To conceive an effectual decision by arbitrators we must begin by conceiving two suitors ready to receive that decision; pledged to one another, agreeing with one another, that in reference to the matter before the arbitrators they would abide by that decision.
As we write negotiations are in progress, the character of which is concealed from us, and the issue of which it is impossible to foresee. All that we know of them is that they have begun badly. When at last the Government was roused by the press and the country from a lethargy which it has yet to explain, and when it grew aware that something had to be done in consequence of the unfair manoeuvre that the United States had attempted, Lord Granville, on the 3rd of February, sent a despatch to General Schenck, which was described in the Queen's Speech as a friendly communication,' and the contents of which were understood to be as nearly colourless as the circumstances would allow. Timid to the verge of servility at a time when honour and policy would have alike dictated some boldness and precision of tone, the Government seems to have done nothing more than feebly suggest that the United States was asking too much in asking us to give the arbitrators at Geneva power to treat us as a conquered nation. As a matter of course the United States Government maintained the position it had already assumed. Lord Granville's despatch practically encouraged that Government to persevere in the course on which it had entered. We do not say that he could easily have persuaded it to draw back. The lessons of fifty years are not to be unlearned in a day. We have displayed towards the United States such miserable weakness and servility in the past, that now-or whenever we may ultimately be compelled to change our tone with them, as sooner or later it is inevitable that we must-we may have to face some disagreeable contingencies before convincing them that we are in earnest. But very ordinary sagacity should have shown the Government that indecisive remonstrances, however sweetened with sugary phrases, were absurdly out of place when we had to deal with such an extraordinary aggression as that attempted by the American Government. The course before us was to say plainly that, in signing the Washington treaty, we meant to concede the most liberal terms we could agree to, compatibly with the maintenance of our own honour, but that we never contemplated the discussion before arbitrators, nor imagined that the American Government contemplated advancing, demands of so extravagant a nature as those they have put forward. Those demands, we should have explained, constituted so serious an infringement of the understanding embodied in the treaty, that we could only regard the proceedings before the arbitrators as suspended
suspended until the American Government might choose to conform to the stipulations therein laid down. An explanation of this kind would have required no reply of an argumentative character. We should have known at once whether to regard the arbitration as still pending, or the treaty of Washington as null and void by reason of the irremediable infringement of its provisions by America.*
What, on the other hand, is the painful position in which we are placed by the feeble and inadequate diplomacy of the Government? We are drifting on, in spite of Lord Derby's warnings, from one concession to another. Our attitude, which at this moment should have been bold, honourable, and intelligible, is equivocal, and all but ignominious. Sooner or later, at a less favourable opportunity than that which we have allowed to let slip, we must speak out courageously, or submit to concessions that will earn for us the contempt of the civilised world. The momentary success of the Government in persuading credulous admirers that the danger by which we were menaced is passing away, is due merely to a policy of procrastination that has temporarily averted an evil day. to the warnings of the past, the Cabinet seems still to cling to the belief that our difficulties with the United States can yet be surmounted by means of a policy of conciliation; and indeed whether it is still possible that ultimate measures of common sense, involving the abandonment of this foolish and feeble policy, may avert the dangers by which we are at present encompassed, is a question to which, without knowing as yet how far the Government has already committed us, we should shrink from giving a reply. But taking a broad view of the relations that have subsisted between this country and the United States for the last fifty years, we must confess that politicians, who still look hopefully to a future depending on the continued influence of conciliation in our further negotiations with that Power, display a confidence which no experience will teach, and which borders on downright folly.
The advice which Lord Westbury gave to the Government upon this point in the debate in the House of Lords on March 22nd is so excellent that it deserves to be recorded here:- What I beg the Government to do is to take a firm stand upon the truth of what was understood on both sides at the time, and not to be beguiled into a question concerning the construction of a treaty, for it is idle to discuss the construction of a document which you contend does not contain your real sentiments, and does not tally with the belief and understanding which you were induced by the other side to entertain. Insist that no question as to the construction of the treaty on this matter shall go to the arbitrators; for there is something superior to language-the question what was intended by us, and what was represented to us to be intended by them. Have that point raised and decided before you begin quibbling as to the interpretation of the language.'
HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND VOLUME OF THE
QUARTERLY REVIEW.
ACTING a paradox according to Talma,
Actor, vocation of the great, 7-summit
of his art, 9.
Acts of the Apostles, wonderful internal
indications of the authorship of the
book, 439.
Adulteration of tea and beer to a scan-
dalous extent, 287.
Alcock (Sir R.) on the present condi-
tion of China, 388.
American case for the Geneva tribunal,
535-story of the Maine boundary,
537-Ghent negotiations, 539-re-
jection by America of the award of
the King of the Netherlands, 540-
Lord Ashburton circumvented by the
American Secretary of State, 543-
the map scandal, ib.-right of search
to promote the abolition of the slave
trade, 545-the Oregon question, 547
-rival arguments on it, 549-dis-
coveries of Vancouver and Captain
Gray, 551-the Treaty of 1846 a sur-
render by Great Britain, 554-corre-
spondence of Captain Prevost and
Mr. A. Campbell, 558-true character
of the Washington Treaty, 561-vast
indirect claims advanced by the
American Government, ib.-four dis-
tinct periods of the negotiation of the
Washington Treaty, 562-mania of
the British Government for truckling
to the United States, 565-the treaty
signed by Lord Ashburton a capitu-
lation, ib.-the recent treaty like-
wise so, ib.-three rules laid down by
the United States for the guidance of
the Arbitrators, ib.-the British case
compared with the American, 566-
cases of the 'Shenandoah' and 'Geor-
gia,' 568-of the Florida,' 569-
legal opinion for the detention of the
'Alabama' a day too late, ib.-pos-
sible amount of the indirect claims,
570-nature and functions of a Court
Vol. 132.-No. 264.
of Arbitration, 572-feeble and in-
adequate diplomacy of the Govern-
ment, 574.
'Anti-Jacobin,' poetry of the, 37.
Apreece (Mrs.), her character, and mar-
riage with Sir H. Davy, 170.
Architecture, English, 295-degraded
public taste in the building art, 299
fundamental law of good design,
ib.-design of Blackfriars Bridge a
wonder of depravity, ib.-faults of
the Thames Embankment, 300-bad
imitations of Gothic detail at West-
minster Bridge, ib.-St. Thomas's
Hospital, 301-Midland Railway Ter-
minus, ib.-the Great Northern Ter-
minus, 302-cause of the popular
ignorance of the building arts, 304-
the workman the architect of olden
time, 305-trading in designs, 306-
present practice of the architectural
profession, ib.-the old and the new
builder contrasted, 307-the font of
St. Alban's, Holborn, ib.—All Saints',
Margaret-street, ib.-straining for
effect the characteristic of our modern
churches, 309-church of St. James
the Less at Westminster, 310-St.
Michael's, Cornhill, 311-Norman
and Early English work, 314-under
the Edwards the very climax of Eng-
lish architecture, 315-examples of
the Italian style, ib.-London Uni-
versity building in Piccadilly the
most contemptible achieved by the
architectural profession, ib.-differ-
ence between building and archi-
tecture, ib.-Blenheim House, 316-
Burlington House, 317-manufacture
of designs in English and Continental
Gothic, ib.-art-manufactured gew-
gaws debasing both to the buildings
and the workmen, 318-sacrifice of
St. Stephen's chapel and crypt, 319
-ancient artificers, 322-Christian
architects of the 19th century con-
trasted with the Jews of 25 centuries
ago. 323-the old builder a handi-
2 Q
craftsman, not a maker of drawings,
324-effects on building of leasehold
tenure, 326-insecurity of tenure, ib.
