The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-21 00:00:00

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX-
CHEQUER, it was agreed that the Houle at its rising do
adjourn till Monday next.
RAILWAY AMALGAMATION.

Mr. WILSON PATTEN gave notice that, on Monday, he
would move for a Select Committee to inquire whether railway
amalgamation wet e consistent with the commercial interests
of the country.
Mr. R. YORKE asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Depar!ment, whether he could give any specific information in
respect to the return to England of Joseph Mason, who was
sentenced to twenty years' transportation at the York March
Assizes, in 1843, upon a conviction which turned out to have
been given in eri or, and which was established so to have been
given in December, 1845.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that a commission had been ap-
pointed to inquire into the circumstances, and at first there
appeared no reason to be dissatisfied with the verdict. Subse-
quently information was given that an alibi could be proved.
The circumstances of that alibi were so strange, that it was
thought right to leave the evidence to the consideration of one
of the judges. The whole matter was therefore left to the
ccnsideration of Mr. Justice Coleridge, and in consequence of
his decision a free pardon was sent out to Mason, who was now
on his return to England.
Mr. WYSE wished to ask a question of the Right Hon.
Baronet at the head of the Homo Department (Sir Jas. Gra-
ham) with respect to education in Ireland. By the report of
the Commissioners of 1838 from the Board of National Edu-
cation in Ireland, he learned that it was a recommendation
on the part of that board that schools should be established
throughout the several districts of that country. During
the course of lest session the Go; crnment gave a promise that
an Act of incorporation for the national education in Ireland
should be passed that Heuse. He had therefore three ques-
tions to ask—first, as to whether any intention was entertained
of making an alteration in the constitution of the Board
of Education in Ireland, as was promised last session ;
Secondly, whether any measure was to be brought in for
giving effect to that alteration in the several towns mentioned
in the report; and thirdly, whether there was any intention of
carrying out this recommendation in the way of the establish-
ment of schools in the agricultural districts?
Sir JAMES GRAHAM was glad to have the satisfaction to
answer the Hon. Member for Waterford (Mr. Wyse), and
to say that a charter of incorporation was being prepared
for the National Board of Education in Ireland. In
reply to the second question, he was also able
to say that measures were in preparation for the establishment
of those sehoals to which the Hon. Member had alluded. And
in reply to the third question, he had to say that the Govern-
ment were as equally anxious to spread education through the
agricultural districts as through the municipal population ; but
it would depend upon the reports of the National Board of
Education in which way their efforts were to be directed.
CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, the Consolidated Fund Bill (8,000,000/.) received it
third reading and passed.
BOARD OF EDUCATION—IRELAND.

