The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

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HOUSE OF LORDS— Last Evening,
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

OUR RELATIONS WITH AMERICA.

Earl DERBY said he now begged to put the question he
informed the noble lord he should do on Tuesday. It was
whether the Government was prepared to lay upon the
table the correspondence which had taken place upon the
remonstrance made with respect to injuries apprehended or
sustained by American commerce in consequence of certain
vessels having sailed from British ports, as well as despatches
relating to the Alabama, and further whether they would
produce any correspondence containing raprescntatiors on
the part of her Majesty's Government against the apparent
violation of the law by American cruisers in enforcing their
rights. He also wished to know whether the noble lord
would lay before the house any correspondence which may
have taken place on the report of some very curious decisions
which had been come to in the prize courts of America.
The noble earl had stated that he could not lay upon the
table of the house that with reference to the rams, as that
question had been taken into a court of law. The rams were
first detained in September last, and finally sefzed in Octo-
ber, and since that time nothing had been done towards
bringing the cause to an issue. On Saturday last he be-
lieved information was filed; and now Mr. Laird has re-
ceived intimation that it will be necessary to send
a commission abroad to seek information, so that
there was every prospect of the proceedings being
so protracted as that the question will never be brought to
an issue. The question of the seizure of the rams could
have no bearing on the subject of the production of the cor-
respondence ; neither could he see how that the publication
of the despatches would in any way clash with the case
before the courts of law. The correspondence had been
published in America, end all he wished was that they
should now have the English as well as the American
verson. It was a question that Parliament was bound to
consider, as t.) what course the Government had taken in
vindication of international law in respect to the differences
that had arisen between this country and America. He
urged upon the noble earl to reconsider the reply he had
given on Tuesday, and lay the whole of the papers before
Parliament.

Earl RUSSELL said that when he first was led to make
inquiry about the building of the iron clads the answer he
received was that they were building for the French Go-
vernment, but this the French Minister denied. The ships
were evidently intended for warlike purposes, and Mr.
Adams was told that her Majesty's Government was look-
ing out for evidence as to the persons for whom they
were destined. Another story afterwards became
current that they were being constructed for the
Viceroy of Egypt, bat this was also found to
be without foundation. With regard to the general ques-
tion, he (Earl Russell) thought that Mr. Adams was not far
wrong in saying that vessels were fitted here to be used for
warlike purposes against a State with which England was
at peace. This wes undoubtedly a gross insult to her Ma-
jesty. The law officers of the Crown had been con-
sulted upon the question, and they considered her
Majesty's Government would suffer from having their
case only partially stated, so they would suffer from having
to come into the courts of law forestalled, and their re-
quest therefore was that the Government should not pro-
duce these papers. He felt he should be doing an injustice
to the law officers of the Crown if the papers were pro-
duced, and thwarting a fair he..ring of the case. With re-
spect to the conduct of the Prize Courts of America,
he was far from thinking that they had in every cese done
England justice. Ho would, however, look over the papers
and select those he could publish without detriment to the
public service, and should te noble earl require any par-
ticular document he would either produce it or give solid
rea3ons for withholding it.