Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-28

rino deserved the censure of Parliament Mr.
BENrINcK "a Conservative could not vote for Mr..
Cobdens resolution. Admiral Sir NJ. BERKELEY
and Sir JAMES GRAHAM both eulogizcd the cha
racter, the humanity and the forbearance Of Admit
raj Seymour the latter however, censured Sir John
Bowring, who he said was more remarkable for the
honesty of his intentions than the discretion of his
acts. In national point of view he inquired whe-
Their it would rebound to the honor of England
that after sparing Odessa and Helsingfors, a Bri-
fish admiral had bombarded Canton? !" For his part
he would wash his hands of innocent blood" The
Attorney General addressed legal argument in
reply, or at least evidently intended to be appl-
cable, to the speeches made in the House of Lords
by Lord Lyndhurst and others.
On Monday, in the adjourned debate on thissssub-
ject, Sir G. GREY energetically defended the Brit
ism representatives in China and bore testimony to
the talents which they had all exhibited in their
several departments With regard to the vote be-
fore the House, Sir G. Grey forebore to inquire into
the political change it might inaugurate, or the
party combinations that were said to have been
formed in its support; but invited the Legislature
to concur in the opinion at which the Ministry had
arrived and give their cordial support to public of
fccrs who had faithfully done their duty and de-
Tended British interests in a moment of extreme
emergency Sir j PAKINGToN contended that the
members of the Government who had spoken had
evaded the real question at issue. The defence of
fered for Sir j. Bowring had, in his opinion, COM
pletey broken down. He ought to have been re-
called upon receiving the first intelligence Of his
proceedings. Sir f. THEsIaER traversed wide
| field of legal technicaties, and said that Sir j.
Bowring had not any just ground for his proceed
ings. Sir w. HFEsLIAMs (of Kars) said that all
treaties concluded with Oriental nations must be
maintained with a more jealous vigilance than con-
4 hatv Gob o
lieved that the Chinese had perpetrated an inten-
tional and premeditated insult which it would have
been unwise to overlook. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT
said that Sir j. Bowring had long entertained the
intention of opening the controversy respecting
cess to Canton, which he waited only for favora-
bic moment to begin. That opportunity was af-
forded last year when peace restored in Europe
and large feet happened to be present in the Can
ton river. 1t was to accomplish previously set
tied purpose that the lorcha grievance adopted
as pretext and the subsequent proceedings hur-
red into actual hostilities with Incorporate haste
He proceeded to argue that Sir J. BoWring had not
merely exceeded his powers, but also absolutely
transgressed the positive instructions sent to him
} from the home Government. In these transactions
he showed reason to conclude that Admiral Sey
mour had been misled and misinformed by the
J Commissioner. There was, he maintained, some
limit to the support which a Government should
accord to Its representatives abroad nor could the
doctrine be accepted without restriction that Con
; sui could do no wrong. Sergeant SHEE reopeneC
! the legal argument, and insisted that the Eorcho
} Arrow was to all intents and purposes British
vessel.
: In the adjourned debate on Tuesday Mr. NJ GIB
SON (Liberal) called upon the House to repudatt
all participation In crimes for which at present th
Executive Government were solely responsible Mr.
ne,,o IL Ii Il
| coarse and vituperative attacks which had beer
made upon him. The epithet I" liar" had been un
sparingy used and other language not usually hearc
in respectable society. He had been called '.pe
dantic perturber of the public peace" and othe
harmless but lllnatured expressions had been uset
towards a gentleman who was not present to defenc
himself; but the real blow was not to be struck
against the Commissioner at Hong Kong, but agains
the Government fa Downing street. Mr. HENLEY
and Mr.. B. CooHRANE inveighed against the cruelty
which had been praetised against the innocent in
habitants of Canton. Mr. RoEBUoK accepted the
resolution as comprising vote of censure both up
on the British representatives in China and the
Government at home Mr.. GLADSTONE said it was
unjust to make the Commissioner at Hong Kong q
scapegoat IN the controversy The aggressive policy
which he had somewhat clumsily carried out, was
prompted by the Government at home who were
answerable for transactions which had furnished the
J honor of England. The policy of the Government
was utterly indefensible. England had broken her
} treaty obligations, organized feet of smugglers
and crowned her misdeeds by burning and lombard
Ing city IN order to entrance for her Envoy
Being strong, she had trampled upon the weak: but
IN doing she had provoked the terrible retaliation
OF the weak against the strong Lord PALMERsToN
said the terms of Mr.. Cobden's resolutions were
contradictory and inexpensive An. anti-English
tone, ne commended prevailed through the whole
speech OF the member for the West Riding. The
question at issue was not trivial it imported the
maintenance of existing treaties and even the safe
ty OF British subjects at Canton who would be left
exposed to outrage from nation who were habi-
tually treacherous, barbarous and cruel These
consequences would be hazarded, not for the sake
OF great principle, but to carry out the terms and
secure the profits of secret treaty. concluded bu
parties an that House, who had long been severed
by bitter hostility, but who now embraced this ON.
portunlty to consummate a coalition Mr.. DTS
RAELI said his wish was to fix upon the Govern
ment the responsibility for the violent proceedings
of Sir John Bowring He commented unon the
aggressive policy of the Government in Persia as
well as IN China. Adyerting to the alleged coali-
ton OF parties IN that House, he retorted upon the
Premier that his own official career had been sip-
nallzed by constant combinations with men of diff
ferent political complications, but without common
principle OF policy The only coalition ON this oc
caslon was the concurrence of censure upon trans
actions which disgraced the country, and line os
policy that must if pursued, lead to ruinous con-
sequences. This conviction, entertained by nearly
all the members on every side accustomed to sway
1 In fha Ioco L. L. -