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ALABAMA CLAIMS. 19 



look with solicitude on the uneasy relations of the 

 British Government with the United States, and the 

 inconvenience thereof in case of possible complica 

 tions in Europe. Thus impelled, the Government 

 dispatched to Washington a gentleman, who enjoyed 

 the confidence of both Cabinets, Sir John Rose, to as 

 certain whether overtures for re-opening negotiations 

 would be received by the President in spirit and 

 terms acceptable to Great Britain. 

 / It was the second time, in the present generation, 

 foreign policy of England had been directed 

 a sense of the importance to her of maintaining 

 good relations with the United States; for, by argu 

 ing from that point, France, at the opening of war 

 with Prussia, induced the British Government to de 

 sist from those excessive belligerent pretensions to 

 the prejudice of neutrals, which in former times had 

 served to embroil her with both France and the Unit 

 ed States. 



There is another fact, which, in my opinion, power 

 fully contributed to induce this overture on the part 

 of the British Government, although it was not spok 

 en of in this connection by Lord Granville. I allude 

 to the President s recommendation to Congress to ap 

 point a commission to audit the claims of American 

 citizens on Great Britain growing out of the acts of 



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Confederate cruisers, in view of having them assumed 



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by the Government of the United States. In this in 

 cident there was matter of grave and serious reflection 

 to Great Britain. 



On arriving at Washington, Sir John Eose found 



