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Leader (1850-1860), 16th December 1854, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1183, Untitled Article

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      explanations would be impolitic , and would be complained of , ss they had been before Ho then at some length defended the Baltic fleet , which he thought not too strong , and explained the number of troops sent out : " The honourable gentleman referring to the Crimea had said , * What , brought you . to suppose , when you considered the great masses of men that are necessary to conduetr the invasion of a powerful country , that Russia -cauia be sitoply-iirvaded by an army of & 0 , 000 ? ' But ¦ wfeo ever-supposed that Russia could be invaded by an army of 50 , 000 men ? The first landing on Russian territory-may have been a landing of 50 , 000 men ; and I find ' the fcon > geatleman includes that in his category that nothing has been- done . The lion , gentleman thinks the landing of 59 , 000 men in the Crimea , the horses of « avalry and artillery , and of heavy guns to carry on

      the siege * - was doing nothing . But the hon . member is wrong if he supposes that 50 * men represented the number that could have been cawied over from Varna to tBegCrimea , though a large operation that reflected the highest credit on the military and naval commanders . The hon . gentleman entirely forgets that even at that moment the force that was sent to the East by England and France did not fall 1 shor t of 30 * 000 men . And how do matters stand now ? - My rigkt-hon . friend acquainted the House last niglit that the British force sent to the Easfe is now close upon 55 , 000 men . I cannot give the same formal and official return up to the latest moment of the French force , but I apprehend that I am fully justi&ed , from the information in our possession , in stating that the French force despatched to the East up to the present . moment as little short of 100 , 000 men—certainly Vst less than frotn 90 , 00 Q to 95 , 000 . "

      jRespejoting t | ie Austrjiatt slliahce , " The'treaty has not yet been ratified , and until the ratifications of fclie treaty are exchanged , it would be a departure both from uniform practice and from obvious prudenae if the Government were to lay that treaty upon the table ; but * of course , it- will be laid upon the table the first moment that it is in the power of the Government to make it known to Parliament . It is open to the right honourable baronet , after having voted for the present address , to express his disapprobation of it in any manner he pleases , and if he think iit—though I do not anticipate it- —to move a vote of censure on the

      Govermneirt for- having advised her Majesty to negotiate such a . treaty .- The address merely states , ' That we have heard with satisfaction that , with , the Emperor of the French , youx Majesty has concluded a treaty of alliance with the Emperor of Austria , from which your Mftjestey anticipates important advantages to the common cause * ' We pTonounce no opinion upon the question ¦ whether the treaty promises to be greatly advantageous to the common cause , but merely say we learn with satisfaction that her Majesty entertains such an expectation-. He hoped' that nobody would say nothing had been done ; Let them remember that two battles had

      Umn won , and that Constantinople was no longer in danger . " BIY . "Whiteside complained of unnecessary publicity of intentions . Sebastopol was not taken because it could not bo invested . He complained of tho want of cavalry : " ¦ H « would call attention to a passage ho had lately read . i \ x the history of tho . partition of Poland . The historian described Russia , and Prussia as being about to divide the spoils , when , at that moment , Austria interposed and obtained . possession of all sho wanted without strjUdng a . blow or spending a florin , and it was not unlikoly . that sha might do the same thing again . " After some similar remarks from Sir J . Tkolt-opr , the house adjourned .

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      In the House of Lords on Xhursdny , the Duke of Richmond presented a petition from the borough of Walt © field , urging tho Government to use every effort to bring the war to » speedy and successful termination . The noble Duke also seized tho opportunity to rQoomiMend tho Government to issue some mark of distinction to the txoopa engaged in tlip . Crimea ,.

      JTOIUaiGN » NI < iaTMISNT ., The Duko oi Nmwcjwuev in proposing tXie second reading of tUtj . Bill for the Enlistment of Foreigners iiPttiUft Britisti , Army ,, remarked 'that , tho pUiu had on ftflpaer occasions boon adopted , and with aiuicess . " Tour lordships , are , probably aware that until tho y / WO . W 07 r OKWRt , uud » intho . nyovisions of a aueoial Aot of I&wilamwt ) it . wfta . unlawful to enlist focoign soMfera in J&wgHeh , regiments . We do not iiurpogq to violate th » fe , lw- ou- Una nroiswt oamoion . By tho act of 18 JJ 7 ,

      PHrvrfimwiiywB g } von to tho limited extent of admitting ono forwi&ner to every fifty men Iu oaou regiment ; and bo the Iaw no « w atuiute , and so wo purpose to lonvo it . Wpi pnrfioa * that any foreign trooi >» which ahull bo rftiaei aluUI lio formed In separata battalions apart from t ] ia Queum ' a regiment © . Your lordships may povhupH do&ixo to . luww from what wuntrioa wo oxpoct to raiuo qur foro / w . I do not think it desirable under tho oirrcurwtftneos—no cougunun&oAtion having boon nuido to foreign , Kovonuneut » ' - ~ to mention wlujnco theso trooj > a aro llkqly 1 » < wn » , Uut . yam- J . t > rdt » hi » 3 will Uu avmro o

      certain districts of Gormany and Switzerland and other countries which are most likely to furnish , troops to enlist in . the Queen ' s service . In the late war the greatest body o £ foreign troops who served us in those campaigns was the German Legion , and from 1807 to the battle of Waterloo , in 1815 , there was scarcely a siege or battle of any importance in which it did , not take part . We _ have thought that in . the present aspect of affairs it is desirable to take a considerable number , and we purpose to limit the number to be drilled , and trained in this country at any one time to 15 , 000 men /'

