The Press. — London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

Woods and Forest, Treasury, and War Offices, and would be extended to the Foreign-office. Having stated those facts, he thought the house would agree that the Government had not only not refused to fulfil their pledges upon the subject, but that they had carried out the principle to e. considerable length, and he hoped Lord Goderich would not think it necessary to press his motion ► o a division. Mr. G. A. Hamilton, Mr. Joseph Ewart, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Clay having spoken in favour of the resolution, Lord PALMERSTON said that the difference be tween Lord Goderich and the Government was ex ceedingly small—so small, indeed, that he thought it hardly worth while to give the house the trouble of recording its vote by a division. He accepted the motion according to the interpretation. Taking the motion, therefore, upon Lord Goderich's own show.• ing, he was not prepared to negative it. The motion was agreed to. PRIVATEERING—THE CONFERENCES OF PARIS. Mr. LINDSAY moved an address for copies of Mr. Marcy's letter to the French Government in answer to the communication of the resolution of the Paris Conlerence upon the subject of privateering ; and of any other papers or correspondence that may have passed between the British Government and other pow. rs upon the same subject, supporting his motion by an argument in which he discussed the question of the rights of neutrals in time of war. Lord PALMERSTON said, it was not usual to ask, or for the Government to grant, copies of correspon dence between two foreign States. In fact, the Government were not in official possession of a copy of Mr. Marcy's letter. The • esolution of the Paris Congress had been con.municated by the parties thereto to all the other maritime States, and, among others, to the United States of America, the Govern ment of which replied that they were ready to agree to the proposition provided private property at s, a was to be no longer subject to capture. Before an answer was sent to this communication a new t'resi dent entered upon office, who stated that it was not his wish that any answer should be sent to the pro position of his predecessor, and desired that the correspondence upon the subject should be sus pended. It was, therefore, not advisable to lay these papers before Parliament. As to the mode of deal ing with private property in time of war, the practice hall varied very much from time to time, and in different countries. "It was very difficult, in fact, to establish any rule in regard to the m ,de of dealing with private property on shore under such circum stances which would not apply at once to private property on the ocean." However, that was a question which could not be properly discussed upon a mo tion or this sort. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said; he wag not surprised that the Government did not agree with the motion. But certainly the question raised was one of the utmost importance : The hon. gentleman says that in the event of a war all the goods sent in ships under convoy will require five per cent., and in ships not nnder convoy ten per cent., additional premium. The hon. gentleman has naturally argued that with such additional payments the manufac• turers of this country will send their goods in neutral ships, and thus the maritime trade of this country will, in fact, be destroyed. I really should like to hear some statement upon the part of the Government of the grounds of their entering into this declaration. It appeared to me that when we were engaged, in con junction with France, in a war with Russia we could hardly do otherwise than carry on the war upon the same princi ple as France. The principle adopted during the war was that free ships cover free goods. But at the end of the war we were not under the necessity ot' making any concession of the opposite principle, which was certain'y in conformity vith the law of nations, and to which this country had hitherto adhered. There was no notice given to the people of this country or to either House of Parlia ment that any such question should be discussed. We all supposed that Lord Clatendon went to Paris with a view to make peace with Russia. But with respect to a question of maritime right there was no preparation in the public mind, and the people of this country must have been surprised that it was introduced. I hardly think that the Government could consent to abrogate, as the hon. gentleman proposes, a declaration which was solemnly agreed to by their plenipotentiary. I am afraid we must be bound by the declaration. lam afraid that the consequences are so serious as to show that such a declaration was very imprudent, and I cannot but agree with the bon. gentleman that England ought to preserve her maritime superiority. The comparison between private property in ships and private property on land is not tenable. I tl) not think there is any real comparison between them. It is quite obvious