The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-26 00:00:00

MEXICO.

The followidg is a fuller report of Lord Palinerston's
speech than appeared in our yesterday's edition :
Lord PALMERSTON should have had great plea-
sure in answering the question which his Noble Friend
had put to hits. He trusted, however, that the House
would think that it was most fitting for him, in the po-
sition which he had the honour to hold, if he did not
follow his Noble Friend through the whole of the obser-
vations which his Noble Friend had made with respect
to past transactions between this country, the United
States, Mexico, and Texas, in regard to the annexation
of Texas to the United States. These were matters
which belonged to past periods; they were facts histori-
cally known; and he thought the House would agree
with him that it would not be useful, and was not neces-
sary, that he should give any opinion upon them. His
Noble Friend had expressed. an opinion as to the idury
that was arising to British interests from the war be-
tween Mexico and the United States. He (Lord
Palmerston) entirely concurred with his Noble
Friend in thinking that in the present state
of the international relations between the states

of the civilised world, it was impossible that
any war could arise between two independent na-
tions without causing. injury to the interests of those
countries which might happen to have relMions of com-
merce with the two belligerent states ; and he believed
that just in proportion as commerce was set free from all
those restrictions which set a limit to trade and circum
scribed its extent, in that very same proportion would it
be the interest of all nations that peace should prevail
throughout the world ; and therefore it was that he
looked to the progress that had lately been made by
those doctrines of free trade as most satisfactory, because
he believed they were calculated to promote the cause of
peace all over the world.—(Cheers.) He thought, how-
ever, that his Noble Friend had in some degree exagge-
rated the facilities with which (as he had stated) the
United States might establish their dominion over the
territory of Mexico.—(Hear, hear.) That territory was
vast in extent, and in no proportion to its vastness was
it difficult for military operations,—(Hear, hear.) That
territory was inhabited by a very large population-
-8,000,000 or 9,000,000 he thought.
Mr. BERNAL—Between 8,000,000 and 10 000 000

Lord PALMERSTON resumed—That territory, it
seemed, was inhabited by between 8,000,000 and
10,000,000 of persons, of a different race, he believed,
from the race who peopled the United States ; of a re-
ligion different from the religion of the people of the
United States, and therefore, though it might have been
easy for the people of the United States to incorporate
with the inhabitants of Texas, which was tilled and in-
habited almost entirely by settlers from the United
States, the question, he could assure the House, became
very different when the country sought to be incorpo-
rated was inhabited by a race so very different as the
Mexicans were from the Americans. But he would wish
to say nothing which could in any degree affect that cha-
racter for impartiality which befitted a Government that
had made otters of mediation between two contending
states.—(Cheers.) His Noble Friend doubted the accu-
racy of the statement that an offer had been made by the
late Government of mediation on the part of Great Bri-
tain between the two parties. He (Lord Palmerston)
was glad, in justice to his predecessors, that his Noble
Friend enabled him to set that question right. The
facts of the case were shortly these :—lt was perfectly
true, as had been asserted by the Right Honourable
Baronet at the head of her Majesty's late Government,
that an offer was made to the United States' Govern-
ment, and also communicated to the Government of
Mexico, which her Majesty's late Government under-
stood and meant to be an- offer of mediation; that that
offer was conveyed, and, as he thought, properly con-
veyed, in terms which left a great latitude of interpreta-
tion to the Government of the United States. Our posi-
tion with regard to the United States just at that period
was not that which was becoming the character of a
mediator. Our disputes and negotiations with reference
to the Oregon question had not come to a final settle-
ment. It was possible, notwithstanding the negotiations
then going on between the United States and ourselves,
that the question might assume a position which would
have divested us altogether of the character belonging
to a mediator, and then the mediation of which we had
made au offer would have been put out of the question.
Now the offer which was made by her Majesty's late
Government to the Government of the United States
was in effect this—that if the Government of the
United States were disposed to ask the mediation
of the Government of Great Britain, that mediation
would be formally offered and accorded. He thought
that was going as far as the British Government could
have gone in the position in which they were placed.
Well, then, the Government of the United States, consi-
dering what he had stated with regard to the position
in which the Oregon question placed Great Britain with
reference to the United States, did not think it expe-
dient t I express any opinion in answer to the communi-
cation from the British Government. The Government
of the United States thought that it did not require an
answer to be made to it. It had been intended by her
Majesty's Government that they were to be left to da as
they pleased, and accordingly no umbrage was taken by
the Government of this country at' that omission to
answer their note. He had had an interview, not long
ego, with Mr. 11PLane, who had been obliged, he
(Lord Palmerston) was sorry to say, on account of his
health, to return to the United States—and he (Lord
Palmerston) was sure that every body who had had the
pleasure of knowing that distinguished man would agree
in regretting that we had lost the benefit of his services
here as the organ for promoting that mediation between
the two countries now at war., Whoever might be
sent by the Government of the United States to supply
his place, he (Lord Palmerston) was sure that no man
could have more at heart the maintenance of good rela-
tions between Great Britain and the United States, or
more fully possessed of all the qualities that could vi-
able him to carry his wishes in that respect into effect.
But, as he had said, he had lately had an interview with
Mr. *Lane, and he found from him, that was the un-
derstanding on the part of the United States with re-
spect to the offer of mediation. But since he (Lord
Palmerston) had had the good fortune, immediately
after his taking possession of his present office, to in-
terchange with Mr. M'Lane the ratifications of the
treaty between this country and the United States re-
specting the Oregon territory, he had given instructicns
to Mr. Pakenham to renew the offer of mediation en the
part of this country to the Government of the United
States in such a shape as would require an answer.—
(Cheers.) A c Irresponding communication had been
made on the part of this country to Mexico, and it de-
pended on the answers this country received, how far this
country might entertain hopes of bringing the question
to an amicable settlement • and he was sure that the
hopes of all well-wishers of this country, and of the
United States, would be that that should be the result.
He thought it was a question of some importance, as
illustrating a general principle, that the United States,
having a war with Mexico which involved a great
increase of expenditure, and finding that their revenue
was unable to meet the demands of the war, bethought
themselves how best they might remedy that deficiency.
And what was the step which the United States' Go-
vernment took for the purpose ? That step was to
lower the duties of their tariff.—(Hear, hear.) When
they wanted revenue they said, " Our high protective
duties, which are all very well in a time of peace, and
when revenue is no object to us, must be abandoned now
that we are about to commence a war which requires a
great and augmenting revenue."—(Hear, hear.) This
was a fact which afforded a strong illustration of the
truth of the doctrines which showed that freedom of
commercial intercourse was not only conducive to the
development of the industry of a country, but was the
surest foundation of an augmenting and prosperous
revenue.—(Hear, hear.)

