International arbitration and the improvement of international law : the debate in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, July 8th, 1873, on the motion of Mr. Henry Richard for an address to the Crown.

  • Richard, Henry, 1812-1888.
Date:
[1873]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: International arbitration and the improvement of international law : the debate in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, July 8th, 1873, on the motion of Mr. Henry Richard for an address to the Crown. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    this country and the Empire of Brazil, which had previously given occasion fo a great deal of angry and irritating diplomatic correspondence, was re- ferred to the arbitration of the King of the Belgians and disposed of without difficulty. I will mention another case which may be considered as a crucial example of successful arbitration. In 1868-9, as hon. members will recollect, the relations of Turkey and Greece became full of danger on account of the insurrection in Crete. There was everything in this case to exasperate animosities between the two parties—difference of race, difference of religion, terrible memories and sinister traditions of the j^ast. But at the suggestion of Prussia there was a con- ference of the Great Powers at Paris, who agreed to certain resolutions to be submitted to Greece for her acceptance. These, be it borne in mind, were offered merely as recommendations, and not backed up by any threats of force on the part of the mediat- ing Powers ; and yet in spite of the forebodings of the prophets of evil, who loudly prognosticated failure, the success was complete. Greece accepted the resolutions, and the danger passed away. The right hon. gentleman, the Prime Minister, speaking in the House in reference to that case, sj)oke of it most justly as “an evidence of real advance in civilisation.” I have the greatest pleasure in citing the words he used on that occasion :—>“ Here is a case in which two Powers, exasperated by traditional animosities, were on the point of resorting to the arbitration of force and bloodshed, and yet in which the employment of a purely moral interference has been sufficient to avert the calamity of war. Now,