The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-24 00:00:00

there were now laid on the table, and he could assure the N & e
Lords and the House that those instructions did not amount
to a declaration ef war. The question put by the Noble Lord
was, whether we were or were not at war with Buenos Ayr, s ?
This country was not at war with that republic, although it
was true that a blockade of Cuba and the River Plate, by the
instructions of the Government, had taken place; but this did
not amount to a declaration of war. '1 he expedition up the
River Panama had not been contemplated by the Government,
but no doubt the explanation of the minister there would be
11L11:1, Satisfactory as to such a proceeding. With regard to the
removal of several of her Majesty's subjects from Buenos Ayres,.
the Noble Lord, he apprehended, was under an erroneous im-
pression. The fact was this, some subjects of her Majesty,
being alarmed for their personal safety, left Buenos Ayres and
went to Monte Video, and applied to Mr. Owsley for assistance
and protection. Their removal was quite voluntary; Mr.
Owsley contributed as much as he could to their comfort and
safety, but being persons of agricultural pursuits, and the
country not affording scope for the exercise of their pursuits,,
Mr. Owsley found it necessary to remove them, with their
own consent. He believed that he had then answered the
questions of the Noble Lord as far as was necessary ; further
than that he could not go, without provoking a discussion.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he rose to express a hope that the
Right lion Baronet would give, either at that moment, or as
soon as pnaible, some further information on the subject. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had admitted there had been ships
taken and ordered for sale. Now, certainly, it required some
Order of Council to justify the Admiral in such proceedings;
and with respect to the operations of the troops, he wished to
know how they could be accounted for.
Sir R. INGLIS wished to make an observation, About two
centuries ago—(Laughter)—a fleet sailed up the Medway, and
laid waste everything. They had an instance, also, of a Rus-
sian fleet committing the most enormous ravages. Now, be-
tween these cases and the present he saw no difference what-
ever. to satisfy the friends of peace. How, for instance, could
the Quakers be satisfied that England was not at war with
Buenos Ayres, when all the incidents of war that occurred at
Nasarino, and in other naval engagements were enacted?
He «i-lied to know what the distinction between war and
peace was, when under both forms there was loss of life and
destruction of property? If such constituted peace, he again
wished to ask what was the difference between it and war?
Sir IL PEEL said that if the lion. Baronet referred to the

records of the year 11328, the period of Navarino, he would
find that there was a declaration of war, and that England ac—
tual:y was at war.--( Hear, hear.) In the present instance,
the blockade was directed by the command of her 'Majesty's
Ministers, and whatever responsibility attached to such the
Ministers and representatives of her :Majesty were ready to
undertake. He thought her Majesty's subjects, sailors and
soldiers, engaged in the blockade, were entitled to the greatest
credit for their gallantry in the affair; and he should conclude,
by stating, that he was not then prepared to lay before the
House further information in respect to the matter, but as
soon as he couli do so, consistently with the public interest, of
course he would take an early opportunity of laying it before
the House.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. MILNER GII3SON said, that in the last session of
Parliament be had presented several petitions in reference to
the subject then before the House, and he then begged to say
that whatever the policy of Government might be, he hoped
they would protect the free navigation of the River Plate.
MINISTERIAL MEASURES.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from Rochdale,
signed by 8,000 persons, praying for an immediate reduction
and abolition of taxation on articles of food, as contemplated
by the Government. The petition was ordered to lie on the
table.

Sir R. PEEL said he had been requested to present two
petitions. The first was from Liverpool, and the commercial
interests of that city prayed that the Government would not
delay its decision in abolishing protective duties. No petition
was ever more respectably signed than was the present by gen-
tlemen of all parties. He had been informed, that in the
course of a few hours 414 of the signatures of the most respect-
able gentlemen in that city had been attached. Every banking
hou•e in the city subscribed to the document. It bore the sig-
natures of 214 merchants and shipowners, and 190 ship-
brokers. The petitioners stated that every branch of trade
was paralysed by the uncertainty and indecision tha
at present existed ; and they prayed that the Go-
vernment would, at as early a day as possible,
pronounce its decision. The second petition was from
Manchester, and bore the signatures of 1,122 gentle-

men, attached in the short space of twenty-four hours. It
had been signed by the eminent bankers, by fifty-five members
of the town-council, and by the greater number of the large
houses engaged in the East and West India trade, the Canada,
Russian, and American trade; and he (Sir R. Peel) had been
assured that the capital possessed by those on whose behalf the
petition was signed, did not fall much short of thirty millions.
—( Hear, hear.) The petitioners stated that they observed
with much satisfaction the course adopted by her Majesty's
Government, and prayed that, while they admitted the pro-
priety of giving due deliberation to matters of such grave im-
portance, the House would pronounce its decision on as early
a day possible.—( Hear, hear.)
The petitions were ordered to lie on the table.
_ _

An HON. MEMbER (whose name we could not learn) pre-
sented 46 petitions from Buckingham, against the measures in-
troduced by her Majesty's Ministers.
Mr. ET WALL presented some petitions in favour of the
measures submitted by Ministers.—Ordered to lie on the table,