-the whole metropolis under a curse
of law, 327-means of restoring the
social status of the workman, 328-
enfranchisement of leaseholds, 329—
our business now to press forward to
the 14th century and recover the
spirit of our great ancestors, 330-
new buildings of the Kensington
Museum, 331-gates from Hampton
Court and from Berlin, ib.-trio of
chiefest gems of mediaval art, 332
-decorations of Trafalgar Square a
combination of ignorance, inexpe-
rience, absurdity, and bad taste, 333
-forlorn condition of our public as
well as private building-works, 334
-the class of drawing-clerks, ib.
Ashburton's (Lord) American diplo-
macy, 534.
Assassin or Hashashin, origin of the
word, 206.
Atterbury's retort to Lord Coningsby,
464.
Badakshan, salubrity of its valleys, 208.
Bank of England and the Money Mar-
ket, 114-three causes of the drain
on the Bank in September 1871, 117
-cause of the suspension of the Act
of 1844 in May 1866, 119 - vital
change in the relations of the Bank
of England to the London Money
Market, 120-necessity of the prin-
ciple of cash payments, 122-advan-
tage of the Clearing-house, 123-
recommendation to abandon the for-
mula of a published rate of discount,
Berkeley's (Bishop) Works, 85-one of
the darlings of the human race, 86—
family and education, 87
essay
towards a new theory of vision, 88-
association with Swift, Addison, Pope,
Gay, and Parnell, 89-contributions
to Steele's 'Guardian,' ib.-welcomed
by the Tory Ministry from his 'Dis-
course on Passive Obedience,' 90-
chaplain and secretary to the Earl of
Peterborough, ib.-foreign travels,
91-Diary in Italy, 92-treatise 'de
Motu,' 93-chaplain to the Duke of
Grafton, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,
94-nominated to the deanery of
Dromore, a lucrative sinecure, ib.-
interview with Swift's Vanessa, who
bequeaths him 4000l., ib.-revoca-
tion of a will she had made in favour
of Swift after her rupture with him
on the discovery of Stella's marriage
with Swift, 95-Swift's character of
him, ib.-notion of founding a uni-
versity at Bermuda, ib.-the scheme
visionary, 96-correspondence with
Tom Prior, 98-emigration for three
years to Rhode Island, 99-his home
there described by Lady Amberley in
1867, ib.-his Alciphron or the Mi-
nute Philosopher,' 100-founds Ber-
keleian scholarships in Yale College,
101-nominated to the bishopric of
Cloyne, 102-idyllic pictures of his
family life, 103-his children, ib.-
his complete system of economic
science forty years before the ap-
pearance of The Wealth of Nations,'
104-supposes himself to have dis-
covered a universal panacea in tar-
water, 105-his work 'Siris' on the
virtues of tar-water, 106 residence
at Oxford, ib.-suggestions for the
social and economic improvement of
Ireland, 107-character and value
of his philosophy, 108-his 'Princi-
ples of Human Knowledge,' and 'Dia-
logues of Hylas and Philonous,' ib.-
Hume's perversion of Berkeley's phi-
losophy, 111-in what consists the
great value of Berkeley's specula-
tions, 113-Siris' marred by a para-
dox, 114.
Bermuda poetically celebrated, 97.
Bicorne, Arabic application of the term
to the 47th Proposition of Euclid,
207.
Bonaparte as First Consul, personal
appearance of, 497-French puns
relating to, 501.
Boswell, definition of taste given by
Lord Stowell to, 187-estimated by
Macaulay and Carlyle, 340.
Bright's (Mr.) oratory, 487-prepara-
tion of his orations, 188.
Brougham's greatest orations, 478.
Brunswick's (Duke of) overtures re-
jected by Napoleon after Jena, 567.
Burke, the greatest of modern orators,
476.
Cannibalism, justification of, among a
wild race in Sumatra, 226.
Canning's oratory compared with that
of Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, Plunkett, and
Brougham, 479-his speeches abound
in the most finished specimens of
rhetoric in our tongue, ib.-extracts,
ib.
Capital not the oppressor and enemy of
labour, but its offspring and instru-
ment, 256-the profits of the capi-
talist consist of three portions, 257.
