Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-05-19
TREATY OF WASHINGTON.
Debate is ts. House ut Lords. the motion OF
Ashsurton.

A-sswrton.
lie a. loss 10 know how the sth article OF this
~ could be- considered rsirogrnde step with respect
The slave trade His noble and learned friend had fully
aud ably stated the claims OF this country with respect
the right Of search that u unnecessary for him,
Ter any length this point lie must say, however.
tina, he thought the noble marquis que ia
the statements he bad made the subject. This county
only preferred claims search VISIT detan
American vessel but made claim search, visit.
dcan vessel Whatever the high seas except such
1t had right to visit by virtue Of treaties When
American ship visited by cruisers visit
cd American vessel but because there
believe that such vessel belonged with which
had treaty giving the night OF visitation Without such
there could be night visit any vessel whatever
on the high
This the view Of the case which. appeared to
han, taken by the President OF the United States IN
h- The President admitted that tins country did
not claim the right Of visitation n perfect right. 1t
would the visitation, search capture of pirate, which
n common right which all nlons might exercise
This country only claimed exercise the right OF search
when acquired by treaty. aud only when there
believe that vessels under American colours
belonged nations with whom had such treaties that
could visit them IN order TO ascertain their nationality
To such claims preenslons moderate this country
could adhere in spite of all opposition for they were sup
ported by common aud by Justice; and was indeed,
impossible recedc from such claims.
Ii was however, true that very distant period, the
United States had had complain OF the
tenOns put FORTH and the manner in which they
ercised and he thought the recollection of those cir
which had excited that strong feeling this
subject which prevailed the United States In the month
Of February, ls4l the noble lord who was then ut the
head Of the Foreign Office issued instructions for her Ma
estys cruisers abstain from capturing American vessels
hot only to abstain from visiting and searching them but
from actually capturing them; and up 10 that period our
cruisers had been in the habit OF capturing American YES
sells which believed 10 be sayors. On several occa
Sions the commission Sierra Leone finding the difficulty
which they placed refused To adJudcnte IN such
but only recently the month of February
lSil only six months before the present
office, that instructions issued cruisers
abstain from capturing American vessels and he thought
that the existence OF such practice might account
great for that excitement which had prevailed in
the United States with reference to the question
Before the night search could be exercised IT
first that there should be good grounds for
pectng that vessel engaged in the slave trade. and
also that there should be for believing that such
vessel belonged to OF those states with whom had
treaty giving the right OF search. ltwas true mistakes
might be made. The American flag might be displayed
from vessel which cruisers might imagine they had
the night to deain and such ship might ultimately turn out
10 be bona bde an American vessel.
II such the case, undoubtedly whatever PREPARATION
due ought to be made at and he convinced
that IN such Her Maestys Government would
feel reluctance To afford that might be
deemed Just and necessary He was however, very san
guno the expectation that the American squadron which,
according the sth article OF this treaty, would be
poyed the coast, would, his noble friend lord Ash.
buon) had observed in of his dispatches, practically
settle the question The British cruisers would have
right search deain vessel which carried the Anne
flag and this United States squadron, whether crus
ing together with separately from cruisers would OF
course detan all vessels bearing the American flag He
had doubt that the officers Of the United States squad
would they always did when acting in company with
the British navy display the same ZEAL activity and cordial
iy with the officers OF cruisers, ofecng the object
in which they mutually engaged. lie had heard 1t
stated that reograde STEP with regard the abolition
the slave trade, had been taken by letter which he had
addressed, about year ago, the Lords of the Admiralty
with reference the proceedings the OF Africa
Now, he might state with respect TO that letter. that at the
time he issued he was informed by the law officers OF the
Crown that certain conduct the part of
the OF Africa could be Justified by the law OF
and he had, therefore, considered II his duty give
the officers empoyed that service warning the
subject
lie would ike to know how his proceedings could be cal.
