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and learned friend , that a considerable degree of excitement and irritation has prevailed , and does prevail , upon this subject , not only at Vienna , bub in other parts of Europe ; and I also must say , not only on the part of the Governments of Europe , but the feeling is shared by the people of those countries . My lords , I must confess that , connecting , as they do , certain atrocious and sanguinary acts of recent occurrence with the residence of those re * fiigees in this country , the feeling is perhaps not unnatural , but they connect them as I believe very erroneously , and therefore I think and hope that the feeling will subside and be set at rest before long . My lords , I think it is right to say that it is not the intention of
her Majesty ' s Government to propose any new law for the adoption of Parliament upon this subject ( ' Hear , hear / and cheers ) , and it is not our intention for this reason , because we hope and believe that the law of this country is sufficient to enable us to discharge those duties to friendly and neighbouring States to which we are bound by international law . If indeed it were possible that the law of . this country disabled us from performing those duties of paramount obligation , then indeed it might be necessary to consider the subject ; but as I trust—and I am now confirmed by my noble and learned friend—that this is not the case , 1 hope that we shall be able to do all that foreign powers have a right to require , without having recourse to any extraordinary remedies of this kind . My
lords , if it could be supposed possible that the Government of this country , or that the people of this country , had any connivance with , or were even indifferent to the perpetration of the acts which have been alluded to , then , indeed , a greater degree of hostility would be justified than any that has been hitherto shown towards us . I speak not only of the atrocious attempt on the life of the illustrious prince , the hope of his family , whose danger has revived all that ancient loyalty and devoted attachment which has been so long the possession of his family , but also of the recent outbreak at Milan , where a few desperate men have taken and put to death some sentries at their post , and other isolated individuals . TheSe
men may call themselves patriots , but they are merely assassins in disguise . My lords , I think that any powers such as are supposed to be necessary for the Government of this country to possess , would really be injurious to the tranquillity and peace of this country . If such a law as that to which I have alluded should exist , it must either bo on the supposition that discretion would be exercised and inquiry instituted in every case before the law was carried into effect ; this would naturally lead to differences of opinion between the State complaining and ourselves , as to the amount of proof required , and might thereby lead to very serious differences between us ; on the other hand , the only alternative would be a general acquiescence
in any such demands , and that would bo a state of degradation to which it would be impossible for us to submit . ( Hear , hear . ) I 3 ut I trust that if foreign Governments are persuaded , not only that the Government but the people of this land have no sympathy with any such abominable attempts as those to which my noble and learned friend has alluded , they will bo disposed to trust in the good faith , in the sincerity , and in the honesty of the attempts of the Government to put that law into effect which we consider to bo sufficient for the purpose . My noble and learned friend has alluded to the duty of the Government to take the initiative in these proceedings , and to institute prosecutions upon them . Now I have the satisfaction of informing my noble and learned friend that
the Government have already come to that decision , in case of any such events occurring as to give fresh ground of complaint , not to throw upon the foreign minister the burden of instituting such a prosecution , but when a caso is made out . sufficient to justify u propor legal proceeding against any party so implicated , that the Government will take it upon themselves to carry on such prosecution . [ Foreign powers have already been informed of that determination . I do not . know that I need any anything more on this subject . Lamenting , as we all must do , the existence of any cause which should produce alienation and estrangement between powers which hnvo been long and intimately connected , I do trust that tlio assurance wo have given , and arc prepared to act upon , may bo sufficient to allay the alarm which hus prevailed upon this subject . "
Lord Mrotiohatvt , Lord Tituito , and the Lord Chancellor concurred . In Committee * of
SUPPLY the principal point of interest lias been tlio Ordnance e » l , imaten , which Mr . Monseix brought forward on Monday . They amount to upwards of 3 , 000 , 000 / ., the principal increase being in the cost of tlio militia and the contemplated fortifications . If , appears that it in intended to add to the defences of l'lymouth , Portland Harbour , Milford Haven , Dovonport , the Islo of Wight , Dover , the Thames , and Liverpool ; uml for this purpose nearly 250 , 000 / . has been set apart by Parliament . This is in completion of the national defences . It may be said that no opposition was mado to the various items of the eutimatoH , which passed with great rapidity .
