On this page
-
Text (3)
-
C74 THE LEADER. [Saturday,
-
PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK. JPOflWION OF IHB...
-
ATTEMPTS AT THE PUBLIC MONEY". In commit...
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.
Fllue English World Is In Suspense, Wait...
Government means , and is of that still noble character -which makes it restive under despotism , and especially of a woman ' s and her minion ' s despotism , we see , in tliese . ideas of the new men , some guarantee for future *"^ stability . " Ger-tnialy , at whatever cost , we trust to < See the Spaniards left to themselves . Louis Nqjitileon will reraember that his uncle was trapped -Sri Spain ; andt & he English public otfght not *© * forget that sLord Clarendon has btfhgled too much in Spanish politics to be trusted in an arbitration at such a crisis as this .
The "brilliant weather is antagonistic to " public movements" in England . The nation is feeling hot , indifferent to Parliament , and grateful for the fall in the price of com—a fall that will be retained . We have had , in the Mansion House , a grand fashionable meeting for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts ; in the policecourt adjoining the Egyptian Hall a " great city merchant" being tried , at the very moment , for enormous malpractices in commerce ; and , also concurrently , at the west end of the town a fracas
of respectable and pious people "was going on , because they were in doubts as to the sort of Gospel they would endure here . " Which is the Church of England ? " is the question in Christian and civilised Belgravia : arid that miglit be answered before our Bishops and our Secretaries of -State urge subscriptions for the behoof of the beathen ,- ~ who does not miss the Gospel . Assuredly , " Convocation , " which met the day after the Belgravian emeute , would look less absurd if iwe oould trace in its aimless
debates—remarkably like some of Mr . Liddell ' s " . mummeries "any sign of a will , or even a wish , to deal like honest , not to say Christian , men , -with a schism the existence of -which renders the lives of half the clergymen—vrko scowled at one another , on Thursday , in the Jerusalem Chamber—living lies -and . frauds . The Oxford bill might also have been a question . The Commons are to consider the Lords '
amendments on Thursday next . The most important change introduced by the Upper House was the restoration of popular instead of sectional election . The professors , however , who are anxious for immediate power , Bide with the Heads of Houses in favour of the sectional plan , and the point will probably be contested in the Commons . All Liberals must rejoice and wonder at the liberalism , of the Lords in throwing out that part of Mr . Roundell Palmer ' s clause , which "was intended to protect the school monopolies at St .
John ' s and New College . The " great twin foundations" are nurseries of Toryism of the least respectable kind , hermetically sealed against purifying influences . The same thing may be said of King ' s , the fate of which is bound up with that of New College . On the whole , the bill , even in its present shape , since it has been cut down by the combined opposition ot Tories and independent
liberals , is a great . gain . In its original shape it went as far as cduUI well , fee-expected , It was clear that houest Tories and High Churchmen must bo considered so long as they exist in their present force ; tliat is , if it is important ihat the new fiystem should work . Anything which drove that element from Oxford to exclusive seminaries would bo a great misfortune—both to thorn and the Oxford residents .
C74 The Leader. [Saturday,
C 74 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
Parliament Of The Week. Jpoflwion Of Ihb...
PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK . JPOflWION OF IHB O . OVISK . NWU 5 NT THE MJLNlBTJfllt Of WAll . The expected great debate last Monday " -went off ;" Locd John having 1 announced to his " supporters , " at tho private meeting that day , und subsequently to tho Opposition in tho Houso , that he mount , next week , to come down for more money for the war ; the discu ssion on general policy and tho position ol tho Gw . ornrnent . having oonHQquently to bo adjourned till next Monday , whon a credit for 3 , O 0 O , 0 OU / . is to do taken—amounting to a " confidence" vote . The v ote ( 17 , 800 / . ) wae , howovor , moved on Monday Ry AfWj ^ . JMhn , who explained how matters stood ;
the explanation amounting to this , that there could not be an immediate consolidation of the various military departments until the Duke of Newcastle saw his way better . His speech ( consisting of merely technicttldetails ) lasted half an hour . Sir . 3 T . Paeington said he had listened 4 ; o the noble lord ^ vith feelings of the greatest astonishment and disappointment . The noble < lord has told them he had ^ fitated She views of 3 ihe Government , but lit appeased to him that thatnvas exactly what the noble lord 'had annotated , © eoould only understand from the nrfble lord that , "with the single exception that the commissariat was to be transferred from the Treasury to the new department , the Government had formed no view on the subject , and that they had formed a new establishment , and appointed a new Secretary of State , without knowing what were to be the duties of that officer . He ( Sir J . Pakington ) agreed that -it was impossible for the Secretary for the Colonies adequately to fulfil the duties of the War Minister ; but he thought the Government ought not to have rested content with stating their opinions that , row we were involved in war , the duties should not be performed by the Secretary for the Colonies . He thought they had a right to expect that , before the Government came down with an estimate for a new Secretary of State , they were bound to make up their minds what were to be his dirties . But the noble , lord had done nothing of the kind . ( This was hear-lieared ; the House was evidently disgusted . ) Then , how is the administration of the army itself Conducted ? Why , for the conduct of the army there are no less than five departments- I speak now , of course , of what has been the state 6 f things up to the establishment of this neAv war department . The Secretary of State ibr the Colonies was theoretically and nominally the War Minister . You then had the Horse Guards , with the Commander-in-Chief ; the Ordnance , under the Master-General ; the Commissariat , under the Treasury ; and you had the office of Secretary at War distinct from all . Mr . Sidney Herbert replied , endeavouring , in the first place , to reconcile with his present position his speech early in the session , in answer to Mr . Hume , against any change in the war administration —this attempt to preserve consistency being a complete failure . Then he sought to defend his present position per se : — '' With regard , to the first complaint , I can only say that the Secretary at War has nothing whatever to do with the management of war . The duties of the Secretary at War are duties delegated to him by the Treasury , and lie acts as a check on the expenditure of tho aririy ; but that advantage would be lost if wo had the Secretary for War exercising the whole executive functions of the military department , and at the same time checking his own expenditure . I have heard the honourable member for Montrbse complain that the management of the navy is more expensive than that of the army , and I have no doubt that tho management of the army has been more closely looked into than anything else , and I believe the reason of the economy in that department is , that one man cannot spend any money without another man ' s consent , and not a step can be taken , by the Oomman < ler-in-Chief without the consent of the Finance Minister ; and I can only repeat , that it is on that account that the military department Jias been conducted with so much economy . The right honourable gentleman objects to the office of Secretary at War , and says that it is useless . Well , if it be useless , by all means abolish it , but I do not think that it is useless , and I hope that I . have satisfied tho committee that it is the ; vital cause of economy in the administration of the army , and , bo far from wishing to see it abolished , I should like to « ee its operalion extended , for I do not see why tho whole expenditure for the mutdriel and personnel of tho Ordnance should not bo placed under tho control of the Secretary at War . With regard to tho question , as to whether the Secretary of Stuto for War and the Secretary at War should be Cabinet Ministers , that is a point upon which I shall'not enter , nnd , with regard to the general question , I can only say that I have looked at it and considered it with . perfect . impartiality , So far from attempting to prevent changes being made in tho present system , I liavo urged the necessity of ohunge , and I have in l ' urlinment Bpoken as to what -were tho evils to bo remedied . 1 am aorry that tho right honourable baronet objects that there Bhould bo two Cabinet Ministers connected with the War Department ; but it appeared to me , and I hope that I shall not bethought guilty of self-sufficiency , that , having been for a long thno Secretary at War , and having , during th « t tirno , received most cordial uupport-from ovory one connected with tho army , that haying bestowed a very conuiderablo amount of attention on this subject , and from my knowledge of tho details of tlie business of tho War-ollko , I thought that my services might bo of great value to aswibt not , only in promoting tho of noienoy of tlio army , but also in nasisting tho Government in arranging in a liiml and Batrnfaotory manner , tho various duties of tlio War Dopartmerit . I thought that I hIiouM not bo juHti / ied in resigning an office because it had bononno of , porlmjpH , a lit ! lo lows importance , anil , thoroforo , 1 undertook to carry on tho dutiea of Secretary at War ; and if tho right honourable contleman diaapproves of my doing so , I rogrct it ; hut 1 can only say tliat tho assistance ) which I may havo given to tho Govornmmt shall continue to ho givon , nnd I hopo that the rotmlt will bo , that wo shall bo able to luy upon tho table of the liouao a detailed plan of tho entiio change . " Tho House then emptied , and Colonel Dunno and Mr . George Butt , speaking would-bo opposition , talked incongruities to hall-a-dozen members . Mr . Butt down , and tho vote wue summarily voted , amid tho half dozen membws' murmuring laughter .
Attempts At The Public Money". In Commit...
