The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-17

In the House of Lords on November 26. Lord
w ha rncliffe wished to ask the noble Earl to in
form the House whether the correspondence and
communications which had been for some time
past going were now brought to a conclusion
with respect to the fisheries on the coasts OF our
North American colonies; and if 80, whether he
intended to lay the papers connected with these
transactions before Parliament; or whether he
would have any objection to produce such papers,
on motion being made for them? ..
The Earl Of MALMEsBURy. The noble baron has
in no way exaggerated the Importance of the
question to which he has referred; 1t ia one which
during the last five months has certainly occupied
her niajesty's government much as it deserves.
The noble baron has alluded to letter written by
the late Mr.. Webster, Secretary of State of the
United States, complaining of the conduct of her
majesty's government, when they issued orders
for a new description of vessels, and a greater
number OF them, to protect the North American
count for that letter, and has supposed that il ORR
gnated perhaps from orders having beon given by
her majesty's government in such terms as were
not pleasing to the United States; or from another
reason-namely, Mr. Webster having supposed
that the British government gave some new con.
structon to the treaty of 1918.
Now, can undertake to answer for her majesty's
govern ment, that neither did the officers in her
majestys colonies, nor in the United States of
America, use any language which was not entire
ly fitting to employon such occasions; and can
add also that her majcsty's government gave no
new construction to the treaty-they made no new
claim whatever on the American Government
they asserted no new claim themseves-and they
added nothing to the material force already exist
ing on that station. II was rather police regula.
ton than any thing else; a new and more useful
weasel being employed, and in greater numbers
than before. The number of cannon even
diminished, and there was nothing to excite the
Jealousy OF the American Government. | do not
know what gave rise to that letter; but the noble
lord who has just set down having been in that
country. is we'll acquainted with its customs, and
knows that the periodical occurrence of events
" n " fOrt ~
spondence which ho has alluded to, and which at
another time might not have happened.
! say, therefore, that her majesty's government
not to blame. either this side OF the Atlantic
or on the other. AS to giving notice TO the AIner
can Government, can only say that
this change in the naval arrangements made,
! gave notice to the American Government that
such change was about to take place; and did
so not because / was obliged to do 30, but from
the diplomatic relations between the two coun.
tries, and from the courtesy which felt to be due
from one to the other. Hear, hear.l II any one
thinks that OF ght to have done SO before, that
these new arrangements should have been put off
until the American Government had received
longer notice, think it would not have been a
compliment to have supposed that the American
Government were privy to the acts Of aggression
on our shore which some Of the American subjects
had long been accustomed to exercise
AZ to the present state of the negotiations which
these events have been the cause Of producing be
tween the two countries, must tell your lordships
that they are In ouch state to oblige me to re-
iuec tue hooc oru MS request mat snouid lay any
Of the papers on the table. Those negotiations had
but just begun. Mr.. Webster, before his death,
had earnestly entered into proposal to conduct
the negotiations on a large and wide field, which
would include all disputed questions, not only az
10 fisheries but "a To the trade Of Canada and
our other colonies. Mr.. Webster, from the mo.
ment he wrote the letter which has been referred
to, acted in the spirit Of conciiiation and de.
clared to Mr.. Champion before his death that
il was his most anxious desire that our trade
enou!d De established on more free basis,
and that all possible causes Of dispute between
these two great nations should bc removed [Hear,
hear For many rcasons we must regret the
death OF that great statesman bat he died at u mo.
ment when his death is peculiarly to be regretted
by this country, because ii has temporarily inter
rupted the regulations which had begun between
the Amer lean Government and Ourselves; and
have had no official intelligence Of any successor
having been appointed. From Pfesidtnt Fillmore
and expressions OF the most nxous desire that this
question should be settled on narrow grounds but
on the broadcast possible basis. Hear, hear.l We
have been met in the same spirit by Com Perry,
who was sent by the American Government to
watch over the interests Of the American fisher
men exercising their rights round our shores. In
fact, from the American Government since that
first letter, which appears to have been written in
moment OF excitement, arising perhaps from
Mr.. Websters suffering under the illness with
which he was go long afflicted; with the exception
OF that one letter, not word has been written by
any one connected with the Government OF the
United States which docs not give Va the most san
gune hope that these negotiations may shortly be
brought to conclu sion, and that nll possible rea
sons for dispute between the two countries would
entirely cease. When that period shall acrive u
will be satisfactory TO me TO lay som ss posi-
bio the ia BILE the papers which the noble lord
has asked for. tHesr, hear.