The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-02 00:00:00

—..--e—•—e-------.
sided, the commercial relation between the British resi-
dents at Canton and the Chinese would have been resumed
and things have returned to their ordinary peaceful date.
But the policy punned by the British government was mis-
understood by the Chinese, and they presumed upon H. They
ventured to seise the persons of the British authorities
raddent at Canton, and committed them to prison, where
they threatened to starve them to death unless they delivered
up all the opium that was demanded of them. Then it was
that the British government determined to exact satisfaction.
The hostilities that ensued concluded in the treaty of Nan-
a,,
and by that treaty Great Britain was placed in • better
tion than she had before maintained in respect to China.
'a forts and positions were secured to England, by
which the condition of her subjects in China was permanently
improved. He did not know what charge the hon. member
Intended to found upon those transactions. (Cheers and
laughter.) The next point to which he must come
related to the publication, in 1836 and 1837, of a perio-
dical called the Portfolio, and also the accounts of the
cost of printing and publishing the same, as rendered by the
publishers thereof ; also, all applications made to her Ma-
jesty's treasury or other departments of her Majesty's ser-
vice by any person or persons on the subject of the said pe-
riodical or accounts, and also the measures (if any) taken by
her Majesty's government thereupon; and also, copies or
duplicates of all affidavits filed and proceedings had in
Michaelmas term 1837, and Hilary term 1838, in the matter
of a criminal information against one Walker, for a libel on
the late secretary of the British Legation at Constantinople,
and of the measures (if any) taken by the British govern-
ment or by the British ambassador at Constantinople, in con-
sequence thereof ; and also, copies or duplicates et all docu-
ments relating to the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel
Du Plat to be the British consul at Warsaw, and of
Mr. Fonblaoque to be the British consul at Belgrade ;
and of all correspondence with the cemmanderin chief of
the forces in 1831, on the subject of the military pro-
motion of the said Lieut.-Colonel Du Plat. It had been
the constant object of the hon. member for Stafford to repre-
sent him (Lord Palmerston) as having been the author or
publisher of the I'ortfolw, and the mode in which the hon.
member had endeavoured to connect his name with that
publication wax, by stating that a Polish count, who had got
possession of some documents, at the time when Warsaw
was evacuated, 11.A1 delivered them to him (Lord: Palmer-
ston), and that the late king had made him deliver them
over to the hon. member for Stafford, in order that they
might he published in the l'orefolio. Now, the history of
the transaction was as follows :—The Emperor of Russia,
who entertained the hiehest consideration for his brother,
the late Duke Constantine, then governor of Poland, was in
the habit of ingraining to him copies of any documents of
importance or interest which were in the Foreign-office of
St. Petersburg. Several of those copies fell into the hands
of the Polish nobleman already mentioned, at the period of
the sudden evacuation of Warsaw. He (Lord Palmenton)
subsequently became aware that throe papers were in London,
and they were offered to him by a Polish gentleman. Having
'reed to accept them they were brought to the Foreign-
office, but having no time for their perusal, he (Lord Palmer-
ston) handed them over to Mr. Backhouse, and requested
that gentleman to select any that might be of particular in-
terest or importance, and to lay those oxide for his perusal.
Mr. Backhouse did select one which appeared to him more
interesting than the rest, and soon after the occurrence he
(Lord Palmerston) quitted office, taking the papers with
him to his private residence, where they remained shut up
in a private escritoire. Whilst there, a l'olish gentleman
called upon him and claimed the papers. Having satisfied
himself that this gentleman was entitled to their possession,
the papers were delivered up to him. That was in the year
1830. It was, therefore, quite untrue when it was asserted
that he (Lord Palmerston) had delivered those papers to the
hon. member for Stafford. (Hear, hear.) About the same
time it came to his knowledge that the hon. member far
Stafford was about to translate a small work published is
the German lenguoge, wherein were contained copies of
some documents which had been abstracted from the minis.
ter's office et Berlin.
Mr. URQUHART interrupted the noble lord by saying
that he had declined to translate the work referred to

by him.
