The Portland daily press., 1893-06-26


bus, when it suddenly occurs to us that
this is the day to which the tribunal
adjourned for the continuation of Sir
Charles Russells great argument for the
English side. We have no card of adj
mission to the hall and no time to obtain
one by the customary channel, but we
will take our chances on visiting card,
fortified if necessary by our passport
and an American physiognomy. Nor is
our confidence vain.
We will leave our omnibus at the
Place de la Concorde, and cross the
bridge over the Seine, which brings us to
the fine Palais Bourbon, now the seat of
the Chamber of Deputies. Turning to
the right we pass the residence of the
President of the Chamber, and then
come to the foreign Office of the govern
ment. In large room of this building
are held the sessions of the tribunal.
We are little early, for the proceedings
do not open until half past, eleven, and
SO we have time to look about little.
The room is richly decorated and the
draperies and furnishings in red give
warm tone to everything. At the fur
Their end is raised platform with long,
semi circular table, covered with piles of
books, behind which are seven chairs for
the arbitrators, the middle chair, that of
the president, being the highest. Be-
hind the seats of the tribunal and again
at the side hang maps showing the terri
tory bordering on Behring Sea.
At the sides are the desks for the Sec
retaries, then tables for the press and
then chairs with desks, formidable
array for the counsel, the Englishmen
sitting at the presidents left, and the
Americans at his right. Then come
seats for the spectators, in the front row
OF which we take our places.
! just before we enter we have seen men
carrying in great quantities of papers in
| tin boxes, of books and of maps, which
| they set in order on the proper tables.
| The secretaries, one of whom has been
so kind as to give us the desired admis-
sion. are already in their places. Now
come in the younger members of the
| British counsel, a dozen or more fine
looking young fellows, and soon after
these the greater luminaries, Sir Charles
RUSSELL Mr.. Webster and Mr.. Robinson.
Singularly familiar the sound of these
lawyers names to resident of Boston!
! After the Englishmen have taken their
| places the vacancies on the other side
begin to fill. 1t may be an irreverent
| comparison, but this great international
match which is being played between the
| picked men of the two English-speaking
peoples suggests irresistibly the mo-
ment when the Harvard and Yale mines
walk on to the field before big game, or
two rival boat crews get into their boats
preparatory to spin for the world
| championship.
| AS the Americans saunter in, there is a
pleasant exchange of handshakings and
friendly greetings with their opponents.
This is varied by minute or two of APP
parently more serious consultation
among our leading counsel, who are
Hon. Edward ]. Phelps, lately our min
lister at the court of st. James, Yankee
! of the Yankees, but, as far as face and
form are concerned, the most typically
English-looking man in thereon; Hon.
John W. Foster of Ohio, lately our Sec
| rotary of State; Mr.. James Carter and
| Mr.. Coudert.
AT twenty minutes to twelve the SER
| geant-at-arms appears announcing the
entrance of the tribunal. Everyone in
the room rises and remains standing till
they have taken their seats. The presi-
dent Is the Baron de Courcel, French
man, a diplomat of long experience, a
model of courtesy in his duties and
| speaking English with scarcely an ac-
cent. On his right sits Lord Hammer of
the English members of the board
! Gram, and at his right Mr.. Thompson of
| Canada, relied upon by the English for
| his qualities as a lawyer and his nearer
knowledge of the scene and grounds at
issue. To the Presidents left sit the
two American members, Mr.. Justice
Harlan and Senator Morgan of Alabma,
| while between them sits the italian
member.
A fine-looking body of men; all of ripe
| years, all more or less gray, all follow
| ing with the closest attention every stage
of the argument upon which they are to
render their responsible decision. The
only shadow which mars the perfect dig
nifty OF the proceedings is the necessity
| imposed upon one of the American mem
bers, by his national habit, of a frequent
use of the cuspidor.
Mr.. Carter and Mr.. Coudert have al
ready spoken in the American interest.
The President, in complimenting the
latter upon his speech, has gracefully
alluded to his French descent and has
| professed to find in the latter fact an
explanation of the humor and vivacity of
| his address.
| Now Sir Charles Russell has the floor.
His speech has already occupied several
days sessions. He is a fine-looking man
with white hair and smooth shaven face :.
He wears light gray suit and stands
before desk on which his associates
place successfully the books and docu-
ments required in the different stages of
his argument. What a difference in style
from the type of forensic eloquence of
our fathers! No rhetoric, no periods,
only the simplest and most direct CONVEX
sation, and with a good many of the
Englishmen's ''ers'' at that. But if he
were talking to a jury instead of to the
kind of men he is addressing, he could
not be more particular to make himself
absolutely understood at every step. If
he has been led into an involving SEN
tence and see on any of the seven faces
the slightest possible strain to get his