Benjamin Moran to The Right Honorable the Earl Granville, September 14, 1871

Mr. Moran to Mr. Fish

Sir: With reference to your No. 42 to General Schenck, I have the honor to state that Her Majesty’s government publicly announced in Parliament, on the 11th of August, the appointment of Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bart., the Lord Chief Justice of Queen’s Bench, as arbitrator under Article I of the treaty of Washington, and communicated this fact verbally to me through Lord Enfield on the 30th ultimo. At that date the commission of Sir Alexander had not been signed by the Queen, nor had the appointment been announced in the Gazette, but on the 15th of the month a telegram was sent to Mr. Pakenham instructing him to make known the appointment to you. It is not customary to make such announcements to foreign governments by note until after the appointments are gazetted, and hence the delay in this case; but the selection of Sir Alexander was communicated to me without hesitation. I accordingly notified Lord Granville by letter that the President had appointed Mr. Charles Francis Adams as the arbitrator to be named by him, and I now have the honor to send herewith a copy of that note. I also transmit a copy of his lordship’s reply, in which he announced the appointment of Sir Alexander Cockburn by Her Majesty the Queen in a similar capacity.

As directed, I promptly communicated to Lord Granville by note the appointment of Mr. J. C. Bancroft Davis as agent on the part of the United States under Article II of the treaty, and now send copies of my letter, and of his lordship’s acknowledgment thereof.

I also inclose copies of my note announcing to Lord Granville the appointment of Mr. Robert S. Hale as agent of the United States under Article XII of the treaty, and of his lordship’s reply, informing me that Mr. Henry Howard, third secretary in Her Majesty’s diplomatic service, had already been appointed to act in a similar capacity on behalf of the Queen’s government.

I have, &c., &c.,