Year: 1862

In the House OF Commons on the I4th Of March, Mr.
Potter asked tho President OF the Board of Trade whether
his attention had been called to the practical increase Of
duts imports into the United States consequent upon
such duties being payable only in specie the premium
ON such specie being likely TO be excessive owing TO the
gradually increasing depreciation OF American paper
currency.


Mr.. NJ. Gibson said that at present the government
had information that Congress had passed
any act declaring that import duties should be paid in
Specie II might be SO, but he was not aware that such
was the fact or the effect In such would be
what the honorable member had described.


The Question in France.


DEBATE IN THE LEGIsLATURE-THE RADICALS OF


FRANCE CONDEMN SLAVERY AND ATTACK THE


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. STATEMENT OF N. Bill


LAULT, MINISTER AND GOVERNMENT CoMMIs-


SioNER-FRANcE AS WELL AS ENGLAND RESPECTS


THE BLOCKADE, ETC.


The legislative body met yesterday. Count de Aorny
in the chair


The order of the day was the adjourned discussion on


M Baroche President of the Council OF State; NM Bill
an and Magnc Ministers without portfolio and General
Aiard and NJ Vuillefroy, Presidents of Section in the
council OF State, were present government Commits
sioners. tt--G


Paragraph five brought forward 1t is thus worded
of y o yaa our which ss A G i great
aently that those dissensons should speedy end
having crisis all in the recent differences
hs OF and he of causing c
come the arbiter OF the peace Of the world.


On this tho following amendment was presented by
NM Morin Lemercer, Guyard-Delalan, the Marquis
dAndelarre and A. Jubnal:-


The civil which desoates America is serious jury
to French manufactures and commerce offer the most
ardent wishes that those dssensons speedily terminate
vcoriosy out Of the struggle entered into on that
subject The remainder of the paragraph is in the ad


NJ. CALyEr RoGNIAT inquired II some other amendments
spoken Of were TO be withdrawn.


amendment propcsed nv him and o,bcrs on the se
graph relating to America Tho amendment expressed
two deashrst that there grounds for causing the
principle Of Intervention to be respected in the
between the North and South and secondly, that as II
was question about the abolition Of slavery was the
wish Of France the cause Of humanity represented
by the Northern States, come of triumphant The first
part needed no development, the government had
strictly followed the policy Of nonintervention; and
amendment presented by some Of his colleagues He
should therefore demand that both amendments might
be discussed together.


The PREDKsT-M. saint Laurens desires to op
pose the first amendment. N.i


M OLIVIER said that in that case he should abandon
MS proposition and adopt the amendment Of M Morn


NJ. NORM (de Ia Drome) rose to develop the amend
ment proposed by himself and colleagues. He consider
ed that 1t was much to be regretted the address,
which expressed wishes for speedy cessation Of the
conflict did not express any for the triumph OF grand
principle Of humanity for which France had always
tended. The amendment did not 90 beyond the oppression
of desire for the abolition Of slavery the American
continent the Southern States grom wiser by misfortune
rate gradual The result would be obtained and France
would applaud The honorable member went on to give
some examples Of the horrors Of the slave traffic. and Of
the crueitos which were the consequences
slavery There was, in his opinion no other question at
issue between tho North and South. Tho South would
have consented to everything could she have obtained
for Institution 60 dear TO her The North
had not been too rigid but the contrary too moderate
IN dealing 'oah ne Soa He could possible dan.
gcr to French interests In the adoption OF the amend
ment There were many questions that caused division
in the House, but that before them was one in which all
might join In common accord


n. OLIIvIER-Well said.


