Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-23


friendly relations Of the two countries :" Thai
| is the kncuy point. Can MI. Polk recedc with
honor can ne negotiate without Eecesilng
The game is now thrown INTO his hands, and
he incurs responsibility not to be envicd.
The general belief in this country is, that
when the question has been left in Mr., Po.k's
hands, Message from the Queen VIII afford
Ministers an opportunity Of declaring their ii
! tinintam TO Parliament They viii take then
stand ON what they conceive TO be their stron-
gest position in the onfroversv--Inake out
what the lawyers term sssuong case; !" and
if any attempt is made TO possess the Oregon
by force, the result will be that horrible alter
natve--warl To this roint affairs are daily
drifting.
That the worstis anticipated. is evident from
the extraordinary, unprecedented activity 10 all
the different backwards The other day, at
Portsmouth, IN order 20 test how soon line
of-batte-ship coulo be- rot ready for sea, the
Bellorophon. which was aismantled at the
time, had her masis rugged. her guns pointed,
her stores housed--in short, every thing APP
pertaining 10 this splendid man ofwar was put
in "apple-pie' order in siriy hours BY the Off.
GERS aud crew, This feat is considered the
most remarkable in the history Of the British
navy bat il was rendered ridiculous By the
authorities, when the experiment had been
completed, ordering the vessel 10 be again dis
maniled. European Times
HOUSE OF LORDS-TuEspAY, March H.
The Earl Of CLARENDON moved for such
portions of the Diplomatic Correspondence res
pecting the Oregon negotiation, as the Earl Of
Aberdeen might think il consistent with pub
lie duty TO produce. Nothing could be farther
from his wishes than TO embarrass the Govern
Iment; but though the language Of the British
and American Governments had been entirely
pacific. vet il could not be denied that The two
countries were insensibly drifting toward a
war II was time, he thought, to break the ST.
lence so rigidly preserved this side the Atlantic,
and 10 furnish the House with all the intorma-
ton that could prudentiy be furnished. lie
was convinced that on ADLER negoiiaior than
Mr.. Pakenham could not be found. and that
the Government had acted most judieiously IN
every step it had taken in the matter: fer i had
declared to the world that it would not engage
in war until every means Of keeping peace
was exhaused. 1t was morally impossible
that two such nations as England and America
should embroil themselves for a comparatively
worthless territory, and he should conclude by
moving for the correspondence, and by asking
what course the Government intended TO pur-
sue III tftIibt Alt t'thdiS NtttNGiiiHS
the twelve months notice.
The Earl Of ABERDEEN (who at times al
most inaudible) said My Lords, in the very
delicate and difficult position in which | am
placed, i, might, perhaps, appear natural that
| should have viewed with some degree OF hes
i,a;ion the notice which my noble friend gave
yesterday. But, my Lotds, however much
this might under ordinary circumstances, have
been the case, felt certain, in the case of my
noble friend, that his sense Of public duty, and
his intimate knowledge ofthe great interests at
stake, would prevent him from adding any
thing to the difficulties with which the ques
tions already surrounded; and at the same time
\ that his own feeling would iuaspose him 10
make his motion the subject of any embarrass-
men, NY expectation has been fully realized
by the speech which my noble friend has made
| Ny Lords, think that the desire expressed
by my noble frond is quite natural and reason
able think, when we are receiving, from
tine to time, from the United States inlorma-
ton and documents ofthe highest interest and
/ importance. affecting us in the manner in
which these transactions do, il is quite natural
thatyo lordships and the public should desire
10 receive from the Government OF this coun-
try authentic information as those transac-
! tons. accompanied by such other information
as ii may be safe and proper to give. ! there
fore think have no valid reason for Directing
to the production of those papers for which my
noble friend has moved; especially US a great
portion ofthein must be already known to your
lordships and the public.
! But must reserve 10 myselfthe discretion
of. for the present, suppressing large portion
ofthe correspondence which has taken place
between her Majesty's Minister in the L. $.
,,,J ,,,-aIf tho y,r0dt,ction af which al fms
time. would be Injurious TO the public interests.
NV Lords, will say further, that should not
be disposed voluntarily to lay on the table ANY
such information. In the first place, il is
quite unusual, IN the midst OF negotiation
OF this magnitude, without any special object
in view. TO produce TO Parliament accounts Of
the particular position we may, for the time
being, find ourselves in. 1t is true that the
Government of the United States has acted
differently. nut their situation is different from
ours. The Executive Government ol the Upi-
ted States had to call on the Legislature To take
direct course on this subject.
The President of the United States proposed
to the American legislature u certain measure
TO which he acquired their assent; and Of
course, he was under the necessity Of furnish
ING them with the materials on which TO form
an opinion in coming to decision On a ques
ton Of such importance. But that is not our
case. Her Majesty's Government have no in
tenton of calling on Parliament at this mo
ment for any opinion, nor do understand that
it is the intention of my noble friend, or oiany
other member Of this house, TO call on Parha-
ment at present to pronounce an opinion
These circumstances, therefore, would have
indspoSed me from voluntarily laying on the
table information at this moment Another
reason also would prevent me from voluntarily
coming down with any such information to
the House.
! must admit that from the aspect of the ne
gotiation, as reported in the papers which have
been produced in the United States, and which
/ I am in condition to produce TO your Lord
ships, an inference might fairly be drawn
not favorable to the result OF the negotiation in
which we are engaged-they would be calcu-
lated to induce us to augur favorably of the re-
suit. For this reason, therefore, | should have
wished not voluntarily to submit TO the House.
in such stage of the negotiation as that TO
which we have now arrived, communications
which are calculated to produce such an opn-
ion. Nevertheless, il is my decided opinion,
that such an opinion would be unwananted.
| cannot bring myself to believe, my Lords.
however the effect produced by the papers
have referred 10 might be, as have SAID, -
( cannot | reneat hslnu myself 10 believe that