The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-07 00:00:00

on the verge of a war with the Emperor of Brazil. The act
of the admiral in making reprisals on Brazilian vessels was
taken in secret, and the consequeth.oe was such a perfect
panic that great alarm was felt for thca lives and property of
English subleets in Rio. Your Minister barricaded himself
in his house for protection. It should be mentioned, for the
credit of the Brazilian Government, that the Minister of
Commerce went down to the Exchange and assured the
English merchants there that they should hteve the whole
power of the State exerted for theirprotection; cud the Em-
peror went into the streets and harangued the populace with
the object of calming their agitation. But, suppose the Em •
peror had taken another course—and I have heard from some
shrewd men that he might probably have consulted his in-
terest better if he had, for I am told that you have imper;l°
led by your proceedings the existence of the only constitne
Lionel monarchy in America and given ascendency to the Re-
publican party. But suppose the Emperor had taken a dif-
ferent course when you seized his ships, and made reprisals
tending to war, See in what a predicamentyou place the vast
interests of Englishmen in Brazil. The hon. gentleman who
brought forward the present motion states that 20 million of
British property were at stake. In one hour the lives of Bri-
tish citizens might have been placed in danger and their pro-
perty rendered liable to confiscation because of a state of
war. This is the sort of thing which it behoves the com-
merce of the country to take steps to avert in future. (Hear.)
Where we are connected with another nation only for the
purpose of commerce, let the me! chants and manufacturers
of this country demand publicity in eases like this, so that
public opinion might be brought to bear on them, and then
we shall never have such a discreditable production as is
the blue book on this matter. (Hear.) I will refer to that
other topic dealt with by the nob:e lord the member for
Stamford. I feel humiliated to see an infirm Sovereign like.'
the King of the Belgians called upon with all his abilities
to condescend to arbitrate on a question such as that of the
three young officers who went from a ship of war to enjoy
themselves in the country—at the Star and Garter at Rio
—and who becoming merry committed the not very serious
offence of mocking a sentry, who was perhaps half asleep,
and contrived to get themselves put into the guard-house.
We should think that a venial offence here; but what in-
vested it with real importance is the absurb manner in which
the Foreign-office took up the subject. I say that diplomacy
must be in its dotage, when it can find no better occupation
than the case of these officers. (Hear, hear.) Ido not
know whether the hon. gentleman the proposer of the pre-
sent motion will divide the house, or whether he will be
content with having elicited opinion on the subject. Should
he divide, I shall certainly vote with him ; but I would not

•
advise him to seek to be in a minority. Let him rather be
satisfied with the majority of opinion in debate; but, be-
sides my hon. and learned friend, who holds a sort of brief,
and is a kind of legal adviser to the Government in such a
matter, I think that, outside the ranks of the Govern-
ment, not many other men will support them on this
occasion. (Hear, hear.)
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL regretted that the hon-
gentleman who had just sat down had addressed himself to
an object so unworthy his abilities as endeavouring to throw
discredit upon an honourable servant of this country, who
from most laudable motives, and in the discharge of a most
imperative duty, had endeavoured to see justice done in it
case of crying wrong. The hon. member had failed to dis-
credit the testimony of that gentleman. But her Majesty's
Government did not rest upon his testimony, but upon the
testimony of the Brazilian authorities themselves. The hon-
and learned gentleman proceeded to quote from the de-
spatches of the Brazilian local authorities, to show that the
plunder of the wreck had taken place by the inhabitants of
the coast of Albardao, and that the wealthiest persons there
had been engaged in it. The hononrable and learned
gentleman defended the proceedings of the British officers
at considerable length, and maintained that one of the prin-
cipal grounds of attack (namely, that Mr. Consul Vereker
could have attended ag the investigations) was simply un-
true. He could not help remarking that other matters had
been quoted and referred to besides those treated of by the
Brazilian despatches, and it was very plain that, though the
voice was like the voice of Jacob, the hand was that of some'
body else. Ile was quite ready to admit that they ought not
to ask for compensation for a murder unless it could be
distinctly proved, but it was quite clear that the meane
of proving the outrage had been kept from them. (Hear•)
He thought the hon. member for Stamford and the bon •
member for Rochdale might have better sustained the
character of the house than by asking the house to assume
that all the letters that had been read had been the result of
temporary insanity. Were we to hold that everything
that had been written and said was an invention, a delusion,
and a falsehood, merely because it tended to criminate the
Brazilian Government ? (Hear, hear.) He would say that
the Brazilian Government had been very properly assumed
to have criminated itself, and he thought that the bon
member forßechdale would hardly dispute what Mr.Verelier
hed stated in his despatch, as to finding the two cases at
the residence of Suarez quite dry; and in perfect order. The
hon. and learned gentleman contended that the plunder
and other outrages complained of had been committed bi
the retainers and dependents of Senhor Suarez; that
Suarez himself had neglected to take any measures for ac-
quainting the British consul of what had taken place; and
that there was a complete denial of justice. Under these
circumstances he believed that the house would be opinion,
notwithstanding what had been urged by hon. member/
opposite, that her Majesty's Government had acted bona
fide and that it was their duty to teach foreign Govern-
ments, whether strong or wean, that British subjects
should not be wronged with impunity. (Cheers.)
The motion was then withdrawn, amid loud Ministerial
cheers.

SUPPLY.
Mr. MASSEY brought up the report on supply, which
was agreed to,
CUSTOMS ACTS (TOBACCO DUTIES).
The house then went into committee upon the Customs
Acts (Tobacco Duties), when
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved 0.
resolution, " That the duty of Customs on unmanufactured
tobacco imported into Great Britain and Ireland, which
shall contain less than 101 b. per cwt. of moisture, shall be
3s. 6d. per lb ," which was agreed to.
On the order for the second reading of the Education of
Factory Children Bill,
Mr. FETIRAND said he viewed this bill with great
alarm, as it would extend the labour of children to 101
hours a day. He asked Mr. Baxter, who had charge of the
bill, to postpone the second reading till after Easter.
Mr. BAXTE it explained the real object of the bill, arid
ultimately postponed the second reading.
After some further business, the house adjourned at 20
minutes past 12 o'clock till Monday.