NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THEprospects of the Treaty of Washington appear at the pre- sent moment to be but poor. The Senate on Saturday approved ;a, modified form of Supplemental Article, intended, or at least 'presumably intended, to remove our difficulty about the Indirect Claims, by a majority of 42 to 8, some 21 Senators not voting. Out the modifications were certainly not welcome to the British 'Government, and according to some of the last accounts we have received,.the American Government has absolutely declined to propose any further modification of the Senate's modified Article. It was rumoured on Thursday in a telegram to 'the Times that the Treaty was as good as "dead ;" and Mr. Gladstone, though he stated on Thursday night that the telegram which stated that negotiations were "actually or virtually at an end" was "incorrect," did not say anything to .keep hope alive. The latest telegram from America was some- what more cheerful, and both Mr. Gladstone's and Lord Granville's tone yesterday breathed more of hope, but the general drift of the mews is unfavourable. It is certain that the American Government, while apparently caring little about the pecuniary question, has etaked its dignity on eliciting an opinion from the Geneva Arbi- trators upon the Indirect Claims, and this is precisely the point which our Government has steadily refused to yield. The funda- mental difference of view is, probably, deeper than it seems.
