The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-06-22
ENGLISH AGGREssIONs.
I DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF IoRDs

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS
in the House Of Lords on the evening Of June
D tue Ioiiowing remarks were made on the sub
ject OF aggressions upon American commerce:
The Earl OF Clarendon, who was occasionally
very lndistinctly heard In the gallery wished to
put question TO his noble friend opposite the ss
cretary for Foreign Affairs. with reference to The
SUBJECT TO which the learned and uobIe ford
lBrongham) had just alluded. He wished to know
Nhetner his noble friend could aff,rd the House
any information that might tend to aIIay the
great uneasiness which had prevailed in The nnh
| nc MUD during the last few days with reference
10; alleged proceedings on the part of Brit
sh cruisers, and the preparations it was said the
oni.ed states Government were making to nre-
.ehtacts which they regarded as equivalent In
| ,hsI t1ght OF search which had never been conca
| uea py the United States and which was Hooked
| upon IN that country as national ipsult He
lLofd Ciarendon) believed that no Information on
the subject had yet been received In this country
beyond certain es pdrte statements which had
| been published In the United States and the ah
| stract Of some correspondence which had bean
| iaid before the Congress By the President.
inere was, therefore, no means of Judging how
ar tne cruisers of her Majesty had exceeded
tneir instructions by stopping some American ves
seis winch we're engaged in the coasting trade and
| oy hFing into others He not only hoped hnt ar
pected, that il would be found there abad bssn
sae1s oea OF exaggeration 10 the statements which
nad appeared on this subject aud he had no dnnht
tnat IL his noble friend had received apy iuforns
sion ne woud not hesitate to lay it before their
iofoships. AT all events, his noble friend wouia
pauoao'y INFORM Their iordships whether he had
nad any communication from the United Sta,rs
uo'ernment on the subject aud Ia what state raot
ters were IT, as he Uord Clarendopl had no
uonOt was the case, no other more stringent in
Stiuctions had been sent out than those nnder
which cruisers had been in the habit n ac,;nn h.
ieit assured that not only there no gropnds f
quarrel between the two Governments hut ,ho I,
the Irritation which would be Justified II the
ia hnn fnrft y.
| momentary.. w '"s
There were no instructions of which no had an
knowledge under which the commanders ot pr,
| ush cruisers would be authorised to do what il
was said had beeh done, and if they had exeeeded
| their instructions Her Majesty's Goyerament
could have no he itation in stating that thief was
the case. This was question upon which in his
opinion, IL was requisite that great forbearanee
| should be exercised by both Governments fbeer
hear, to prevent state OF things which neither
of them would desire-an extension of the slave
trade, or O rupture OF political relations The
United States Government the first to declare
the slave trade piracy, and he was therefore con.
yinced that the President Of the United States and
bis Government we're no more desirous than were
| the Government of this country that the trade
should be extended. 1t could not be concealed
| that vessels belonging to the United States had
carried on the slave trade on the coast of Africa
and he did not how, unless some right of
given, the real nationality of the flag OF sus-
pee ted vessels could be uscertained. Hear hear
Such right had been admitted by all maritime
| nations for their common protection, for without
| It the most atrocfons deeds might be perpetrated
and yet remain unpunished Dut the Possession
Of such right was very different thing froR the
exercise of it lie was certain that no officer com
nanding British cruiser, whatever his suspicious
| might be- would exercise the right of searching
| an American vessel if he really convinced
| that il WAS bona fis American. Hear, hear We
were as proud as the Americans were Of the honor
| and independence OF our flag, and just as deter
l - uhAnn rnfa Ffnr ru.-
fully claimed and could be legitmately given hear
| hear;l but should consider our flag tarnished II
/ il were made cover for neftrious transactions
.uch as he had referred TO; and, so far from nd
| ing fault with any foreign powers which should
nterpose TO prevent the perpetration of such of.
| fences, should be obliged to them for their in
| reference. Hear.
