Thornton to Granville Leveson-Gower, May 14, 1872
No. 50. Sir E. Thornton to Earl Granville.1
[From British Blue Book “North America,” No. 9, (1872,) p. 19.]
My Lord: I have the honor to inform your Lordship that, during a conversation which I had late last night with Mr. Fish, he said that the public was extremely anxious and intensely curious as to what had lately passed between the two Governments on the subject of the indirect claims, and that he thought it would be admirable to take some measure to allay this impatience. He suggested that it would be well either to send to Congress in open session, or to publish, the four notes which passed between your Lordship and General Schenck on the subject of claims for indirect damages, two telegrams relative to the presentation of the British Counter Case, and a dispatch from General Schenck to Mr. Fish, which the latter read to me. To the publication of the three latter there did not seem to be the slightest objection, nor, as 1 thought, to that of the four notes. But Mr. Fish did not seem satisfied with my opinion,, and said that, as he did not wish to do anything which might at all embarrass Her Majesty’s Government, he would rather that I would telegraph your Lordship upon the subject, in the hope that you would give your assent to the, publication of the above-mentioned documents.
I have, &c.,