A rather unpleasant complication of the matter was brought out
by Mr. Otway, who stated that before the Commission on the other British and American claims (not springing out of the acts of the cruisers) now sitting at Washington, the British Agent (a sub- ordinate officer) had presented claims arising out of the Confederate Cotton Loan, to which the American Commissioners demurred, but had eventually agreed to let their validity as claims be decided by the Commission itself ; and now, added Mr. Otway, the United States only wish to be treated on the Geneva Commission, in relation to the indirect claims, as they treated the Con- federate Cotton-Loan Claims, i.e., wish to let the Arbitrators themselves decide whether they are included under the Treaty or not. Mr. Gladstone's answer (partly given on Thursday) was however perfect,—that by the 14th Article of the Treaty of Washington, the Commissioners at Washington on these " other " claims are constituted judges of the scope of their own powers, as well as of the matters which clearly come under them, while no such right is given to the Geneva Commission on the Alabama claims. Moreover, the presentation of these Cotton-loan claims by the British Agent was an act not authorized by the Government, and in fact disallowed by it.
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