ATTEMPTS AT THE PUBLIC MONEY " . In committee of supply , on Tuesday , Mr . George DtrNDAa-asked the House of Commons to order the correspondence in the case of Dr . Reid , the ventilator , whom Mr . D ' undas represented as an ill-used man , amongofcher reasons because he had been insufficiently icmunerated . The House did not sympathise in the demand , the great ventilator being decidedly 'Unpopular ; and Sir W . Mon-. sworth , as conrattssioneryjf works , was enabled to snub Mr . © undas . * He said tliis-guestion haW been settled by an arbitration to which l" ) r » Reid had fully consented , and in pursuance of which ' 8250 / . had been paid to
that gentleman in full settlement of his claim . Dr . Reid liad placed before the arbitrators a complete statement of his case , the matter had been thoroughly investigated during a reference of not fewer than thirty days , and the award had been made upon the maturestdeliberation . The evidence alone occupied 5000 folio pages , and to print it would involve a cost of not less than 1000 / ., an outlay perfectly thrown away , as not two members of the House , in all probability , would read a line of it . If the hon , member himself wished to peruse it , lie could do so at full leisure at his ( Sir W . Molesworth's ) office . ( A laugh . ' ) ' He certainly could not accede to the motion .
Then Mr . Bowybji asked for a committee to inquire into the . claims of one Mr . Sturgeon , who was a porcelain manufacturer , resident in France at the time of the first revolution , whose property had been confiscated , and Who had never received proper compensation out of the funds placed in the hands of the British Government to meet such cases by the French Government on the Restoration . Mr . Wilson said that the case had been done justice to , that Mr . Sturgeon ' s representatives had consented to take a certain sum in full acquittal of all claims , & c . & c . ~ ; : and on a motion official influence prevailed over a sense of justice , the committee being refused , but only by a majority of one , the numbers being 39 for and 40 against .
Singularly enough , the next question before the House was one of " compensation , " and the Govern - ment again carried their point by a majority of one . The claim was made by Admiral "Walcot on behalf of Captain Dickenson , of the royal navy , who , some years ago , at great risks and sacrifices , and by great energy ., . got an enormous salvage from the wreck of her Majesty ' s ship Thetis , wrecked ( in 1830 ) off the coast of Brazil , with avast treasure on board ; the admiral on the station having reported against the possibility of saving anything-, and having only reluctantly allowed Captain Dickenson to make the attempt . The claim was for a larger allowance of salvage money than the Court of Admiralty had allowed : the service having been arduous , and Captain Dickenson , in prosecuting his work during eighteen months , having expended a private fortune .
Sir < T . Graham resisted the application for the usual official reasons : hinting that Captain Dickenson now enjoyed a good situation at Greenwich Hospital , and had no right to be bothering the Government . The announcement of the numbers , when the division came—40 to 41—excited great laughter in the House .
FLOGGING IN THE WAVYMr . W . WiL . tyLA . M 8 brought the flogging cases , in her Majesty's sloop " Star , " Warren , commander , before the House of Commons on Tuesday : Mr . Williams said , that nearly all the crow of the Star had been flogged , that many potty officers had boon disrated to able seamen in order that they might bo put in a position to bo flogged , and that many ab ) o seamen liad been reduced to ordinary seamen . He on a formor occasion asked the right lion , baronet tho First Lord of tho Admiralty , whether tho statement was correct or not , when ho said that only a fuw punishments had tnkon place on board tho Star , and that those punishments wore inflicted in a case whore some seamon hud stolon a cask of wine and got drunk upon it . He
( Mr . Williams ) had received u stutoment from tho Star , sanctioned by the crew ; and ho indignantly denied the charge , and was sure tho right lion , buronct bad boon do . coivod . He would place his information iigaiwnt tho information of tho right lion , baronet , and was ready to go into an inquiry with perfect conlidonco of being able to show tliat the right hon . baronut hud boon entirely misled . Tho right lion , baronet had refused to give tho return asked for by tho motion , upon tho pvctoneo that the Houhq of Commorm was not u lit placo for imving anything to do with either tho dia ~ clplino or tho inaiingement of lier Majesty's navy . Tho llouao of Oomniona had done more for tho navy arid the nnny than any Hoard of Admiralty ox any Qo mmunder-in-Chiof had ever dono , by exposing th « cruoltiea that had been
pructiHtiU in both services . What -was tho consequence ? The praotico in tho army was to indict 1000 lashes . That wim tho minimum , and it waa contended that they could not indict a single limit Iohh without bringing tho army into a btiUo of insubordination . Well , n motion was made for abolishing Hogging lit tho army , and ulwt followed ? Why , tho Duko of Wellington reduced tho imiubur of laabos from 1000 down to 50 . Th » it wan done entirely in deference to tho opinion of tho llouiiu of Commorm . At waa juat tho siuiitt with rcttpoiit to tho imvy . 1000 lashes was tho imnitihuii ' iU in tho navy , arid which woro indicted with a cruelly that would dingruco a cannibal . Well , ho himself brought forwurd and exposed caaos of cruelty in the naval eorvico over and over ngiiin ; and what bad been tho consequence ? Wliy , the
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), July 22, 1854, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_22071854/page/2/
-