The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-16 00:00:00

aennot, therefore, follow the honourable and learned gen-
tleman through the details he has read—all I can state
is that it was the desire of her Majesty's Government that
nothing should be done in any way at variance with the
Isms of the United States. The honourable gentleman has
stated that giving information to persons who should be
willing to go to our provinces that they would be enlisted if they
thought fit was an inducement held out in violation of the
American law. Bnt, sir, the United States is a free country
like our own. The American citizens are not under the Rus-
sian system, and no power in the United States can impose
any restraint upon any man within its boundaries Who thinks
be can quit with advantage to himself. When the papers are
before the house the question can be discussed, but this I will
say, that during these transactions repeated offers were made
to her Majesty's offieers in the United States, the only object
of which was, without question, to entrap them into a viola-
tion of the municipal law of that country, and I trust when
the details of this trial are known, the same importance may
not be attached to theta as the hon. gentleman seems to give
them now. The hon. gentleman has suggested further, that
the apology made by this Government was insincere. That
assertion I utterly deny. (Cheers.) We gave instructions
that the proceedings which gave umbrage to the United
States should be discontinued. We have since been informed
that they were nevertheless continued, and that is what re-
mains now to be ascertained. If they were, it was clearly
contrary to the intentions and knoveledge of this Government.
But I must impress upon the house that the statement of
regret (not that we had violated the law, for that we do not
believe), and that we had revoked the offensive instructions,
was received by the American Minister here with an expres-
sion of opinion that it would be satisfactory to his Govern.
ment. In proof of that, when, shortly after, ho received a se-
cond despatch, requiring him to make still farther remon-
strances, he put that despatch in his pocket, and said no-
thing, because he believed the apology he had received from
us would be satisfactory. Sir, I am bound to make these
statements prematurely owing to the extraordinary conduct
of the hon. member. The question now stands in the un-
guarded position. I have described, and it is very difficult
for persons placed in my position to deal with an hon.
member who pursues the course which the hon. member has
dons this evening. Ile knows that this question is still pend-
ing between the two Governments, and that communications
have been received from America, calling upon her Majesty's
Government to de certain things which none but the most
valid reasons can induce them to do. Even the grounds upon
which those demands are made await the reports from officers
in America. The hon, member knows that a very short time
must elapse before those reports arc received and a final ans-
wer one way or other given. He knows that this is a question
deeply interesting to the feelings and interests of two great
nation.s. He must know that to trifle with such feelings and
interests is most dangerous and unbecoming a man accus-
tomed to assemblies like these. (Cheers.) Yet the hon.
gentleman gets up, rushing with hot impatience to interpose
between the two Governments, and possibly to prevent that
explanation which might otherwise take place. (Hear, hear.)
These explanations are far more likely to be made satisfac-
torily by the two Governments themselves left to their own
action than if they are subjected to the swaying influence of
Popular clamour and national feeling. They are differences
that can osly be settled by calm and dispassionate discus-
sion. The hon. gentleman, however, rushes forward to de-
liver himself of opinions not founded upon any knowledge of
the facts, when if he had waited for a fortnight or three weeks
longer, he would have had the whole of them before hint.
Instead of this, he gets tp in his place holding a brief for the
antagonists of his own Government— (hear)—and makes him-
self the mouthpiece of calumnies that have been uttered in the
United States by interested parties against her Majesty's
officers in that country. Not content with that, he calls on the
house, forsooth, to express an opinion upon that of which they
are ignorant, and upon premisesthat they havonever had sub-
mitted to them. Every man in this house is entitled, as a mem-
ber of a free assembly, to his own opinion, and if any one be
imbued with the idea that his country is in the wrong, why,
he must judge for himself, and if he think proper to condemn
the Government, I am bound to consider that he thinks it his
duty to himself and to thostewho sent him here so to do ; but
I must say that if there be anything which no opposition in
this house, from whatever quarter it might come, no vehe-
mence of antagonism to the Government of the clay, no motive
of any kind, would induce tae to do—it is to step in between
this house and the facts of an undecided question, and call
upon the members to pronounce a verdict that might lead to
dissension with a country with which we are on amicable
terms. The hon. gentleman concluded his address by stating
that he was expressing a feeling shared by the whole country,
of the horrors of a war with the United States. Sir, I do not
allow the hon, and learned gentleman the monopoly of that
feeling in this house. That feeling is shared by the whole
