The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-28 00:00:00

HILL COOLIES.

Mr. GLADSTONE wished to know whether any
official account had been received from the Governor of
British Guiana, as to the condition of the Hill Coolies,
and whether he had any objection to state the substance
of those accounts, or to lay the despatches themselves
on the table of the House. .

Mr. LABOUCHERE said there was no objection
on the part of the Colonial-office to produce the des-
patches themselves.
AMERICAN BOUNDARY.

Sir S. CANNING wished to address a few words
on a subject of great national importance. The subject
to which he referred was the state of our relations with
the United States of America, and he thought Hon.
Gentlemen must feel that it would not give satisfaction
to the country—he would almost say it would scarcely
be decent, it that House were to adjourn for the
holidays, without an opportunity being afforded to
her Majesty's Ministers, as far as circumstances
would admit, of making some statement as to the posi-
tion in which they stood with regard to that power at
the present moment. If the circumstances of the coun-
try were of an ordinary character at this moment, the
House might be satisfied with trusting to the discretion
of her Majesty's Ministers on the subject, but he must
say that looking back to the transactions of the
last few years he saw little reason for trusting
to their energy and decision, and be might say to
their discretion in respect of foreign affairs.—(Cheers.)
lie must be allowed to say that that was an additional
motive for presuming the country would be dissatis-
fied, if the House were to retire, before the holi-
days, without receiving some information on the subject.
By accounts received within the last few days, it
appeared that the transactions which had lately oc-
curred in Maine, had been taken up with a decided
national spirit in the Chambers of the United States ;
and that the negociations which it seemed had been
commenced, were suspended, though there was
some reason to believe that a Plenipotentiary
might be dispatched from America to this country,
to carry on the negociations. The country was
also aware that, on the one hand, an official
statement had been made that the Governor of New
Brunswick was acting under instructions which im-
posed upon him the necessity of maintaining, if necessary,
by a military force, exclusive jurisdiction over the
disputed territory.—(Hear, hear.) And on the other
hand, that a recommendation had been signed by the
American Minister of State, and by her Majesty's Re-
presentative at Washington, advising the peaceable set-
tlement of that question of the boundary. His (Sir S.
Canning's) only object in mentioning the subject was
to afford to the Noble Lord the Secretary for the
Foreign Department, the opportunity of giving that
information, not only on this question, but in re-
ference to what was passing in various parts of
the world, which the country must naturally expect.
And he had reduced to writing certain questions which
he would put to the Noble Lord. First, whether the
Government had received any official intelligence of the
appointment of an American Plenipotentiary, to open
further negotiations in London as to the adjustment of
the Boundary Question. Secondly, whether the Govern-
ment had any reason to belieVe that Sir John Harvey had
acquiesced in the line of conduct recommended to him
by her Majesty's Minister, and the American Minister
at Washington. And thirdly, whether the Govern-
ment had any objection to lay upon the table a copy of
the instructions which Sir J. Harvey in his letter
of 18th February, addressed to the Governor of
Maine, had referred to ; making it imperative upon
him to maintain by military force, if necessary,
exclusive jurisdiction over the disputed territory. In
putting these questions he (Sir S. Canning) had no wish
to create excitement, or to embarrass her Majesty's
Ministers.—(lronical cheers from the Ministerial
benches, met by cheers from the Opposition.) He
only wished to afford an opportunity to the Noble Lord
at the head of the Foreign Department, for presenting
such information to the House upon a subject involving
the national interest and honour, as the country might
naturally expect. .
Lord PALMERSTON quite agreed with the
Right Hon. Gentleman that this was a question of the
utmost delicacy, and therefore he trusted the House
would excuse him if he availed himself of the oppor-
tunity thus afforded him of not en tering into a full ex-
planation with respect to the present state of these
matters, and he thought the answer which he should
give to the first question would sufficiently account to '
the House for the reserve which he felt it his duty to
maintain. The Right Hon. Gentleman asked whether
her Majesty's Government had received any account
of the intention of the Government of the United
States to send over a Special Plenipotentiary
to this country for the purpose of com-
municating with the British Government. He
(Lord P.) yesterday received a dispatch from Mr.
Fox, dated the 7th of March, at Washington, com-
municating to him officially that the American Go-
vernment had it under consideration whether they
should send a Special Plenipotentiary for that purpose
or whether fresh negociations would be allowed. As
sortie communication might he expected very shortly
from the Government of the United States the House
would feel that he would be departing from the line
of his duty if he were to enter into any discussion
—(Hear, hear)—touching those matters upon which it
was likely the Plenipotentiary might be instructed.
With regard to the second question, he had reason
to believe that the lest despatches received at the
Colonial-office from Sir John Harvey were
dated at a time when he could not have
received the necessary communications. With
regard to the other part of the question, he was
sure his Right Hon. Friend would see that it
was not. expedient at this moment to lay the papers
before Parliament.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He (Lord
Palmerson) was convinced that the Government
of the United States felt a no less sincere de-
sire than her Majesty that these incidental ques-
tions, as well as the main question, and any others
which might arise between the two Governments,
should be satisfactorily adjusted, and that nothing
should occur to interrupt those friendly relations which
it was the interest of both countries to maintain.

