GENERAL SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Issue 1546, 5 March 1872, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

London Feb. 3. ; The claims of the. United State's, laid : before the Geneva , arbitration, have, caused great excitement throughout; , Great Britain. England is charged with a knowledge of the character of the Alabama, and thafc it should therefore bo regarded aa a hostile expedition from a British port against the United States, as Britain did' not use due diligence to prevent its departure from Liverpool to Jamaica and other , English . ports, and that the Alabama received special hospitality at the Cape. Similar charges are made respecting the Retribution, Georgia, Tallahassee, Olustee, Chickancey, and Shenandoah. They demand that in making an award, not only the losses of individuals by the destruction of vessels and cargoes by the Florida and its tenders should be considered, but that the expenses incurred by the United States in pursuing the vessels should bo also taken into account. The limes declares that England must give immediate notice to the arbitrators and the Government, that if the American course is as reported, efforts at arbitration may as well cease. The Daily Telegraph reports that negotiations to that end have been opened between England and America, and that British representations were not received in a friendly manner. Other journals have criticised the American case with great severity, urging the Government to declare its opinion with regard to the demand for indirect damages. Chief Justice Cockburn has officially counselled the Cabinet that England must recede immediately from the Treaty of Washington, leaving America to decide between a new treaty or war. The Council 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 Cockburn will withdraw from the arbitration, and the Government will repudiate the Washington Treaty. The Daily News says the position of the Government is backed by the sentiment of the country. The Prince of Wal~s will embark for a cruise in the Mediterranean during April. An extraordinary storm occurred in the south of England, when the streams overflowed, and a -whole village was deluged. Great damage has been done to property in the valley of the Severn. Windsor suffered severely. The upper portion of London, on the river, was flooded. Mr Otway, M.P. for Chatham^ nas addressed his constituents on political affairs, expressing the opinion that the state of Europe is pregnant with complications which might lead to war. He sail if the claims of the United States in the Alabama question were allowed, war between the two countries would become necessary. The African mail "steam packet M'Gregor, en roate from the Cape to England, was wrecked on the Guinea coast. The passengers and crew were saved. In the Tichborne case the defence say that they have three hundred witnesses. Claimant's chances are considered to be weakening. In answer to representations by tbe An ti-SUve-Trade Society with regard to the non-fulfilment of the treaty for the suppression of the slave trade, Lord Granville said that it was undoubtable that Spain had infringed on the treaty, but the matter was too intricate for the interference of England at the present time, when Spain had an insurrection oohand. Lady Franklin offers a reward of £200 for the recovery of the records of the ships Erebus and Terror. Upon the nomination of Nolan, a " home rule" candidate for the House of Commons in Galway, Ireland, serious riots ensued, many persons being wounded. Election excitement in Kerry runs dangerously high. It is reported that Fenians are organising mobs to support Blenner and Baasett (" home rule" candidates), and that the priests are threatened with violence. John Bright has written a letter to the O*Donoghue, denouncing " home rule." London, Feb. 5. The tone of the press on the Alabama claims is slightly moderated, and all look forward to the Queen's speech to-morrow for the positive announcement of the Btand taken by tbe Government with regard to the American ease. The Times of Saturday has the following language : — " We repudiate the construction which has been put on the Treaty of Washington in the American case, and must withdraw from arbitrary tion if this construction is insisted upon, but this point rectified, we are ready to stand loyally by the Treaty." The Time* to-day is afraid the attempt to solve the Alabama difficulty may prove abortive, and hopes that the failure will not excite a bitter feeling in America. The Saturday Review thinks the United States prefers to have no settlement, but wishes to hold the Alabama claims aa a perpetual menace for political uses. The Pall Mall 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 are of the most friendly character." Considerable space is devoted to the subject of the Alabama claims, on which the Queen says : — " To uphold the extent of my international obligations, I have concluded a treaty with the United States for the settlement of questions discussed for several years, it having become obvious that the horrors of war are avoidable by peaceful arbitration, L instead of the arbitrament of the sword.

I have given my consent to a reference of the Alabama claims to an international tribunal, the highest authority to which their decision could have been entrusted. Through a pardonable oversight on the part -.of the negotiators, the claim was not explicitly limited to the direct losses, and therefore the President of the United States has 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 Queen deplores the trouble in India, and congratulates Parliament upon the condition of the finances of the country, and the collection of unprecedented revenues. She refers to the peaceable Btate of Ireland, and promises the introduction of Bills in relation to ballot, for the regulation of the modes of acquisition of railways by the State, and for the J regulation of licenses for the sale of liquors. Sir Charles Dilke organised a large meeting in Trafalgar Square to-night, when fully 10,000 persons attended. The Prince of Wales attended the church at Sandringham yesterday. The Times complains that the American case has been translated into all the Continental languages, and scattered broadcast over Europe. If it were the intention to make retractation impossible, no method could be more effective.