country, and by myself also ; and I will venture to say that
no American can traverse these islands in their length and
breadth—from Wolin o'Groat's house to the Land's End, Red
from one extremity of Ireland to the other, without hearing
from every man whose opinion is worth having, the most
friendly sentiments towards the United States. (Cheers.) But
it is one thing to entertain friendly sentiments towards a kin-
dred people, and another thing to lose self-respect ; and in cir-
cumstances like these, it is incumbent upon those who are
charged with the public interests to consider, not whether
we appeal to the most kindly sentiments towards the mother
country only, nor whether the interests of the two aro
equally bound up in the continuance of friendly relations—
equally, I say, because let it be clearly understood that the
responsibility of maintaining this feding on either side
devolves upon both of us, and the consequences of not
doing so would be equally felt on both sides of the Atlan-
tic. But what the Government have to she is to consider
the justice of the case, and what is right and most be-
fitting the dignity of the country with whose interests
they aro charged. That feeling also, lam persuaded, is reci-
procal on both sides of the-Atlantic. Notwithstanding all that
we have heard and read, I feel persuaded that that senti-
ment of mutual friendship which prevails in this country is not
a stranger to the breasts of our American cousins; and I am
satisfied that, in spite of all these ebullitions of feeling, such
as we have had to-day (and which I must say have anything
but a conciliatory effect), I firmly believe there is that right
feeling in the United States, that her people attath that ale-
preciation to the friendship of the people of this empire, that
they feel the interests of bcth to be bound np so strongly in
the maintenance of friendly relations, that I cannot but per-
snade myself that when these matters are laid before the Con-
gress of the United States, as they will be before the Parlia-
ment of Great Britain; they will receive that friendly consi-
deration which will le td to a settlement of all differences, and
that the intemperance of individuals either on one side of the
Atlantic or the other, will not be permitted to plunge the
two countries into the calamities of war, (Loud cheers.)
hfr. DISRAELI had hoped to avoid addressing the house
until these papers bad been laid on the table, because it was
moat important in disputes with foreign Governments to ex- I
press no opinion until the house was in possession of all the
Stets. For that reason he should not support the motion o
the hon. and learned gentleman (Mr. Roebuck,) but he must
protest against the principle laid down by the noble lord with
respect to the conduct of member sof that house. He consi-
dered that if an hon. member believed the Government was
not doing its duty, in its negotiations with other Governments,
it was the duty of that hon. member to call the attention of
the house to the subject, and demand docansente and explana-
tions. It certainly was not becoming a Minister of the Crown
to charge an hon. member who did so with holding a brief for
the enemy. He considered the noble lard had spoken with
considerable indiscretion the last time this subject was men-
tioned in the house, and which was not compensated by the
tone of his address on the present occasion. The noble lord
talked of the danger of trifling with national feelings, but was
his speech to be taken for a model of discussion wherein he
more than intimated that there had been a conspiracy on the
part of the American Government to entrap. (" No, no.") He
would only say he collected that as the noble lord's messing.
Lord PALMERSTON explained that lie said certain persons
had endeavoured to entrap the agents of the British Govern-
ment, not the American Government itself.
Mr. DISRAELI would accept the explanation, bat the cir-
cumstance was thereby rendered so trifling that it wouldhave
been better not to have brought it before the house. He hoped
the papers would be presented soon, and until then he would
refrain from expressing any opinion. The fact of an apology
being made however was an admission that our representative
had acted illegally.
Loid PALMERSTON—No ; allegations were made to that
effect, and that is what the inquiry is waiting for.
Mr. DISRAELI said—An apology' founded upon an up!.
vocation, was the most dangerous a Government could use,
but he trusted it would be found that we had not been com-
mitted in any way when the papers were produced. He joined
fully in the hope of the hon. member for Sheffield, that there
would be an expression of opinion on the part of the people of
this country in that house, which would assure the people of
the United State; that the question would be discussed with-
out prejudice and without animosity S that we should not
willingly give ear to statements circulated with or without
authority (though the authority was said to be high in both
countries), which could be made pretexts for misunderstand-
ings between the two nations. He hoped the hon. gentle-
man would not persist in his motion, as it might, if persisted
in, lead to considerable misinterpretation of the motives of
the house. The hon. and learned gentleman had, no doubt,
only done what he considered to be his duty as a member of
Parliament, hut, at the same time, he (Mr. Disraeli) should
feel it incumbent upon him to oppose the motion, not by that
vote sanctioning the conduct of the Government, but because
the papers were not yet before the house.