      The Earl of Ellenbokouch . — « When the noble duke first announced the intention of the Government to introduce a bill of this nature on the first day of the session , my impression was that the Government intended to raise a complete force , and that all they wanted was the authority of Parliament to retain in this country the depots of two ot three corps—aa object for which the- intervention of Parliament would be absolutely necessary . I confess I felt the greatest possible repugnance to even the qualified admission of two or three depots of foreign tr to be

      oops permitted to remain in this country ; but when I read this bill this morning I was completely astonished ; : fpr , taking this bill in connexion with the bill : brought into the other House to enable her , Majesty , to . accept the services , of certain regi ^ inents of militia for the declared purpose of garrisoning fortresses in the Mediterranean , the practical object of this , measure is to substitute in this country 15 , 000 foreigners , for < -15 , 000 British militiamen who are to be employed ; abroad . " After arguing that the circumstances of the last var were very different from those of the present * he said ;

      " It is understood that the majority- —the influential majority of . the-Government now in office represent tie feelings , the principles , and the opinions of Sir K . Peel - ~ that the mantle of Elijah'has descended upon my noble friend now at the head of the Government , ( Laughter , } I will not protend that my opportunities of intercourse with Sir R . Peel were afc all to be compared with those of my noble friend ; but I think I may assume that I am tolerably well acquainted with the character of his mind and with the general view which he took of public affairs , and I say with the most perfect confidence that to this measure he never would have

      assented . I am satisfied of that , because I know that , having been for a great length of time Home Secretary in this country , he would primarily have looked to the xtreme inconvenience , the extreme difficulty , the extreme danger which would have arisen hod 15 , 000 foreign troopa , or any portion of them , been on any occasion called out—as they must have been—for the purpose of preserving the peace among the people of England . My lords , we have to prevent riots at elections ; we cannot prevent disputes between masters and workmen , but they frequently render necessary the intervention of troops . In every case that would happen , and depend upon it , if such an unfortunate occasion should arise , tho result would be that tho G-overmnontVould be called upon and

      compelled to assent to the extradition of the foreign troops from this country . Ono of the advantages of the war to which I have always looked forward as compensating iu a great measure for many of the sufferings which the people must endure during its continuance was this—that when peace returns w « might have distributed through the country , as officers mid as retired soldiers , a vast nuinber of persons accustomed to " « rar — men of military habits , who , during any lengthened periods of peace , would constitute the great source of the security of the country Wo have been told—and I think a somowlmt exaggerated view has been taken of tho subject—that thero has been a very

      great improvement in tho moral condition and character of her 3 Injesty ' d troops . Now , my lords , coiirsidering that tho troops havo been acting in a desert whore thero is no population , whore there is no property belonging to anybody , and that tho only parsons -with wlwin they can by possibility havo communicated were their own comrades , I do not , think , up to this moment , thdt any vory material argument can bo drawn ftom that circumatunco . But I will assume , all tho advantages' which are understood to bfl derived from the good conduct of the troops and I ' ask , what . security , havo you for tho conduct of German recruits ? Doxm tlio recruiting sergeant look , to any moral qualifications' ? No ; he only regards the physical qualifications of hi ? recruits , "

      Tho noble lord ooncluded by urging what he had urgod nine mouths ago , tlmt n numerous police force should be established aa the best basis of a valuable army , and which suggestion bad beou disregarded . The Duke of Richmond paid a high tribute to the behaviour of tho Gormim Legion during the last wnr . Tho Karl of Djunnv thought tliis was a measure dangerous both in principle and policy . 14 Tho noblo duko who introduced it had passed lightly over tho constitutional objections to auoh a scheme , and newned to huvo forgotten that , on former occasions whoa auoh foreign foruoa wore employed , England and Hanover wwe united under ono aovereign , and that those Hanoverians wore not foreign era . It vni » vory dcnirablo tunt tho IJLouiio uhoukl bo iaformod whence thoso mercenaries wtiro to come . Wcro they to bo 1 ' okw , for in

      that case the force , employed would have a . eainjBpn interest Iu the struggle ? He thought * , too , that . such a proposition was- a very humiliftting confession , fpy Englandi to . make , and that it wast , the greatest encouragement that could he given , to . the , Emperor of , Russia JJe could not help coupling this scheme with tit » e bill for sending the militia , out of . the country , though , that measure was not , yet before the House If foreigners were required , let them be enlisted for foreign service , but do- not say that we were forced , at . thw early stage of th&war , to employ them , afc home . A . British . Minister should , h&ye blushed to make such a . |« QpositioD r and he trusted that the House would cefuse , tp , aaastion the bill . The Earl of Abbrptien then rose , and , swtl :

      " My Lords , this bill is one of the first measures which have been introduced by her Majesty ' s Government this session as an evidence of their intention to c ^ ny . on , the war with determination and vigour , but the uianoer in which it has been received 5 s , I must say ,, not- very consistent with those exhortations we have heard from noble lords opposite to follow such a course . The noble earl who has spoken , last , in 3 iis representations of this bill , has given a description of the measure in which I think he will hardly feel justified . He talks o £ this being , a measure in which we are reduced to keep our own people in order , and he talks of the militia being " dragged" into foreign service- The object of this bill is to introduce into this country for a limited time , for

      the purpose of drill , and for drill only ; a sufficient number of foreign troops , and , as soon as they are in a condition to be employed 1 in * our service , then they are to be sent to the seat of ^ var . That surely is-not the same thing as maintaining a foreign garrison in-thi 3 couittry . The presence of these troops here ismel'ely for a temporary purpose : they will be limited as regards number , and they will be limited' also as regards time , until they are fit to be employed upon foreign service . The whole representations of noble lords opposite appears to me to rest on a fallacy . They suppose that this is a foree to be raised and employed in * lieu of the militia . