DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16868#0009
VOLUME XLI.
inWnxiwn.
JULY TO DECEMBER, 1861.
THE PALMERSTON CABINET.—1861.
First Lord of the Treasury
Lord Chancellor .
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster .
President of the Council
President of the Board of Trade
Lord Privy Seal ....
Home Office ....
Foreign Office ....
Colonial Office ....
War Secretary
India Secretary . . . .
Admiralty .....
Postmaster-General
Poor Law Board
Viscount Palmerston.
Lord Westburt.
Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone.
Right Hon. E. Cardwell.
Earl Granville.
Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson.
Duke of Argyll.
Sir George Grey, Bart.
Lord John Russell (Earl Russell).
Duke of Newcastle.
Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, Bart.
Sir Charles Wood, Bart.
Duke of Somerset.
Lord Stanley of Alderley.
Right Hon. Charles P. Villiers.
POLITICAL
'T'HE condition of the United States necessarily commanded
the attention of Parliament, and the conditions of the
blockade, and the bearings of international law, were subjects
of anxious inquiry, although the House throughout the session
abstained from any discussion which involved an expression
of opinion on the merits of the American contest; and when
Mr. Gregory, the member for Galway, gave notice of a motion
for the 7th of June, on the subject of recognising the Southern
Confederacy, Colonel Wilson Patten made an earnest
appeal to the honourable member to abstain from raising a
discussion, adding that he was sure he represented the wishes
of a great majority of the House, in asking that a subject so
pregnant with risk and inconvenience should be avoided. Mr.
Gregory very properly consented to postpone his motion, and
fortunately the session terminated without any debate on
this delicate and complicated question being suffered to take
place, although Sir James Ferguson made a foolish allusion
to the despatch of three thousand men to Canada, and which
Lord Palmerston explained to be only an ordinary matter of
precaution for the maintenance of peace.
The causes which occasioned the Civil War are now matters
of history, and it will be necessary only to refer to the con-
duct of our own Government, and to such incidents of the
War as attracted the notice of Mr. Punch.
On the 13th of May a Royal Proclamation was issued by
the Queen of the United Kingdom, which, after reciting the
existence of hostilities in America, went on to say :—
“ And we do hereby strictly charge and command all our loving subjects
to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid hostilities, and to
abstain from violating or contravening either the laws and statutes of the
SUMMARY.
realm in this behalf, or the law of nations in relation thereto, as they will
answer to the contrary at their peril.
“ And we do hereby further warn all our loving subjects, and all persons
whatsoever entitled to our protection, that if any of them shall presume, in
contempt of this our Royal Proclamation, and of our high displeasure, to do
any acts in derogation of their duty, as subjects of a neutral sovereign, in
the said contest, or in violation or contravention of the law of nations in
that behalf .... they will in no wise obtain any protection from us
against any liabilities or legal consequences; but will, on the contrary, incur
our high displeasure by such misconduct."
The Emperor oe the French also declared, by a procla-
mation or notice in the Moniteur, his resolution “ to maintain
a strict neutrality in the struggle between the Government of
the Union and the States which propose to form a separate
Confederation.” And these proclamations were accompanied by
other declarations affecting vessels of war and privateers belong-
ing to either of the belligerent parties. An incident occurred,
which nearly involved Great Britain in a war with A merica,
and as it was undoubtedly as clear a case of the violation of
national rights and international law as ever occurred, we
give the narrative in full as it appears iu the Annual Register
for 1861
“ The Trent, a packet-ship belonging to the British Mail
Steamship Company, which runs from Vera Cruz to Havannah,
and thence to St. Thomas (where her passengers and mails are
transferred to another steamer to be conveyed to Southamp-
ton), had touched iu the beginning of November, in the usual
course of her voyage, at Havannah, to take in passengers and
letters. Four gentlemen, Messrs. Slidell, Mason, Eustis,
and M'Farland, who had paid their passage-money for the
whole route from Havannah to Southampton, embarked on
board. Mr. Slidell was accompanied by his wife and two
inWnxiwn.