Lord PALIIERSTON.—Then the project fell to the
ground. But soon after the report to which he referred
came to his ewe, a publication called the Portfolio was
brought under his notice, wherein was printed one of the
documents published in the German work, and also one of
the documents abstracted from the Warsaw cabinet, and de-
livered by him to the Polish gentleman authorierd to reclaim
them. Therefore he must say that, although he was per-
fectly well aware that the hon. member for Stafford was the
editor of the l'ortfol io, he must still deny most pool-
tively that he had ever sanctioned that publication, or even
knew beforehand what its contents would be. (Some con-
fusion and laughter were occasioned here by Mr. Urqu-
hart leaving has seat and going to the bar, when Lord
merston expressed his hope that the hon. member would
stay to hear what he bad to say on the point in
question, as it was important. Mr. Urquhart remained at
the bar, and in the meantime Mr. C. Anstey crossed the
floor and left the house, when Lord Palmerston stopped
and said be wou'd, with the permissiai of the house, await
the hon. member's return.
Mr. AMITE% having resumed his seat,
Lord PALMERSTON continued: When he said that he
did no, know beforehand what the contents of the Portfolio
were to be, he must make one single exception, the circum.
stances of which he would state. Mr. Strangeways who
was in the confidence of the hon. member for Stafford,
brought to him (Lord Palmerston) one day a dispatch,
which he said was very curious, and as it we, about to be
published, that.perhaps he would like to read it before it
was printed. Now it would be recollected that an assertion
had been made that the editor of the Pm folio bad never
published any document in that work, without his (Lord
Palmerston's) previos sanction. That assertion was not
true. (Hear, hear.) But with respect to the despatch in
question, he certainly did reed it before it was
published, and he marked cue or two passages
in it for omission. He was not able to recoil-
' lest whether he put his initials to the passages so
marked for omission, but the reason why he had desired
their omission was, because they contained unjust reflections
on two of the members of the King's government—he had
no objection to say they were the Duke of Wellington and
Lord Aberdeen—and there was also an expression of opinion
disparaging to those noblemen which, he was convinced, the
writer of the despatch would have felt to be unjust if he had
had to write it over again. (Hear, hear.) Therefore he
had recommeaded those passages should be struck out.
(Hear, hear.) Those were the circumstances under which
there
had been exercised any authority on his part en the
publication of the Port/oh:0, and he had only done so with
reference to what certainly was an undue and unjust
reflection on two persons who were his personal ene-
mies. That was all he had ever had to do with the
publication of the l'ortfol io, and although the hon.
member for Stafford had been most anxious to con-
ned the Foreign-office with that publication, there
was the correspondence which he bad had with Mr.
Backhouse, and which was published in the newspapers
of the time. The noble lord here read a letter from Mr.
Backhouse to Mr. Urquhart, dated the 24th Jan., 1839,
wherein the former most strongly and peremptorily denied
that the Foreign-office had anything to do with the Port-
folio, and citing circumstantial evidence in proof of his asse-
verations. Under the circumstances which he had stated
to the house, he (Lord Palmerston) must therefore decline
to accept of either praise or blame on account of the Portfolio.
The hon. member fur Stafford would perhaps recollect also,
that when he appointed him Secretary to the Embassy at
Constantinople, he observed to him (Mr. Urquhart), that be
did not inquire whether he was the author or editor of the
l'ortfolio, bat that he had appointed him to the Constan-
tinopolitan embassy in spite of his being such. Not having,
therefore, been in any way consulted as to, or connected with
the Portfolio, which, moreover, had contained attacks on one
otitis colleagues (Mr.P.Thompson), that he could never have
sanctioned or allowed had he possessed any knowledge of, or
control over, its contents—he certainly had refused to sane-
tion or recognise the claim of the hon. member for Stafford
when he applied to the government to be paid for the pub- !
lication of the Portfolio. (Loud cries of " Hear," and
cheer.) lie would not trouble the house with any remarks
upon the other part of the motion which he had read, nor
enter into the question of personal disputes between the hon.