36. ROEBUCK-11y object has been attained by the dia.
melon that has ensued.

Mr. M. GIBSON said he had heard that a formal offer of
arbitration had been made with respect to the Central Ame-
rican question, and he wished to know when that formal offer
was made.
Lord PALMERSTON—.I cannot trust my memory with the
dates, but the whole of the papers will shortly be laid before
the bowie, and then the hon. member will see all the details.

PPLY.
tjPea the mtioeautiliat theSU Speaker leave the chair, on the
house p into e
doingmittee on the estimates,
Mr. WILLIAMS said he had gives notice'' of au amend-
ment to refer those estimates
is a select committee. He
complained that members had_ only
one day and a-half to
He ' consider those estimates.l himselfout gwohneethtehrrou thosegh them, and he confessed his inabilityi to o find items were what they ought to be or uot. The increase ih
the expense of collecting the reavaecir ;so of the three depart-
ments of the Customs, Excise,
office, in the year
18.55, was 313,0001., anti the increase forst-this year over last
, we had officers
was 202,000/. In the Post-effice department,
island at the
called packet agents, all over the wetruhele
a-year
for
carrying
Jamaica,
public expense. He found that, for
there was an expense of 10,010/.
the Post-office. There were for that deputyislandararYi:
postmaster, with a salary of 1,000/. a-year, besides 1,..
clerks
and officers under him, with salaries amounting to 4,4 8
In the West India Islands, also, the expense was great.
Again, at Hong-Kong, there was a postmaster, ;with a
salary of 6001. a-year; and at Canton, one at 300!. a-year.
He was very sorry the estimates for Crown lands did not ap-
pear with the other estimates. Why they were always with-
held he could not say; but it was alleged that more corrup-
tion was practised in the department of the Crown lands than
in any other branch of the public service, and yet they were
as much public property as any other department. He hoped
they should have the estimates of those Crown lands before
the house, Fre had known 111,0001.Ft0 be expended in that
department which was unaccounted fcr ; and with regard to
the three departments he had previously named—the Cus-
toms, Excise, and Post-office —more than half-a-million sterl-
lag had been added to the cost of their collection within 3
years.

Mr. WILSON said there had been so h
many investi-
gations of late years, that the work which the on. member
wished to be done had already been performed
by
.muaissions. In 1848 a commission was appointed to these
coin-
quire into the Customs, and their labours were attended
with great success, There was also a committee of this
Douse; i n consequence, great changes had been made.
With
resrort to the Post-office, there had been laid upon the table
of the house the results of a careful inquiry into that estab-
lishment, and great improvements were being made. Under
these circumstances, Parliament would scarcely be willing to I
consent to another inquiry. It w-as true that there was an in-
crease
•f 500,000/. in the estimates, but that was due to the
additional services that were performed, and especially to the
great increase of postal communication throughout the United
kin,,41002. They were now engaged in increasing the
postal
service throughout Ireland, which would add to the estimates
for next year; but he was sure that the house could not com
plain of the n i creased expenditure, With regard to the Cus-
toms, the basiness bad grown to to enormous an amount,