GENERAL SUMMARY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1124, 5 March 1872, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

San Fbancisco, Feb.; 3.; The claims "of the United Statesfiaid ' before the Geneva arbitration have caused great excitement . throughout Britain. -' England is charged with the knowledge < of the character of the Alabama j that it" should' therefore be regarded as a hostile expedition from British ports against the United States^ as Britain did not use' due diligence to prevent her departure from Liverpool, Jamaica, and other English ports ; and that- the Alabama received special hospitality at the Cape. Similar charges are made respecting the retribution of the Georgia, Tallahasse, Olnstee, . Chichahcey, and Shenandoah. They^de-' 3 mand that, inmaking the award, not only' losses of individuals by destruction of vessels and cargoes by the. Florida and its tenders should, be considered, but that the expenses of the United States in pursuing the vessels be >.also takeri into account. ; . .'.."' y*Lokdoitj Feb. §. The London" Itynes declares that England must give immediate notice to the Geneva arbitrators and the. Government, thatif the American- course is as reported, efforts at arbitration may aa well cease, ' ' r . The .Hatty Telegraph reports that negotiations to that end had been opened between England and America, and that the British representations had not;been received in a friendly manner. . Other journals criticise the American case with gredt severity^ urging the Government to declare an opinion regarding the demand for indirect damages. - : Chief Justice Cockburn has officially counselled the Cabinet that England must recede immediately- from tlie treaty.. of ►-, Washington, leaving America to decide - between a new treaty or war. •■■...-;•,. The Cabinet is now discussing 'the terms in which this resolution shall appear in the Queen's speech at the opening of Parliament. The Advertiser asserts that Chief "Justice Coekburn will withdraw from the arbitration, and that Government will repudiate the Washington Treaty, The Daily 2%cssays the position taken by the Government is backed by the sen* timents of the country. _ The Prince of Wales, will embark for a cruise on the Mediterranean during April." 1 '' - : - '"' [ -;■' /;_-■ ' ■.•■'- ■'-':< ■ '■'.. i-. An extraordinary storm lias prevailed in the south of England. Streams overflowed, whole villages were deluged, and great damage was done to property iri{he valley qt the Sjeveriij ; -Windgpy Buffered severely. The; upper portion pf Londofl along the river was flooded. \ f .Mr Otway, M.F. for Chatham, ad? dressedhis constituents, on political affairs, expressing the opinion that; in the state of Europe at presfcht, there were, cations which might, lead to war, IJe said that if the claim of the United States were allowed in the Alabama question, war between the countries became neoes* sary. The African mail steam packet M'Gregor, en route from the Cape for England, was wrecked on ihe Guinea coast. The passengers and crew were saved. .'_ _/.. t"' In the Tichborne case the counsellor the defence say they have 300 witnesses, and the claimant's chances are considered to be weakening. ' ;. In answer, to representations by the Anti-Slave Trade ; Society .with regard to the non-fulfilment of^ '-tlie. treaty, for-the suppression of. the slave trade, Lord Granville said it was uuquestionable that Spain had infringed the treaty, but the matter was top intricate for interference by England at the present time, when Spain had an insurrection on her : hands. r ' '■ V ".' ■■.'. : '".;'. ',":','. /./.'■"'' : * Lady Franklyn oners L2OOO for the recovery of the records of the ships Erebus and Terror. • •■■> v^ Upon the nomination of Nolan, as a Home Ruie candidate for the House pf Commons, in Gal way, Ireland, N serious riots ensued, and many persons were ■WOUnded; ■ ■• - : ■'.--••• ■-■>-. ■- ■■"-■■• ■-■': ■■■'^■v,-;^ rx^h-f - Election excitement in Kerry runs dangerously high. Jt is reported that y the Fenians are organising mobs to support Blenrier Bassett, a Home Rule candidate, and that the priests are threatened with violence. John Bright has written to the O'Donoghue, denouncing Home Rule. .-,•■ :, . ■'. .. "]''l\ : \] :ljONppN,,Fel).!fc The press in its tone on the Alabatna claims is slightly moderated, and lpokj forward to the Queen's speech tP-inoitpw

