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700 W WE r h E A;Pyi£'ft. .* ^ [Saturd^,
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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.
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In The Commons, Lord John Russuxr., Usur...
Mr . Lavaiu > and Mr . Grog an supported the motion of Lord D . Stuart . Mr . Layard being very ve ^ . ed that he had been led to make a foolish speech about his " satisfaction . " Sir J . JSkeixey brought his testimony to the impression that Lord John Russell had declared that the destruction of Sebastopol must precede peace . Mr . Booker had heard both Lord Aberdeen's speech and Lord J . Russell ' s that night , and nothing could be more contradictory than the two . . ; Mr . Hobsman thought it important that the vote should be granted , and any further discussion could be taken on . the report .
Lord J , Russell assented to this course , provided the report could be taken this day . Mr . Peto , in withdrawing a motion to make way for the proposed discussion , bore different witness to the words of Lord John Russell than that which had been given by other members . Sir H . Wiixoughby liad received the same impression as Mr . Disraeli . Sir T . Dike Acland strongly recommended unanimity on such an occasion . Lord ! D . Stuabt withdrew his motion on the understanding that he received distinct assurance that further discussion should take place on the report . He should certainly make his motion for an address against prorogation until further information was before the House .
Lord J . Russell , in again assenting to the propbsed course , expressed nis extreme regret that he should have fallen into any ambiguity of expression . The vote was then agreed to . On Tuesday , at the evening sitting the House attending in large numbers , Lord Dudxet Stuart made the motion of which he had given notice—to add to the resolution , " and that sin address be presented to her Majesty to return thanks for her most gracious message , and to assure her Majesty that her Majesty may fully rely on the cheerful zeal and constant affection of her faithful Commons , and that they most readily do make provision according to her Majesty's
wishesand humbly to pray that her Majesty will be pleased not to prorogue Parliament until she shall have been enabled to afford to this House more full information with- respect both to her relations with foreign Powers and to her views and prospects in the contest in which her Majesty is engaged . " In supporting this motion , he referred to the misunderstanding of the preceding night , insisting that Lord John Russell had made what amounted to a retractation with respect to the objects of the war , whence he inferred that , we were governed by men not in accordance with each other , and whose councils were vacillating . This was his explanation of Lord John ' s inconsistency : —
Wliy , according to the subsequent reading given by the noble lord to his speech , if Russia was to lay down one or two sail of the line that would be sufficient . That , lie must say , totally altered the state of "things . How it came that the noble lord should have reduced his expressions and so diminished them as to take away all their value , was not for him to explain . He thought an impartial spectator would have thought either that the noble lord had received some communication from some of his colleagues , either in this place or in another place—perhaps from the noble lord at the head of the government—or that after speaking out his sincere , and manly , and noble opinions , and wishes , and intentions , which he ( Lord Dudley Stuart ) believed to have been the caso when ho iirat spoke , and that he felt afterwards that what ho had said was not in harmony , however it might be with his own wishes , with the wishes and opinions of those with whom ho was acting . "
He insisted that there wasdisunion in the Cabinet , and he did not trust Lord Aberdeen , under whoso influence our fleets and army were doing nothing and would do nothing : the calculation being that England would by and by be ready to give up the war in disgust . The Turks , he said , were by this time quite tired of our pretended alliance . Ho warned the nation that wo would bo led into error and misfortune if wo waited for the Prussian and Austrian alliance . If Parliament did net sit through the year we should bo hurried into some " ignominious peace . "
Mr . Sidney Herbert considered the motion legitimate . It was " a vote of want of confidence ; a challenge which the Government took up . " ( Cheers . ') Tho right honourable gentleman then went into tin elaborate defence of tho administration of the war ; contending that wonders had been done ; and that by the blockades in tho Black and Baltic seas , and by that assistance of our army in tho East , which hud stopped Russian supplies , wo had , in effect , destroyed Russian trade , compelled tho Czar ' s forces to full back , nnd annihilated Russian prestige . This , he said , was a good deal for one campaign , and tho campaign was not yet over . Russia had been compelled to sacrifice the Circassian forts , and that was an immense loss to her .