member for Stafford end Colonel Du Plat, which had been
already before the proper tribunals. The next subject which
the hon. and learned member's motion referred to was the
treaty of Frankfort, and he had moved for copies of that
treaty, and for copies of the despatches which had paused be-
tween the Foreign-office and the free city of Fraaklort, in re-
spect to the customs anion of Germany. The history of that
treaty simply was, that the Prussian customs union having
been formed—not in hostility to the English commercial in-
terests, for any customs union by which the multi-
farious tariffs of Germany were blended into one
must be advantageous —tt was found, for the
misfortune of England, that the tariff which
was adopted by the union was that of Prussia, the moat hos-
tile of all the German states to British manufactures ; and in
so far that union certainly was injurious to the interests of
Great Britain, for some of the German states tariffs were
lower than the Prussian tariff. One of the states of Germany
which the government had sought to excludefrom the cus-
toms union was the free city of Frankfort, which it was
thought might become a depdt for British manufactures in
that part of the continent. The government of the state of
Frankfort entertained the same opinion as the British go-
vernment, and a treaty of commerce and navigation was
entered into by their agent, who came to London, charged
with powers to effect the same. The government of Frank-
fort had thought that this treaty would enable them to re-
sist the attempt that was making to compel them to join the
German customs union, but it was discovered to be
no efficient protection against the united efforts of
the circles of Germany. Consequently, after an in-
effectual struggle, Frankfort solicited from the Eag -
Bah government the annulment of the treaty, to
which the government at once acceded, thereby, in his
opinion, exercising a wise and wholesome discretion. The
next subject of the hon. and learned member's motion was
the correspondence which had ensued en the appointment of
Sir Stratford Canning to the embassy at St. Petersburg, the
rescinding of that appointment, and the nomination of the
Earl of Durham instead. On this latter point the hon.
member for Stafford had made some great mistakes, for he
asserted that he (Lord Palmerston) had for some days been
virtually out of office in consequence of the displea-
sure conceived by the late King, which had been
excited by. his having set aside Sir Stratford Canning
and appointed the Earl of Durham in his stead.
This was the first time he had heard of • four days' inten-
tion of removing him from office ; and he did not even now
shudder at the gulf which it seemed he had lesPed. (Laugh-
ter.) In 1832, when he came into office, Lord Heytesbury
was the ambassador at Russia, and it was the drain of the
government that he should so continue. His lordship pre-
ferred to' retire ; he (Lord Palmerston) recommended Sir S.
Canning; who was appointed to succeed to that embassy. It
was well known that objections, fouvded prejudice, were
taken to Sir Strafford, and, it was said, henwould not be re

1

ihoeehetiv.,o:ll,:rit:al:hiev:orandtrmank,:thi"beitowthaitt..y'iito,
those u"iruhitninrei
s,dhee,go.u'
independence
,adehnonen:adordthanebt h 2: result
rhooia:td7. of
lrdit
retired at St. Petersburg. The government, not esbooa„
any man
force an objectionable person on the court of Russia, da;
send Sir B. Canning, nor any other andsmador, for a magm-
a two years; for the government did not think the oftigi
lien well founded. There was, therefore, only
d'affaires at St. Petersburg ; and then the goyim- a t 446‘,..,
out, and was succeeded by that of the Duke of W
by whom Lord Londonderry was appointed, end asat—`l.
Russia. That step precluded the crown from miasma-in
course as a matter of etiquette; for it would than lei
been perfectly untenable fer the British government male
have taken up the ground of 1832. They had, thees*-'
nothing to do but select some one in the place of Lord Is;
donderry ; they selected the Earl of Durham, than whose.
one was more likely, by his urbanity, uprightnee,, and i,0,0'"
of honour, to uphold the interests of his country, "
the interval of two and a half years, from the appoint
of Ste S. Canning to that of Lord Durham, government coa
clearly waived the point of the objection mode by Rust-;
Sir S. Canning. Then came the riling in Poland ; and. it
said that had we joined with Franca and Austria, Poly
would have been saved. But in 1831, Austria was amen--
211.4:h
iw,..itheeßtoussoiappao.ned
I had any sympathy with Poland was a thing so teger&'
nary, it was astonishing the hon. and learnedelmeste
himself should believe it. (Laughter.) Had England unsi
a European war, which this government was most anxious%
prevent. Any one who looked at the situation of Po*
on„the map would are that on the first intimation of Engles
and France to take up arms for the Poles the three *-
rounding countries would have pound their armies is-
' country
evuadter
yn Turkey
oa B.
would
otddb
have been ready to meet the forces of England and Fri
P(asiig.