He did NOT think the American Government
| would differ from that point, aud he there
| fore hoped that both Governments would calmly
consider the matter. and continuing to entertain
! toward each other friendly feelings and sentiments
of mutual respect, come to some good understand
| ing on the subject. He wished TO ask his noble
| friend whether any late communications en- this
| subject had passed between her Majestys Govern
| ment aud the Government of the United States,
and whether anything had occurred to Justify the
apprehensions which had been entertained? Hear,
| hear.
| The Earl of Malmesbury-I am extremely glad
that my noble friend opposite has prefaced his
question with the judicious language which he has
| I
| u moment of difficulty, when adherence arises be
| tween this and any other country, that an eminent
member Of the opposition should rise in his place
| and express sentiments aud views like those to
which my nople friend has just given utterance--
am not in position to give the House any ascert-
| aimed information upon this subject. Up to this
| time our Information has in great measure been
derived from 1Ddrte statements made on the side
| of she American Government. If these correct
y reported. and proved to have really taken place
| AS described by the Americon Government, GER
| taniy Her Majesty 8 Government are not prepared
| to justify them Hear
| / trust that great deal of exaggeration has
taken place in the descriptions have seen, though
| at the same time, / coufess fear that some acts
| have been committed that are not justifable
either by international law or by the treaties that
exist between this country and the United States.
| am informed that on one occasion body OF men
we're landed from of Her Majestys ships on the
coast of Cuba, though that is of course u Spanish
question, which can only be Incidentally mention
| ed when speaking with regard 10 America. State
ments have also been made that considerable an
noyan nee has been occasioned to American trading
| vessels lying at anchor at Havana from q sys-
.em of rowing round those vessels, watching their
cargoes taken out aud taken in, exercising surveil-
lance and espionage over them and finally chasing
them ont to sea after they had left the port. Ii
has also been stated that many American ships la
| the Gulf have been brought TO by our cruisers
and searched.
Now, say, / have not the least idea whether
these statements are correct or not but these are
| the statements made, aud your lordships know
that neither international law nor the treaty Of
1912 would jusrify us in taking such measures a.
these. entirely agree with what my noble friend
| has said az to the American flag being constantly
prostituted to the slave trade, and other il
legal acts, and think it is highly desirable that
some agreement should be made between the iWo
countries, by which it may be distinctly under
stood what proceedings ought to be taken by their
officers respectively for eectually discovering the
impositons to which have alluded, which will not
be offensive to honest traders. Hear, hear 1t
is to that point have directed the attention of the
Government of the United States, and that no later
than Ia conversation which had this morning
with the American Minister, an / think may
| say there has not been any great difference OF
views between us. Hear, hear
After that conversation has been reported to the
| United States Government, after the delivery of
the dispatch which have written to Lord Napier,
| and after the orders that have been sent to our
officers In those seas hope there will be no re
peIiton of such acts as have been described to u.s.
whether truly or not. Hear, hear In these
circumstances feel that this country Deed remain
under no apprehension that anything will occur TO
break the alliance that 90 happily exists between
the two countries II. ar, hear
The Earl of Hardwick said, If any excess had
been committed by any Of the officers command
ing In those Seas IL was not in consequences of the
inssructione that they had received. lHearl
In an editorial article on the game snbject In
the london Times of June S, occurs the follow
ing;
The treaties both With France and America have
expired ard il is madness for us 10 go on assert
ing pretensons 10 which no strong and indepen-
dent pcwer Is likely TO submit The good done by
The searches OF foreign vessels WAS nothing COM
pared with the bad blood they canseb, aud though
the so-caled "ontrages' of the British cruisers
have been, no doubt, axaggeratef by political
and commercial spectators, enough 10 known 10
prove that the practice of searching vessels under
the American Nag ought to be brought at once to
an end.
THE WEsr.-Caleb Cushing, In his late speech
Boston, paid the following eloquent and striking
tribute TO the West:
"Jealouey ofthe South Such would not be my
theme, if the demon OF sectionalism had so far
possessed itself of me. / should not strive TO
draw the attention of Massachusetts, away from the
only real danger of q sectional nature which
threatens and to fasten her attention imagina.
ry one. Not by the comparatively small section OF