The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-28 00:00:00

CHL'ItCH RATES.

Sir W. CLAY inquired whether the Government
would give any facilities for the progress of the
Church Rate Abolition Bill.
The CHANCTLLOR of the EXCULQLT.R stated that
in the wasting statelof business he did not see any

possibility of making a night for the bill, which, he
added, the Government had never adopted.
Sir W. CLAY thereupon announced his intention
to abandon the measure for the present session.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
On the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
Lord ELCHO moved an address to the Crown,
praying for the appointment of a select committee
to determine the site for the new National Gallery,
and to report on the desirableness of combining with
it the Fine Art and Archaeological collections in the
British Museum, in accordance with the recom-
mendation of the Select Committee on the National
Gallery in 1853.
Mr. MONCETON MILNES believed that the subject
had undergone ample examination, and advocated
the plan introduced into the bill already before the
house, as combining in the greatest attainable de
gree all the objects which it was desired to secure in
the site for the new National Gallery.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER also defended
the bill. He argued, first, that it was expedient to
remove the national collection of pictures from
Trafalgar-square ; secondly, that pictures should
be placed somewhat beyond the range of metropolitan
smoke and dust; and thirdly, that the proposed site
at Kensington Gore was in all respects the best that
could be selected. The ground at the disposal of the
nation was, he observed, ample in extent, and bad
been bought very cheap. The bill now brought in
would, moreover, in no degree pledge the house as to
the plan or the cost of the edifice which was to
be erected in the chosen locality. Enteiing at
large into the question of art-collections and their
disposal, as forming an item of public property,
Sir G. C. Lewis announced the gilt by the Earl
of Ellesmere, of the celebrated picture known
as the " Chandos Shakespeare," as a first contribu-
tion to the National Portrait Gallery. If the house
empowered the Government to proceed with the plans
for the new gallery, it was, he added, their intention
to throw open the competition for the structure to
the artists of all nations.
Mr. TrrE enforced the necessity of delay.
Mr. LABOUCHERE supported the propositions em-
bodied in the Government bill.
Mr. SPOONER strongly objected to the locality at
Kensington, and demanded some more definite in-
formation! as to the plan for the proposed gallery,
before he could assent to the expenditure of public
money on the scheme.
Lord J. Russets. thought that, after the subject
had undergone investigation, more or less prolonged
by thirteen committees and commissions, there bad
been quite inquiry enough. Comparing the various
sites which had been suggested lid found cause for
preferring Kensington Gore beyond the rest of the
numerous series.
Mr. HARCOL-RT VERNON supported the motion for
appointing a commission.
Mr. DISRAELI said that by universal consent it
was agreed that a new National Gallery was neces-
sary. It was also necessary to find a new site, the
present locality being much too restricted in space
and subject besides to otber objections. In search
of such a site minute and prolonged perquisitions
had been made, and the result was to show that no
position could be discovered so eligible as that at
Kensington. All other localities were either incon-
venient in themselves, attainable only at an enor-
mous cost, or involving the destruction of some royal
palace, and the appropriation of a public park. Mr.
Disraeli proceeded to contend that the proposed
Kensington site was good for the purpose of a
National Gallery, and that, at all events, it was im-
possible to find a better. He dilated on the im-
portance of furnishing galleries of art and schools of
design, for the improvement of public taste, and
called on the house to exercise a wise liberality in
accomplishing that object.
Lord PALMERSTON contended that the present
building should be given up to the Royal Academy,
for whose purposes it was not too large, while for the
national collection of works of art, be arrived by an
exhaustive process of reasoning, at the conclusion
that not one of the many suggested sites offered so
appropriate and convenient a locality as that at Ken-
sington Gore. The practical alternative, as the noble
lord insisted, was reduce' to the choice between
transferring the National Gallery to the proposed
spot, or retain it where it was.
Mr. Loci supported the motion, and after a few
words of explanation from Lord ELcao, the house
divided. For going into Committee of Supply, 145.
For the amendment, 153-8. The address was then
put and agreed to.
Supply being postponed by Lord PALMERSTON
until Monday, the other orders of the day were pro-
ceeded with.
The Exchequer-bills (4,000,0001.) Bill went through
committee.
The Scotch and Irish Removal Bili, and the
Juvenile Offenders (Ireland) Bill, and the Education
(Scotland) Bill, were withdrawn for the session.
The Parochial Schools kScutlitu4l) Bill went
through committee.
The house adjourned et a quarter to two.

111

JUNE 28, 1856.

RECRUITING IN THE UNITED STATES.
DESPATCH OF EARL CLARENDON UPON MR. CRAMPTON'S

FURTHER papers relative to recruiting in the United
States have been presented to Parliament this week.
They include Mr. Marcy's despatch communicating
the fact of the dismissal of the British Minister and
the British Consuls, and the affidavits which accom-
panied the same ; a letter from Mr. Crampton to
the Earl of Clarendon, dated London, June 19; a
memorandum by Consul Barclay, containing a denial
of Mr. Marcy's charges ipsissimis verbis ; corre-
spondence of Consul Mathew with Mr. Marcy and
with the Earl of Clarendon ; and, finally, Earl Cla-
rendon's reply to Mr. Marcy.