.BHII eanarnudui.
would
%It
was
:a:n:Ttnhea
aggrandisement
tinlcanher ushed AnceTant
Sweden would have united for the pneervation of Isoleei
pire.
ged those
counts lied Sweden to keep quiet. Any one who wished ti
stimulate Sweden to make a demonstration with her fl
had thought it their duty to counsel a very iliffere t coats-
march to defend the Polish territory. Why, was it "
been rose,
vknownpilledas i that
tno slui
kboemlnyil
submit to
ttthhatrthe
ee
hussies
ach ab %crept the
terms proposed, under the advice of the British govern ji
e prepare(
to send 200,000 horse, which she never possessed in her I*
for such a purpose ? But another power had b”..6.
hided to, the Shah of Persia, as willing to aid i th • n e joeo,
tenance of Polish independence. What bad happsea
to Penis ? Only in 1827 she had been e--
in war with Russia, had been defeated, and been eon
to sion a most humiliating treaty of peace. Could any ise
imagine that Persia, under such circumstance., would he
ready to engage again in war with Russia, for the sake d
Poland, whose wronge would with difficulty bare beet
rendered intelligible to Persian statesmen. Even had Penis
shown such a disposition it would hove been the duty of *
government to give the same advice as in the former
(Hear, hear.) The result was the abrogation of the Poi*
constitution' and the establishment of what was called ales
organic administration. The Russian government tee.
tended that civil war had abrogated the treaty of Visas
with regard to Poland, and upon that they founded tbsie
right to enter the territory. He did not mean to say tilt
that was a good argument. Many things had since pew
ha Poland of which the government disapproved ; but thug
only means of enforcing the treaty would have been by s
Totting Europe in war, and they did not think that thee.
ject was sufficient to justify such a coarse. (Hear, hest
As to Cracow, it had been the intention of this pennon's
to send a consul there ; but to this there wu the strove
objection on the part of the three protecting pow*
who distinctly said they would not remise ow
consul. What could we do? These three powers had de
sole protection of Cracow, and the government del not tbilk
it right to expose this country to the affront of ha,*
consul refused at Cracow-a miserable little power, noun.
ing on its own authority-aid the result must have bsea
rupture with the three powers. Considering the imamate
of the British ihterests involved, and the impokibffino
maintaining peace with thusJ countries, the governmealleil
thoultht it better not to send a consul. He had now gas
through the charges of the hon. member, taking them tans
order in which they were made; and if the house shied
think fit to make an examination of the whole of his
conduct, and to appoint a committee of rational men (book
ter) to examine the whole of the cerrespondence, he moil
most willingly submit to such an investigation. Sir (ad
the noble viscount), I am conscious of none of the dime
made against me by the hon. and learned member. (Clan)
While I have bad the honour to direct the foreign relation
of this country I have devoted to the task all the energised
which I am capable. (Hear.) You might find mm
doubt, who would have done it with more ability, but acs
with more entire devotion. The principle upon which 1 haw
thought that the foreign affairs of this country ought to In
conducted, is that of maintaining peace and a friendly ands
standing with all nations, as long as it is possible to de re
consistently with • due regard to the interede, the home,
and the dignity of the country. (Chan.) My endeavou
has been to preserve that peace. I think the goverment of
which I have had the honour to be a member have succeeded
in accomplishing that object. Hence, the great sad min
charge brought against me is, that I did not ineolvetkii
country in perpetual quarrels from one end of the globs a
the other. From the United States to China there is not
country, of which it has not been made a part of the drop
of the hon. member, that we have refrained from tem
steps which might have led us into hostile conflict with as
or other of those countries. (Hear, hear.) I think the n
those occasions we have been supported by the opinioa
and
the approbation of the country. (Cheers.) We have so
deavuured, wherever we could, to extend the commercials
lations of this country, and to place them, where mean
was not required, upon a firmer basis and a Moths d
greater security. I think that in that respect we have notim
an injury to the national interests, but that we bee
render. 4 them great service. (Cheers.) With regard ti
alliances, I hold that England is a power sufficiently mon
and powerful to steer her own course, and not to Make.
self as an appendage to the policy of any other government
(Cheers.) I hold that the real policy of England, sparse
from the questions which involve her own particular late'
rests, political or commercial, is, to he the champion dna.
See and of right-(hear, hcar)-pursuing that coos wit
moderation and prudence ; not becoming the Quixote of the
world, hut extending a moral sanction and support inns's:
she thinks that justice is, or that wrong has been committal.
(Cheers.) Sir, in pursuing that course, and in punning lea
more limited direction of our own particular interests, nub►
lief is, that as long as England keeps herself in the eight-s
long as she seeks to promote no injustice, to countenances
wrong-so long as she labours for these legitimate objected
home, and sympathises with right and justice in other easr
tries, she will never find herself left alone; she will be sue
to find some other state of sufficient power, influent%
and weight to support and aid her in the eons
which she may think fit to pursue. (Cheers.) Thee
fore I say it is a narrow policy to auppal
that this country or that is to be marked out as meets
nal ally or perpetual enemy. (Hear.) Sir, we have so
eternal ally, no perpetual enemy. (Cheers.) Our interns
are eternal and th meths], and those it is our duty to ale
pert. (Hear.) When we find that other countries en
marching in the same course and pursuing the same olio
as ourselves, we ought to consider them as our fellows, mi
be with them, for the moment, oa the most cordial foolig
When we find them either to take a different view a t
thwart us in the ob,ects we pursue it is our duty to me
allowances for the different manners in which they nosy fir
low out what appears to them the same object, and sat t
pass too rash • judgment on others, because they do MI
exactly
.see things in the same light as we do. (Hear, hear.,
Bod it is our duty not lightly to engage this country is th
dreadful responsibelty of war, because, from time to time, 11
may find this or that power inclined to oppose us in mans
in which, in our own opinion, we are in the right. (anal
Those have been the guiding principles of my made;
and, if I might be allowed to express in one sentenced*
principles which I think ought to guide an English
roster, I would adopt the expression of Mr Cannin,#
say, " The interests of England ought to be the Shibbcl
of every British minister." (Loud cheers.)
It being now within three minutes of six o'clock,
Lord D. STUART moved the adjournment of the deb*
(Cries of " No, no," and " Divide.")
Mr. W. 6. O'BRIEN nee, amidst great confusion, ssi
cries of " divide," apparently to second the motion lasi'
journment ; but he was totally inaudible.
Lord D. STUART again YOS` and attempted to quit
but the confusion increased, mingled with loud aisle
a division. The noble lord persisted in attempting to
until the hour expired, when no division could take
and the Speaker having left the chair, the debate 'toads&
-.ed till this day.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.—YESTERDSL
BOLTON.—Mr. Serjeant Kinglake addressed tie
committee at some length on behalf of the "Mks numbs
after which strangers were ordered to withdraw.—The ear
mittee having deliberated for a short time, the puties wet
re-admitted, when the Chairman announced to them the
the committee had come to the unanimous resolution Ws.
Mr. Bolling had been duly elected for the borough _a
Bolton. That several parties, upon their own arknowlsk
menu, had been bribed, but it was nut proved that al
were bribed by Mr. Bolling or his agents, or with the
knowledge and consent.
LYME REGIB.—Mr. Templar denied having bees
authorised by Sr F. Kelly in any offers of assistance he. hid
made to electors—Mr. Sellers, one of the parties said le
have bribed the voters on behalf of Sir F. Kelly, proved thX
he never either directly or indirectly bribed or attempted tl
influence a Toter.
CARLI6LE.—The select committee appointed to
quire into the petitions presented against the return nt /it
W. N. Hodgson and Mr. Dixon for the city of CarbieWat
for the first time yesterday, Mr. Divett in the chair. II!
petition against the return of Mr. Dixon was a coo Ele
lion, but no one appeared for the hon. member.—Mr.olr_,
jeant Kingiake opened the case for the petitioner*. o•
stated that, to the passing of the Reform Act, a podia
veiled at Carlisle of paying what was called headknoolV
all freemen who voted at the elections ; but when diem.
form Act came into operation the practice was
ahaaiMg
At the election of 1841, however, it was revived, ami......1110
sou resorted to at the election last year, the root rm.-
had been presented in the hope of effectually
to this system of corruption. The majority orlbeel7ll NOW
were induced to vote for Mr. Hodgson, by being
with ad libitum supplies of drink of all kinds ender.*
dens, while others were directly bribed with
of the coin of the realm.—One or two wi=11111:11
examined, and the committee adjourned to this day,

SPZCIE PROM AMERICA.—Tbe New York IstekS.
ship He Clay, which arrived at Liverpool yeaterdg
brought 7,5001. in specie on freight