§ THE CORRESPONDENCE.
§ OBSERVATIONS.
§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, seeing in his place my noble Friend (the Earl of Derby) who, on Tuesday evening, put a Question to me respecting the receipt of the answer of the United States Government to my Letter of the 20th of March, I beg to inform the House that yesterday afternoon General Schenck read to me and gave me a copy of a despatch from Mr. Fish to himself, dated 16th of April. I think it right to inform your Lordships that, taking the despatch by itself, it does not afford a solution which would remove the unfortunate misunderstanding which has arisen. If I only had regard to that despatch, I should not feel that Her Majesty's Government were justified in further delaying the production to Parliament of the whole of the Correspondence: but I may state, though I cannot give a precise assurance to Parliament, that I have grounds, and Her Majesty's Government have grounds, to hope that an arrangement satisfactory to both countries will be come to. I beg to express my thanks and the thanks of my Colleagues, for the forbearance your Lordships have shown under circumstances, I admit, of a trying character. I have no hesitation in saying your forbearance has very much assisted Her Majesty's Government in their efforts to come to a satisfactory arrangement; and I hope I am not going too far in expressing a hope that this forbearance will be continued for a few days longer by your Lordships' House.
§ LORD CAIRNSI may observe that there is a Notice of a Motion for next Monday which may raise a discussion on the question to which the noble Earl has referred. I am sure, therefore, that the House would be anxious to know what number of days the noble Earl asks to be suffered to elapse before such a discussion should take place.
§ EARL GRANVILLEI am quite sure the noble and learned Lord must be aware that when negotiations of this informal character are going on it is impossible to say in what number of days an arrangement perfectly satisfactory in substance and details may be come to. All I can say is that Her Majesty's Government 74 are fully sensible of the grave responsibility under which they lie in respect of this important matter; and the House may be sure there will be no delay beyond that which the Government may consider necessary for the interests of the public service.