N. CALvErRoGNAr should abstain from expressing
sympathy with either the North the South and dis
css the question only with reference of
French commerce, which in state great suffering
The working classes OF Lyons, St. Etenne Rouen Lille
and many other cities in CRUEL distress nv az
the interruption Of their expectations to America A.
Lyons for example, with produce OF from six hundred
TO seven hundred Millions the erpordton had fallen from


fire hundred to one hundred and seventy fire millions Il
in presence Of distress which beyond the relief
Of the government Of private charity that he would
interdiced under preext that there blockade Of
the Southern ports France had always supported two
principles essential TO the liberty Of the seas-a the dao
corers the merchandise and that inefficient blockade must
not BE- recognized Those principles had been deinvey
consecraed by article four of the Treaty Paris From
the date Of the Treaty Of Westphaa down TO 1885 there
had been many treaties Of commerce, and twenty two
OF them gave definition Of blockade TO the effect
that port was not blockaded unless there were
real danger TO ships attempting enor Article four of
the Treaty OF Paris still more explicit but he feared
there might yet be disputes the sbec when he found
Mr. Marcy, the American Secretary OF State writing on
the 2sth July 1855, to the French Minister at Washing
ton that the its four but
that the difficulty would always be to find ont the guam
tum or force requisite to constitute effective blockade
Now blockade, continued the honorable member Ia
evidently ineffective when is only one vessel before
the port This is what called paper blockade sort
Of blockade that maintained by England and imposed
after the rupture OF the peace Amens in 1909
But between paper blockade and blockade enforced
by an effective 1otlla there many Ones
which, without absolutely preventing entrance 10
port may yet constitute danger TO those who atempt
IT, Now l wish to examine whether the blockade Of
the Southern ports is maintained by force respectable
enough 10 constitute this danger I assert said
the speaker, that 1t is not, and think that no more
conclusive proof OF my assertion can be given
than the very long catalogue OF ships OF alI sorts
which have entered quilted ports since tho no.
tilcaton OF the blockade. Authentic documents letters
from honorable merchants and shipowners shew that
any ship ledringfo Souh america can Je insured Jy
premiam cf7h 10 I5 per cent The honorable member
went on TO say that Earl Russell had written despatch
to Admiral Lyons tho effect that although MANY shps
had forced passage, still the blockade Of the port of
Charleston had becn regularly announced and that
ships Of the American navy had been charged with its
maintenance there ground TO regard it as effective
In that despatch Lord Russell departed widely from the
Of tho circular Of the French Minister Of Commerce
Without wishing TO revive any antagopism no (the
:ps.ksro could IN not & but remark Met ae Prinep q the
gent England had accepted the Treaty OF Paris but how
did she interpret the fourth artcleS Only few days
ago the Solicitor General repudiated with dis
dan the new doctrines concerning blockade and
Mr.. Gregory told the House OF Commons that the
non.ooservaton Of the declaration Of the Treaty Of
Paris deception for the Confederate States and an
ambuscade for the interests OF commerce the
world Earl Russell had declared In the House OF Lords
that the blockade Of the American ports had been oec
tive from the 18th Of August while the dispatches OF
Mr. Bunch the English Consul Charleston said that II
was not So Under such circumstances, would II not be
the right and the duty Of France resume her CONNER
cal relations with the ports Of the United states with
out, however renouncng her neutrality? No one could
recognize the odious plan Of blockade the destruction
OF the entrances 70 the port which might forever nuro
an important source Of prosperity for tho whole world


GRASER DE CAssAcxAc az member Of the committee
wished TO say few words the Amendment The
maintenance or the abolition Of slavery was question
OF administration or OF informal policy and IL France
were to express wish that slavery should be
in America, IL would be OF Interference with tho
affairs OF foreign country After having first done SO
In America, France might next do the same for the
Spanish possessions next for the Dutch and then Brazil
Siam. and In short, for every part the world whore
slavery still existed. France had emancipated her own
colonies and the other Powers FREQ TO initiate ber
If they chose but she could interfere with them
(Hear, hear,)


viscount AxAroIE LxmERcnR observed that in present
ing the amendment under discussion the authors OF II
desirous OF respecting the sentiments expressed IN
the address, and they merely added wish which they
thought to be that OF tho whole Chamber. They now do
q tho