The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-26 00:00:00

OITE RELATIONS WITH THE BRAZILS.

The Earl of MALMESBURY rose to move for copies
of any correspondence that had lately taken place
between her Majesty's Government or the British
Envoy at Rio and the Brazilian Government. It
appeared that owing to a correspondence, which he
could not describe in any other terms than as ill
judged, the Brazilian Government were greatly
offended with the Government of this country, and
the discussions that had taken place in the Repre-
sentative Assembly of Brazits apgpared to threaten a
dissolution of the amicable reflitions between the
two countries. The noble earl then alluded to the
lately published note of Mr. Jerningharn to the Bra-
zilian Government, in which Mr. Jerningham accuses
the Brazilian Government of laxity in putting a stop
to the slave trade, and threatens to put the act of '45
in force :

He might not be in order if he were to read the sup•
posed despatch, as published in the public journals, but he
did not exaggerate the fact in characterising it as most un-
courteous. He had hoped that, from the moment the
noble earl entered the Foreign-office, a certain style which
pervaded the correspondence of that office would be at an
end. The style he alluded to commenced in the year 1830,
and continued to the year 1841. It then disappeared, but
it began again in the year 1848, and continued to the eud of
the year 18.51. It was a very peculiar style. Whatever the
circumstances, the stereotyped despatch opened by ex-
pressing the unqualified displeasure of her Majesty's
tiovernment, and concluded with some menace. The
Minister of Foreign Affairs always sounded his trumpet
from the highest note in the gamut, and the consequence
was he could never use any other note without descending
in the scale. He did not think that was a judicious mode
of conducting our foreign affairs, because strong nations
retaliated by insolent replies, and weak nations retained a
dislike to the English Government rankling in their
minds, and, perhaps, leading to a dislike of the Englfsh
people.
in the present case the Brazilian Government,
Chambers, and Emperor had exhibited great indigna-
tion at the tone of Mr. Jerningham's note. The
act of '45 was suspended in 1852, and he (Lord
Malmesbury) had every reliance in the good faith of
the Brazilian Government. In conclusion, the noble
earl called upon Lord Clarendon to restrain the rude
and mischievous zeal of his subordinates.
The Earl of CLARENDON admitted that such a note
had been sent by Mr. Jerningham, but only on
authentic information that slaves were being landed
in large numbers off the coast of Pernambuco. The
Brazilian Government were much mortified at Mr.
Jerningham's note, and had addressed a remon-
strance to her Majesty's Government. He had
replied that of course there was no intention of
insult, but that the letter was intended as a friendly
hint to put the Brazilian Government on its guard.
The President of Pernambuco had since been re-
moved from his post, and after the explanations
given, he (Lord Clarendon) trusted there would be
no ill will felt towards England. The correspondence
amid not be printed before next year.

THE FORTRESSES OF ISMAIL AND RENI.

Lord MALuEssußv asked Lord Clarendon whether
thit fortresses of Reni and Ismail had been dis-
mantled by the Russians, whether any other fort•
resses would be erected on that river, and, if so,
whether the treaty of Adrianople would prevent
Turkish troops being stationed there ; when the new

THE PRESS.

Russian Minister might be expected to arrive in this
country; and, considering that Lord Wodehouse had
now been resident some little time in St. Peters.
burg, whether any representations had been made on
the subject of the continued absence of the Russian
Ambassador from London ?
Lord CLARENDON replied he had no doubt that the
fortresses in question had been dismantled, the
Russians conceiving that they had a right to treat
them as they chose up to the time of handing them
over to the Turks :
I understand the Russian Government to say that they
considered that they had a right, until the boundary of
the frontier was marked out, and until the country had
been given over to the allies, to demolish any fortresses on
the Danube in the same manner as the allies had to
demolish the fortresses at Sebastopol. But there is this
very great distinction. Since the peace has beau signed,
nothing has been demolished by the allies, nor any set of
aggression committed ; whereas the dismantling of these
fortresses took place after the peace was signed. We being
in possession of Eupatoria, of Kinburn, and, more par-
ticularly, of Kertch, we might, in retaliation, have de-
stroyed all the public works of those places, but we con-
sidered that, as soon as peace was signed, the places
became Russian, and it would have been dishonourable on
our part to meddle with those works ; and, on the same
principle, we contend that Russia had no right to meddle
with these Danubian fortresses. Such, my lords, is the
opinion of her Majesty's Government on this subject.
In the case of Kars, the Russian Government had
stopped the destruction of all works at the conclusion
of peace. With respect to the arrival of a new
Russian Minister, information had been received
that Count Creptowich had been appointed to the
Russian Legation in this country, and might be
expected about the end of the month. Unavoidable
circumstances had delayed his Excellency's arrival.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH regretted that there
should be even a glimmer of a misunderstanding
between England and Russia as to the performance
of the treaty.
The Earl of CLARENDON said the fortresses of
Ismail and Reni were not named in the treaty.
The Earl of DERBY thought that an additional
instance of neglect :
The chief value of these territories no doubt consisted
in the fortresses, and the omission to name them is, I
repeat, an instance of great neglect on the part of the noble
earl. The noble earl admits that in this case Russia has
been guilty, if not of a breach of faith, yet of a breath of
understanding, which does not seem to augur very well for
the continuance of the peace negotiated by him What I
wish to know, however, is whether the noble lord has
received the same answer from the Russian Government
with regard to his remonstrances on the subject of these
two fortresses which he says has been received from them
with regard to Kars?
The Earl of CLARENDON replied that the terri-
tory ceded by Russia on the banks of the Danube
was not ceded principally on account of these
two fortresses, nor did they form the most im-
portant part of that territory. The object was to
prevent Russia from having any access to the Danube,
and that object would be secured. As to the point
mentioned by the noble earl, he had not received any
conclusive answer with respect to the fortresses of
Ismail and Reni.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTE LAW.
The LORD CHANCELLOR called the attention of the
house to the second report. of the commissioners for
consolidating the Statute Law. The commissioners
had suggested, and the Government next session
intended to 'propose, the appointment of an officer
who should perform with regard to public bills duties
analogous to those now performed for private bills by
standing counsel, with this difference, that be would
be appointed by both houses. The result the com-
missioners had arrived at was that the whole of the
Statute Law might be reduced from 15,000 to 300
acts, while some were so sanguine as to tl.ink that it
might be brought within 200 or 250 acts; and that,
instead of being contained in forty, it might
be comprehended within three or four moderately
sized, volumes. The noble and learned lord concluded
by formally laying on the table one of the bills, which
was read a first time.