The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-03-16
DEBATE IN TIE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
Case of NgcEA q eA


BY the Steamer President was brought an nc
count of a desultory debate in the Parliament of
Great Britain on tho burning of the Caroline and
the imprisonment of Mcleod. In addition to the
shor, notice of this debate which we pchlished last
week We copy below more full account:
In the House of Commons the matter was brot
up by Lord Stanley, who proceeded to state the
facts relating to the destruction of the Caroline, to
sketch the negotiations which had been had upon
the subject, and TO set forth the proceedings which
had attended the arrest of Mcleod, and the cor
,espondence which had passed between Messrs
Fox and Forsyth upon tho subject.
"The question, them" said Lord Stanley, (which
he wished To put This that, inasrnuch as ne.
goiiatons had commenced upon the subject of the
burning of the Caroline, since January, -io3S, be-
tween Her Mhiesty's Government and the Govern
ment OF the United States he wished to ask, in the
first place, whether Her Majesys Government
would have any objections to lay on the liable tho
entire correspondence which had taken place upon
the subject of the Caroline?-anh aso, whether tho
dispatches had Nil been received which had been
referred 10 by Mr.. Fox in the recent accounts, and
particularly that which had been transmitted on
the 23th Of December last, announcing the appre-
hension Mcleod? He begged to ask farther, whe,h-
er Her Maesty's Government had taken any steps
toward procuring the release Of Mr., Mcleod from
his present confinement, and, if So whether they
would lay upon the table the Of those steps,
and the correspondence which had passed upon
this subject between the Government of the United
States and Her Majesty's Minister'S"
Lord Palmers ton in reply said that ''he thought
it would not be expedient in the present state of
the question to lay upon the table the correspon'
deDce relating the capture and destruction of the
Caroline, until the correspondence WAS brought to
FINAL CLOSE hear, hear.]"
In Confederation of remark made by Lord Stan
ly the Viscount said he believed that Mcleod was
not member of the party that concerned in
the destruction Of the Caroline
He went on 10 say that the American Govern
ment had chosen to treat this matter as 10 be decd
ed between the two Governments, instead of by
the local authorities; and that this was the ground
On which they entitled TO demand redress
iiom the British Government for the ucts Of its sub
jecis, rs had been done by their Minister in the
case Of the Caroline.
Lord Stanley repeated question which lac con-
sidered be of the deepest interest. That qucs-
ton was whether the noble lord, Palmerston, had
taken any steps and if so, what those steps were,
for the protee,ion and liberation of Mr. Mcleod
[hoar, hear !
The Secretary said, in reply, that che trusted
the Houae would suppose that Her Maiesy's Gov.
eminent had already sent certain instructions, but
until the correspondence upon this subject had con
cuded, 1t impossible 10 send any Insirucrions
that could be final. He hoped the House would
believe that the Government would send Mr.. FOX
such farther instructions as they night think it
their duty do; at the same time he not pro-
pared to state what the of those instructions
was-!hea
hit HUME then made some remarks, stating in
the frs, place the fact that in January, 1885, let
ter from Mr. Stevenson had been laid upon the ia
BILE in the House OF Represen .ativos ain which the
burning Of the Cai oline was characterized IN very
strong language" and in which ''Mr. Stevenson de
MED he had ever been inoi med that the expedition
| against the Caroline was authorized or sanctioned
! by the British Government 'Now, said MIR.
Hume, tfrom May, 1888, the time when that let.
ter had been written, up 10 this hour, no answer
had been gwen to that letter, nor had apy satisac.
ton been gwen by the British Government upon
this subject. He then alluded to letter from
Mr. Stevenson dated July ., 1888, stating that she
did wish press the subject farther; but If the
Government Of the United States wished him to do
so, he prayed to be informed OF it," 'ltappeared,
he said, 'sthai the Government of the United States
had been ignorant of any information that could
lead them to suppose that :he enterprise against
The Caroline had been undertaken by the orders OF
the British Government or by British Authority
Mr.. Hume therefore hoped that no discussion
would take place until all papers connected with
the matter were laid before the House Hn wish
ed to know what the nature of those communities
tons was with Mr.. Stevenson and Her Majesty q
Government which had induced him TO act as he
had done.
Viscount Palmerston said tina. he rather thought
his honorable friend would find in that coirespon-
dence that instructions had been giycn by the A.
merican Government to Mr. Stevenson to abstain
from pressing the subject farsher-[hear with
re gard to the letter OF MI, Forsyth, no (Viscoun;
Pdmerston) begged leave to say that the case stood
thus:-ln the case of the American Government
disavowed the acts Of those citizens, and stated
that the British authorities might deal with them
as they pleased--l hear, hear, and there were per
sons conce, ned in this Undertaking Who were not in
any degree entitled the protection OF the United
States hear
! But in the other case they treated me affair OF
the Caroline as to be considered us mat OF Inc
Government, and in fact assumed 1t to be allogeth
er Government transaction, and not 10 pc leil up
on the responsibilities of ndviduals-OntH, there
fore, the British Gouerament dis0'on Mase persons
concerned in the destruction cf tie CdT"ftne 4" ne
sarns nnahner as the american Government has dts
apoaoed their citizens The other oase,h c0'ceucd
that Tho ane,iron GorernRent had daCpted an inter
uat;0aa[ in the LutG deteGft0n OF M