§ Viscount Palmerston, in reference to the motion of which he had given notice for Thursday, and which had dropped in consequence of there having been no House, said he was anxious to fix it for some day on which it could have precedence. It might stand for the 16th.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, he was anxious to explain the course he intended to take in regard to the motion of the noble Lord. It would, he thought, be unfortunate that a question of so much importance should turn merely on the production of papers. With respect to the correspondence between Lord Ashburton and Mr. Webster, it would be impossible for him to assign any grounds of public inconvenience against their production. Still, if the conduct of the Government and of Lord Ashburton were to be the question for discussion, it would be better that some distinct motion should at once be made, than a proposal for the production of papers. He was perfectly prepared to lay on the Table the papers he had mentioned, but confidential communications—communications of the greatest importance—between the American Secretary of State and the British Minister, it would be quite 248 impossible to produce. If the noble Lord thought it would facilitate his views to have his own correspondence during the time he held office, and up to the latest period, he (Sir Robert Peel) was not aware that there would be any objection to producing it; but he would look into it with greater attention; and if any parts could be produced, so as to bring the correspondence up to the period when the present negotiations commenced, he had no objection.
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, his object undoubtedly was to bring under discussion in that House the negotiation and the treaty. He, of course, had anticipated that the right hon. Baronet could not object to the production of that part of the correspondence for which be had moved, which passed between Lord Ashburton and Mr. Webster, because the right hon. Baronet had he remembered, moved for the production of similar papers on similar grounds. He had thought it possible the right hon. Baronet might make some objection to the latter part of the motion, although he (Viscount Palmerston) had so worded his motion, by making use of the word "extracts," as to give the Government the opportunity of selecting such of the papers as might be produced without inconvenience. If the right hon. Baronet thought there would be no objection to laying on the Table the correspondence down to the latest period, it would be convenient to him to have them, but that would be a further ground for urging the production of the correspondence between the Foreign Secretary of State and Lord Ashburton. He thought, however, the notice he had given would answer his purpose—that of bringing the matter under discussion.
§ Sir R. Peelthought that the noble Lord, in fairness to himself, would like to have the correspondence brought up to the time he left office. He was not aware that any inference against the noble Lord could be drawn from it. He would have no objection to produce the whole of the correspondence; but to produce the confidential communications between the foreign and the British representatives, was contrary to all precedent. He was willing to produce all that could give the House a clear conception of the proceedings, and enable the noble Lord to found a motion if he thought proper.
§ Subject at an end.