Mr. WYSE moved that the charter of incorporation under
which the National Board of Education in Ireland had been
incorporated should be laid upon the table.
THE OREGON TERRITORY.
Mr. PETER BORTHWICK rose to ask the Right Hon.
theyirst Lord of the Treasury, whether it was the intention of
her Majesty's Government to present to this House copies or
extracts of any correspondence which may have passed between
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and her Majesty's
Minister at Washington, in relation to the Oregon territory.
It might be in the recollection of the House, that at the be-
ginning of the present session of Parliament her Majesty had,
from the throne, regretted that the conflicting claims of Great
Britain and the United States had not been satisfactorily settled,
although they had been made the subject of repeated negotiation.
Up to that moment the House and the country had yielded a
silent but entire confidence in the carrying out of that measure. '
It was not his intention to disturb that silence, or to intimate in
the slightest degree a diminution of that confidence. But it was
impo:sible to conceal the fact, that although that House appre-
ciated, and fully understood, the spirit in which her
Majesty's Ministers acted, yet, on the other side of
the Atlantic there did exist misguided and ignorant
persons, who put upon the words pronounced by her
Majesty from the throne, and the subsequent proceedings of her
Majesty's Government in that House, a construction which was
not intended to be produced. Bluster and bravado al ways
indicated timidity, and with feelings of bluster and braved, had
the war party in America received the intimation which
had, been given by this country. He thought it was
time that England should distinctly declare her
views. He had preferred rather to put a question to
the Right Honourable Gentleman than make a motion
upon the subject, as he thought the subject itself
was not one to be discussed in a popular assembly.
He had hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet would, of his own
accord, recommend the production of such of these papers, or
extracts from them, as might be necessary to inform the
House of the nature of the negotiations which had taken place.
Ile would, therefore, simply ask the Right Hon. Gentleman
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government-to
present to the House those papers, or extracts from any cor-
respondence which passed between our Minister at Washington
and the Minister :of the United States with relation to the
Oregon territory.
Sir ROBERT PEEL—Mr. Speaker, I do not think it will
be necessary for me to make any observations with respect to
the general subject to which the Right Hon. Gentleman has
alluded.— (Cheers.) I think explanation wholly unnecessary
because I think the expressions of her Majesty's Government,
and other expressions used by public men in this and the
other Home of Parliament, have not been misconstrued in
the United States.—(Hear, hear.) Ido not think that
there would be any public advantage by laying the papers re-
ferred to on the table of the House in the present state of the
question—in the present state of the differences between this
country and the United States with respect to the Oregon
territory. —( Hear, hear.) I do not think that any ad-
vantage would arise ; and therefore it is not the listen-
than of her Majesty's Government to make any such com-
munications at the present moment. At the same time lam
bound to say, that certain, communications and certain notes
have passed between Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Pakenham, with
respect to the claims of the Government of the United States
to the Oregon territory, although I should not have thought
it necessary to have laid these communications on the table of
the House; but as it may perhaps be necessary to authenticate
the circumstances contained in them, and as publicity has
been given to their—( Laughter)—l shall have no objection to
lay them on the table of the House.—( Cries of " No, no.")
,‘lfrethhe avno Proposition to make to the House, on the part
,
Government, with respect to the
disputes with the
United States relative to that territory, because
the neeotiatintis have net been brought to a conclu-
sien, and' because it is quite unusual to make such dis-
closures as those required by the. lion. Gentleman until they
have been brought to a conclusion,(Hear,
maa hear.) But as
these communications have been public, and as the
House may wish to know whether they areauothizenettiico
no
to
onloaty,
if it is the wish of the House, I should have no
them on the table.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, as far as he was concerned,to
did not wish for the production of the papers referred
the Right Hon. Baronet could state that the negotiations had
reached such a point at which it would be either satisfactory or
unsatisfactory to lay them on the table of the House. He,however,
thought that it shou!cl be left to the Right Hon. Gentleman to
produce them whets he thought proper, because the public
service might stiffer by their production during the continuance
of necctialions. lie wished, however, before he concluded,
to refer to another subject. He wished to ask a question of
the Right Hon. Baronet as to the course which he intended
to pursue with respect to the corn-laws. They had now been
eight week; assembled since her Majesty addressed her most
gracious speech from the throne with respect to
those laws. The Right Honourable Gentleman,
after the first statement of his measures, gave, I
thick, a fortnight before any consideration of those measures
shouid. be brought before the House. They had now
been engaged three weeks in a preliminary dis-
cussion after the introduction of the Bill. Now, it did
seem to him that after so much discussion, and that after the
Right Honourable Gentleman bad declared his intention
to go on with the discussion from day to day,
that great and unnecessary delay had taken place.
He should have thought that that would have been the case, but
he now found that it was his intention the first day after
the second reading of the Corn Bill to propose
the first reading el the Bill for protection to
life in Ireland. If he considered the former measure of such
great importance, he considered that the latter Bill should
not have been brought forward till after the third reading
of the Corn Bill; and he was of opinion that by the course
proposed no time would be gained. He wished, therefore, to
express a hope that the Rig:it Honourable Gentleman,
the First Lord of the Treasury, would adhere to
the arrangement originally proposed ; and, as sufficient
discussion had taken place on the Corn Bill to shield the
Right Hon. Gentleman from any charge of undue precipitancy