led reograde stop, when 1t only in February 1871
that the capture OF American vessels dessted FROM
Why was thatl Evidently because 1t was discovered
be contrary the law of nations BY the in que
nothing further could have been intended than
press the eXertions that had been monorinsy
made by cruisers the African Ii pos
slb suppose that alone could effect the
huon OF the slave trade the question could then be dealt
with more easily; but II undoubtedly the fact that the
only chance of aboshng 10y the conscno the other
powers and therefore extremely important that
the execution the duty in question nothing should be
done 10 outrage the rights Of independent nations and
late public feeling. Keeping that object IN view, every
that could be should be made by Her Macs
tys Government, and he trusted tat from any
grade step having been taken this great cause would
be found that we had made great advance, and that the
article this which had been found fault with would
b. found operate gradually very important addition
- meanso putting end the slave trade. The
bic and learned Lord having exhausted the subject, he
(Lord Aberdeen) did thnk il necessary
at any great length THIS motion had been made without
any concert with tue Government, but they felt II 10 be
their duty 10 give 1t their ready and willing assent
Lord Campbell and Lord Colchester together but the
latter noble lord gave way.
LordCAMPBELL began by that in his opin on this
was most extraordinary and Unprecedented motion
nOtco had been given in another place the subject
by very respectable gentleman whom nc supposed they
must now look upon the noble lords leader, and
the noble and learned lord had certainly gone farther than
his leader, for he had extended his motion the result OF
the whole negotiation while the hon. gentleman IN question
had confined his to the subject Of the northeast boundary.
His noble and learned friend had extended his thanks
Lord Ashburon include only the treaty but the
terms Of it. Now, lac Lord CampbelD believed he
speaking the and the feeling of the British nation
when he said although they reoiced ut the treaty. they
greyed at the terms Of IT, No doubt the noble negOtatO
had gone out with anxious desire do his
serve his country and he Lord Campbe) would regard 1t
as the greatest calamity should any thing TO bring
about hostility between nations which should always
remember that they were Of common origin and alike IN
their language and insttuons-yes alike in their ins
tuuons-bccause, although his noble and learned friend
had remarked, they had monarch bishops and
biy, still 1t would be found that their institutions gene
rally there a strong family resemblance.
With regard 10 the negotiation ITSELF however hc
after all that had been said of the conduct of the noble
lord, that Mr. Webster had conducted himself with equal
honor aud with Tar ability. When that noble lord
opposed 10 Daniel Wcbscr he far Outmutchcd and a.
though the treaty attended with modification and
humiliation the dispatches OF Mr. Webster showed high
asutoness, dsccrnment, and skill. His noble and learned
friend had claimed for Lord Ashburon the credit Of most
sklfu conduct and triumphant success. Now take
the boundary question, in which he Lord CampbeD thought
the ne Of demarcatiOn Of less importance than
topics that IN the of the negotiations between
the two nations. When Lord Ashbuuon left the country
the general belief was that should obtain better boun
diary than what his noble and learned friend had called the
Dutch ne because when the reference took place the
King Of thc Netherlands considerable ignorance
of the physical geography Of the country.
He thought before the noble lord entered the ncgoia
fon he should have made himself more accurately ac
quaintod with the geography VI the county, and then he
would have found that the American maps most de-
ieco lie 10y admission that the treaty 1853
could not be executed for that could never find the
northwest angles of Nova Scotia. But Mr. Webster saw
no such dihculty-Hc such difficulty in executing
the treaty, for said he you had only line straight
north from the Of the st. Crox, when you
some highlands which he continued the highlands
contemplated by Dr. Franklin and Mr. Oswald, and hence
you west TO the left branch Of the Connecticut Now
Mt Webster SAID all tins belonged America and must be
considered concession But when he Lord CampbclD
came 9, examine those highlands he found river, and
Instead NJ going north you obliged GO south the
Connecticut The noble lord had given up The navigation
~ NE 80 J'hn- which not given up by the award Of
lc Ming ~ t Netherlands. aud although rCpHrdcd the