for a positive announcement of the stand taken bj the Government with regard to American case. The Times of Saturday has the following language : — " We repudiate the construction that has been put on the Treaty of Washington in the American case, and must withdraw from the arbitration if this construction is insisted upon. But, this point rectified, we are ready to stand loyally by the treaty." The Times of to-day is afraid that the attempt to solve the Alabama difficulty may prove abortive, and hopes the failure will not excite a bitter feeling in America. The Saturdty Hev'mo thinks the United States prefers to have no settlement, and wishes to hold the Alabama claims as a perpetual menace for political uses. The PaUMaU Gazette claims to have seen an early copy of the Queen's Speech, to be delivered at the opening of Parliament to-morrow, and gives the following abstract :— The Queen congratulates Parliament and the country that the relations with all the nations of Europe uof a most friendly character. Considerable space is devoted to the subject of tho Alabama claims, on which the Queen says :— " To uphold the extent of my international obligations, I have concluded the treaty with the United States for the settlement of questions which have been discussed for several years. It having become obvious that tho horrors of war are avoidable by peaceful arbitration, instead of the arbitrament of the sword, I have given my consent to a reference of the Alabama claims to an international tribunal of the highest authority to which their decision conld be entrusted. Through pardonable oversight on the part of the negotiators, the claim is not .explicitly limited to direct losses, and ..therefore the President of the United States preferred considerable indirect claims, to many of which my Government has demurred. I hope the amount to be ultimately defrayed Will not exceed the French payment to Germany." The Oueen deplores the trouble in India. She congratulates Parliament upon the condition of the finances of the country and. the collections of unprecedented revenues, She also refers to the peaceable state of Ireland, and promises the introduction of iuil* in relation to ballot, for the reguja-

tion of the modes of acquisition of railways for the State, and for tho regulation of licenses for the sale of liquors. Sir Charles Dilke organised a large meeting iv Trafalgar square to-night; fully 10,000 persons attended. Tho Prince of Wales attended church at Sandringliam yesterday. Tho Times complaius that the American case has been translated to; Continental languages aud scattered broadcast over Europe ; if tho intention was to make retraction impossible, no method could bo inoro effective. Continental Bonapartist ageuts arc actively distributing pamphlets urging the restoration of the Empire. A proposition to confiscate the Napoleon property was received with shouts of derision by tho Assembly. The Government aro entertaining tho idea of ceding a monopoly of tho sale of tobacco to tho Rothschilds and other bankers for thirty years, on condition that they furnish funds immediately to pay tho German war indemnity. Tho Emperor of Germany has knighted ;uid conferred the Order of Merit on Sir Edwin Laudseer. The Radical party in Madrid denounces tho outrages perpetrated by tho Spanish authorities iv Cuba. The French Assembly, by an overwhelming majority, has authorised the Government to terminate the commercial treaties with England and Belgium. Spanish gunboats captured an English schooner for loading contraband of war in Cuba. There is strong religious excitement in Europe among Old and New Catholics. Bavaria is greatly agitated, and the Old Catholics' movement is spreading in Germany under the leadership of Dr. Dollingor. A plan for a Republican revolutionary uprising hssbeen organised over the whole of the South of France. The Pope has granted an audience to the Grand Duke Michael, brother of the Czar of Russia, which is considered indicative of reconciliation. An investigation shows that the disturbances in Barcelona were fomented by the International Society. Many members of the organisation are now under I arrest. The Captain General of Cuba sends a reassuring despatch to the Government, stating that he had just made a journey through the disaffected districts, and ho declares, from personal observations, that he is certain that the insurrection will be ended in March or April. He makes a I requisition for 2000 fresh troops from Spain, with which he promises to bring the war to a conclusion. A Calcutta telegram, of sth February, states that Deputy-Commissioner Cowan ordered fifty Kooka mutineers 10 be blown from the mouths of cannons.