Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-03-08
foreign AntslIissnts.
From our English Flies,
DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT
RELATIONS BETWEEN THf rNTEp STATES at
ENEIaNp

10 oar relations with the tnlteu oiateS VI 4h"V
rca. The honorable and learned gentleman
said II Is incumbent on me to make an apo
logy to the House for bringing forward mo-
ton on this subject
II has been stated BY the Government,
through the medium Of the noble lord at its
head. that the reason why no mention was
made in the speech from the throne on the
subject Of America was, that the negotiations
were now in such a condition that they could
not, ID fairness TO all parties, be published at
present The noble lord, therefore, appealed
10 the House and said: DO you think, under
these circumstances, that ought to have made
public On incorrect statement of the affairs IN
question ?" quite agree with the noble lord
that it would have been wrong to do So but as
believe that silence would now only lead to
confusion, | am determined to break silence.
II appears to me that al ncorrect statement
of the affairs has been laid before the public OF
this country. that they do not know what has
occurred, and think now hold in my hand
the means Of making them acquainted with the
actual state Of affairs AS my intention is to
convey to the House and to the nation ut large
correct statement of facts, hope the House
will bear with me while attempt, freely, as
know il will be, to perform that duty. The
noble lord, taking an illustration from the
honorable member for the West Riding, said
that we had done all that man of honor
could have done in the case between ourselves
and the Americans that we had apologized
for that which had been taken amiss by them !;
that we had expressed our sorrow for having
trenched upon their laws, and that we had done
everything which, as persons desirable of peace
and honorable men, we could be called upon
10 do. If the facts were rs the noble lord
stated should have been the first to support
x, l,r &c b I.. hut I knI.
they are very different, ] have come forward to
enligh,en The ignorance of the world tif NAV
so express myself) hear, hear, and laugh
in this matter-an ignorance fostered by the
holding back of all that initiated against Eng
land in the circumstances which have oc-
carred.
We have been led to suppose that we have
right on our side, and that our cousins on the
other side of the water, taking advantage OF
orr position, were, nevertheless endeavoring
to force us to make sort of suppcation to
them for peace. Now, what is the state of the
case? 1t is this: After the Parliament Of
Great Britain had passed an act for the enlist
ment Of foreigners, the Government deter
mined. under the provisions of that act, TO en-
list people in America. Being unable to in
tercept the emigration flowing from Germany
to America, they went to America, and they
form foreign legion, to be composed of per
sons enlisted in America.
One Of the persons employed upon that oc-
CASTOR was our minister at Washington, tMr.
Crampton.l another was the Governor OF
Nova Scotia, and third was the Governor.
general of Canada. The noble lord said that
as soon Government discovered thh um.
bragg had been given TO the United States By
the course they had taken. he gave instructions
10 our ministers and agents not TO trench in
any way upon the municipal laws of America,
and nj the same time sent full apology to the
American Government. He then appealed to
the House, and asked-could he do anything
more?
II, the noble lord had only done what he
stated, | should have answered his appeal BY
saying that nothing more could be done. But
Government did more, and what they did will
now state. Mr.. Champion went from Washing
ton 10 Nova = otia, and he there entered int
sort of combination with the Governor, and
laid a plan BY which the laws Of the United
States might be coutravened, in order TO OBJ
tain surreptitiously that which could not be
obtained by other means. i will prove directly
all that ] assert out of Mr.. Champions own
mouth, or rather out of his own pen, but /
ought first 10 state the law Of America upon
the subject Of enlistment; and the House viii
then see that it is in accordance with the opinion
and feeling Of the country.
In the first place il is illegal to enlist any
body in the United States for the service of Q
foreign State. The Government are not how.
ever, charged with that offence, but with some
thing more. Any person going TO the United
States and inducing people To leave those
States for the purpose of being enlisted abroad
also acts in contravention OF the law, and this
is part of the law which Mr.. Champion is &C.
cused Of having broken through. He went 10
Nova Scotia, he there engaged persons going
10 the States TO enlist peope-ihat is, TO induce
them TO 20 to Nova Scotia To be enlisted
Now, the very act Of inducing people 10 leave
the United States for the purpose Of being
enlisted is violation Of the law, being con
travention OF that neutrality to which III,
Americans wish TO adhere.
Mr. Champion thought he could do this with
out being discovered BY the authorities Of the
United States. They did, however, discover
what was taking place, and, ia consequence O
that discovery, Mr.. CHAMPION issued a procla
nation from Nova Scotia, suggesting a means
Of evading the laws Of the United States. and
giving the parties whom he employed q cyphel
by which they might communicate with him
How do prove this statement? Why. | hole
in my hand a document curious in many WAYS
IL is a report Of trial that took place in Pen
nsylvania, in which one Henry Hertz was tn,
defendant, being charged by The United States
Government with certain breaches Of the Law
set forth in the indictment. One peculiarly
Of the indictment is that it is Ineligible A
laugh.
This Henry Hertz was man who had been
employed by Mr.. Champion to cramp people
that is, TO induce them to leave the United
States and 90 to Nova Scotia for the purpose
Of being enlisted there and then sent to the
Crmea. Now, we are supposed to have made
an apology TO the United States, and il was
supposed, too, and at one time supposed by
myself that the apology was one which the
United States ought TO have accepted; but il
now appears that either Mr. Champion wen
beyond his instructions, and, if so, the United
States are fully justified in requesting his re
call, or his instructions went beyond what the
laws Of the United States would permit, and in
that case the United States would be justified
in saying that the apology Of our government
was disingenuous. and could not be admitted.
and that they still insisted on the recall of Mr..