Mr. Rublee to Mr. Fish.
Sir: During an interview with the President of Switzerland to-day, he informed me that, in compliance with the joint request of the governments of the United States and of Great Britain, he had named a member of the tribunal of arbitration provided for by the treaty of Washington, of May 8, 1871, and that he had designated Mr. Jacob Stämpfli as the member from Switzerland of such tribunal. This fact he communicated to me unofficially, adding that he reserved its official announcement until such time as the appointment of a member of the tribunal of arbitration by Italy should be made public.
Mr. Stämpfli is one of the most prominent public men in Switzerland, and one of its most able statesmen, having been in public life for more than twenty years past. Since the organization of the government, under the constitution of 1848, he has been continuously a leading member of the national council, and for a considerable part of the time a member of the Federal Council. He has been three times chosen President of the confederation. He is a lawyer by profession, but, during some years, since resigning his position as a member of the Federal Council, has been chiefly occupied with the affairs of the Federal Bank, of which he is president. In politics he belongs to the liberal, or perhaps I might more properly say, the radical, party of Switzerland.
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I have, &c.,