A banquet was given on Thursday by the American Chamber
of Commerce in Liverpool to the American Minister, and attended by Lord Stanley and Mr. Gladstone, among other guests. Mr. Johnson made a pleasant speech, declaring that the heart of Great Britain beat in amity with that of the United States, acknowledg- ing the cordiality with which he had been received by the Foreign Secretary, and announcing his confident hope that the only dispute remaining to be settled,—which dispute he did not name, for fear of hurting Mr. Laird, —was advancing " merrily" to a settlement. Lord Stanley declared that such a settlement would be a full coin-
pensation for his anxieties in his conspicuous but not always enviable position, argued strongly that the true object of foreign policy was peace, and considered the European dread of a coming war, if not unfounded, at least exaggerated. Every Court dreaded a European war. Mr. Gladstone also denounced war, hoped that it would in future be prevented by the growth of moral opinion, and complimented America cordially on her choice of representa- tives in Great Britain. Mr. Laird, though present, endured in silence speeches in which the " settlement of the Alabama claims," that is, the payment by the nation of a fine for his speculations, was declared by a Tory Foreign Secretary a grand relief from anxiety.
