On this page
-
Text (2)
-
770 THE LEADER- V [Saturday,
-
THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT. BTT8SIA. The oft...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
If Any Doubt Existed As To The Powerof E...
reform of the land tenure in Ireland , so elaborately prepared by Mr . Napier , so shabbily opposed by his quondam colleague , LordMalmesbury , so generously taken up by Ministers , have bee . n rjea ^ a secon d time and abandoned , upon the understanding thate next session they shall be revised and passed . It is not a little remarkable that the incoherence
between the members of the late Ministry increases . Mr . Disraeli di <| not shotf light on the Succession-duty Bill ; Sir John Pakington and the congenial Malmesbury did . Mr . Napier is anxious to pass his Land Tenure Bills ; but Lord Malmesbury , his late colleague , acting under Lord Derby ' s orders , blocks the way .
The India Bill , not without some mutilation from the persevering efforts of Lord Ellenborough , has passed through nearly all its stages . Odd is the fortune of amendments . Sir John Pakington puts an end to the salt monopoly ; Lord Ellenborough strikes out Sir John ' s clause , and renews the monopoly ; so that the unpopular Governorgeneral will be more unpopular in India than
ever . The Charitable Trusts Bill has passed . Durham is fatal to Lord John Russell . It is the Bishop of Durham who keeps back his income from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ; it was to that notorious prelate that Lord John wrote a famous letter ; it is in trying to get the University of Durham from the exemption clause of the Charitable Trusts Bill , that Lord John got his Government beaten by ten majority . He has however succeeded in exempting the Roman Catholic trusts from the bill for two years . This
exemption is necessary as otherwise a great many trusts , partlydedicatedto " superstitioususes " would be illegal . The law of superstitious uses therefore will be amended . Some progress has been made by Lord Palmerstbn towards clearing the London atmosphere of smoke , and executing indispensable drainage ; while Government prepares a plan for representative Government in the metropolis . The Transportation Bill is making sure advances . The last Committee of Supply has been taken ; and to-day Ministers eat white bait at Greenwich .
Beyond Parliament , there is little doingexcept of the naval and military order . Mrs . Chishohn has had an ovation , and the Christians of the London Tavern have offered her their heroine worship , and several hundred pounds . The faintest political agitation ripples the calm of Palace-yard , in the shape of a Committee to get
a reduction of the wine duty , who are going to fight under the banner of Mr . Oliveira . And the Bishop of Durham has defended himself from the charge of deceiving the Ecclesiastical Commission , by boldly asserting , in a charge to his clergy , that the railways bred a surplus over the sum fixed by the Commissioners , which he kept back for his own private works of charity .
But the records of justice have supplied a trial which , with the fleet , has divided the public curiosity . A stupendous trial , beginning with the romance of an early lost and late discovered son of a deceased baronet , supporting his claim to great property by documents , seals , jewellery , portraits , respectable witnesses , and a marvellous tale—and ending in the most complete substantiation of conspiracy—forgery—perjury ! The case of Smith , alias Provis , alias " Sir Richard Hugh Smyth , " will take rank among the causes ceUbres of criminal history .
The London City police have held an interview with Mr . Commissioner Harvey , to ask for a rise of wages , and they have represented that they cannot support their families respectably , on the sums allowed , now that provisions and rent are rising . The Commissioner favoured them with ft little eHsay on political economy , representing that the price of wages docs not depend upon the price of provisions or rent , but upon supply and demand . However , he was in favour rather of reducing the force , and raising its pay : an idea which is , perhaps , superior
to his political economy ; The policemen , even by his own description of their duties , as thoughtful servants , are-riot like ordinary labourers , but tliey stand in ifce light , to use an apparent Irishism , of private servants to the public ; and it is as reasonable for them to ask for pay , in proportion to the price of food and lodging , as it is to increase the army vote , when its commissariat and barrack expenses are enhanced . Cjntf principle upon which we have insisted , however , was proved by this meeting . Mr . Harvey met the men in a fair , straightforward , and friendly spirit , and he found the natural return . When he asked the men if they intended to resign on refusal of their demand , they replied— " They should do nothing so disrespectful to him or to the City . " We counsel them to do nothing disrespectful either to Mr . Harvey or to the City , and not to resign if they can avoid it . But we do say that their demand is justified both on their own ground , and on the ground of the general rise in the value of labour . One proof of that is the surrender of the manufacturers at Stockport , with every reason to avoid surrendering . It has been a custom of employers to assure the working hands that strikes invariably fail . During the present year the experience of the men has refuted that dogmatic presumption ; and the obstinate resistance of the masters being at last overcome , exhibits the fact of the very strong power on the side of the working hands . We have already shown that these wages movements are continued . The grand thing is , we repeat , even for the twentieth time , that the working hands should ascertain the facts upon which they act , and make no demands that they cannot enforce-. :- ¦ ..- ' - ¦ -- ; ----- - ..,.. — .:,-:..:..: ¦ ... - ¦ -
770 The Leader- V [Saturday,
770 THE LEADER- V [ Saturday ,
The Week In Parliament. Btt8sia. The Oft...
THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT . BTT 8 SIA . The oft-repeated interpellations on the Eastern question and the Russian answer were revived on Monday in the Houses twain , the characters in the little drama being nearly the same as before . First catne a statement of facts and a declaration of their character , by the Marquis of Clanricarde . After recounting what Russia had done in the Principalities , his lordship said : — " I hope I shall be told that there ifl very little reason to doubt that , at the moment when I have now the honour of addressing your lordships , tho combined fleets are at last before Constantinople , on the other side of the Dardanelles . ( Cheers . ) If I ask , then , my lords , what has been done at homo 31 hope and expect that I shall be told that either long before this intelligence was received in this country , or , at all events , since it was received , there has been , not a mere request for explanation , but a categorical demand that tho Danubian Principalities shall bo immediately evacuated by the Russian forces . ( Loud cheers . ) We wore told when tho Russian forces entered these provinces , that it was not to make war upon Turkey . Why , what I have described is itself war . It is cither war or piracy ; and if it is not war it is piracy . ( Loud cheers . )
And are wo in this Dosition . that we are to suffer war to And are wo in this position , that we are to sutler war to bo waged upon our ally upon such pretences as are horo put forward , or aro wo to stand by and see this act of violonco committed upon Turkey without interfering P If wo aro to bo told that it is a question of treaty whether tho fleot Bhall bo inside or outside tho Dardanelles , I say there is now such a state of war as abolishes all treaties so far as Russia and Turkey are concerned . There does not exist a single treaty binding on Turkey after tho aggression which has been perpetrated upon her by Russia . Thero can bo no reason whatever , then , for not acting . And what is tho stato of things told by the answers wo have rccoivod from tho Government in cither House of Parliament ? That wo havo sont notes . Ayo , but you
have sont other notes , and wo wore told there was another note to bo sent from Vienna last Sunday or Monday ; but whilo you aro sending notes , tho Russian forces aro advancing , and , boyond tho Principalities I havo nainod , aro taking possession of another territory . It may bo said , ' Good news has boon received , and appoars in tho papers of to-day , ' and I shall bo told probably , if that news is true , that the proposal which has been sont from Vienna has boon received favourably at St . Petersburg . . But wo do not know what that proposal in ,, and boforo you can expect that tho fact of its accoptanco can givo unqualified
satisfaction , wo must know what is tho naturo of tho pro - posal which has boon mado . It is cloar , howovor , that it IB not tho proposal which wns alluded to last wook in tho Houho of Commons , for wo wore thon told that tho m « Hwongor would lcavo Vienna with a proposal from England awl . Franco on tho Sunday or Monday , whorooB this news daton from SI ; . Petersburg on tho ttrd instant , and it is ufctorly impossible that leaving Vienna on tho 1 st , it could havo reached St . Petersburg on tho 3 rd . Therefore , thin nowH must rolato to somo provious Austrian proposition . Wo do not know , then , what tho proposal whioh haa boon
accepted | s . "Put X b & j , after what has occurred , ypup lordship ' s House will not eonsider , and the _ country will not consider , ' ^ any pifbpositiori satisfactory if it be not fop the immediate an ( J c ^ nip lete evacuation of the Turkish provinces . ( Much cheering . ) But under this , which I call good news , there is news of a very different quality received td-dajy , for it is therein stated that the Russian flotilla , wMch commenced operations at Ismail , is in possession of the whole of the upper part of the river , and consists of 200 vessels , of which 150 are gun-boats . Thus , while we are passing : notes and sending couriers , We have not only the occupation of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia , but the invasion of Bulgaria , and the whole of that great river , the most important to the commerce of Europe , in the possession , on both sides of a Russian force . "
Lord Ciabendon's answer expressed agreement with Lord Clanricarde ' s opinions , official ignorance of his facts , and hopes of a satisfactory termination to the question . The pith of his answer was the assertion that the question has now assumed an European character , —that Austria , Prussia , England , and France are iinited to check the designs of Russia , and that no arrangement will be accepted " except that which will secure the independence of Turkey . " On the part of " the Opposition , " Lord Maemesbttet said a few words . He took credit for " the
patience" with which the Opposition had consented to the reserve of the Ministry , contrasted the publicity of the French and Russian diplomacy with the secrecy of the English proceedings , hoped that a debate on the subject would soon take place , and asked Lord Clarendon directly what conditions respecting the immediate evacuation of the Principalities had been included in the proposition sent to Vienna . Without exactly answering the question , Lord Clarendon made a distinct pronouncement on the point , and then made v a bold assertion .
