It looked as if the work of the commissioners, who had framed the Treaty, and of the Arbitrators, who had now given six months of their time to its execution, would go for naught, and that the Governments and the people of the two countries would be thrown back into the relations existing during the years 1869 and 1870, with intensified feelings of hostility. The Arbitrators realized the seriousness of the situation and did not yield to the request of the British agent. They adjourned to the 19th of the month, that is for four days only, in order to deliberate upon the proposition. When they reassembled on the 19th the President of the Tribunal announced that the Arbitrators had decided to inform the two high contracting parties, at that {314} juncture, that the Arbitrators did not consider the claims for national and indirect damages to be a good foundation in international law "for an award of compensation or computation of damages between nations;" but were unanimously of the opinion that such claims should "be wholly excluded from the consideration of the Tribunal in making its award, even if there were no disagreement between the two Governments as to the competency of the Tribunal to decide them." The President said further, that the Arbitrators made this announcement in order that the Government of the United States might consider if it would adopt some course in reference to these claims, which would relieve the Tribunal from deciding upon the request of the British agent for an adjournment. The President of the United States was duly informed of this announcement by the Tribunal, and, upon the advice of the learned counsel for the United States, he instructed the agent of the United States to make the following reply to the Tribunal: "The declaration made by the Tribunal, individually and collectively, respecting the claims presented by the United States for the award of the Tribunal for, first, the losses in the transfer of the American commercial marine to the British flag, second, the enhanced payment of insurance, and, third, the prolongation of the war and the addition of a large sum to the cost of the war and the suppression of the Rebellion, is accepted by the President of the United States as determinative of their judgment upon the important question of public law involved." This reply was read to the Tribunal on the 25th of June, and on the 27th the British agent, under instructions from his Government, withdrew his request for an adjournment and filed his argument.