/ Why how many pounds sterling had Russia expended within tho last qunrtor of a century , in erecting for to along tho coast of CirouBsia i and had not nil these boon destroyed with ono single exception ? « iu * o A £ AUD ~~ Tho Russians abandoned thorn . * , rnr . < fJ'MWHWw—Tho hon . gontloman was not Batiaiiod « von when tho onomy runs away . CA laugh . ) And this
reminded him of an opinion of the Duke of Wellingtonthat the people of England liked a good butcher ' s bill ; but that might have been their feeling in past times ; he believed now they would rejoice to find that these forts had been taken without that destruction of human life such as ¦ we read of in the accounts of the battles of old . ( Cheers . )" This hit told ; and the right honourable gentleman went on to defend Lord Aberdeen . " The noble lord had told tliem that the non-suocess oi otrr arms was owing to the pusillanimity of Lord Aberdeen , and last night they were informed that the debate must be adjourned because , in another place , Lord Aberdeen might use language diametrically opposed to that of the noble lord
the President of the Council . Honourable gentlemen opposite , however , who had had tlie good fortune to hear the noble lord in another place immediately got up and said there ¦ was not a single contradiction , and he confessed he was agreeably surprised when he read the newspapers this morning to find the few plain but strong phrases of Lord Aberdeen perfectly agreed with the opinions which had been expressed by the noble lord the President of the Council . ( Cheers ') . Tho -noble lord who bad spoken to-night told them that the people of England had no confidence in the sincerity of the Cabinet with regard to this war ; but he ( Mr . S . Herbert } did not think that the people of England believed the stories to that effect which had been so industriously circulated . "
The war , he said , could not be concluded " By simply patching up a hollow peace , but that the war must not be concluded without obtaining guarantees and conditions which should give some prospect to Europe of a desirable - peace * for the future , as well as protect Turkey and the other neighbours of Russia from being rudely trampled on by the rulers of that vast country . " ( Cheers . ) He , for one , did not desire to be a member of a Government on sufferance ; and let , therefore , this motion be carried , or let him hear no more of the Cabinet not having the confidence of the House . ( Loud cheejs . y The speech was a success .
Mr . Layard ( to whose speech on the former evening Mr . Herbert had been replying in a great measure ) followed with a vindication , and some new sarcasms . He denied that in-either sea there was effectual blockade ; and he contended that Russian trade was not suffering , that trade being carried on through Prussia . Referring to the scene of the previous night , he insisted that Lord Jolin had said one thing at one hour and another six hours later . He then considered our present relations with Austria , and the views of that Power , as developed in the protocols , which showed , in his opinion , that the restoration of the status quo ante helium , was all she sought , and that Austria would go no further
with us than obtaining the evacuation of the £ > anubian Principalities . The moment that object was accomplished our difficulties would begin . He dwelt upon the great importance of the contest in which we were engaged , and upon the absence of distinct and satisfactory information as to the objects of the war . He acknowledged he had no confidence in Lord Aberdeen ; he thought the country was distrustful of him . Although he regretted the motion of Lord D . Stuart , which placed him in" great difficulty ,, if pressed to a division he should vote for it . The choice was between these things—whether we would remain a first-rate power , the defenders of European
principles and liberties—or a third-rate power , and be the brokers , commission agents , and salesmen of the world . ( Cheers . ) Unless we took one side , we should be compelled to fall into the other . Mr . W . A . Wilkinson "was of opinion that Lord John Russell had retracted nothing , and that what Lord John had said was satisfying . Admiral Beukejuev defended the naval administration of the war , and let out the secret that Sir Charles Napier had written home to say that he could do nothing ( with tho fleet ) against Cronstadt . Sir John Shelley had confidence in tho Government , hut none in Lord Aberdeen , and he was sure the country had . none .
Sir John Walsh , as a Conservative , had no confidence in the Government ; it was a ridiculous Government , beaten twice a week : but Parliament liad no right to interfere with the prerogative of the Crown , and ho would vote against tho motion . Mr . Hiluvauo called attention to tho indiscretion of Admiral Berkeley in telling Napier ' s opinion about Cronatadfc ; and Admiral Berkeley replied , conscious of a blunder ; but referring to tho troops who had gone to tho assistance of tho fleet as likely to qualify Nnpier ' a view of what could bo done . Mr , Pkto thought tho war had gone on very well , nnd that a good deal had been done , and ho bad eonfidonce in tho Government . Lord John Russell vindicated himself and thon Lord Aberdeen .
" Some hon . members liayo Bingled out tho noblo lord nt tho head of tho administration , nnd mudo liim tho peculiar objcot of Httack . Now , sir , whatever may bo tho constitutional nature of this motion—and I do not dony Mint as a motion of want of confidence , it is constitutional ' — -thorn i « nothing constitutional in an attempt to Hopamto tho Cabinet from tho noblo lord who 1 h itt tho head of it , and to jnuko that noblo lord ulono responsiblo for that of which all hiu colleagues must hharo tho responsibility . ( ' I / car , ficur , ' from tho Ministerial bonohos . ) vVith regard to tho gonoral moa-Buroa of tho Government , those monauron have boon coneidorod atop by atop by thosa advisors of hor Majotity who aro usually called the CaUnot , and for tho decisions which have boon adopted all tho cwllonguos of Lord Abordoon aro
alike responsible to this House and to the . country mtb that noble lord . With regard , again , to particular departments , with regard to the Minister of War and . the First Lord of the Admiralty , who are especially charged with the conduct of measures relating to the war , I am sure I am justified in saying that there is no measure that they have proposed in order to give greater -vigour to the operations of the war , " in order to ensure success in the war , which my noble friend at the head of the Government has not zealously encouraged and readily concurred in . That my noble friend for a long while "believed in the chance of peace and wished to avert war is a reproach which I think he can very well bear , liut , with regard to any delay which may have taken place , delay charged to have taken place at least—at tho commencement of the war , those who sat with Lord Aberdeen as bis
colleagues are alike chargeable with him on account of it . [ And then followed a counter-sneer at Parliament which was perfectly justified . ] Let me , however , remark—because this lias something to do with the motion- —in referenco to that which was for some time the real subject of attack , namely , that vhen thePruth had been passed wo did not at once advise lier Majesty either to declare war or to take such steps as would have shown that we were determined to encounter the risk of immediate hostilities—let me remark that that event took place while Parliament was sitting , and when Parliament might , had it so pleased , have interfered to give advice to the Crown ; and that the step of sending tlie fleet first into the Bosphorus and afterwards into the 131 ack Sea , was taken at a time when Parliament was not sitting . He would abide by the decision of the House . "
Lord Dudley Stuart , of course , did not press his motion : the Opposition was not anxious that he should;—and the money was voted—i . e ., the Beport was adopted . At one moment , when it was thought a division would come off , Mr . Disraeli rushed out of the House .
