ALABAMA CLAIMS. 117 
operations,—could not discover in these incidents any 
negligence or any violation of neutrality on the part 
of the British Government. Sir Alexander chose not 
to remember that the. affair of the Oreto or Florida 
was, from the beginning to the end, according to the 
confession of Lord John Russell himself, a scandal 
and a reproach to the laws of Great Britain, and still 
more, we may add, a scandal and a reproach to cer- 
tain of the British Ministers, of whose honor Sir Alex- 
ander assumes to be the special champion. 
When Count Sclopis had concluded the reading of 
his opinion, Sir Alexander Cockburn renewed his mo- 
tion for the hearing of Counsel; but was again over- 
ruled by the Tribunal, which assigned for its next 
Conference the consideration of the case of the Ala- 
bama. 
SPECIAL ARGUMENTS ORDERED ON CERTAIN POINTS. 
The Tribunal met again on the 25th; and the Bar- 
on @’Itajubé then made a precise and formal propo- 
sition, calling on the Counsel of Great Britain fora 
eave or printed Statement or Argument in elucida- 
tion of three questions of law, namely : 
“1, The question of due diligence treated in a general man- 
ner. 
“2. The effect of commissions possessed by Confederate ves- 
sels of war which had entered into British ports. 
“3. The supplies of coal furnished to Confederate vessels in 
British ports.” 
And with liberty to the Counsel of the United States 
to reply either orally or in writing as the case may be. 
This proposition was adopted by the Tribunal. 
