Her Majesty's Government also appointed Lord Tenterden as the agent of Great Britain before the Tribunal, and Sir Roundell Palmer as chief counsel.
On the 15th of December, 1871, the Arbitrators organized the Tribunal at Geneva with Count Frederic Sclopis in the chair as presiding
Organization of
the Tribunal and
filing of the cases.
The contents of the case of the United States became immediately known to the British Ministers, but not for some weeks to the British people. The Ministers were not apparently disturbed in mind about it, although they discovered at once that it contained claims for national damages and indirect damages as well as for direct damages to individuals; but as soon as the newspapers got hold of this fact, they raised a tremendous hue and cry, and accused those who had prepared the case of taking an unfair advantage of the wording of the treaty. The Minister of the United States in London, General Schenck, informed Mr. Fish by cable of the agitation in London over the subject and of the demand of the newspapers that the claim for national and indirect damages should be withdrawn. Mr. Fish replied firmly that "there must be no withdrawal of any part of the claim presented." At this moment the session of Parliament opened and the Queen's speech contained a criticism of the extravagance of the claims of the United States in the case submitted to the Tribunal. The matter was warmly debated in Parliament, and on
The controversy
between Mr. Fish
and Lord Granville.
Before this discussion terminated the day arrived for the filing of the counter cases. They were both promptly filed with a reservation
The filing of the
counter cases
and the argument.