American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-04-05
ENGLAND & THE UNITED STATES.
IMPORTANT DEBATE IF PARLIAMENT.

JypORTANT DEBATE IF PARLIAMENT
A long debate took place in the Brit
ish House of Commons on the 18th INST,
oecasioned by call for information con
eerning The defenscs of Canada. Mr..
S. fitzgerald, calling attention to the
rcpo,t Of Colonel Jeryhis upon this sub
iect, and suggested certain possible con
tineencies which might lead to hostllItIes
between England could not, he said, SHUT
her eyes, nor disregarr certain proposal
made during the recent conference be
tween the Confederate agents and the
Federal authorities. Under these cir
cumstances it. was Of Importance to look
to the defense of Canada, upon which,
in the event Of war, the first blow would
fall.
The relations Of England and the
United States were discussed by Messrs.
Forster, Disraeli, Bright and PaImers-
ton.
Mr.. Forster expressed his belief that
the fears of hostilties on the part Of the
United States were unreasonable and ut
terly groundless, and he drew from some
of the facts referred TO by Mr. Fitzgerald
conclusions consistent with pacific and
friendly feelings on the part Of hat gov
ernment towards this country Why,
then. he asked, should there be this ex-
traordinary suspicion OF America! lt
rose, he said, from The efforts OF two
classes one consisting Of Confederate
agents and sympathizers; the o-her OF
disappointed prophets. Having insisted
upon The groundIessness of the fears OF
war with America, he protested against
rushing into an enormous expense for the
defense of Canada.
Mr.. Disraei said: II am not here TO-
night to impute, and have never impu-
ted, anything against the conduct OF the
Government of The United States through
out this great struggle; but on the con-
rtary, am now prepared, after further
experience, to repeat what i SAID Two
years ago, that under circumstances OF
almost unprecedented difficulty, that gov
ernment has conducted itself with great
energy and discretion. Hear, hear,
am not of opinion that in the event OF
the termination of the American war we
should be placed in any immediate dan-
Ger Of coming into collision with that
government owing 90 our connection with
Canada. do not believe that the citi-
zeps of the United States of The North,
even if entirely and completely vietorl'
Gus. will feel inclined to enter immedla-
tely into another struggle with power
not inferior in determination and IN re-
source to the Southern States Of Amerl-
ca. Hear, hear form that opinion
because | believe that the people OF. the
United States are emiuently sagaclous
people"
He continued:
."If, from considerations of expenses,
we were to quit the possessions that we
now occupy IN North America, 1t would
be ultimately, as regards our resources
and wealth, as fatal and disastrous step
as could possibly be taken. l thing that
these four years need not have been lost,
and that from the first the affairs OF North
America have not been considered OF the
Importance to which from the first | have
felt they must attain l do not wish to
employ taunts, but | form that opinion
from judgments which have been express
ed by members of Her Majesty's Govern
ment during the last four years Those
judgments upon the struggle in America
and its probable consequences have been
for the nose part inconsistent. One day
we were told by an eminent member Of
the Gcvernmen. that the South might be
said to have completed herindependeneei
and speeches have been made which led
all England to suppose that diplomatic
recognition of the Southern States was
to be expected. Very shortly afterwards
another authority, now lost to this House
and no one dsplores that loss more deep
ly than myself mean the late Sir T. Z
Lewis-told us that he did not recognize
the existence of single element of pol
itical Independence in the South Well