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.
From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.

MONDAY, AUt3. 24.
Sittings of the House.—On the motion of Mr. Brotherton,
a return was ordered, " of the number of days on which the
House of Commons sat in the session 1846 ; stating the total
number of hours occupied in the sittings of the House, and
the average time; and also showing the number of hours en
which the Homo sat each day, and the number of hours after
midnight, and the number of entries in the Votes of each
day's proceedings."
Divisions of the House.—On the motion of the same Hon.
Member the following return was ordered :—" The number
of divisions in the session 1846 ; stating the subject of the
division and the number of Members in the majority and
minority, tellers included; also the aggregate number in the
also the number of divisions
ge
lii;et;d(iasintnidngcontinuation of Parliamentary
also the divisions on
reoifvouarseet
eaobinl
di eachllasftferrodmiiivl
midnight
inuobingi
Paper, No. 659, of session 1845).',
Messengers from the Lords brought up the following Bills,
to which their Lordships have agreed:—
Fisheries (Ireland) Bill—Cameron's Coalbrook Steam Coal
and Swansea and Loughor Railway Bill, with amendments.

PUBLIC-INCOME AND EXPENDITURE.—Returns have
been laid before Parliament relative to the public income,
&c., for some years past. It thence appears
expenditure,
that the public income of the United Kingdom was as fol-
-57,602,268/. The expenditure was in 1843,
lows :—ln 1843 it was 56,935,021/. ; in 1844, 58,590,217/ ;
(leaving a surplus of 1,433,2837.); in 1844 it was
and in 1845,
leaving a surplus of 3,486,570/. ; and in 1845 it
5555:510031:674407/1..,
was 53,873,0631. (leaving a surplus of 3,729,2050 In 1843
the expenses attending the national efforts for the abolition
of slavery (such as bounty on slaves, commissioners to pre-
ventsm), amounted to 1,760,463/. ; in 1844 to 1,733,3281. ;
the traffic in slaves, bills drawn on account of captured
„ thlumaNG OUT: —The rare occurrence of drum-
saliaidveisr: 1645, to 1,568,451,1.
as an incorrigible vagabond
ming a soldier out of the service
and thief, occurred in the 41st Regiment yesterday, with pri-
vateyears, and who has been
and a half. The offence for
in th
the
Fishregiment er, ae d
aboutab usti
x twenty-sixyea r
which he was last tried was for having stolen his comrade's
Caubul medal, which he broke up and sold as old silver. He
was found guilty, and sentenced to be expelled the regiment,
which sentence was carried into execution on full parade.
A hollow square having been formed the adjutant read the
finding of the court, and also gave a repetition of his tbrmer
misdemeanours; the ceremony of divesting his jacket of
facings, lace, and buttons was then performed, after which the
regiment formed into two lines extending to the gate, and
with drums andthe
" Rogue's March," he was
expelledbarracks,lailg
first receivingth his discharge and his
pay for the day.
fifes
13
He had been tried by six different courts-
martial, and punished for various offences, including deser-
tion, petty thefts, drunkenness, &c., since he joined the
corps. After being discharged, he drank pottle deep, and
was taken up by the police in a state of " glorious inebria-
tion," and passed the night in gaol. He was liberated to-
day, but stands a good chance of a free night's lodging tc-
. ht
night also.—Westmeath
4 Guardian.