The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-03
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH AND THE
SLAVE TRADE.
DEBATE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
VIEWS OF THE ENaLisH MINISTRY.

DHoi'H ~ AA~ Dssss t''ss @F''t|'f'1S1t'A' -
VIEWS OF THE ENGLISH MINISTRY
On the 18th ultimo In the House Of Lotds the Earl Of
Malnssbury In reply to soe tesiarRs Of tbb bishop of
Oxford md Lord Brougham, on the subject Of the slave
trade made the following remarks 2. Their lorshtps
had heard the observations addressed the House by
Right Reverend Prelate, with hereditary e0qucncc and
hereditary feeling on subject always interesting to this
country ard he wished he could say that the subject
cited equal interest in other countries. He regretted,
however, to say that they were not aided as they might
wish to be this subject by other nations and this
Of tho great difficulties with which they had 10
tend With the greatest justice the Right Reverend Pre-
late laid unitigaed blame or the stanish government
fct long course OF breach Of treaty and of crueltes TO
the African natives If all the dispatches written by
British governments to Spain this subject
together, he believed that they would reach from this
country to Cuba Itself All the British administrations
after the other had dono their best to indncc spain
to do It's duty and all had signay failed Spain had
opposed what WAS the most difficult opposition TO over
come passive tsistancei atd 1t was not without very
great risk Of rupture with other countries that the Brit
ish government had sometimes cndeavoTed to take
which appeared to those countries stronger
than ought to be taken. The Right Reverend Preate
must recoect that the Foreign Minister of this coun
try could not act entirely on his own fcelngs for
this matter involved complications, and also much
risk of offence to other countries which were not
impressed srotgIt this cothttS this subject In
respect to which other nations had descended into sort
of relaxation Of feeling He alluded to the system of
slavery itself He did not demur to the doctrines laid
down by the noble and learned lord but the noble
and learned lord had stated that there difference
between tho right of search and visit he must ray that
the United States positiyelt catsgoritat and CONSTANT
~ had refused to admit the distinction and the doctrine
laid down by the United States was adopted by other
countries Not long ago he endeavored to obtain from
all civilized countries agreement by which British
officers might know exactly how far they could go in
of strong suspicion and be protected by the agree
mcnt He was anticipated by the French government
which laid down this sw--that In tinia OF peace no
French ship should be detained searched boarded
but that certain forms should be gone through without
OBTAINING the vessel which, to certain degree though
to small degree might enable the nationality OF the ship
to be ascertancd and her right to the flag she carried
He had reason to conceal what had done since recent
events He had admitted the international law laid down
by the American Minister for Foreign Affairs though
not of course without being fortified by the opinions Of
the law officers Of tho Crown but, having admitted that
he had put 1t strongly possible TO the American gov
enment that when it was once known that the American
flag covered the cargo every pirate and SLAYER the
of the would carry the American flag, and that, in
stead of the honor Of the flag being vndcatc that very
fact must bring shonor the American nation if
obstinate adherence to its present declarations per-
sisted in and the American flag would be prostituted to
the worst purposes He had urged that necessary
in these civilized times that there should be- if not right
by international law, some agreement among the mari
time States to how far their officers might to verify
the nationality of vessels and the legality of their flags
He earnestly hoped from the language he had used and
from conversations he had had with the American minis
ter in this country and also from perusng the able
paper drawn up by General Cass on this point, that
change OF this kind might be agreed upon with the
United States so that by instructions gren 10 nsyal
officers the flag of the country might be verified with
out the risk of offence. OF course their lordships
would not require him to 90 into detail to
the great practical difficulties in the way of the suppress
sion of the slave trade but he thought mistake had
been committed in sending squadron to the Cuban
waters, instead of keeping it on the African cost He
told that at the beginning of the Russian the
slave trade very nearly extnguhed but during that
great portion of the squadron withdrawn from
the coast of Africa and the slave trade made great pro-
gres. 1t had always been the policy Of this and other
European States to support Spain in defending the Island
of Cuba against any hostile invasion but he did not hes
iate to say in his place in Parliament that if Spain
tnued to show such utter want of principle and such
base ingattude to this country indifference would DO
exchanged for amty and instead OF taking her part
should leave her to suer whatever consequences might
The statement of his noble and learned friend
to what had taken place the coast Of Liberia was
very nearly accurate 1t appeared that French ship
was ladencd with number Of Africans who were
called emigrants but were to be no more than
slaves. They shackled and manacled, and when
the captain gone shore they and killed
every Frencbman on board, except one An Eng
lsh vessel, having heard Of the disaster, chased the
SLAYER and she Immediately gave herself up, the persons
board expressing the greatest joy and pleasure at fall
ing in with an English ship. The French captain who
had been following in his boat took possession of her
far as the command went The French officer on the
station claimed the ship and took her out of the Lberan
port. 1t appeared matter of law, that not
justified in taking this SLAYER in Lberian waters without
an order issued by the Iberan government that the
quarrel it STOOD between the Iiberian and
French governments, and her Majesty's government
would have nothing to do in the matter. He believed
that correct account of what had been done. He
believed the state Of the law he had described,
and her Macstys present government her Msjestys
late government using every opportunity to protest
to the French government against line of conduct
which, though IL affected to be species of emigration
could only be called in the language of truth the renewal
of the slave trade.
On the ensuing day in the House of Commons, Mr..
Bright introduced the subject by referring to notice
already Of his intention to put question to the Under
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the proceedings
of the English squadron engaged in the suppression Of
the slave trade and with respect to relations with the
United States He did not wish all to enter into dis
cussion of the question which just now exciting
much interest," for he understood that before very long
honorable member who sat that hc opposition side
of the House. and who Ind for many years taken in
tercst in the slave trade question: had determined to sub
NIT the whole question to the consideration of the House
His Mr. Bright's opinions had always been very
adverse to maintaining armed squadron for the sup
preston of the slave trade He wished to ask the honor
able gentleman whether the government had received
any information with regard to the matter which could
be laid before the House. in order to place the public in
full possession of all the circumstances of the case and
alay the apprehension which existed in this country,
and perhaps also upon the other side of the Atlantic
What said in that House passed the world AZ
the post and the present precisely one of
those occasions in which great frankness and openness
the part Of the government would prove most avan
tageous There might be persons in both countries
who would not object to something like quarrel but he
believed that the great bulk of the people, both In this
country and in the United States disposed to take
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