§ Sir R. Inglis, seeing in their places the noble Lords, the Secretaries for the Home and Foreign Departments, wished to ask them questions on two points which he knew excited very great interest at the present moment, both in the House and the country. He had, however, he begged to add, every reason to hope, that the answers he should receive would, in the fullest sense of the word, be satisfactory. The first question was relative to the American steamer Caroline. As he could not be content—indeed, as he would not condescend to qualify the transaction in the style it had been treated in the American papers, he would simply say, that his first question was relative to the steamer Caroline. The second question was, would the noble Lord, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, object to state to the House the relation in which Mr. Fox, her Majesty's Minister in America, was now placed in respect to the United States government?
§ Lord Palmerstonwas happy in being able to answer the second question proposed by the hon. Baronet, With regard to the first, he understood no official account as to the affair of the Caroline had yet reached the Colonial-office, which, therefore, knew of it only through the doubtless much exaggerated statements contained in the American papers. With regard to the relation in which Mr. Fox stood at the present moment with the government of the United States, he was 716 able to afford the House the fullest information, inasmuch as that very day he had received from that Gentleman a dispatch, dated the 5th of January. Mr. Fox, on the 2nd of last month, received from Sir Francis Head a communication stating what had taken place with regard to Navy Island, and representing in strong terms the fact of that place being held possession of by a body of rebels aimed and equipped in the United States, of its being flocked to by armed parties of citizens of the United States, and of their being actually commanded by an individual who was a citizen of the United States. Mr. Fox immediately communicated these facts to the President of the United States, and received in reply a most friendly communication. In the first instance, he had a verbal communication from Mr. Forsyth, containing an expression of sentiments such as might be expected from the friendly spirit of the United States government, and the high sense of honour by which that country-has been actuated in its feelings with foreign countries. On the 5th instant Mr. Fox received a note from Mr. Forsyth, in which was a passage to this effect:—"That all the constitutional powers vested in the executive would be exercised to maintain the supremacy of those laws which had been passed to fulfil the obligations of the United States towards all nations which should happen unfortunately to be engaged in foreign or domestic warfare." In addition to this assurance, that all the powers now vested in the central government should be used to preserve neutrality, the President, on the 5th, sent down a special message to Congress, stating, that, though the laws as they stood, were quite sufficient to punish an infraction of the neutrality, they were not sufficient to prevent it; and asking the Congress to give the executive farther powers for that purpose. Upon the receipt of this communication, a short discussion, in which many of the leading men, such as Mr. Clay, Mr. Calhoun, and others of high character participated, took place in Congress; and, without exception, all who spoke expressed sentiments of a most friendly disposition towards that country, stating a strong opinion that the laws should be enforced, and that if, as they stood, they were insufficient, stronger powers should be given to the executive. Nothing, in 717 short, could be more satisfactory than the communications which had taken place between her Majesty's Government and that of the United States; and he, therefore, thought the House might confidently trust, although, on both sides, there might have been committed by individuals some acts not consistent with the laws, and somewhat in violation of the friendly spirit which actuated the two countries, none of those acts were, in the least degree, calculated to interrupt the harmony which prevailed between the two countries, or, in the slightest degree, to influence their existing relations.
§ Lord John Russellsaid, that, as the hon. Baronet opposite had asked him a question with respect to the steam-vessel Caroline, reported to have been burned in Canada, he felt called upon to rise. In answer to that question, he begged to say, that her Majesty's Government had received no official communication with regard to that transaction, and it was, therefore, impossible for the Government, until a dispatch was received, to state the character of it. The latest dispatch from Sir Francis Head was dated the 28th December. There were other accounts from Sir John Colborne of the date of the 2nd January, in which it was stated, that it had been arranged between him and Sir F. Head that all future operations against Navy Island were to be carried on under his direction, and that he was taking steps with that view with all possible dispatch.