, 1864-03-31
ENGLISH HOUSE OF COMMONS,
Mr. Roebuck's Attack on the War
for the Union and e. glands
Neutrality.


for the Union and e. glands
Neutrality.
TEE RlDRTNERM STATES DECLARED
."CURRUpT, BASS, CDHARDLY
AN0 CRUEL"
Lord Palmerston,s Defence Of Els
Colleague and Cabinet Action.
REpLY OF. MR. K1HGLAKE.
PROCEEDINGS or PARLIAMENT.
In the House of Commons, Monday, March
18th, Nr Roebuck, in the course Of his re-
marks, eald:-We have always had some
member Of what is called revolution family
In liberal administration, who has govern
ed, perverted and destroyed IT, [Lnushter.]
The person to whom aliude Is Earl Kussei;
and may ssythat the honor ~of-England IN
ness That could have wished. Hear, heaE.l
/ felt that the honor of England was not up
held as II. ought to have been, and that the
strict neutrality which the nohle Lord, the
First Minister processes, md professes honest
", am sure, was n5s maintained. Why,
sir, the tone used was in the first place like
The sarcasm OF cockatoo, or the scolding Of
an angry woman. Iaushter.] The end was
most unequal to the beginning; the words
were big, but the deeds were the least posi-
bic. The noble Lord, the Foreign Secretary,
seemed frightened By the bluster Of the
Adams threatened war he crouched
before the menace and England SEEM
cd to lose her position among the
nations. {Hcar1 That being the
case slr, ! feel that have right to inqnire
what is the neutrality which the noble Lord
r.. T. Axtf AxrF4 "a *Tt~rx
peoples between whom we profess to be
neutral? Now, first and foremost, we may
supply contraband Of war, and We supplied
II 10 both sides. There is no difference
whatever there. The next thing that we
have supplied is the men, who haTo gone In
America and enlisted as soldiers to fight be.
battles. A livery esmall number Of our men
have gone and enlisted in the navy Of the
Confederate States, and then comes Mr..
Adams, and says, "Ayc, but these sailors Of
yours have chased from The face Of the
waters, American commerce." Ifktey haue
fS Bnt Where vi ." Is the y adherence Here bstaeea
this and what has been done by
our own men in American They
have enlisted as military men,- and
where pence and happiness reigned be-
fore they hare been made the instr1me ents Of
spreading q wide and desperate desolation.
[Hcar, hear.l 7Ae tehole proecedings ef this
american tear are a bot upon. H1Aan nature.
r[Icar, hear. And when am told that should
have sympathy for the Northern States oi
America, Turn IL absolute ditgast from Their
hypocrisy: [Hear, hear.l zHey are corrupt,
crste. Hear, hear and :" Oh ri You
say ct OH !" butt want to know what they
have said Of England, and whether they
have not said far worse than that Of her.
But maintain that the spectacle they have
Sir: there are t%o things which our Ia"
General can correct me if M
wrong. The first Of those two things IL ths
supplying Of shfps, armed and equipped, to .
State ut var with another State with which
we are in friendship. This is said to hayt
been done in this countzy with respect to tht
Confederate States, and that matter ts now
sub judioe. The Attorney General, with al
his acuncn aud all his power OF persuasion
lns not been able to convince jury Of hi
countIymen that our law has been broken By
the Confederate States Of America. The ne1
thing is the enlisting Of men here to fight II
the cause Of the Federals, and that Is nov
what Is being done In Ireland. The right hon
orable baronct,, the secretary Of tht
Lord Lieutenant, last year acknowledged
that the Government Of lrelani
was perfectly aware OF what wa:
going on in Ireland at that time, [Hear, hear,
stated in the Times newspaper TINT the san'
thing is going on now. IHear, hear.1 Isay
then, as you have determined to reuonstrats
with the Confederate States on mere sus
piciou-for you have carried it no further
: are you prepared now, on mere suspicion
{ to demonstrate with the Federal States OF
!; their enlistment Of men In Irellnd for th,
purposes Of the war in Americas Hear
: hear.] The question is clear, definite, under
standahlc: have perfect faith in the nohl.
