House or Commons.—April 4.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 13, 30 August 1845, Page 2

House or Commons. — April 4.

Loul John Russell called the attention of ihe House to that part of the President's message which relates to the territory of the Ore«on. The course taken by the President of the Uuited Slates, was entirely new. It deterred to popular clamour the settlement of grave questions between nations, and pointed to territorial aggrandizement as the rule of action. Enlarging on the importance of the territory in relation to our growing trade with China, and in the Pacific ; deprecating the adoption of any tone of bluster and menace : regretting that jhe conduct of the President of the United States had compelled this public notice of a question which ought to have been left to the ordinal y course of diplomacy ; he concluded by declaring that he would leave the matter in the hands of those who were entrusted with the protection of the honour of the country and the interest of the Crown. Sir R. Peel gave a brief account of the correspondence which has taken place between the present Government and the American Executive. So recently as the 19th February last, the late President, Mr. Tyler, in a message to the Senate, assigned as a reasoti for not complying with a request to produce the correspondence, that the negociations were still pending ; that they had baen conducted in an amicable spirit, and that considerable progress had been made in them. He (Sir 11. Peel) could confirm the statement as to the "amicable spirit,'' but not as to the "progress." However, on the 4th March, the new President delivered his inaugural address which referred to the Oregon. No diplomatic communications had taken place since ; all that was known was contained in the address. He considered it his duty not to despair of a favourable result ; but if it were otherwise, he would not then object to lay on the table of the House the whole of the correspondence that had taken place. He deeply regretted, that the President of the United States, in defiance of a'l usage, should have made the reference he did, during pending negotiations, and pointed to other contingencies. Not only did he regret the reference, but the tone and temper in which it was made, it was therefore, his imperative duty, in language temperate hut decided, to say that we too have " clear and unquestionable claims," and if, after all means for effecting an amicable settlement were exhausted, our righis were invaded, we were resolved and prepared to defend them. He hoped, after this intimation, that individual mcmheis would leave the matter in the hands of the Executive. After a few other remarks, the matter dropped.