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Southland Times, Issue 1563, 12 April 1872, Page 2

i The news by the mail, of which a telegra- ! phic summary appeared in our last, is on » the whole of a very satisfactory character, : none the less satisfactory indeed from the marked absence of that sensational tone which of Lite we have begun to look for in the news which comes to us across the American continent. The friendly re* . lations between. England and America are i as yet unimpaired, and the prospects of a 1 peaceful settlement of the Alabama question seem better than they were a month ago, when British indignation at the unexpected and extravagant character of the American claims was at its height. It is not easy to make much out of the very compressed summary of the i British " case " for the Geneva Tribunal, but it would appear that all liability for loss, caused either diroctly or indirectly by the escaped cruisers, is denied on i various grounds, such as that the vessels i left the English ports without armament — that they were obtained by clandestine s means by American citizens — that nations [ should not be held responsible for s accidental delays or omissions — that to , establish national liability the Govem- ; ment must be proved to have failed in i the usual care bestowed on international ■ affairs. The tardiness of the American > Government in taking proper measures i for the pursuit, and capture of the cruisers i is insisted on, we suppose, in mitigation s of damages, should any be awarded. " it s reserves the question as to the extent of 5 responsibility if the Tribunal decides that, ' Great Britain has incurred any respousi- , bility." This is not very intelligible. It > may mean an absolute demurrer to the ; American claim for indirect damages ; or l more probably, that the arguments on the extent of responsibility are withheld i till the Tribunal decides whether any re- ■ spousibility has been incurred. The ■ statement that " Great Britain will yield to the decision of the Tribunal," seems , superfluous, if it be really part of the i " case." It is worthy of note that the I American Government have also formally i declared their iutentiou to " abide by the l decision of the Tribunal." One would f have thought the treaty had already I settled all that. Bat it would seem that l the alternative, of nob abiding by the 5 decision of the Tribunal, had not been ' looked upon by either party as quite inl conceivable. i The Qujien, accotnpauied by the Piunce 5 op Wales, had driven in state to at. i Paul's, to return thanks for the happv [• recovery of the Prince from his lute i dangerous illness, aud the enthusiasm - displayed by the people on the occasion i was unbounded. Tae intense anxiety , which p^ ailed during the Prince's ill— f 'ness, and the genuine and universal r delight which greeted bid recovery, l I appeared at first surprising to distant