this matter shown that even a question affecting, or supposed to affect, national honor, may be settled by arbitration; and if we have not effected the establish ment of international arbitration as the universal substitute for war, we have co-operated to prove by our example that the largest possible questions be tween contending Governments are susceptible of being settled by peaceful arbitration. As Lord Ripon truly says, in so doing, we have taken a great step in the direction of the dearest of all earthly blessings, the blessing of

peace.

Let us hope that other nations may follow in our footsteps. Great Britain, to her honor be it said, has been true in this respect to the engagements she en tered into at the Conferences of Paris. If we of the British race are more capable of reasoning in the midst of passion than others, then ours be the glory. In all this, the sacrifices of feeling have been on the side of Great Britain. We owe the acknowledg ment to her, in all sincerity. Standing, as we now do, side by side, with every cloud of offense removed from between us,-two peoples, as Mr. Gladstone has well said, on whom the seal of brotherhood has been stamped by the hand of the Almighty himself,—we may proudly point in unison to the homage we have both rendered to the cause of peace and humanity in the hall of arbitration at Geneva.

CHAPTER III.

MISCELLANEOUS CLAIMS.

TREATY PROVISIONS.

THE Treaty goes on to provide, in Articles XII. to XVII. inclusive, that all claims on the part of corpo rations, companies, or private individuals, citizens of the United States, upon the Government of Great Britain, arising out of acts committed against the persons or property of citizens of the United States, during the period between April 13, 1861, and April 9, 1865, inclusive, not being claims growing out of the acts of the vessels referred to in the previous articles of the Treaty; and all claims, with the like excep tion, on the part of corporations, companies, or private individuals, subjects of Great Britain, upon the Gov ernment of the United States, arising out of acts com mitted against the persons or property of subjects of Great Britain during the same period, shall be refer red to three Commissioners to be appointed, one by each of the two Governments, and the third by the two Governments conjointly: these Commissioners to meet at Washington, there to hear, examine, and decide upon such claims as may be presented to them by either Government.

The stipulation, it will be perceived, does not cover

all existing claims of citizens or subjects of the one Government against the other, but only claims for acts committed against persons or property on either side between certain defined dates,-that is, during the pendency of actual hostilities in the United States. It is a provision, supplementary in effect to the pre ceding clauses of the Treaty, conceived in the appar. ent intention of thus closing up all subjects of conten. tion growing out of our Civil War.

The Commission was duly organized by the ap pointment of Mr. Russell Gurney, Commissioner on the part of Great Britain, and Mr. James S. Frazer, on the part of the United States, and of Count Corti, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Italy, Commissioner named conjointly by the two Governments.

The Treaty contains detailed provisions for the prosecution of the business before the Commission, to be completed within two years from the day of their first meeting; and the contracting parties engage to consider the decision of the Commissioners absolutely final and conclusive on each claim decided by them, -to give full effect to such decision without any objection, evasion, or delay whatsoever,-and to consid er every claim comprehended within the jurisdiction of the Commissioners as finally settled, barred, and thenceforth inadmissible, from and after the conclusion of the proceedings of the Commission.

The Commissioners assembled at Washington on the 26th of September, 1871, and are assiduously engaged in the determination of the claims submitted

in conformity with the Treaty, having before them as Agent for the United States, Mr. Robert S. IIale; as Agent for Great Britain, Mr. Henry Howard; with Mr. James M. Carlisle as Counsel, and Mr. Thomas C. Cox, Secretary to the Commission.

The Commission will undoubtedly complete its du ties within the time prescribed by the Treaty.

PRIVATE CLAIMS ON GOVERNMENTS.

The intimate relation, which exists between the different States of Christendom at the present time, has resulted in the necessity of providing special means for adjudicating the private claims of the citi zens or subjects of one Government against another. It is one of the incidents of the gradual tendency of modern nations to substitute reason for force, and ar bitration for war.

The subject has not yet obtained from publicists and legislators the attention which, by reason of its great practical importance, and its intrinsic interest as an element of civilization, it deserves. It may well receive consideration here, both in itself and in its relation to other congenial stipulations of the Treaty of Washington.

All the Powers of Christian Europe and America are of accord, and stipulate in their treaties of amity and commerce, to permit to one another's subjects free ingress, residence, sojourn, and traffic in their respective. territories, on the same footing with the inhabitants thereof, and with subjection to the laws of the land, more or less complete, according to local

regulations and to the tenor of treaties. Total exemp tion from the local law is maintained only by the subjects of Christian States in countries outside of Christendom.

In most of the countries of Christendom foreigners arc protected in their personal rights equally with the inhabitants, and, if wronged, have access to the tribunals for redress, even against injuries by the local Government itself.

Generally, indeed, it may be said, with truth, that the rights of a foreigner are better protected than those of the inhabitants of the country itself; for, in addition to the tribunals of the country where he sojourns, the foreigner has the benefit of the Minister and Consuls of his own country.

Of this favor the foreigner has occasional need, it is true; but it is a privilege susceptible of great abuse, by reason of the extravagant pretensions occa sionally made by persons who may suffer any real or apparent wrong, and who are prone to elevate trivial grievances into international questions, to the annoy. ance of all Governments, and to the peril of the pub. lic peace. Most of such subjects of complaint are capable of being settled by the local tribunals, and ought to be. The laws of Rome lie at the founda. tion of the jurisprudence of all Europe and America alike; the forms of judicial administration are substantially similar in all the States of both Continents; and in many of the cases of alleged wrong to foreign. ers, and of call for diplomatic intervention, the affair is one which, if at home in his own country, the party