" I have no hesitation now in informing my noble friend , without waiting for any further discussion , that we look to the immediate and complete evacution of the Danubian provinces as a . sine qua non of any agreement whatever . ( Cheers . ) With respect to any discussion ,. or , any statement which it is desirable to make , I hope your lordships will bear in mind that the Government have not wished to shrink from this discussion or to lay the fullest information before Parliament of what has been done . (
Expressions of surprise . ) I did not even ask my noble friend to postpone the motion of which he had given notice for a previous evening . I felt that if your lordships and the country were pleased to ask for it , you were perfectly right and justified in so doing , and the noble marquis , yielding to the request of the noble lord , did so independent of the Government , and without even giving the Government notice of bis intention . " His lordship added : " I hope , therefore , it will be remembered that the Government do not shrink from
any discussion . In the Commons , on the same evening , Lord John Rttssem , said ( in reply to Sir Joshua Waimslex ) : " I have to state that before the prorogation of Parliament , I will givo such information with regard to the relations between this country , Russia , and Turkey , as may bo consistent with my public duty . With respect to the second question , I cannot say that I think it would be consistent with the public interest , in the present state of the negotiations , that any day should bo fixed for a public discussion of this question . " Again , ( in reply to Mr . Lataed ) Lord JonN said : " So far as tho Government are concerned , it is not our opinion that thero should be a discussion . " With reference to tho nowa of the day stating the Emperor of Russia ' s assent to tho Vienna proposition , he said :
" Wo havo received from hor Majesty ' Minister at Vienna a despatch which is of a satisfactory character . The answer received is in roply to tho first proposal , which was agreed to at Vienna ; ancl tho messenger who was to go to Constantinople , and who was to Ioavo Vionna on the 31 st ult ., did not Ioavo it until tho 2 nd of August , s that a roply cannot be rccoivod from Constantinople so soon as was at first expected . " Subsequently Lord John ( in reply to Mr . Disbaem ) declined to state the nature of the propositions which have been mado to tho Emperor of Russia .
Lord Maimesitoby led on a debate last night on this question . Ho moved for a translation of the two circulars addressed by Count Nesselrodo to the diplomatic agents of tho Russian Government , and published in the St . Petersburg Gazette ; and also for any answer which her Majesty ' s Government may havo sont to tho statements therein contained . Ho ontored into o history of tho Eastern question ; complained in strong terms of tho course which this country had taken in
the matter ; maintained that tho crossing of the Pruth by Russia was a . distinct cams belli , and that this country should havo adviocd Turkey to consider it' so ; and n . HBerted that by so doing they would havo prevented tho question from arriving at its present unsatisfactory Ntafce . Tho people , ho said , had a right to know , and might know with safety , what lino of policy tho Government wcro following . Withholding thin information had oxcifced , and won exciting , dissatisfaction at homo , and mistrust abroad . Tho Earl of ClabknuoN said , bo must adhere to tho practice observed by all Governments— -of not jaaak-
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 13, 1853, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13081853/page/2/
-