Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-02-11
THE ARBITRATION TREATY
Birmingham News.

On April twenty second, 1896,
there was a largely attended
Peace Conference held in Wash
ington City, which appointed a
permanent National Arbitration
Committee, on which are active
ly serving such distinguished
statesmen, jurists and diplomats
as J.. Randolph Tucker of Vlrs
ginia. Charles E Fenner of
Louisiana. John w. Foster of
Washington City, President
Charles E Eliot of Harvard Col
lege, Moorfield Storey of Massa-
chusetts, Chancellor A II. NC
Gill Of New Jersey, and William
E. Dodge of New York, who is
Chairman of the Committee.
This committee has issued a
statement of their views concern
ing the Treaty between the Unit
ed States and Great Britain,
concluded January 11th, 1897, by
Richard OnAy and Julian
Pauncefote, which statement is
worthy the careful perusal of
every American citIz5n.
The origin of the treaty is
stated as follows;
From Washington's adminis~
tration down to this day, arbi~
nation has uniformly been a
prominent feature of our Nations
al policy. Acting upon the con-
viction that justice is best
secured by judicial methods, our
Government has always stood
among the nations 'as the cham
pion of law, and the pending
treaty is, in a very definite
sense, the result ofour initiative.
Ia 1890 Congress unanimously
adopteG.a concurrent resolution
requesting the President ''to
invite from time to time, as fit
occasions may arise, negotiations
with any Government which the
United States has or may have
diplomatic relations, to the end
that any difference or disputes
arising between the two Cows
ernments which cannot be ad.
justed by diplomatic agency may
be referred to arbitration and be
practically adjusted by such
means. In 1893 the British
House of Commons expressed
the hope that Her Majesty's
Government would lend their
ready cooperation to the Cows
eminent of the United states,
npon the basis of the foregoing
resolution" Che pending Treaty
by which the two Governments
agree to submit to arbitration,
under certain limitations, all
questions in difference between
them which they may fail to adj
just by diplomatic negotiations
follows Amos the precise words
of the resolution of Congress.
None but the most cogent
reasons could juitlfy the rejec-
ton of a Treaty thus negotiated
in direct response to our own
invitation"
The provisions of the treaty
are thus tersely given:
"The treaty provides different
methods for the various cases
arising.
"Pecuniary claims are to be
submitted to a tribunal consisting
of 'jurists of repute,' three or
five in numoer, each Government
namingone member of the Court,
if it consists of three persons, or
two members, if it consists of
five. The remaining member is
to be selected by those first
named, or if they cannot agree,
by the joint action of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States
and the Judicial Committee of
the British Privy Council. Fins
ally, and only in the event of
these bodies being unable to
unite in a selection, the third or
fifth member is TO be named by
the King of Sweden and Norway.
"Other matters of difference
not involving territorial claims,
are also to be submitted to the
tribunal of five, constituted as
above; but, whenever it is found
that the determination of any
dispute necessarily involves the
decision of a question of grave
Importance, affecting the Nation
al rights Of either party as dis
tinguished from the private
rights whereof it is merely the
international representative,
then the dispute is to be refer
red to the tribunal provided for
the adjudication of territorial
claims.
"This tribunal is to consist of
three American and three British
Judges named by the President
of the United States and the
Queen of Great Britain respects
lively. There is no umpire. The
award of this tribunal is not to
be final unless agreed upon by a
majority of not less than five to
one of it's members. But if there
should be a less majority, the
award may also be final if both
powers acquiesce. If either pro-
tests against it as erroneous the
award will be of no validity. 1t
is further provided that in such
cases of disagreement, there
shall be no recourse to hostile
measures of any description,
u t the mediation Of one OF
more friendly powers have been