No. 78.
Sir E.
Thornton to Earl Granville.
[From British Blue Book “North America,” No. 9, (1872,) p. 46.]
I received a visit from Mr. Fish early in the morning of the 29th instant, when he read to me a telegram he had received from General Schenck, a copy of which was forwarded in your telegram of the 28th instant.
Mr. Fish said that he could not entirely understand the ground of your Lordship’s objections to the supplementary Article as recommended by the Senate. He went on to say, that as the session was now so near its close, and as there was an immense amount of business still to be got through, he believed that it would be quite impossible to obtain an Executive Session for the purpose of taking into consideration even so short a Treaty as would be necessary to agree upon an adjournment of the meeting of the Tribunal of Arbitration, more particularly as in transmitting such a Treaty to the Senate for its sanction, it would be necessary to state that the supplementary Article recently recommended by that body had been rejected by Her Majesty’s Government, and to accompany that statement by the confidential telegrams which had passed between General Schenck and himself upon the subject.
Mr. Fish added, that even if such a Treaty of adjournment were signed and ratified, there would still be the same difficulty about making a convention as to the course which was to be pursued with regard to indirect claims. It could not be done immediately, and it would be a matter of great difficulty to convoke the Senate in Extraordinary Session during the summer for the purpose of ratifying such a convention. It could not, therefore, be submitted to the Senate till it met in December next, and it could not be foreseen when it might be taken [Page 544] into consideration; and it would, therefore, be very difficult to decide until what date the meeting of the Tribunal should be postponed.
It is at present difficult to prevent members of Congress from availing themselves of any opportunity to interrupt the most necessary and pressing business, and to make violent party speeches in both Houses.