Year: 1865

spsech OF Lord PaImerston In IN,
House of Commons.


The following forms part of the proceed
ings OF the House on the 10th inst. -


TIE ST. ALBANs RAIDERS.


Mr.. PeacOcke asked the Colonial Secre.
taFy whether Judge Ooursoi, in Canada


had been dismissed in CONSEQUENCES of an,
communication from the government a,
home; and, if SO, whether such communi.
cation was made at the instance of the
government at Washington.


i Mr. Cardwell said he had not received
any report that Judge Coursol had been
dismissed. Whatever steps might be taken
py the Governor General of Canada would
oe taken by him on the advice of his min
lsters, and not in consequence of recon.
menoauons from the home government.


ouR IRON CLAD FLEET.


In reply to Sir j. EIphinstone,


LORD Y. Paget said he could not Law ON
the table the reports of Admiral Dscres
with regard to the performances of our
armor plated ships, as they were confiden-
tial reports to the Admiralty.


CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, s


On the order of the day for going into
Committee of Supply,


Sir ]. Walsh asked Lord Palmerston for
information relative to the circumstances
which have led to the notice given by the
government of the United States Of their
intention to terminate the Reciprocity
treaty aud the neutrality of the Canadian
lakes. The honorable member urged that
Oanada bad no desire TO form part of the
system of the United States, but that. on
the contrary, it wished rather for an inde.
pendent confederation, or for the continn.
ance of an alliance with this country. he
regarded the notice which had been given
by the President Of the United States of the
Intention of his government to terminate
the convention as the prelude to declara-
ation of war, and said it would be wrong
for the government to regard the recent
offensive and hostile acts of the Americana
towards Us as mere bluster and brayado.-
He moved that all papers and eorrespon.
dence in reference to the convention and
treaty of commerce be laid on the table.
= Lord Palmerston said he would not fol.
loWlt honorable member into discuss
sion ofthe present state Of our relations
with the United States. He did not think
that at the present moment discussion of
that nature would DE at al | conducive to
the public interest. He would, therefore,
confiue himselfto answering the Questions
put by the honorable baronet. There were
two arrangements between Great Britain
and the United States. The fret was en-
tered into In 1917, and by it both parties
agreed to a limitation of their naval force
on the lakes. 1t was not treaty, but an
arrangement entered into between the two
The other was the treaty
bearing on the commercial intercourse of
the American provinces and the United
Statesi and including certain arrangements
with regard TO the fisheries In NORTH
America. All the papers bearing on those
two points had already been laid on the
4ahle, In November last he received an
1ntlmatIon etFnm the ,el6vernment of the 4
United States that they intended to mt an
end-as they had a right to do-to the
agreement which related to the-limitation
of the naval force on the lakes; but
it would seem that that intention was tenn.
poFary in it's nature, referring to certain
transactions which had taken place on the
lakes. The United St4res government con
sldered that additional means of defence
on their part were necessary; but the ab-
rogation of the arrangement was not to be
considered as final decision, and the
convention was open to a renewal at a fu-
ture time. He did not think the House
would be justified in regarding the course
which had been taken by the United States
as an indication of intended hostilities. He
could not deny that things didtake place
of which the United States we're Justly enA-
bled to complain, and that the measures to
which they had recourse for the protection
of the commerce and the property of their
citizens were amply justified. With regard
to the Reciprocity Treaty proposal had
been made to Congress to put an end to it,
but no official intimation had been made
to Her Majesty's government on the SUBJ
ject. He eutreRted the House to abstain at
present from entering into discussion
which could ouly embarrass the govern
ment, and asked them not to assume graf
uitously that the American people were an
imated by feelings of hostility towards
this country.


On the 9th, Sir EIphinstone objected
that there was nothing in the speech hav-
log reference to the services of the coun-
try. Our relations with America are not
in satisfactory position, and if anything
disagreeable occurred the condition of our
navy would be very unequal to the ooea-
sion.