Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-08
The British ParIiament-Rfcht OF
search.

Democracy has taken credit to itself for
having, as it was alleged, 10y the resolute aud
energetic tone ofits diplomacy, caused Great
Britain to abandon the ground she had pre-
viously occupied in regard to the right OF
s;arch. A debate in the House of Lords on
the 18th of February, shows, however, that
she occupies precisely the same ground now
on that question that she has occupied for
many years past.
After speech from the present Secretary
ofForeign Affairs, the Earl of MALMNsBURY in
explanation of the correspondence which had
taken place on the subject between Mr. Dali
LAS and himself, the Earl of CLARENDON, the
immediate predecessor of the Earl OF MAI.MEs-
BURY, under the Administration of Lord
PALNERsToS, in the course of some remarks
ia reply, said:
IL would appear that the noble earl consid
ers we claim, d u right of search. which could
he exercised only by belligerents: and to
exercise which, IN time Of peace, would be
contrary TO international law. We. however,
never claimed or exercised any such right
The state Of the tar, ireH practice o,eatds
other countries. hi,d dozen tohh De utmost DIS
1bctress By nly noble friend dLooe me, (he Eui Of
-ibtraeen) language cLieh commanded the assent
ofhe Minister. icAo. al ne tiRae fiied The o1fce
Of Secretary for Foreign 4 fairs an the United
Safes. II then prorldei that IRE should hare
me means Of aSceridDiRg the nationality Of a sLtp,
aud Of SctuHiI.y tghefSe- SIZE Tedifu enhlitd
10 carrs Tie ooiors trI'ch she bore. 1t was under
stood that this course should always be pur-
sued with great caution and discretion, and
on the responsibility of the officers in con-
nand, and it was provided at the same time
that no vessel entitled To fy the American
colors should be meddled with, nor should
the British officers meddle with such n vessel,
even though it absolutely had a cargo of
slaves on board.
The Earl ofABERDEEN confirmed this state
ment of the Earl of CLARENDON. He said:
'.In despatch dated October, 1871 to Mr..
Stevenson. ! adopted these terms
The undersigned reEounceS all pretensions
on the part OF the British government TO visit
and search American vessels in time of
peace. Nor is it as American that such
vessels are ever visited; but il has been the
invariable practice of the British navy, and
n the Undersigned believes, of all nayics ia
the world. TO ascertain by visit the real ma
tonality of merchant vessels met with on the
high sea-, If there be good reason to nprrc-
bend their illegal character
To carry out this system code of instruc-
fiols WAS framed with the utmost care and
hrs ever since remained in force; and il the
new regulations spoken oil BY the noble earl
prove as eff -ctaai as they were he will do
more than Npect, for 1 believe no code OF
instructions on this subject could he clearer
or more adv ali tageous Ia commerce than thai
drawn up about ls4l by DIR. Lushingtou and
others. But it now appears that the Ameri-
can Minister has been congrainlating his
country on some concession made 10y the
noble earl, and the President, in his annual
message, has also referred to this concession
as though 1t were something quite new.
Now venture to say that twenty years ego
everything which il was possible Tor the
Am. ricans 10 demand. or for us to grant had
been granted. / will just read however,
q ,aliieAtion which Was then laid down, and
vii Ii IL may b. asefal 10 remember:-
'The Presid mt may be assured that Great
BfiHln will always respect the jnstcai 10 Of
line United States. We make no pref nsioIs
- interfere in any manner whatever, either
BY d-tentiun, visit or search, xisk Essssls vi