Sir S. CANNING inquired whether the instructions
referred to by Sir John Harvey could be laid before the

House ?

Mr. LABO UCHERE thought it would be most
indiscreet to lay unfulfilled instructions on the table of
this House.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. C. BULLER wished to make a remark on a
misinterpretation which had been put on some ob-
servations he had made the other night, which it
had been said were calculated to have a bad ef-
fect on the settlement of the question. He did not
suppose that any one would have imagined that he made
the remarks from information obtained whilst holding an
official situation. If his attention had been called
to the subject, it was after renouncing all official con-
nection with Canada. He stated on that occasion
that he considered the British claim was preposterous,
and his reason for making the declaration was, that if
there was any hope of an amicable settlement of the
question, the British negotiators must make some claim
more consonant with justice. He thought the American
claim as untenable as ours. If Great Britain abandoned
the untenable line and took that which was in accord-
ance with justice, she would gain more than by the use
of force.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir CHARLES GREY said that he did not intend
to renew the notice which had been on the paper a few
days ago, and he trusted the House would allow him
to give his reason for abandoning it. He was
quite satisfied if the Noble Lord the Secretary
for Foreign affairs would state that her Majesty's Go-
vernment had not yet seen reason to depart from the
general views on the question that had been laid
before the House in the last session of Parliament. The
Kin.. of Holland had decided that neither of the lines in-
sisted upon by two parties answered the terms of the
treaty. He had moved for Mitchell's map for the pur-
pose of narrowing the question between the two countries.
The map he alluded to was not an American map under
the name of Mitchel, but was the original one of 1755.
He did not demandthe production of the map, for his pur-
pose had been answered by calling the attention of the
House to the fact that theyhad only that map of 1755,and
one of a more modern date to look to, as they were the
only ones recognized in the Convention of 1829.
He thought that what he had stated would tend greatly

to narrow the question, because it showed that in this
claim neither the Americans nor ourselves were in the
right, and left us to seek new conditions, by which one
or other of the parties might cede a portion or the whole
of the territories in dispute to the other ; he beseeched
Ministers to bear these facts in mind, because it was
of the greatest importance to narrow the ground of dis-
pute as much as possible.
Sir ROBERT PEEL was not sorry this question
had been brought forward before the adjournment
of Parliament ; he had no intention of embarrassing her
Majesty's Government, and he should not now enter into
the full discussion of this question, because he felt that,
in making their defence against any charges which might
be brought against them, her Majesty's Government
would labour under the great disadvantage of not being
able to produce all the papers that might be necessary
in their defence, because by so doing disclosures might
be made which would be prejudicial to the public ser-
vice. At the same time he should reserve to himself entire
power,whenever this House should be in full pos3ession of
all the facts of the case, of expressing his opinion as to
whether her Majesty's Government had, more particu-
larly since the late unfortunate disturbances in Lower
Canada, spewed sufficient energy and decision in
their proceedings with the United States with regard
to this question. He would confess that if the produc-
tion of any document called for should be objected to
by her Majesty's Government as one that to the
most delicate or sensitive mind would appear as likely
to produce inconvenience, ne would at once yield to the
objection ; but he must say, that if any document could
have been safely produced, it appeared to him (Sir R.
Peel) that it must have been an old map of the year 1755.
If the map had any important bearitn, on the question,
he hoped the Hon. Member would' persevere in his
motion. It was not one of those recent maps which
might have been framed in America for the purpose of
elucidating the question one way or another, but it the
map was not in existence, that, of course, was a
conclusive reason against producing it.—(A laugh.) If
any possible or eventual evil to the country could be
feared from the production of the map, he certainly
would not urge the Hon. Baronet to persevere in his
motion.

Sir C. GREY was sorry on so important a question
the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet had been so
distracted. He had never said the map was not in
existence, and any Hon. Gentleman who went to the
British Museum would see it.—(Hear, 'war) He
felt he had done his duty in calling the attention of the
Foreign Office to it, being quite sure that if it was dis-
covered to be useful there would be no objection to pro-

duce it.
Lord PALMERSTON had understood the Hon.
Baronet in a different manner from the Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite, and had given that assent, which
one sometimes did, by signs, to his proposition. He
could not see, therefore, bow the misunderstanding
could have been occasioned.

Sir R. PEEL.—I did not see the signs.—(A. laugh.)
If the map was the real map, the production of it could
do no harm but might do good.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

The motion for the adjournment of the House till the
Bth of April, was then agreed to.

BRUSSELS.

Mr. HUME wished to know when the Brussels
papers would be laid on the table of the House?
Lord PALMERSTON replied that there was a
great press of business in the Foreign-office at present,
but that the papers referrA to would be produced as
soon as possible.
LORD DURHAM'S MISSION.

Colonel SIBTHORP begged to ask the Chancellor
of the Exchequer why certain important returns he had
moved for, relative to the mission and outfit of the Earl
of Durham, were not before the House, when returns
that bad been moved for subsequently, had been pro-
duced ?

Mr. LABOUCHERE said the delay in furnishing
the return in question, arose from the difficulty of
estimating the exact expenses of Lord Durham's
mission, in consequence of certain sales which
were now taking place in Canada of the effects of the
Noble Earl : when those sales were concluded, there
would be no indisposition to furnish the account.