The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

meeting of parliament a long despatch had been received from
the United States' government, containing a great variety of
statements and assertions touching -the conduct of our-mi-
nister at Washington and our consuls in the United States,
to which it was impossible to reply without a reference to the
parties concerned; that until that despatch was answered the •
government could not lay the correspondence before parlia-_
ment ; and for that reason he had declined to enter upon a .
discussion of the subject. This state of things still continued ; •
the materials had not been received that would 'enable the
government to reply to the despatch which demanded the
recap of our minister; and the same reason which made it his •
duty to withhold the correspondence obliged him toresist this
motion. -He trusted, however, that a short time only would •
elapse before he should be able to lay the whole of the papers
before parliament. He could not, therefore, follow Mr. Roe-
buck through the details into which he had entered ; all he
should state was, that it had been the desire and the instruction
,of the government, from the outset, that nothing should be done
that was at variance with the laws of the United States. Daring
the course of these transactions repeated offers had been made
to her Majesty's officers, the sole object of which was to entrap
them into a violation of the municipal law. The despatch re-
ferred to asserted that there had been a continuance of the
proceedings after they had been said to be countermanded ;
if so, it was against the intention and without the knowledge
of the British government, which, on revoking the orders, had
expressed its regret that anything should have happened con-
trary to the intention of our government to give offence to
that of the United States, and this apology was received by.
the American Minister at this Court with the expression of
an opinion that it would be deemed satisfactory by his govern-
ment. Mr. Roebuck knew that this question was pending
between the two governments ; that a very short period must
elapse before a final answer would be given ; that this was a
subject deeply interesting to the feelings of two great nations
which should not be trifled with ; and yet he rushed with im-
patience into a question of so much delicacy, which could only
be settled by a dispassionate discussion, in order to deliver
himself of statements founded upon a brief given by antago-
nists of his own government—making himself the mouthpiece
of calumnies uttered in the United States—calling upon the
house to pronounce an opinion upon a question, of the facts of
which it was utterly ignorant.
Mr. DISRAELI said, although be could not support the
motion, he protested against the principle laid down by Lord
Palmerston for the conduct of the members of that house
with respect to foreign transactions and negotiations with
foreign governments. He had always considered it to be the
first duty of a member of parliament to call its attention to
what he thought improper management, and to ask for ex-
planation ; and a minister of the Crown had no right to
taunt an independent member with holding a brief, from
the enemy. He responded to the hope expressed by Mr.
Roebuck, that there should be an expression on the part of
that house that would assure the subjects of the United
States' Government that this question would be discussed
without prejudice, and that the house would not willingly
defer to rumours in either country. that these questions were
pretexts only for a misunderstanding which, if exasperated,
might have the most calamitous results. He hoped Mr.
Roebuck would not persist in his motion.
The motion was negatived.
SUPPLY.—The house went into Committee of Supply upon
the revenue departments' estimates, when several votes were
agreed to .
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER obtained leave to
bring in a bill to amend the act relating to the superannua-
tion of the Civil Service.
Mr. J. FERGUSON obtained leave to bring in a bill to ap-
propriate the income of such one of the canonries of the Cathe-
dral Church of Carlisle as shall next fall vacant to the aug-
mentation of certain ecclesiastical incumbencies in that city.
Leave was given to Mr. WILSON to bring in a bill to make
provision for the management of lands belonging to Her Ma-
jesty within the former limits of the late forest of Delamere,
in the county of Chester.
The house adjourned at 20 minutes before 12 o'clock.