SS Till: TKEATY OF WASHINGTON. 



aiii in a "svar Mitli France antl Russia. The Frcncli 

 Eniljassador retired from London to Paris for tLe 

 piir[)ose of personal coninumication on the su])ject 

 Avitli his Government. Count Xesselrode on behalf 

 of Russia remonstrated in a dispatch, -which tlie Lon- 

 don Tunen eharacteriz.ed as re])roacliful, irrefutable, 

 and just, and as profouu'liy ailecting the peace of Eu- 

 rope and the dignity of Great Britain. Tlie united 

 voice of Europe and America has condemned the con- 

 duct of Great Britain in this alfair. Tlie House of 

 Lords closed an historic debate by a vote of censure 

 of the Govcrnnunit. Li the Commons, tiie last words 

 of Sir Robert Peel were raised in protest against tliis 

 outrage on the rights of otlier nations ; tlie morn- 

 ing dawned on a ])rotracted session of the .'viouse 

 before lie recorded his vote of condemnation ; in tlic 

 afternoon of the same day lie met with the accident 

 which closed his honorable lift*. ]Mr. Gladstone in the 

 same debate said that the claim Avas "on the very face 

 of it an outrageous fraud and falsehood;" that "it 

 was mere falsehood and imposture," and that " a great- 

 er ini(piity had rarely been transacted under the face 

 of the sun." 



Sir Alexander Cockburn w-as then without jiarlia- 

 mentary distinction or political advancement. With 

 the devotion of a Dalgetty, he placed his lance at 

 the service of a chief, regardless of the merits of the 

 cause. lie was soon rewarded for his services by 

 appointment to the ofiice of Solicitor-General, from 

 which he was promoted step by step, with unexam- 

 pled celerity, to his present position. 