that a farmer cultivating a farm and having its produce in the middle of France or the State of Virginia has placed his property in quite a different situation from a manufacturer who has put his goods on board a large fleet in the British Channel, navigated by 7,0(X) or 8 ,0(X) mariners competent to man a fleet against this country. There is no comparison between the two propositi ons , and therefore I cannot but think that, in point of principle, the declaration of Paris ought to be altered. The whole matter is most unsatisfactory and most grave m its bearing upon our maritime supremacy. I THE PRESS, JULY 18,1857. quite agree that the way in which we have been able to finish wars with great powers, especially with France, has chiefly been by destroying the enemy's trade. We have brought the powers with which we have been at war to such a state that their finances have become disordered. They have then been ready to listen to terms of peace, and thereby the wars have been terminated. lint now, if we were at war with America or France, they could maintain their trade in full vigour, because manufactured produce throughout the world could be sent in neutral vessels in perfect safety. They would have no reason for making peace. They would not be distressed. We might gain naval victories, but our successes would not produce peace. We might drive all their vessels of war from the seas, but we should not thereby gain the end of all war, which is an honourable peace. The state of this question is to me very alarming, but I do not see that a breach of faith would at all mend our position. The motion was then withdrawn. THE SLAVE TRADE. Mr. CHARLES BUXTON moved an address to her Majesty, praying that she will be pleased to employ all the means in her power in order to put down the African slave trade, and to obtain the execution of the treaties made for that purpose with other powers. He desired, he said, not to embarrass the Government, but to strengthen their hands. He urged the increase of the Cuban slave trade and its horrors; alluded to the recent engagement of a French house to supply Martinique with " free " African labour, which he said must inevitably lead to a revival of the slave trade; while, on the other hand, he dwelt upon the near prospect of a supply of cotton from Africa, which nothing could facilitate more than the suppression of the slave trade, the tolerance of which by Spain was in direct contra vention of treaty engagements. He suggested whether, under the circumstances, we could not adopt the same course with Cuba as we had so suc cessfully taken with Brazil. Mr. NEWDEOATE supported the motion. Mr. WATKIN attributed the extension of the slave trade to the increased value of slave labour where it was required, and contended that England encou raged that trade by its large imports of slave raised sugar. Lord PALMERSTON admitted that the motion was calculated to strengthen the hands of the Govern ment. We bad to lament, he said, that Spain had not been so alive as she ought to have been to her treaty obligations and money payments ; but there were temptations at Cuba which it was diffi cult for the governors to resist. He thanked Mr. Buxton for having elicited what he was convinced would be the unanimous opinion of the house in favour of his motion, and he assured him that no efforts should be wanting on the part of the Govern ment to give full effect to it. The motion was agreed to. A select committee to inquire into the duties, functions, and mode of remuneration of county and district surveyors and assistant-surveyors in Ireland, and also as to the best mode of examination to be henceforth adopted in reference to such officers, with a view to establish a system of competition, was moved for and obtained by Mr. G. A. HAMILTON. Mr. Burr hail leave to introduce a bill to enable baronies or other districts in Ireland to give guaran tees for the constraction of railways passing through such districts; Mr. CowrEß a bill to amend the Public Health Act, 1848, and to make further provision far town improvement; Mr. H. HERBERT a bill to authorise the payment of clerks of petty sessions. Several bilk were advanced a stage, and the house soon after adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS-WEDNESDAY. The Judgments Execution Bill was withdrawn for the session by Mr. CRAUFURD, after a short discus- sion in committee. The motion for the second reading of the Married Women's Bill was carried on a division against the usual amendment by Sir JOHN Y. BULLER, by 120 to 65. The house having gone into committee on the Scientific and Literary Societies Bill, so many amendments were proposed and carried so destruc tive to the scope and purport of Cie measure that Mr. HUTT declined to go on with his bill. The chairman was therefore ordered to leave the chair. The Medical Profession (No. 1) Bill was also abandoned by Mr. HIADLAM, and the order for its committal discharged. Mr. INoitAm, chairman of the Lambeth Election Committee, reported that Mr. Roupell had been found duly elected, and that the petition against his return was frivolous and vexatious. The Bill Chamber (Scotland) Bill, the Militia Ballot Suspension Bill, and the Glebe Lands (Ire land) Bill were respectively read a third time and passed. MAYO ELECTION COMMITTEE. Mr. SCIIOLF:FIELD moved that the evidence taken before this committee should be printed, and gave notice that he would on Thursday move that the 695 writ for the county of Mayo should be suspended until further notice.