730 COKBESPONDENCE, ETC. 



The simple question is whether Lord Granville is willing to adjust 

 the claims comprehended in 109 and 110, either by payment of lump 

 sum or by reference of the whole matter to British minister and my- 

 self. I am ready to consider either mode of adjustment. 



BLAINE. 



Mr. Lowell to Mr. Elaine. 



[Telegram.] 



LONDON, March 9, 1881. 



Interview with the minister for foreign affairs this afternoon. He 

 says cabinet equally desirous with Evarts to accelerate settlement. 

 As Evarts did not see his way to accept terms last offered, secretary is 

 willing to consent to reference either to you or late Secretary of 

 State with British minister at Washington. Is willing to pay 15,- 

 000 for all claims up to end of last year. If cruisers be sent as inti- 

 mated in 109, he would be glad to know your opinion of joint cruisers 

 with joint instructions. 



LOWELL. 



Mr. Lowell to Mr. Elaine. 



No. 141.] LEGATION or THE UNITED STATES, 



London, March 12, 1881. (Received March 25.) 



SIR: Referring to my 138, I have the honor to report that on 

 receipt of Mr. Evarts's telegram on the 7th of March, I had an inter-; 

 view with Lord Granville at the foreign office, the result of which I 

 communicated to you by cable. I have very little to add except that 

 I ascertained that Lord Granville's ideas of a lump sum for the For- 

 tune Bay claims, and those in your 109, did not rise above 6,000. 

 He considered the 15,000 already offered, so " excessive " that it 

 would be impossible to go before Parliament with it except as a pay- 

 ment in full. 



I represented to him as strongly as I could that it looked much 

 smaller to us than to him, and that it would promote a cordial un- 

 derstanding if these old claims could be got out of the way. I sug- 

 gested that he should offer a larger sum for a full receipt up to that 

 time, a few thousand pounds being of little importance compared 

 with the amicable relations of the two nations. The justice of this 

 view I have also endeavored to impress upon other members of the 

 cabinet, as I chanced to meet them. I found them all very friendly 

 and anxious to arrive at a final settlement of a delicate question, but 

 apparently all of one mind as to the adequacy of the sum offered to 

 cover the claims. 



On the morning after my interview with Lord Granville, I sent 

 him at his request a copy of such parts of your telegram as could 

 properly be communicated to him. 



On the arrival of your telegram, received on the 9th of March, I 

 had another interview with Lord Granville at the foreign office and 

 explained to him the passage about " advertising for claims," which 



