The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

WISE OF LORDS--Last Evening. I had
The LORD CIIANCELLOR. took his scat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.
THE lONIAN ISLAN DS.
Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE gave notice
that on Tuesday next ho should call attention to the cession
of the lonian Islas is,

JAPAN.
Earl GREY stated that since it had been stated that Mr.
Moss had deliberately shot a policeman in the territories of
Japan, he (End Grey) had received a letter from that
gentleman, who denied the statement, and said he was at-
tacked by au armed party in a most unwarrantable manner,
and in defending himself he shot a police officer.
Earl RUSSELL understood that the reason the state-
ment was made was because Sir Rutherford Alcock had
been stated to be too favourable to the Japanese.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Ely Valley Extension Railway Bill and the Brecon
Junction Railway Bill were read a third time and passed.
SAVINGS BANKS BILL (AMENDMENT).
This bill was read a second time,
Pp tsoN MINISTERS BILL.
The Common, amendments to the Lord,' amendments
to this bill were then taken into consideration. The result
was, their lordships adhered to their original amendments,
but some additional words were added to their first amend:

raents.
TIIE SHEEP AND CATTLE (SCOTLANI') BILL.
This bill was read a third tim and passed.
STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
REMOVAL OF IRISH POOR BILL.
This hill passed through committee, and was reported
with amendments.
GRO WING CROPS SEIZURE (IRELAND) BILL.
Earl ST. GERMANS moved the second reading of this
bill, the object of which was to place the growing crops
beyond the reach of creditors unless the debt was above
£2O, thus putting ordinary creditors on the same footing as
the landlords.
The Earl of DONOL'Gn.MORE and the Earl of 11AILDNVics.E
both gave notice that in committee they would move cer-
tain amendments.
The bill was then read a second time
CLERGYMEN (COLONIES) BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF LANDS
(IRELAND) BILL.
The amendments to this bill were reported.
MARRIAGES REGISTRATION (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee and was ordered to be
reported.
Sir Robert Hitcham's Charity Bill, the Ruthin Charities
Bill, and the Police and Improvement (Scotland—Provi-
eional Order) Bill were each read a third time and passed.
The Colonial Acts Confirmation Bill was read a second
time, and ordered to be committed.
FIRING ON A SHIP IN BRITISH WATERS.
The Earl of AIRLIE asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether he had received any official report
of the attack which was alleged to have been made by a ship
of war of the United States on the ship Margaret and Jessie
in British waters. His lordship drew attention to the ac-
count of the attack upon the Margaret and Jessie which
appeared a short• time ago in the public newspapers, and
which appeared to have been written by a person who was
on board. According to that statement, the vessel was
fired at when she was not more than 400 nor less than 100
yards from the land. She was sunk by the shot of an Ame-
rican man-of-war, the name of which was given as the Sa-
vannah, but which was subsequently found to be the Rhode
Island. He was aware that it was alleged that the captain
of tho Rhode Island had asserted that ho was not nearer
than four miles to the shore at any time during the firing.
But he presumed the case would be properly examined and
the evidence compared. Ile should also ask a quletion of
which he had not given notice—.namely, whethe it was
true that the American officers in charge of the blockading
squadron off Charleston Harbour had issaed orders to the
captains of vessels not to take any prizes, but to sink all
blockade-runners.
Earl RUSSELL said that the noble earl had stated
correctly the story of the Margaret and Jessie as it had
been received by public report. The Secretary of State in
Washington had assured the master of the vessel, upon
his arrival in New York, that if the case should prove to be
as he represented it, full reparation should be made ; but he
at the same time stated that the captain of the Rhode Island
gave a very different statement of the affair. The whole
matter would be inquired into. As to the statement which
appeared in the newspapers of the directions given to the
captains of vessels at Charleston, he should disregard it as
inaccurate until he saw it officially confirmed.
BRAZIL—THE WRECK OF THE PRINCE OF
WALES.
Lord CHELMSFORD called the attention of the house
to the " Memorandum regarding assessment of compensa-
tion in the case of the Prince of Wales," which bad been
laid upon the table; and asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs to inform the house upon what grounds the
Queen's Advocate founded his estimate of the sum of £2,360
as the amount of compensation which ought to be paid for
the cargo, after making allowance for probable and neces-
sary damage; what was the nature and description of the
cargo and its invoiced value, and if the owner had received
anything from the underwriters in respect of its loss; also,
in what manner the Queen's Advocate had ascertained that
the loss of wages and effects ought to be estimated at £290
and the compensation for "possible murders" at £B4O ?
