THIRTIETH DAY, MAY si^t. 



Sir Richard Webster. — Mr. President, if I were to obey the dictates 

 of my own inclination, I slionld state at once frankly to the Conrt that 

 it was not in my power to assist them by fresh or additional observa- 

 tions in following, or attempting to follow, the argument that has been 

 addressed to you by my learned friend, the Attorney General. I say 

 it without the slightest shadow of reservation; I am not aware of a 

 single point that has not been touched, or of a single ground that has 

 not been urged, or of any substantial principle upon which the United 

 States Case is based, Avhich my learned friend has not attempted to 

 attack and grapple with. 



And yet, Mr. President, in all probability, I should not be altogether 

 fulfilling my duty if I were to remain absolutely silent in connection 

 with this discussion before this Tribunal. Having been chiefly respon- 

 sible for the framing of the original Case, there are certain points upon 

 which, in all probability, those who instruct me would think it right 

 that I should endeavour, even at the risk of some repetition, to put 

 forward before the Tribunal a summary of the argument which my 

 honourable and learned friend, the Attorney General, has so admirably 

 presented to you. 



I propose to rely largely, nay, almost entirely, on the intimate knowl- 

 edge that this Tribunal must have of the documents and the corre- 

 spondence which are in the voluminous papers that are before the Court. 

 I propose with very few exceptions, indeed, to rely upon the memory of 

 the Court of documents which have now for many days been under 

 their eye and the contents of which have been discussed before them. 

 I will only say I ought to have — I will not say that I have — at the 

 present time, a pretty intimate knowledge of these documents myself; 

 but if either of my learned friends on the other side who are good 

 enough to listen to me, think that in making any statement with regard 

 to the contention I am urging, I am not wellfounded either in fact or 

 in regard to the contents of any particular document, I hope they will 

 be kind enough to indicate it to me. 



Mr. President, I am not unmindful of the extreme attention and the 

 unvarying courtesy that has been displayed by every Member of this 

 Tribunal to those who preceded me, and I know full well that that will 

 be extended to me. 



Will you forgive me, Mr. President, as I wish to waste no time at all, 

 if I go at once to the questions in issue with but one preliminary obser- 

 vation — an observation I address not so much to you. Sir, as to those 

 of the Tribunal who have practised in years gone by in the profession 

 in which I have laboured now for a good many years. Those who have 

 been advocates will, I am sure, api)reciate that the work I have been 

 doing during the last six weeks has not been perhaps the best fitted to 

 enable one to present what I may call a finished address to the Tribunal. 

 I have been doin;^, I hope, not altogether without some success, work 

 which I have not been permitted to do for seven years, namely, that of 



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