Lord ut the head of the Government, mt
that he will give me categorical answer
and If he determines not to make that remon
STRANGE, hope he will be able to make i
clear to the House that he has good reasoI
for that abstinence on bis part. 1myself fee
! that on this occasion the honor Of England Il
ut stake; that ne have, under the threat-fo
it Is thseat-of var with America, deter
mined as far rs We can to deprive the Con
federate States Of any assistance they can de
! riye from this country. (Hear, hear.
Vlscount PAL,1EnsToS-Sir, my learned
friend Inns been kind enough to pas nc soms
Of no ones compliments at the expense o
colleague. loud ministerial cheers.1
mist declare to the learned gentleman, Wht
has endearored to separate me from my no
bic friend at the head Of the Foreign-olice
that an equally responsible with him fol
every step he has taken in the conduct of ev
cry Dego tiatton which eeems unhappily tt
have excited feelings OF humiliation in tht
mind Of my honorable and learned friend, !.
feeling which l believe is not shared by th.
people of this country. lCheers.] a feelin:
which om confident viii not be shared bj
any man Of impartial mind who shall LOOT
} with attention 10 the different steps whicl
have been taken In NIL those great transaction
I to which allusion llas been made Now, Sir
We have declared our intention to observ
strict neutrality in the contest unfortunatel,
. being carried on in America, and / maintaiI
| 1tfaH Nr nm
declaration. The honorable and learned gen
tieman contends that We hare dealt differ
ent measure Of justice to one side from tha
| We have dealt to the other. Well, 1t shonl,
be remembered that the two sides stand in
very different position In regard to the assist
ance which they may derive from this or an
other quarter. The Federals command til
sea; all their ports are open; they can go t.
Birmingham, Liege, or any other place whcr
arms and ammunition arc manufactured
they may buy what articles they like, shll
ard safely convey them to their own ports
!, They have the command OF the markets {
; Europe The Confederates, on the othe
hand, hare not these advantages. They Al
i shut out from the sen; they can onl
ct snpph.s By blockaoe-runners, ma.
5 fi.ey eseepe. Therefore, tie e. condition
a Of the two parties are not equa
although VIC observe an equal law Of neutra
;. ity in regard to both. It ID true that there
= nleO great dlncFence between the oDtAlnln
c chips from neutral country and the obtaif
}. Ing of arms and ammunition. I don't di
pute that in point OF principle and our ow
> municipal law these two things stand on a
S equal tooting-that is to say, that by intel
s NATIONAL law and obligation, If q belligereu
G goes to q neutral country and buys nzml
cannon and ammunition WhereWith to ar1
large armies. he derives from that neutral
greater assistance towards deciding the wa
+ than perhaps one, two, or more cruisers ca
' hive on the ultimate fate Of the war, a
;. though they mey affect the injury OF iudiv1du
r ais. But we have municipal law WLic
3 oyerr1des In some respects international obi
cations, and we are bound to prevent certal
). things being done in this country for th
! benefit Of one bel1igcrcnt against another. "
r are bound not to permit enlistmcnts and OF
gunizations Of men, and to prevent the equip
. lnent and armament Of ships The one is q
easy thing to prevent The armament IN
!. equipment Of ship Is notoriety, 4 shi
! is q tangible thing; you can see with you
eyes the progress made In its construction
and equipment; you can interfere at tn
proper moment, and lay your hand on it t
: prevent breach Of the law being commit
led. But with regard to the enlistment Q
men, you have not the same mems. III
honorable and learned gentleman says tha
! great enlistmcnts Of men hare been made Il
ireland tor the Federals. That may be 60 0
+ not; but in order to punish those who hav
, been guilty Of that breach Of onr laws, yo1
= must have proot-proof which is not easfl
obtained. I dare Eay, speaking only iron
I r fb<t4A