ENGLISH PATRIOTISM AND RUSSIAN SECURITIES . On Saturday Lord Dudley Stuart obtained leave to biing in his bill making it a misdemeanour for an English subject to have any dealings , during the war , in Eussian " Securities . " On Wednesday the l > ill was put into committee ; and , on both occasions , there was a debate , the principal feature of which was , that Mr . James Wilson , the secretary to the treasury , ridiculed the bill , first as unnecessary , and next as bad in principle ; and that Lord Palmerston , fa vouring the bill , in compliment to Lord Dudley Stuart , treated what Mr . Wilson said as " sheer nonsense . " On the question of going into committee on Wednesday there was a division : the commercial men siding with Mr . Wilson ; the haters of sheer nonsense and lovers o public spirit with Lord Palnaerston ; and the latter , of course , —ironically helped by the Opposition , who were delighted with the scandal , —winning by a considerable majority .
Mr . T . Baking , who opened the discussion on Wednesday , demolished the bill in a few words . It was his opinion , as a merchant , that it was unnecessary , while it would proclaim to the world that , but for it , a Russian loan would be taken by Englishmen , whereas there was no disposition here to lend money to llussia . The bill , the provisions , of which might be easily evaded , evinced an indecent manifestation of spite towards a particular Power ; it should apply to all States , and should have been brought in by the Government . Mr . J . Wilson used an unanswerable argument , —which certainly was not answered :
' * He believed if it were onco understood what the financial position of Russia was at this moment and what its oporations were , it would have more effect in preventing a Russian loan than any laws which could be passed . At tho time this country wus engaged in war , from JfcSOO to 1815 , when banknot « s wore inconvertible , our currency became depreciated ; but when the House passed a bill on tho subject in 1819 , in redeeming tho securities , tlicy determined to pay all their debts honestly without depreciation , and at tlio full value , instead of paying tliein with tho depreciated currency . What lid Kussia do on n similar occasion ? Russia commenced a long war with the issue of a rouble note of tho value of U 8 ponce , which wns made inconvertible for a lengtiionod period of jenrs , but , owing to frequent issues , tho rouble note was depreciated sto ]> by step , until , instead of being worth 88 d ., it wuh only worth lOAil . Now , what did Kussia do ? Tho
whole ol those securities wore paid by tho Russian Government ot 10 » d . Tlio value- of tho rouble wns restored to 38 d ., but nil tho old notes which tho Russian Government had issued woroj > ni < l « t 1 OJ < 1 . Russia wns now doing precisely the Himio thing again , and was declaring tho rouble notes issued at 88 d . lo bo inconvertible ; those notes hnd already lallun to 02 d ., and , if tho present war continued , it would ho » u bo found that tho excessive issues would load to a depreciation equal to that which took place during tho war to which ho hail rufurrod . Tho creditors of Russia and tho holiloVa of Russian securities would thon find that thoir securities wcro reduced to one-third of their " orlginal value . Ho thought , if tlicso facts wore known , that capitalists would bo placed upon thrir guard ngninst such imaortnin investments , nnd that tho oljjnct of tho noblo member for Mnrylobonu would bo fioeured much moro easily and cotnplululy than by any Icmalativo monsure . "
Lord Palmuhston followed ; talking his debonair ignorance o ( ' tho subject with pleasant audacity , under which Mr . Wilson coivorotl . " Now , what n puorilo distinction that in which \ a ut > tompteil to bo drawn botwucn furnioliing such aid directly and indirectly . This bill applies , not n » mnny h « n . contlointjn endeavour to represent , to entablished Dutch Block , vvluch linn boon matter of bargain nnd ualo nnd of bequest for ' yoars past , but it applius ( simply to stock to bo creatod lor tho very purpose of milking war upon thin coiwtiy . Tho object ot tho bill is dimply ( hia—to provide tlmt , if tho
700 W We R H E A;Pyi£'Ft. .* ^ [Saturd^,
700 W WE r h E A ; Pyi £ 'ft . . * ^ [ Saturd ^ ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 29, 1854, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_29071854/page/4/
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