The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-30 00:00:00

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

On the return of the Speaker in about a quarter of an
hour,
Mr. CONINGIIAM presented a petition from a public
meeting at Burnley against any interference by this country
in the war in America.

Mr. MAGUIRE gave notice that he would move as an

amendment to ]!dr:Roebuck's motion, as to the war in

America, a resolution to the effect that the house, witness-
ing with the deepest regret the terrible loss of life
which characterized the lamentable struggle in the United
States, which had now lasted more than two years, was of
opinion that the Government should, in the interest of
humanity and civilization request the co-operation of the
Emperor of the French in recommending an immediate

armistice between the belligerents. The resolution was ex-
tremly lengthy in its terms, and there was some laughter
when the hon. member concluded reading it.
PENSIONS OF INDIAN OFFICERS.

Sir H. STRACEY, in the absence of Capt. Jervis, asked

the Secretary of State of India, whether it was trua that
the pension cf an officer, late of 3d Madras N. 1., had been
stopped, on the requisition of creditors.
Mr. T. G. BARING—Can the hon. member give the
name of the officer ?
Sir H. STRACEY—I cannot. (Laughter.)
Mr. T. G. BARING—Then I am unable at present to
answer the question.
THE .MHOW COURT-MARTIAL.

Mr. CONINGHAM asked the Under Secretary of State
for War whether he would lay upon the table of the house

a copy of the second letter or memorandum on the Mhow
court martial, signed by the adjutant-general, a portion of
which letter had been read out to Captain Smales at the
Horse Guards, wherein it was said that in the opinion of
his Royal Highness the statements contained in the Pay-
master's letter of Feb. 26 were not considered by him as

false, though they were in part malicious ? He also asked
whether the opinion of the Judge Advocate-General in
__ _

Mr. PEACOCK desired to draw attention to the re-
peated seizure of English traders by American cruisers ;
and, with a view of eliciting frem the Government a de-
finition of what constituted illegal traffic on the part of
English traders. He was moved to take the subject up
in consequence of the extraordinary language held by
the Minister for Foreign Affairs in another place on
the 24th of April last, and which was to the effect that a
seizure was justifiable if the contraband character of the
cargo was indicated, and without any reference to the destina-
tion of the vessel. Now he (Mr. Peacocks) held that no
neutral vessel under a neutral flag, sailing from one neutral
port to another, was liable to be captured, whatever the
nature of the cargo. The only case in which such vessel
could be captured was where its papers were not in order.
The hon. member then went on to declare that he had no
confidence in the law as administered to the Adele, the
Pearl, the Dolphin, and the Will •o'-the-wisp, to establish
the conclusion that these courts were actingupon principles
quite new to the international law, and that vessels were
condemned simply upon presumptive evidence, without any
proof that they were intended to run the blockade. In con-
sequence of these decisions of the American courts, our
merchants had now to pay a premium 'of six guineas, in
addition to the ordinary rates, to cover the extra risk—and
the consequence was that English commerce was being gra-
dually transferred to foreign bottoms. In conclusion, the
hon. member moved for papers connected with the adjudi-
cation of the American prim courts at Key West upon Eng-
lish vessels.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the motion was
made in too general a form to permit of the Government ac-
ceding to it without interfering inconveniently wit'h pend-
law. ing communications. As to the hon. member's criticism on
lIIMSON'S BAY COMPANY AND THE INTER- the observations of Earl Russell, it appeared to him that
the hon. member was not aware of the precise position
_ NATIONAL CREDIT COMPANY.
mation on the of the port of Matamoras. Matamoras was a frontier town
In answer to Mr. MILLS
Mr' 7C/lITESC-4E said the Government had no infer- of Mexico, lying on one side of a river, on the opposite of
'nett beyond what had appeared in the pub- which was Texas ; and in consequence, it became very easy
noble friend at the head of the Colonial-
lic papers, but
alsiintimation that he would be put in for vessels having on board contraband of war to run the
office had received
nexutformation in reference to the mat- blockade, although there was nothing at all in their papers
possession of complete
:Prtiton
of
the companyto allow that such was their intention. Looking, therefore,
n 1866 the legal advisers ot to the decisions of the American Courts, it was quite im-
otenr bef
BritishoreTNhourrtshd Thursday hlezt
he would make a statement possible to say that contraband of war on board a ship
had legal, bound for the river Matamoras must be assumed as in-
possession o
the Gos.Ternnii.e:toewretareinofp
the territorie , and tended to be landed on neutral ground. Of course, if the
s wuen cargo was bona fide intended for Matamoras the doctrine
what course would be for the
tohoevpernresmenenttltiotigooantisoindehr had termtnatea
they wmid adoot laid down by the hon. member was perfectly correct ; and,
POLAND.—THE REPLY OP THE EMPEROR OP
indeed, it was distinctly admitted by the prize courts of the
but such a
'Wit OP United States. It was very easy for persons on this side of
RUSSIA.
Mr. HENNESSY asked the Under Secret„„ the water to try an appeal to the House of Commons, be-
nontidencePirnocetheedimnegnw'brasonf
anl.ratunfthaoprpiesaeld—bwyatahhe
aladwrecoofurnasetiotnos;
Foreign Affairs whether any communication had I;:en7et.. .f.;rvizth.,ethleagiAnitimeartteaaanppnea
otthceaslecuclaasteead,toancrdeahtee unwabsoubnoundedd
ceived from St. Petersburg in reference to the recent
despatch of Earl Russell ?
Mr. LAYARD- All I can say is that to the best of my to remind the hon. member that the court of appeal in Arne-
,

:ndia had been taken on the proceedings ?

The Marquis of HARTINGTON said the only document
which answered the description given by the hon. member
was one marked "private." covered by a private letter, and
not read to the troops, but in it his royal highness the com-
mander-in-chief had not modified the opinion he had pre-
viously given. Although, however, it was a private com-
munication, so anxious was his royal highness that nothing
in the matter should be kept back, that at his special re-
quest it would be produced. The whole proceedings had
been laid before the Judge-Advocate-General, and as he
was of opinion that they were perfectly legal, Capt. Smalts
was gazetted out of the service.
PREVENTION OF FIRES.

Sir DE L. EVANS asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, when the bill was to be brought in con•
-
cerning the means for the better prevention of fires ?
Sir G. GREY said that the bill was not ready, and he
was afraid it could not be introduced in time to pass this
session.

..,„-______
THE CIRCUITS AND INCREASE OF JUDGES.
In answer to Mr. HADFIELD,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that no commission
was sitting on the subject, and no reports were therefore
expected. It was not in the present contemplation of the
Government to propose any increase in the number of
judges, but it was hoped that by certain changes the present
judges would be enabled to administer justice without being
unduly taxed. With regard to the circuits, some change
seemed desirable, but they could not be effected without the
consent of Parliament. A bill on the subject was in pre-
paration, and would be brought forward in the present ses-
sion if there was any reasonable prospect of passing it into
,__