ALABAMA CLAIMS. G3 



sideration of the Tribunal of Arbitration, — was to infer 

 that they remained open and unadjusted, and suscep- 

 tible of being hereafter brought forward anew by the 

 United States as an object of reclamation against 

 Great Britain. One great inducement to the Treaty 

 would thus be defeated, namely, the establishment of 

 perfect concord and peace. In view of which it w^as 

 thought expedient to endeavor to adjust the present 

 dispute by informal stipulations on the part of the 

 two Governments. 



This well-intentioned effort fiiiled, because of the 

 persistent contention of the British Government that 

 the Treaty excluded from the Arbitration the claims 

 for national losses advanced by the United States. 



Further reflection on the subject satisfied the Amer- 

 ican Government that nothing short of a new treaty 

 could dispose of the question on the premises of the 

 pending negotiation, it being clear that the President 

 of the United States could not of himself withdraiv 

 claims which were in his opinion justified by tlie 

 Treaty of Washington. 



Thereupon the President requested of the Senate 

 an expression of their disposition in regard to advis- 

 ing and consenting to the formal adoption of an arti- 

 cle of treaty proposed by the British Government, to 

 the effect of stipulating that he would make no claim 

 on the part of the United States in respect of the so- 

 called indirect losses before the Tribunal of Arbitra- 

 tion, in consideration of an agreement between the 

 two Governments, the essence of which was set forth 

 in a preamble to the eftect that 