—Agreed to. The house adjourned at six o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS-THURSDAY. INDIA. Lord ELLENBOROUGH again brought before their lordships the prospects of India, and recommended that the Government should at once contract a loan for 5,000,0001. to relieve the Indian finances of the burden the present mutiny, with all its unfortunate conse quences, would cast upon them. The noble earl, referring to the cost of the transport of the troops now going out, observed : The charges will be enormous, and if they are all to be paid in India, and not here, depend upon it the Govern- ment of India will be perfectly unable to meet the heavy burden that will be thrown upon it for providing the means of transport for so vast a number of troops. This is a very serious consideration. The point of the most essential importance is that the Government of India should have the means of making moveable the force sent to them. If they cannot do that the force might as well not be sent at all. I therefore trust this matter will engage the attention of her Majesty's Government. For my own part, I feel satisfied that the moment has come when her Majesty's Government must intervene with the credit of this country to enable the Court of Directors to pay their own expenses for a considerable period without any remittances from India. Lord GRANVILLE assured the house that the sub ject should receive the careful attention of the Home Government. Lord ELLENBOROUGH entreated Lord Granville to look into these matters himself. Earl GRANVIL7E was understood to say that his right hon. friend at the head c.f the Board of Control was not backward in fulfilling the duties imposed upon him by the present emergency. On the con trary, he was at that moment devoting his utmost energy and attention to the consideration of every measure adapted to meet that emergency. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH My lords, that may be the belief of her Majesty's Govern• ment, but I communicate very extensively with gentlemen connected with India, and I never meet one maa among them who has not the most thorough distrust of the right hon. gentleman now at the head of the Board of Control. (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) The subject then dropped. An animated discussion then ensued upon the Great Northern Railway Bill, in which Lord ST. LEONARDS took a prom;nent part. The bill, upon a division, was read a third time and passed. Several bills were then forwarded a stage, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—THunswor. The house, at a morning sitting, after soma proceedings relative to the attendance of Sir Edward Bering upon the committee appointed to determine the election for the county of Huntingdon, and with reference to certain other election matters, went into committee upon the Lunatics (Scotland) Bill. MR. COLVIN. Mr. V. SMITH, in reply to Mr. W. Vansittart, said he believed it was true, as reported in the Indian newspapers, that the Lieutenant-Governor of the North Meat Provinces of India hrd issued a procla mation in which he offered an amnesty to all muti neers who laid down their arms, and the Governor- General had expressed his dissatisfaction thereat, and ordered it to ha withdrawn ; but not that the Lieutenant• Governor had tendered his resignation. GALWAY ELECTION. Colonel FRENCH moved that the Speaker do issue his writ to the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland to make out a new writ for the electing a h•irgess for the borough of Galway in the room of Mr. A O'Flaherty. _ _ Lord LOVAINE moved, by way of amendment, that the writ be suspended till Thursday nett. . .. The motion was withdrawn and the amendment agreed to. MAYO ELECTION. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD moved that the Speaker do not issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland to make out a new writ for the electing of a knight of the shire for the county of Mayo before Thursday next. The motion was agreed to. NEW MEMBER. Mr. MARSHALL took the oaths and his seat for East Cumberland. QUEEN'S COUNTY ELECTION. The SPEAKER intimated that he had received a letter from Mr. Coppock, stating that it was wit his intention to proceed with his petition against the return for Queen's Connty. EDUCATION: —"I Sir J. I'm:lst:T.oN gave notice that whenever the noble lord at the head of the G Nernment placed a day at his divos,il, he shoul I move an address to the Grown for a commission of inquiry into the state of national education.