The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-26 00:00:00

MAT .EVENING, AILI 26, 1862.

thing so unworthy or so undignified on the put of the lees-
Inters of this country as any tech vindictive proceeding.
((,'been.) If they were dissatisfied with the legislature of
Canada, and if they thought that sufficient time had been
given to them to reflect upon what appeared to have been
• hasty decision influenced by party consideration and dic-
tated by the motive of turning out a government, for there
was no doubt that the division upon the Canadian militia
question wss opposed by a temporary combination for the
purpose of bringing about • change in the government.
(Cries of " No, no.") He spoke from very good authority,
and be affirmed confidently that the main ground for taking
that division was the desire of turning out the government
for the time being, for which a favourable opportunity
offered in the facility which existed of forming
• combination with the Lower Canadian party. (Hear,
hear.) If the house thought, under these circumstances,
that sufficient time had been given to the Canadian lees-
lature to reflect upon their decision, and assuming that they
were dinatisfied, and determined not to take upon them-
selves the defence, to any considerable extent, of Ca
but to throw it upon the colony, then their conrsetfrOt
be either to give a long notice to the colony that they in-
tended to act upon that principle, and to withdraw the
British troops, or to pass an act of the imperial legislature
to compel the Canadians to create • sufficient militia force
of their own. He had already said that in his opinion, ,
under existing circumstances, there was little probability
of an invasion of Canada by the United States, and he would
only suggest to the house that, although it was an unques-
tionable and a lamentable fact that great irritation did exist
on the part of the people of the Northern States against
England an irritation which, as it had been wholly uncia-
-1 served by the conduct of the British government towards the
United States, was wholly unexpected by them—that irri-
tation had been mainly caused by the recognition of the
Southern States as • belligerent power. (Hear, hear.)
He could not but think that as this icootest proceeded, the
people of the Northern States must, notwithstanding the ex-
citement caused by late events, see upon reflection that
Bogland bad in fact no other alternative than to take the
course she had adopted. It was necessary for the govern.
meet of this country not only to consider the feelings of the
people of the Northern States, but also the international
relations created by the existence of a great war. If the
people of the Southern States had been considered as rebels,
then the vessels which they might have fitted out as priva-
teers would have been treated as pirates, and it was_oely
by recognising the South in their real character as belli-
gerents that we were enabled to avoid that difficulty.
Really he could hardly understand why the people of the
Northern States should so much resent our recognition of
the belligerency of the Southern States, when be re•
membered that according to their own repeated declaration,
they had an army of between 600 and 700,000 men in the
field, and that after the recent battle near Richmond the
President himself made an appeal for an additional 300,000
men. Surely the mere statement of these numbers was suf-
ficient to prove that the power against which all these
mighty preparations were made at least deserved the name
of • belligerent power. (Hear, hear.) It was impossible to
conceive that the Southerners could be correctly designated
as a mere canal agglomeration of rebels. (Hear, hear.) The
resistance of the South to the authority of the United States
bad acquired a firmness, • coropactness,land • consistency
which justly entitled the people composing them to the
name of a belligerent power. (Hear, hear.) Taking all these
obvious circumstances into consideration he could not help
thinking the Northern States would see that the only impor-
tant , step with reference to them which had been
taken by England was not only justified but inevitable, and
that they might be therefore leis inclined to resort to ex-
treme measures against this country. Before he sat down
he would only make one allusion to the remark of his hon.
friend with regard to our relations with Canada. He could
only say he looked forward without apprehension, and he
might add, without regret, to the time when Canada might
become an independent state—(hear, hear); but he thought
it behoved England not to cast Canada loose, or send her
adrift before she had acquired sufficient strength to assert
her own independence, and that we should not by any act
of momentary irritation or ill-humour throw her into the
arms of the United States, and place her in a petition in
which she would become annexed to a power involved
in a serious contest, and which bad lately added
millions and millions to its national debt. (Hear,
bear.) Ile thought this would be • moment most
unfortunately chosen for any act of this kind. The feelings
which the Canadian people had shown upon the arrival of
our troops in the winter were undoubtedly those of attach-
ment and loyalty to the mother country. He did not be-
lieve that this recent vote with regard to the militia was
the result of any deliberate policy or was an act of deep-
seated design, but that it was accidentally thrown out in