Carlyle's (Thomas) Works, 335-the
moral teacher in a peculiar position
between the man of action and the
man of theory, 336-Carlyle's type
of moral training the truest, 338-on
Kant's system, 345-description of
the Reign of Terror, 346-his dis-
paragement of Scott and Byron, 348
the central passage of Carlyle's
writings quoted, 349-two remarks
on it, 350 defects of his later
writings, ib.-his spirit of self-anta-
gonism, 352 - anomalies in his
writings, ib.-a compound of Hera-
clitus and Democritus, ib.-the mantle
of the Covenanters fallen upon him,
ib.-considers as the only virtue that
of which he is absolutely devoid, the
virtue of practical ability, 355-his
admiration of Cromwell, 356-con-
trasted with Coleridge, 357-merits
and deficiencies as an historian, 358
-hero-worship the centre of his poli-
tical teaching, 359-theory and de-
finition of hero-worship, ib.-on the
importance of unity of purpose in
the head of the State, 360-a perni-
cious result of his teaching, 362-re-
sults of the eccentricities of his style,
365-characteristics as a writer, 366.
Cathedral restoration, 321.
Celebrities, distinct constellations of, in
the present and preceding genera-
tions, 188.
Charitable purposes in London, seven
millions and a half distributed or
available for, 251.
China, exaggerated statements of its
population, 367-reports of journeys
in Japan and, b.-classification of
information on Chinese topics, 369-
mineral treasures of, 371-Kicht-
hofen's remarks on Chinese provinces,
ib.-area of coal-fields 400,000 square
miles, 372-causes of Chinese neglect
of coal and iron mines, 375-rude
vehicles for the carrier service, 376-
unthrifty character of the land car-
riage, 377-why famine is a chronic
scourge in China, 378-insignificant
extent of our trade with China, 380-
gratifying results of the treaty nego-
tiated by Lord Elgin, 382-railways
the only means of opening up latent
fields of wealth in, 384-Sir R. Alcock
on the expansion of trade with, 385
-amiable disposition of the Chinese
towards foreigners, 386-why the
ruling body is opposed to the pre-
sence of foreigners, 387-'British
Policy in China,' by a Shanghae
merchant, 390- resistance of the
Chinese Government to steam-com-
munication on the great rivers, 391
-the Tientsin massacre, 392.
Church and cathedral restoration, 312.
See Architecture.
Classes of society in England, assimi-
lation of, 190.
Clearing-house, advantage of the, 123.
Clergy, their increased zeal and acti-
vity, 192.
Cockburn's (Chief Justice of England)
eloquence, 471-summing-up of the
Matlock will case a fine specimen,
Coleridge's faculty of logical systema-
tisation, 357.
Colliers and other miners in South
Wales, 280.
Commune, aims of the Parisian com-
munal insurrection, 253.
Communist insurrection due to the ne-
gation of all religion, 528.
Cooper's (T. T.) Travels of a Pioneer
of Commerce,' 194.
Co-operative partnerships, advantages
of, 258-the wages of operatives
might be made the foundation of
accumulations of capital, 259-earn-
ings of workmen in the staple in-
dustries of Lancashire, ib.-co-ope-
rative stores, 288.
Corbett's cooking depôts in Glasgow,
291-comfortable dining-halls, ib.
Courts of Law, style of architecture
most appropriate to the, 303.
Couvade (the), practised in the East,
Cromwell, no enduring work accom-
plished by, 356.
Dante's 'Vita Nuova,' 69.
Davy's (Sir H.) marriage unhappy, 172.
Demi-monde, its acclimatisation on
English soil, 189.
Derby (the late Earl of), his eloquence
characterized by Disraeli and Mac-
aulay, 482 his triumph of elo-
quence in an attack on O'Connell, ib.
Dickens (Charles), Forster's 'Life,'
125-the leading incidents which
fashioned his genius, ib.-his singu-
larly keen habit of observation, 126
-the books forming the companions
of his boyhood, 127-suspension of
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