Year: 1872

opinion is that the responsibility for the
failure of the Treaty will now rest with Great Brit
ain and that our Government will proceed
with the business irrespective of English comment.
There is still hope that an accommodation will be
reached about the consequential damages, though
there is no intelligence to-day that promises this
result.


SPIRIT OF PUBLIC OPINION IN ENGLAND.
THE PUBLIC DIsTRUsT OF THE MINISTRY AND OF


THE UNITED 'sTATEs--INCREAsIEG STRENGTH


OF THE ADVOCATES OF WITHDRAWAL.


JPROA THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNEl


LONDON, May 25--If fine words have any intiu-
ence on Senatorial minds, the Supplemental Article
ought to stand q good chance of being approved.
1t is seldom that the English press have so many
compliments to bestOw on an American institution
as they have during the past week lavished on the
United States Senate. We have been assured that


it contains the best representations of political in
lgence in America. The influence, express or inn
plcit, is obvious to the true Engshman, though it
may be less obvious to you IL the Senate is intell-
GENT it must approve settlement satisfactory 10
Engand-which il the natural home OF intelligence,
as of all other good qualities. The only point about
which, at this moment, tho intelligent Englishman
is much in doubt. is whether he does or does not
himself approve the new article. pointed out in
recent letter certain signs of hesitation or suspicion
indications as they seemed to me, of an incurable
dstrust which might be deemed insulting to
America if they did not apply in almost the same
degree to the English and American Governments
They have reached their climax for the present-n
open expression of hostility to the Treaty ITSELF AT


least one paper of influence has put the question
"Why save the treaty." and has answered it by
pronouncing against saving it at ALL "Let the
Treaty slide" is, in substance, what The Pail Mai
G0-etfe saws. NAV ventura 70 into the mouth
Of so decOrOus journal paraphrase OF an express
sion once famous in American politics. Even if you
admit that the Treaty originally good thing,
the dispute which has grown mp about it has put
bothnatiOns in false positon that no agreement


is now possible which will not leave on one or on
both sides legacy Of heart-burniDgs and general
irritation.


This view has attracted attention. but has not
gained much support. The Times leaned toward it
for a moment. That Ipaper has way OF quoting
opinions which IT has not yet adopted which are not
yet popular enough to be adopted, but which 1t sub
ms to its own important constituency OF readers to
see whether they are likely to be acceptable or not
Ii quoted paragraph from The Pau Mall Gazette IN
this way but the result has not encouraged its con-
ductors to follow up the lead of its very independent
cotemporary. In any view the situation is full OF
contingencies, and this is not the moment when
journal that means to express the average opinion OF
the majority of the respectable classes need elitseH
called upon to take anypositiye line. 1t is knownth
the Senate has been called upon for advice merely
upon not yet accepted by the President. 1t
is known that it has suggested amendments, or an
amendment. Mr. Reuters agent is good enough to
assure MS that the amendments are merely yer-
bal Whatever they are they will require the assent
of the English Government, supposing the amended
article TO survive the Senatorial ordeal. In any
case therefore the article must come back here for
revision for fresh discussion in the newspapers, and
very possibly for discussion in Parliament In the
shape in which it left Lord Granyiue's hands, En-
gland was pledged to it, Modified by only a single
word she is pledged TO it no longer. Amended IN
the Senate so as to make it more paatable to Amer
iea-that is what we told has been done-there Is
nothing to prevent its being further amended on TINS
side TO make it more palatable to England. There
has been so much criticism upon the form OF 1t that
it ia most unlikely that the English Government
viii feel itself able to assent to modification in
sense unfayorable to the English yiew Mr. Glad
stone is far more likely to attempt some amendment
which may probably be described as merely verbal,
but of which the effect will be to make the new
clause more stringent. The press-not all, but
powerful section of it, led by The Times-has clam
ored for an express enactment that the new clause
shall be brought to the notice of the Arbitrators
and that in respect to the Indirect Claims, 1t shall
embodv words of absolute exclusion ms well as of
abandonment. 1t is very doubtful whether Mr.
Gladstone and his colleagues will feel strong enough
TO resist the pressure thus put upon them.


IT, moreover, this view should be taken up in Par
lament it will afford new pretext for bringing on
a debate nor is it easy TO see how the Government
in such a case could again ask for postponement'
The forbearance hitherto shown has been due TO


rociof mil m
nropress of negotiations and that secrecy was essen
tia TO success But there is no longer any secrecy
The whole story is in print The press has debated
for a fortnight on the proposed agreement, aud,
spte of the extreme anxiety felt and expressed for
settlement of some sort, the article is viewed
with dislike and apprehension More than one
journal has called upon Parliament to intervene,
and since the House of Commons resumes ON Mon
dav il ia certain that it Will have time to intervene
before the bargain can be struck. 1t Is
hardly necessary to remark upon the ex-
treme jealousy which has been shown
by Parliament in respect to this nego-
tation. 1t was never meant to let new bargain
be concluded without its assent, aud, since 1t has
become known that the Senate of the United States
had been taken into consultation, there have been
repeated demands that Parliament should have
chance to declare its opinion before the Supplement
tary Article should be ratified by Her Majesty.
"When we are in possession of the documents" re-
marked Mr. Disraeli, fortnight ago, I'VE shall be
able to form an opinion to the course of the Gov
ernment" The documents are now published, and
everything points to a debate on very early day
after Parliament shall have reassembed The Lords,
indeed do not meet till the 3lst, so that our friend
Earl Russell will have opportunity to renew the
expression of his amiable consideration for the
United States till after Mr.. Disraeli shall have
Indicated the conrse he means the Conservatives to