the play of party politics ; and he could not but impress
upon the house that any measure such as the right hon.
gentleman recommended of • menace on the part of this
country, that if they did not take effective measures for
organising a powerful militia oar troops would be with-
drawn, would be unworthy of this country, and would seem
to be the result rather of hasty displeasure than that dig-
nified and prudent forbearance which had always been the
character of the imperial policy of this country. (Hear.)
Mr. T. BARING said there was no reason to believe
that Canada would not provide a sufficient militia, and it
would be a hasty step on our port to complain because sbe
had chosen that bill as the one on which to test the strength
of the opposition against the government. In conclusion,
he trusted her Majesty's government would pursue • con-
ciliatory policy towards Canada.
Sir M. FARQUHAR thought the refusal of the Canadian
legislature toper the Militia- Bill might be very easily ex-
plained, without imputing to the colonists either a want of
loyalty to this country or a desire to shrink from bearing a
fair share of the burden of defending the province.
Lord BURY said that, knowing something of Canada, he
wished to say • few words deprecatory of the tone of some
of the speeches which had been delivered in the house
that night, and recently in another place. The
total enrolled militia was about 600,000, and supposing
they took one man out of every ten—the proportion pro-
by the preceding government—there would be a
roTdreeot 60,000 for the defence of the country. But when
the present government came into office they found o deti•
dewy in the revenue of five million dollars per annum, and
having pledged themselves to retrenchment and economy,
it would scarcely have been consistent with their duty to re-
commend an extensive scheme which would have entailed a
vast expenditure, and as to the efficiency of which &difference
of opinion existed. Besides such a scheme might have in-
terfered with the volunteer organization which was going on
throughout the colony. That was one reason why the
government thought it better to pass au ad interim measure
and reconsider the question on a future occasion. There
were, however, in Canada a greet many more men than
some imagined. In addition to the 10000 men of which
they had heard there were 13,000 volunteers of whom
the officer sent out from this country to organise
them said they were quite as intelligent and
far advanced in discipline as those of England. (Hear,
hear.) This made • force of 23,000 men, which included
14 troops of cavalry and 29 field guns ready for the field.
He admitted fully that Canada ought to do more, but the
effort, she had already made, he thought, bad been under-
valued. There was no feeling adverse to the Militia Bill,
although some of its details were not liked ; nor was there
any want of loyalty to this country ; but the government
having come into office pledged to retrenchment, they felt
that they ought not, near the end of • short session, to
propose an extensive measure such as was suggested, but
ought rather first to put their finances on • sound basis, and
then they would most likely come forward as heartily as the
right hon. gentleman desired to put the defences of the
country in • complete state of orguinstion and efficiency.
Mr. DISRAELI urged that the policy of the govern-
ment bad tended to damp the ardour of the Cana-
dians in reference to their own defence, for long
before the time when troops were properly sent
from this country on the occurrence of the affair
with the Treat, reinforcements bad been sent
oat to the garrison of that colony, thus plainly
intimating that we were prepared to undertake the mono-
poly of their defence. He thought good service had been
done by the bringing forward of this question on the pre-
sent occasion. He looked on the colonial dependencies of
this country as a source of strength so long as they were
considered and trotted as part of one large community.
Lord PALMERSTON said be agreed more with Mr. Dis-
raeli than he did with Mr. Adderley as to the nature of our
colonial dependencies, which he thought were part and
pareel of this empire and a source of strength to it. He
regretted that the Canadian legislature, certainly in the
exercise of their free institutions, had refused to provide an
adequate militia ; but be could not agree that our sending
out • few troops last summer was the cause of this, or that
it indicated an intention to monopolise the defence
of Canada, for it was only a necessary reinforcement to
our North American garrisons, and it ought rather to have
stimulated the Canadians to undertake their own defence.
The force which had been since sent was ell that it was
intended to send, and the Canadians must do whatever elms
was necessary for their own defence,

THE FEEBOO PAINTINGS IN THE HOUSES OF
PARLIAMENT.

Mr. C. BENTINCK called attention to the fresco paint-
ings executed and in process of execution in the houses of
parliament ; and put questions to the First Commissioner
of Works relating to the condition of the pictures and to
the contracts for those unexecuted. _ .

Mr. COWPER admitted that the decay of the fresco
paintings, though local sod partial, was extensive, and
stated the steps taken to Ascertain the causes. He replied
to the inquiries of Mr. Bentinck, with explanations.
The motion (or Adjournment was agreeed to.