§ MR. G. H. MOOREI wish, Sir, to put a question to the noble Lord at the head of the Government, of which I have given him notice. It will, doubtless, be in the recollection of the House, and of the noble Lord, that I put a notice upon the paper, a few days ago, having reference to the American enlistment question, and that, subsequently, when the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of Oxford (Mr. Gladstone) asked the noble Lord when we might expect to have laid before the House the answer of Her Majesty's Government to the last communication from the Government of the United States, the noble Lord stated that it would, in all probability, be laid upon the table in the course of the present week. In consequence of that intimation I consented to postpone my Motion until after the reception 2072 of that dispatch. From the expressions of the right hon. Baronet the Home Secretary on that occasion, deprecating discussion until the papers were in the hands of Members, and also from the gesture of the noble Lord himself at the same time, I gathered that he, while deprecating premature discussion, assented, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, to that arrangement, and that they would, for the convenience of the House, assign no very distant day when the question might be fully discussed. We are now in possession of the required documents, and as it would be obviously inconvenient, if a discussion is to take place, that it should at this late period of the Session be long delayed, I hope the noble Lord will not think me unreasonably importunate if I now ask him to name some day in the course of the ensuing week when such discussion may come on. I think it right to add that, under the present circumstances of the case, my Motion will not be couched in exactly the words which I have placed upon the paper.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI hope, Sir, the hon. Gentleman will not suppose that it is from any want of courtesy towards him that I am obliged to say that I cannot accede to his request. My opinion is, that, in the present state of our relations with the United States, it is not desirable that there should be any such discussion as that which the hon. Gentleman contemplates. I believe it would not be conducive to that amicable settlement which I am sure it is the wish, as it is the interest, of both countries should take place—that it would not be likely to conduce to that end that the matters now pending between the two countries should form the subject of discussion in this House. That opinion, too, I find is equally shared by those hon. Members who do not agree with the policy of Her Majesty's Government, and with those who generally support that policy, therefore I am the more confirmed in thinking that it is correct. That being the case, I am sure the hon. Gentleman will excuse me for saying that I am unwilling, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, to assume any responsibility, direct or indirect, in regard to the proposed discussion of the question to which the hon. Gentleman refers, and must consequently respectfully decline to name any day for that purpose, inasmuch as to do so would be indirectly to sanction a discussion which they think 2073 might be prejudicial to the interests of the country. Of course it is open to the hon. Gentleman to make his own arrangements—he has the same means as all other Members of availing himself of the forms of the House to make an opportunity for calling attention to the subject, if, after this explanation, he thinks it advisable to do so.