The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-09 00:00:00

JOINT STOCK COMPANIES.

Mr. COX moved for leave to bring in a bill to empower
Joint Stock Companies who were unable to register with
limited liability, under the provisions of the Act 19 and 20
Vie. c. 47, to do so on or before the 31st day of December,
1859.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the hon. member
had fallen into an error with reference to this subject, be-
cause there was really no practical impediment to public
companies registering. A bill would come from the Upper
House with reference to the consolidation of the laws relat-
ing to the winding-up and registration of all public com-
panies ; and he trusted, under the circumstances, the hon.
member would not press his motion.
Mr. COX said he would accede to the suggestion of the
right hon. member.
The motion was then withdrawn.
THE CHARLES ET GEORGES.
Mr. KINGLAKE called the attention of the
house to the correspondence respecting the Charles
et Georges ; and moved for an address for further
papers relating thereto ; viz.—Copies of despatches
and documents sent by or communicated to her
Majesty's Government respecting the deportation of
negroes from the Mozambique Coast, including the de-
spatches from the British Minister at Lisbon to the Por-
tuguese Government, dated respectively the 22d day of
July and the 17th day of Nov. 18.57. Of all the corre-
spondence which has taken place up to the present time
respecting the Charles et Georges between her Majesty's
Government and Mr. M'Leod, now or late her Majesty's
consul at Mozambique : Of the message of the 16th day
of October, which is described in Mr. Howard's Despatch
of the 21st day of October, 1858, in the following words :
—" A further message, of the 16th instant, from the Earl
of Malmesbury respecting his former advice to drop the
prosecution ;" of any instructions respecting the Charles et
Georges which may have been addressed by the Earl
of Malmesbury to Lord Cowley in the interval between
the 18th day of March, 18.58, and the 3d day of October.
He considered that, notwithstanding anything that had
been said to the contrary, it was highly important that this
subject should be taken into consideration, and from such
consideration it was not their duty to shrink at the present
time. In the reign of Queen Anne the port of Bombay
was ceded to this country, and in that session the Govern-
ment entered into a treaty by which they bound this coun-
try to defend the Portuguese against foreign hostilities.
That treaty was found to be too vague, and another of a
more definite character was entered into. Subsequently, in
1810 and 1815, when the country was flushed with its
success in arms, to which the Portuguese soldiers had con-
tributed, an engagement was entered into, by which the
antecedent treaties were confirmed, and this country
bound itself to carry them out in their integrity.
Of course it was understood that these treaties
were to be binding only when the Portuguese were threa-
tened with danger, or engaged in hostilities which had not
been provoked by any improper acts on their part. In 1810
the Portuguese prohibited the slave trade being carried on
north of the line, but in 1836 they deemed it expedient to ex-
tend that prohibition totheir territories south of the line as far
as Mozambique. The hon. member here entered into a nar-
rative of the circumstances connected with the capture
of the Charles et Georges. Before that seizure
the proceedings adopted by the crew of the vessel in
approaching so near, or within the prohibited limits,
was denounced by the British consul, and at
his instigation a cruiser was sent out by the Portuguese Go-
vernment. The Charles et Georges wa3 captured, and they
captain being convicted according to the laws of Portugal,
was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. On the 6th
of May, 1858, the Foreign Secretary was informed that
the claims of France, in reference to the matter against
Portugal, was assuming a very serious form; and what
he complained of was, that notwithstanding that informa-
-1 tion, Lord Malmesbury took no notice of the matter until
October The hon. member then entered in detail into the
subsequent proceedings that had taken place in refer-
ence to the capture of the vessel, and repeated his
condemnation of the conduct pursued by the Government,
which he considered as most unjust towards Portugal,
considering the treaties that were existing with that coun-
try. The hon. member also read extracts from the diplo-
matic correspondence which took place on the subject. The
inaction which continued during seven months was one of
the causes assigned by France hefself for the serious com-
plications which the affair assumed. He blamed the subse-
quent conduct of Lord Malmesbury in ordering a small force
to the Tagus. He should have sent a sufficient force or none
at all. Such as it was the force did not leave England till
the middle of November. Further efforts were now made
by our Government to submit the matter to arbitration,
which would he believed have been successful at any previous
period, but the Imperial decision was taken, and it was now
too late. Lord Malmesbuoy throughout acted neither with
Prance nor Portugal, but took a course of his own, which it
Was for the house to say whether it approved or not.
Referring to the despatches of the Foreign-office, he blamed
Lord Alairnesbury for sacrificing the honour of England by
suggesting subterfuges under which Portugal might deliver
the vessel. This, he contended, was a grievous sacrifice
_ f honour on the part of England. Portugal, on the other
hazards, but in not urging
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into lively complaint against the French forb
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