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156 



APPENDIX J. 



''- I 



Speeches or Counsel befoke the Halifax Commission'. 



I 



T. 



AT the fifth Confeiciue, held on the 31st July, 1877, on the conclusion of the 

 reading of the "Case of Her INlajesty's Government;" the "Answer of the 

 United States ;" and the " Reply of lAcr Majesty's Government ;" 



Mr. Thomtion said :• This, youi- Kxccllency, and your Honours, is the "Case of 

 Great Britain;" the " Answer of the United States" to this Case, and the "Reply." 

 The issues are plain, and arc not, 1 apprehend, to be misunderstood. I think I may 

 not be presumptuous in saying on the part of Her Majesty's Government, tluit we feel 

 these issues are trusted for adjiuiicatioii and decision to able and impartial 

 hands, and if it shall happen, as 1 hope it i ,i,„ that the result of your dc^iihcrations 

 in this case may be the basis upon which iutuVe and more lasting negotiations may 

 be entered into, and so a source of continued national and local irritation be entirely 

 removed, then I think I may fairly say to your Excellency and your Honours, that 

 you will have acquired no unenviable and no unimportant place in the history of your 

 times, and 1 am quite satisfied that you will have earned by your labours the 

 lasting gratitude of two great peoples. 



II. 



At the twenty-fdth Conference, held on the 28th day of August, lb77, 

 Mr. Trescot, on behalf of the Government of the United States, made the following 

 application : — 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Commission : — 



As the time is now approaching when the evidence in support of tlic British 

 Case will be closed, and we will be requested to open the testimony in behalf of the 

 United States, we would ask leave to make a slight change in the order of our 

 proceeding as it has been at present arranged. 



According to the present arrangement, it will be our duty to open our case, in 

 advance of the testimony, by laying before you the general scheme of our argument, 

 and indicating the points upon which evidence will be submitted in its support. 



The character of the testimony which has been now subniiltcd in support of 

 the British Case, and the tenor of that which we will offer (as m.iy l)c inferred from 

 the evidence of the two witnesses whom we were allowed to examine out of order), 

 have impressed us with the conviction that a practical discussion of the real issues 

 will be more certainly secured, and the time and patience of the Commission will be 

 more wisely economized, if we are allowed to submit such views as li may be our 

 duty to maintain .at the close, instead of in advance of the examination of witnesses. 



As we understand the wish of loth Governments to be that the whole discussion 

 should be as frank and full as jwssiblc, it has occurred to us that you might be 

 disposed to allow us to adopt such an arrangement as would, in our judgment, best 

 enable us to lay before you a complete presentment of the opinions of the Govern- 

 ment we represent. And we feci more assured in that opinion, as this privilege 

 deprives counsel on the other side of no advantage which they now possess. For, 

 beside the right to reply to the printed argument which they now have, we wculd 

 of course expect that they would also be allowed the right of oral reply, if tliey 

 desired to exercise it. 



