The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-05-29
Lord PalmerStOn'S Explanation.

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Lord PalmerStOn'S Explanation.
HOUSE OF Commons, April 25.-Mr.
Laing said he took the earliest opportuni
ty OF asking some explanations as to the
intention Of the Government of sending
troops TO Canada. Ii had been said that
10000 men were to be sent to Canada
from the Crimea under the command of
Gen. Eyre. The runor received some
confirmation from the statements in the
public press; and one evening in another
place question had been addressed to the
noble Lord the Minister of War, who re.
piled that it was the intention of the Gov.
ernment to send back to Canada number
OF regiments equal to the number station.
ed in that colony before the commence.
ment of the war. Even supposng that to
be SO, he thought it required some expla-
nation from her Majestv's Government.
They ought 10 know whether it was in.
tended merely to send these regiments
back, or whether any new organization OF
The :orces in Canada was contemplated, so
that they might be ready for active service
IN the event o: hoSliliGes with America. He
should like to know VIII tller the Govern
ment was going TO depart from the old coloai.
ai policy of HE country, and distribute our
troops throughout our free and self support.
ing colonies: Il so, lie thought the time
was peculiarly i'll chosen, for it would have
the appearance OF Il menace To the United
States, whose population, being high spirit
ed and prompt tn resent amy atlemp: at
coercion, would be less inclined ihan ever
lor nm amIcablc arrangement of differences.
Such step. moreover, would afford
ground IN the American legislative BODY
Tor IN increase of their military establish.
ment. which, in lis turn, would Lc laid
hold OF here rs au argument for augment.
ing our own. The measure was, there.
fore, most mscAievous; and, whilst asking
ior information upon it, he wished also TO
ask whether the Government had any in
tenlIon oi landing body of troops at Cos
Ia Rica!
Lord Palmerston.- Sir, must frs, say |
am not aware OF that similarity of nval au
thorIues to which the honorable gentleman
ha' rcferred-namely, the War-oiiice OH the
on1 side, aud the newspapers on the other.
Whatever Is SAID 10y the War Department
IS true, aud rs to what appears in the pub
Iic newspapers, he must Judge Of that ac-
cording 10 circumstances. \ laugh |
can only say, we utterly disclaim the res
ponSiO'liy OF what may he given TO the
public through those channels. With re-.
gard TO the alarm which my honorable
t,ie"d has stated TO exist, founded upon
these rumorS, coming from that left handed
Official source which he has referred TO- |
really cannot understand on what fouula
ton any such alarm can be felt. I'm the
iirSt place, he has stated that lie understood
10000 men were going to the North
American British Provinces. Now. that is
gross exaggeration. Hear, hear lam
not aware, even IT that number Were going.
that any man in lis senses would imagine
that that force was intended to attempt the
Invasion oi the Un,ci States.
1t IS well known that when the war be.
gan, our army being upon very low peace
establishment. it became necessary TO resort
To every possible means and to every nos
sib'e quarter for the purpose of argument.
ing the force Of our army in the East.
and among other expedicnts was that OF
stripping Our North American Colonies of
almost every soldier that was there The
war being fortunately over, and tho army
disposab!e, it is our intention TO senI back
10 the North American Colonies, not @, 900
nor G,O00 men; but something approach.
ing to 1000, to serve rs n basis OF proper
defence OF the military posts there; and not
to Canada only, but To tho whole of our
widely extended North American Colonies.
Hear, hear Ny honorable friend saws
II is understood that those Provinces were
to be thrown upon their own resources for
all possible means of defence. | mover uD
derstood that to be the policy of the Gov.
ernment, and think it would be a most la
judicious one TO be addopted. 1t would be
expecting too much from such Colonies to
abandon them to their own resources.
We may rely, no doubt, on the loyalty,
the attachment, the zeal, and the courage
of the people of those provinces, but they
are always employed in the avocalions
which belong to the land they inhabit, and
you cannot expect of such population that
they should devote themselves TO the per-
manent duties of n military life. They
would form, without doubt, an excellent
militia, profting rapidly by military in.
struction, and certainly they can turn out
in a short space Of time, and do their duty