JULY TO DECEMBER, 1861.
THE PALMERSTON CABINET.—1861.
First Lord of the Treasury
Lord Chancellor .
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster .
President of the Council
President of the Board of Trade
Lord Privy Seal ....
Home Office ....
Foreign Office ....
Colonial Office ....
War Secretary
India Secretary . . . .
Admiralty .....
Postmaster-General
Poor Law Board
Viscount Palmerston.
Lord Westburt.
Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone.
Right Hon. E. Cardwell.
Earl Granville.
Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson.
Duke of Argyll.
Sir George Grey, Bart.
Lord John Russell (Earl Russell).
Duke of Newcastle.
Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, Bart.
Sir Charles Wood, Bart.
Duke of Somerset.
Lord Stanley of Alderley.
Right Hon. Charles P. Villiers.
POLITICAL
'T'HE condition of the United States necessarily commanded
the attention of Parliament, and the conditions of the
blockade, and the bearings of international law, were subjects
of anxious inquiry, although the House throughout the session
abstained from any discussion which involved an expression
of opinion on the merits of the American contest; and when
Mr. Gregory, the member for Galway, gave notice of a motion
for the 7th of June, on the subject of recognising the Southern
Confederacy, Colonel Wilson Patten made an earnest
appeal to the honourable member to abstain from raising a
discussion, adding that he was sure he represented the wishes
of a great majority of the House, in asking that a subject so
pregnant with risk and inconvenience should be avoided. Mr.
Gregory very properly consented to postpone his motion, and
fortunately the session terminated without any debate on
this delicate and complicated question being suffered to take
place, although Sir James Ferguson made a foolish allusion
to the despatch of three thousand men to Canada, and which
Lord Palmerston explained to be only an ordinary matter of
precaution for the maintenance of peace.
The causes which occasioned the Civil War are now matters
of history, and it will be necessary only to refer to the con-
duct of our own Government, and to such incidents of the
War as attracted the notice of Mr. Punch.
On the 13th of May a Royal Proclamation was issued by
the Queen of the United Kingdom, which, after reciting the
existence of hostilities in America, went on to say :—
“ And we do hereby strictly charge and command all our loving subjects
to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid hostilities, and to
abstain from violating or contravening either the laws and statutes of the
SUMMARY.
realm in this behalf, or the law of nations in relation thereto, as they will
answer to the contrary at their peril.
“ And we do hereby further warn all our loving subjects, and all persons
whatsoever entitled to our protection, that if any of them shall presume, in
contempt of this our Royal Proclamation, and of our high displeasure, to do
any acts in derogation of their duty, as subjects of a neutral sovereign, in
the said contest, or in violation or contravention of the law of nations in
that behalf .... they will in no wise obtain any protection from us
against any liabilities or legal consequences; but will, on the contrary, incur
our high displeasure by such misconduct."
The Emperor oe the French also declared, by a procla-
mation or notice in the Moniteur, his resolution “ to maintain
a strict neutrality in the struggle between the Government of
the Union and the States which propose to form a separate
Confederation.” And these proclamations were accompanied by
other declarations affecting vessels of war and privateers belong-
ing to either of the belligerent parties. An incident occurred,
which nearly involved Great Britain in a war with A merica,
and as it was undoubtedly as clear a case of the violation of
national rights and international law as ever occurred, we
give the narrative in full as it appears iu the Annual Register
for 1861
“ The Trent, a packet-ship belonging to the British Mail
Steamship Company, which runs from Vera Cruz to Havannah,
and thence to St. Thomas (where her passengers and mails are
transferred to another steamer to be conveyed to Southamp-
ton), had touched iu the beginning of November, in the usual
course of her voyage, at Havannah, to take in passengers and
letters. Four gentlemen, Messrs. Slidell, Mason, Eustis,
and M'Farland, who had paid their passage-money for the
whole route from Havannah to Southampton, embarked on
board. Mr. Slidell was accompanied by his wife and two