Mr. Crampton's letter is of great length. After
quoting the principle of international law, which, ac-
cording to Mr. Marcy in his despatch, December 28,
1855, was violated by the British Minister, Mr.
Crampton proceeds to quote the opinions of Judge
Kane and Judge Ingersoll at the trials of Hertz and
Wagner, when Judge Kane said—
I do not think that the payment of the passage from
this country of a man who desires to enlist in a foreign
port comes within the act; and in the terms of the printed
proclamation there is nothing conflicting with the laws of
the United States ;
and Judge Ingersoll—

Any resident of the United States has a right to go to
Halifax with the intent to enlist ;
as directly at variance with Mr. Marcy's principle.
It will be remembered that, in order to sustain the
charge against her Majesty's agents of having vio-
lated the municipal law, Mr. Marcy resorted to a
reiteration of his implicit belief in what he calls the
" unimpeached and unimpeachable " testimony of
Messrs. Strobel and Hertz, adding, however, that
this evidence forms but a small part of that upon
which he relies. and tbat there are numerous acts of
Mr. Crampton's and of her Majesty's Consuls, "nn-
denied and undeniable," which confirm it. Upon
this Mr. Crampton observes:—
Mr. Marcy has not stated to what acts he alludes, but if
they are acts by which I am supposed to have recruited
soldiers for her Majesty's service within the United States,
or " hired or retained," in the sense of the Act of Con-
gress of 1818, persons to go and be recruited elsewhere, or
authorised other persons to do those acts, I do deny them.
If they are acts by which persons were informed of where
and on what terms they would be received into her Ma-
jesty's service in British territory, or by which aid and
assistance was afforded to them to reach that country, I
do not deny that acts of that sort were authorised by me ;
but I maintain that such acts were neither illegal nor a
violation of the sovereignty of the United States. As to
invitations or inducements, I never offered them to any-
body, although it appears that I might legally have done
so; for I cannot agree with Mr. Marcy that the offer of any
inducement short of hiring or retaining, and that by &con-
tract which would, if not rendered illegal by the act of
1818, be binding, would constitute a violation of the
law, and, onsequently, of the sovereign rights of the
United States. I am far from seeking to deny to the
Government of the United States the right of interpret-
ing the laws of the United States; but I cannot subscribe
to the doctrine that the Executive alone has a right to
interpret the law. Every act done or authorised by me is
supported by decisions of the judiciary in which the Pre-
sident himself could not refuse to acquiesce in any case in
which, either in his official or private capacity, he might
be concerned.

Mr. Crampton proceeds to examine the various
affidavits with the view of showing that they are
" disfigured with deliberate falsehoods," as well as
blunders and mistakes of all sorts, and are influ-
enced by malicious motives:—

With regard (he says) to those parts in which T am re•
presented to have personally played a part, I can only say
that a more imprudent tissue of falsehoods was never put
together. I never saw or conversed with any of those
men with the eicepiion of Sierawski; and, when I saw
him, I did not even know his name.

The statements of Kazinski Mr. Crampton declares,
so far as he is concerned, to be equally destitute of
foundation. Mr. Crampton contends that those only
were responsible for the illegal acts proved to be
committed who were convicted of them, viz., Hertz
and Wagner, "both of whom acted without any
authority from any British agents ; and, in the case
of Hertz, against my express desire, as is proved by
Hertz's own letter to her Majesty's Secretary of
Legation at Washington, and by Mr. Bucknall's
affidavit., which is appended to the documents laid
before Parliament." Mr. Crampton calls attention
to papers in relation to Nicaragua, recently laid
before Congress, which show that at the very time
when the United States Government were taking
extreme measures against her Majesty's consuls and
Mr. Crampton for an alleged violation of the law of
nations and the sovereignty of the United States,
for having given information and assistance to per-
sons desirous of leaving the United States to be
enlisted in the British army, Mr. Marcy was
contending with M. Molini, the Minister of Costa
Rica

THE PRESS.

That the liberty to go where hopes of better fortune
may entice them, belongs to freemen, and no free Govern-
ment withholds it ; and, that the laws of the United States
do not even confer authority to examine into the motives
which may lead any one to exercise the right of expatria-
tion.

Mr. Crampton then refers to the accusation of Mr.
Marcy, that he, Mr. Crampton, originated the en-
listment scheme :

Mr. Marcy has alleged it against me as not one of the
least causes of complaint that the idea of obtaining re-
cruits from the United States was by me first suggested,
and urged upon her Majesty's Government, and that
misinformed them as to the prospects and possibility of
obtaining men in the United States. It will be unneces-
sary for me to dwell on this subject to your lordship, who
is in possession of all my communications on this subject ;
but 1 must observe that it is something more than a gra-
tuitous assumption on the part of Mr. Marcy to say that
this appears from the correspondence laid before Perlis-
ment.

The same despatch reiterates the account of the
interview which took place between Mr. Crampton and
Mr. Marcy, the accuracy of which was denied by Mr.
Marcy.

Ina postscript Mr. Crampton appends certain
declarations voluntarily made to him by Colonel
Smolenski, and which flatly contradict as false
and forged the main statements and certain docu-
ments h) which it is sought to implicate Mr. Cramp-
ton in the recruitment affair.

The despatch of the Earl of Clarendon to Mr.
Dallas, dated June 20, upon the dismissal of Mr.
Crampton, states that her Majesty's Government,
after a careful examination of the additional docu-
ment' sent by Mr. Marcy, has failed to find " any
evidence worthy of belief to shake the confidence
they have reposed in the assurances of Mr. Cramp-
ton and the consuls." Lord Clarendon then pro-
ceeds to say that, however her Majesty's Govern-
ment may regret the view retained by President
Pierce, they cannot deny the right of the United
States Government of forming their own judgment
as to the bearing of the laws of the country, and
hence they have not. felt, it their duty to advise her
Majesty to command a suspension of diplomatic
intercourse between the two countries.

CENTRAL AMERICA.
REPLY OF THE EARL OF CLARENDON TO MR. MARCY.

LORD CLARENDON writes to Mr. Dallas, and quoting
the Ist Article of the treaty of 1850, which is in
these words :