There whs , however , another subject which came up on Monday , and was continued on Tuesday night—the appointment of Princo Albert and the Duko of Cambridge to colonelcies in the- Foot Guards . A few years back a committee of tho House of Commons sat to inquiro into tho subject of the great naval and military sinecures . Of course , among the first that would attract their attention were tho honorary colonelcies of regiments . It was found , upon inquiry , that tho Colonelcy of tlio ( Jrcnudior Guards , which was hold by tUo lato Duko of Wellington , involved in point of
emolument no less a sum than between 4000 ? . and 4500 / . per annum . This was considered to be a far higher ratio of payment than it was politic to retain , and accordingly propositions were made in the committee for reducing the pay to a lower amount . The chairman , Mr . Ellice , however , interposed , and suggested that , q . n the wliole , it was . advisable to retain one or two such nominal offices upon a highly paid scale , as a reward for very distinguished military services . During the life of the late Duke of "Wellington , of course no alteration was made ; whatever his emoluments from the post of . Colonel of the Grenadier Guards might have been before the decision of the committee , such
they were allowed to remain as long as he Should live . But it was distinctly understood that upon his decease the pay of the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards should be fixed at 3000 / ., that of Colonel of the Coldstream at 2000 / . per annum , and that these sinecures should be expressly reserved as the honourable reward of veteran courage well proved on the field of battle . But during Lord Derby ' s short term of office he appointed Prince Albert colonel of the Grenadier Guards , and the Duke of Cambridge colonel of the Coldstream Guards . Such is the substance of Mr . Hume ' s complaint on Monday ; and he was supported in his view by Mr . Ellice . Here are the words of the two members who spoke upon the subject : —Mr . Hume said :
" I complain that the late Government did not attend to the recommendation of the committee as far as regarded these two regiments , but that colonelcies have been given to Prince Albert and the Duke of Cambridge respectively , without any reduction of the allowances of 3000 ? . and 2000 J . which these regiments possessed . " Mr . Eluce , who acted as chairman to the committee under whose recommendation the allowances were maintained , fully confirmed Mr . Hume ' s statement , and added : —
" I proposed to fix the allowance in future at 3000 ? . for the Grenadier Guards , and 2000 ? . for the other two regiments of Foot Guards , upon the understanding that these two regiments were to be regarded as the highest rewards for distinguished military services . Upon this ground the committee adopted my recommendation . With respect to the disposal of these regiments I have nothing to say . I have not the appointment to these regiments . But I must express my great regret at the statement I have just heard . " *
Nothing was said by the Government . On Tuesday , however , Colonel Lindsay put a question to the Secretary at War , and Mr . Sidney Herbert explained the circumstances connected with the appointment of Prince Albert and tho Duke of Cambridge to the colonelcies of the Guards . Mr . Hume , he observed , had been misunderstood on the preceding evening ; he had not asserted that Prince Albert received the same emoluments as the late Duke of Wellington , but he had complained that the qolonelcy of the Grenadier Guards had been given to the Prince , although the committee of 1833 had recommended that the colonelcies of the three regiments should be reserved for veteran officers as rewards for long services . So far as regarded emoluments the recommendation of the committee had
been strictly carried out ; and with regard to the other point , Mr . Hume had misapprehended tho report of the committee , which made no mention of the manner in which the commands should bo disposed of ; and if thero had been an understanding upon tho mutter , the intention of the committee would have been carried into effect ten years ago , when Prince Albert was appointed to the Fusilier Guards , upon which occasion no objection was raised . Mr . Humk renewed his statement of the understanding upon which alone the high emoluments of the colonelcies of tlio Guards had been maintained , but declared that he did not mean to throw any reflection upon Prince Albert or the Duke of Cambridge . OOllltUPT ELECTIONS . Tho Committees continue their busy occupation of unseating members . Already then ; have been decisions in six cases , in each of which the grossest bribery was proved . Three of the six we mentioned lust week . Three others hnv « since been added , and in each ease the members lmvo been found guilty of bribery by their agents , but without their knowledge . Sir Robert Pigot is unseated for Hjujmjknoktu ; Mr . Aistcll and Mr . Mncaulay for Camdiuduij : ; and Mr . JVIathow Wilson for Olitii' icuok . Only one case of bribery waa
proved at Bndgeiiorth ; but tho cuso had a suspicious aspect . Cainbridgo , however , was HhuniclcNH , public , disgraceful . Tho price of a vote was 10 / . ; and women , " Indies , " were employed to bund over the dirty bribes . Tlio issue of tho writ has boon suspended till April 11 . Both bribery and intimidation wero proved at CliLhcroe . Colonel Hoylo , elected for Kromo , without a poll being taken , ha . s been unseated on tlio ground that ho held an office of profit under tho Crown ; and a new writ has boon ismml . Tho writ was received on Wednesday , and proclamation mado by Mr . G . W .
