The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, June 7.
Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
NAVY PRIZE BALANCE BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
PETITIONS.

The Duke of RICHMOND presented several petitions
praying for increased accommodation to assistant-
surgeons in the navy, among them one from the Royal
College of Surgeons in London; also from several out-
pensioners of Chelsea Hospital praying for the repeal
of a clause in the Act 9 and 10 Victoria, depriving them
of their pensions. He thought that every accommoda-
tion ought to be afforded to assistant-surgeons in the
navy, and he hoped that some alteration would take place
in the present arrangements.
The Earl of MINTO said that great misapprehension
existed as to the nature of the accommodation afforded
to assistant-surgeons in the navy. A double cabin had been
appropriated to their use some time since, immediately
after the report of the Naval and Military Commission,
in order to enable them to pursue their studies. They
had in many instances converted that cabin into a store-
room; but be believed arrangements had now been made
to remove all causes of complaint on their part that
they had no separate place of study. He believed a
portion of the sick bay was now appropriated for that
purpose.
Lord BROUGHAM presented several petitions pray-
ing for the extension of the County Courts. The
traders of London, Manchester, and Leeds did not
object to the principles of Mr. Fitzroy's Bill, but to
certain of the details.
The Earl of HARROWBY presented several peti-
tions praying for a repeal of the Sale of Beer Act.
The Earl of RODEN presented several petitions
lgainst Post-office Sunday labour.
ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
IMPROVEMENT BILL.

On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, this Bill was
read a third time and passed.
CHELSEA PENSIONERS.

In answer to a question from the Duke of RICHMOND,
Earl GREY said, under an Act of George 11., a de-
duction of 5 per cent. was made from all out-pensioners
paid at Chelsea Hospital. In 1847 a Bill waa passed
doing away with the poundage, bat it was not retrospec-
tive in its operation. This was equivalent to giving the
pensioners a boon of 50,0001. per annum. Upon that
jaw being passed the pensioners imagined they had claims
for the arrears of former deductions, than which nothing
could be more illusory.
PIRATICAL INVASION OF CUBA.

Lord BROUGHAM wished to ask his Noble Friend
(the Marquis of Lansdowne) if he had any information
to give the House relative to reports of an alarming
nature, which he hoped would prove groundless. He
understood that an expedition bad sailed from the
United States, to take possession of Cuba. He had no
doubt whatever but that this was without the consent
of the Government of the United States.—(Hear, hear.)
He confessed he had too much respect for the Ameri-
can Government to suppose that any assent would be
given by them to such a proceeding. He was just in-
formed by his Noble Friend to his great sorrow that the
expedition had escaped the Spanish fleet, and had (we
understood) effected a landing at Cardenas. Now, he
sincerely hoped these execrable pirates—for pirates they
were undoubtedly in the strictest sense of the term, their
object being piratically to plunder and make war on
harmless, unoffending people—he repeated he sincerely
hoped they would meet with that condign punishment
they merited. He hoped his Noble Friend would state
if ho had received any information from the American
Minister on the subject, or whether any communications
had passed between our own and the American Govern-
ment. He could not avoid saying that the American
Government, being such a respectable Government, and
charged with the maintenance of peace and amity be-
tween the United States and other nations, would be
found, at the same time, endowed with sufficient strength
and power to prevent its subjects from sending out large
armed expeditions from its shores for the purpose of
making war on unoffending states.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who throughout
spoke in a more than usually subdued undertone, was
undeistood to say he did not know that be could give
the Noble Lord more information than he already pos-
sessed—namely, that a piratical expedition, for piratical
it was in the worst senss of the term, had set out from
the United States for Cubs; but it was not only without
the cognizance, but subject to the disapprobation of
the United States Government, who entirely disapproved
of these proceedings. Information had recently been
received from the Consul at Now Orleans that the
pirates had landed at Cardenas. The matter (we un-
derstood) was under the consideration of her Majesty's
Government.
Lord BROUGHAM said it was was impossible to en-
tertain a doubt of the American Government discoun-
tenancing this expedition. He should, however, have
been more satisfied had his Noble Friend been able to
give more direct information on that point. His Noble
Friend had justly, wisely, and correctly said this expe-
dition was piracy of the worst description. Common
piracy had for its end individual plunder and wrong,
whereas this piratical expedition contemplated wholesale
plunder and bloodshed, and to carry fire and sword into
a pacific country in alliance with us and with the Ame-
rican states also. Reprobation of such' doings was all
very well; but he thought in such a case something more
definite should be done ny the American Government.
The Marquis of LAN3DOWNE said that the Go-
vernment of the United States had not only expressed
their disapprobation, but had ordered their naval forces
to endeavour to intercept the expedition. Ile did not
know what the American Government might do next,
but certainly as far as the American Government could
defeat the object of the expedition they had done what-
ever they could do.
Lord BROUGHAM said that this addition to the
answer of his Noble Friend was more satisfactory, but
he could not understand how 8,000 men could be armed
and z•ent off without the knowledge of the Government.
The Earl of ABERDEEN believe 1 that the Govern-
ment of tho United States had done the utmost to stop
the expedition, and he regretted that twenty years ago,
when the United States suspected us of unlawful dealings
in the island, they had not united with us and France
in guaranteeing the island to Spain. The island of Cuba
for some time past had been supposed to be an object of
desire to various powers. We ourselves were strongly
suspected of having some design on that island. He re-
collected twenty years ago, when he was in office, some-
thing of this was said, and he very much regretted that
the United States did not at that time assent to a propo•
sition which he made; fur if they had done so, they
would have been enabled to do the only thing they had
not done on the present occasion. Twenty years ago,
when the American Government thought fit to suspect
England of an unlawful desire to posess Cuba, he pro-
posed that the American States and France should com-
bine with England in guaranteeing the island of Cuba to
Spain. The United States Government did not at,ree
with that proposition—though certainly at that tinae it
was strongly suspected by the Government of the United
States that England had some ulterior object with respect
to Cuba. With respect to the present expedition, he
hoped, however, the force in the island was sufficiently
strong to give a good account of those buccaneers who
had undertaken the expeditien.
Lord BROUGHAM as a lawyer challenged contra

diction to this position that all civilized nations wire
bound to give aid against pirates, and that the com-
mander of any British cruiser would be guilty of a neg-
lect of duty if he did not aid ti*.e Spaniards against the
pirates.
Lord STANLEY said the House were discussing the
question he was about to put to their Lordships. He
begged to ask, fur information, what was the course our
Government were taking in this affair? And as it had
been for a long time known that intentions wore enter-
tained of sending out a piratical expedition to Cuba
from the United States, he wanted to know whether
any orders had been sent to the commander of the Bri-
tish" fleet in the 'West India station, and if so, what
orders?

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was not precisely
aware of what the American Government had done.
Lord STANLEY did noZ ask what the American
Government had done, but what the British Government
had done; whether, on the announcement of the expe-
dition, any instructions had been sent out to our naval
forces?

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, not having had
previous nutice of the question, could not state what in-
strLucotricoinsaTtitbLeenysent out to our cruisers.
Cuba was not immatewriaal to ofßOrpitiinsihoni;itaersestthz t
hi saltaintdw
ao
sf
not unlikely some instructions had been sent out to the
West Indies. He therefore repeated his question, had
any instructions been sent
reosuet at all ?
pnarttstate of affairs, it would
Earl GREY—In the
joluble Baron should havefeany Minister to be a breach of duty on the
was surprised that
an-
swer such a question at all.
with his official experience, the IN
)g
any goes
right
asked it.
. Lord STANLEY—I am not to
hearu h
the Noble Earl opposite.—(Hear,
Peer in this House to ask a
IttiTsy duty by
and duty of every
whereby he can ascertain whether her MajnestT'isesten
Ternment has performed its duty on a matter which o°'
this country,
deeply the honour end the interests of
We have a right to ask whether any instructions have
been sent to our commanders in the West Indies, esp,_
cially as it appears that this matter has been thought
worthy of being made the subject of intercommunica-
tions between our Government and that of the United
States. I have put a question to her Majesty's Ministers,
and I wish to know whether they will give me any an-
awer at all?

Lord BEAUMONT rose.
Lord STANLEY—I put the question to the Noble
Marquis, who may or may not refuse to answer. It is
from the Noble Marquis, therefore, I expect the cour-
tesy of a reply.
Tho Marquis of LANSDOWNE did not deny the
Bight of the Noble Lord to put the
question, and he
repeated what he had said, that the matter was under
the consideration of the Government.
Lord BEAUMONT was surprised at the conduct of
the Noble Lord (Stanley). The answer that the subject
wai under the consideration of the Government was one
which ought to satisfy him.
Lord BROUGHAM for his own part was satisfied
with the answer of the Noble Marquis, which amounted
to this.—;vo know absolutely nothing of the subject.
He res not aware that there was an -thin like ft duty
incumbent either on the House colleetiTro.y, or on Noble
Peers individually, to stop an inquiry merely
another
Peer Minister gave en answer with which another
Peer thought that the House should be satisfied.
; he h
The law was clear, these men were Pirates
therefore there would be no delicacy in treating
the subject,
and it was the duty of all who used the sea to consider all
those men as pirates, and treat them accordingly as the
pirates had been treated by Raja Brooke. They had,
according to some persons, been treated a little too
much so; though he did not agree in that opinion, he