which
would impose upon Newfoundland the neceS-
,ity of closing nearly half of her coast line Of
keeping the interior and western portion of her
territory forever a Wilderness. and Of leaving
-. 600 Of her people without home or occupa-
tion-all for the benefit of a foreign Power
which neither employs nor can employ the rights
it claims. Moreover, an appeal lies from this
court TO the Colonial Supreme Court a further
assurance that the law in Baird w. Walker
will be upheld. In that event, and upon the
British Governments refusal to arbitrate fur
ther. the issue with the French will soon take
a shape in which France will have to Withdraw
IFS Gains or act TO maintain them. The British
will have this advantage over Their present
situation, that their positions will have been
expressed by a judicial body sworn to an I'M
partial scrutiny of the treaty law