His lordship contended that the arbitration of the King of
the Belgians having resulted in a decision against the
charges made on behalf of the officers of the Forte, the right
to make reprisals was completely disposed of, as these re-
prisals had been made partly to obtain reparation for the
alleged insult which had been offered to the British navy in
the persons of the officers of the Forte. He hoped therefore
to hear from the noble earl that he had offered some expres-
sion of regret, or made some amends, to the Brazilian Go-
vernment for the course which he and Mr. Christie had pur-
sued. When the 13rezilian Government resisted the demands
which the noble earl had made through Mr. Christie, and
when they refused to make any compromise, but simply
surrendered at discretion to superior force, they placed
this country in the very delicate position of being judges in
our own cause. It was our duty, under such circumstances,
to behave with great caution and forbearance ;
but he
thought that the very contrary spirit had been shown. 'The
a
case was referred to the Queen's Advocate, and he had
d
made the award up an some apprisement which he (Lor
Chelmsford) would be glad to see explained. Surely a ship-
broker or an insurance underwriter would be be
and sauitter alors'tho-
rities as to the urobable value of a ship's cargo
kits than the Queen's Advocate. The noble lord went over
the whole ea,o of the loss of the Prince of Wales, and cen-
sured the demand made for freight upon the Brazilian Go-
vernment as an utterly unjustifiable demand, freight d
net
being earned until the goods are delivered. Ile condemne
the Queen'
ssi s Ad-
the charge for seamen's wages allowed by "
vocate, and as to the assessment of £SIO for po
murders," the Brazilian Government denied the charge of
murder, and he was at a loss to understand how the curious
earn was arrived at. (Laughter.) The very term used was
a strange one. All could understand what " probable mur-
ders" meant, but anything so vague as " possible murders"
he had never heard of before. In conclusion,
ho asked
Earl Russell whether he had made any amends to the Bra-
zilian Government for the forcible seizure of their ships,
and the enforcement of demands which were awarded to be
groundless; what was the nature and description of the
c ergo which the Queen's Advocate had valued at two-thirds
of the invoice value ; whether Mr. Stephens had received
anything from the underwriters on account of insur-
ance ; how the seamen's wages came to be assessed at .£290;
and how the calculations had teen made which settled the
compensation for possible murders at £840?
Earl RUSSELL said that the noble lord had made many
statements very favourable to the Brazilian Government,
but what her Majesty's Government knew was that when
a British vessel was'wrecked on the Brazilian coast
thean-
thorities refused to produce the bodies or to hold an in-
quest. It was easy for the noble lord to make statements
favourable to the Brazilian Government, which had taken
(rood care that there should be no proofs forthr,us wasotoeming. ..It
was not because the award of the King of Bel
mattear
Govern-
ment .theeru:n
favour of the Brazilian Government in the
officers of the Forte that thereforee hersubmission of the ques
Majesty's
'tent was wrong in compelling the
tion to arbitration. If the Brazilian Government had agreed
to leave the matter to arbitration in the first instance, no
reprisals would have been made. Mr. Christie pressed upon
them the offer of arbitration, and they would not accept it.
Until the reprisals were made nothing could be done. In
fact, the Brazilian Government had for some time treated
her Majesty's Government with a degree of contempt which
was very unusual between friendly Powers. As to the
noble lord's suggestion about a shipbroker, the Government
were not in the habit of going to shipbrokers or insurance
agents for advice. They usually applied to the law advisers
of the Crown, and the Queen's Advocate was the proper
officer to whom they had referred. The noble lord, as the
advocate of the Brazilian Government, alleged that the
cargo had gone to the bottom—but the evidence of Mr.
Consul Vinkes showed that the vessel was afloat and at
anchor when he saw her, several days after the wreck. Her
boats were drying on shore ; they were unbroken, and the
oars were in them. Several packing cases were open on the
shore empty—and the paper which lined them was dry, and
bore no appearance of having been wetted. It was true that
Mr. Christie had made no demand for compensation for the
murders—but the Queen's .Advocate thought that the
charge was fair and just. He (Earl Russell) had no doubt
whatever that the people mere murdered. Mr. Stephens,
the owner of the ship, had received nothing on account of
insurance from the underwriters—and he (Earl Russell)
considered the charge as assessed was very moderate. As to
our relations with Brazil, he thought they would be very
much improved by the Brazilians finding that British s
eredea.
men could not be murdered or British vessels plund
with impunity.
The Earl of MALMESBURY said that the papers
showed that the Brazilian Government had produced four
bodies, and that they were proved not to have been mur-

dered.

Earl RUSSEL—There were ten bodies seen, and only
tour were produced.
The Earl of NALMESBURY said that the other six