Wickhara , the returning officer . The nomination is fixed to take place on Monday next , at twelve o ' clock .
CONVOCATION . Replying to a question put by Sir John Pakington , Lord John Russell stated , as the result of inquiries on the subject made by him , that a prorogation of Convocation was the act of the Archbishop , and had the effect of an adjournment ; that there existed in that body the right of appointing a committee on the eve of prorogation ; that there could be no doubt as to the legality of the course pursued by the Upper House ; and that under these circuitistances it was not the intention of her Majesty ' s Government to take any measure on the subject .
Transfer of Land . —The Loed Citancelxor moved the second reading of the Registration of Assurances Bill , and proceeded , at much length , to explain the details of the measure , which he declared would add materially to the transferable value of land , to the amount of rent , and to the security of purchasers . Lord St . Leonards followed with a still longer speech , in which he expressed the regret he felt in opposing the bill . He was convinced , however , that the plan now proposed would add materially to the expense of transferring land , expose deeds of great value to imminent risk of being lost , and prove in practice a complete failure .
Lords Campbell and Beaumont supported the bill strongly , and it was ultimately read a second time without a division .
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LETTERS FROM PARIS . [ From our own Correspondent . ] Letter LXII . Paris , March 1 , 1853 . By a telegraphic despatch from Vienna we have just learned the provisional arrangement of the affairs of Turkey . Austria in thus acting with Russia had , as I told you in my last letter , got up a quarrel of grievances ( tine querelle d'AllemancT ) against Turkey . She
demanded the protectorate of the Austrians in Bosnia , tho abandonment of two contested points on the Dalmatian territory , and the internement of the Hungarian refugees serving in the Turkish army . In the first instance the Porte had refused to accede to any of these demands , but as a refusal was precisely what Austria desired , the latter power immediately precipitated matters by presentirig an ultimatum to be answered within five days .
The ambassador of France bad in this grave emergency offered the mediation of bis government , which Turkey eagerly accepted , but Count Leiningen , the envoy extraordinary of Austria , having positively refused to accept such mediation , nothing was left for Turkey but to submit , and to bend to all the conditions imposed by Austria . But the difficulty patched up for the moment in this questionable fashion subsists in all its flagrancy . It is now gene / ally understood that Russia and Austria have m ; ide up their minds to the partition of Turkey , and as circumstances sire favourable to the undertaking , it is certain that before long they will make the attempt . War , and a general war too , is only not imminent , because the projects of theso two powers scorn to be adjourned .
With regard to the Ticino , Austria occupies the same position . All last week rumours of the Bourse wero continually announced of the positive entry of Austrian troops into the Cunton , but none of these rumours have been confirmed . One fact , however , " remains . It is positive that Austria has proposed to . France to occupy Geneva , while she occupies the Ticino . It is also certain that up to this moment Honaparte has made no reply to that proposal . . Notwithstanding all his desire to be
tho recognised gendarme of absolutism in Europe , he has , perhaps , detected the snavo into which Austria would fain have drawn him . Up to yesterday ( Monday ) at , 5 p . m . all that you may have read in the Times , or the Jml / 'pendancv Jichjc , as to the protended accord of France and Austria , was completely unrounded . I will even venture to affirm , that in these two questions of Turkey and Sicily , France will not act separately from England . All the information L have been able to collect confirms me in this opinion . The occupation of the Ticino canton does not depend on France or on Austria , f . vr / im / rr / - // . The inviolability of the Swiss territory was guaranteed by Uiejinc Towers that signed the treaties of J H 15 ; nothing less than the consent of all the live Powers run modify the ternm of those treaties . No doubt Austria hud obtained hc / 'oivlmiul the consent of Russia and Prussia to tlio occupation of Ticino . But
thero remains tho consent of France mid Kngland to bo obtained . Should Franco consent ,, without England , the result would bo to commit the continental Governments of Kin-ope to hostilities against England—hostilities without object , and without i . inun . Should Franco , conjointly with England , refuse conaont , hostilities thero might bo , but they would have tho Rhino and tho Alps for a battle-field , leaving Franco to fight it out , aud England calmly looking on . In either case
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March 5 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 221
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Leader (1850-1860), March 5, 1853, page 221, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1976/page/5/
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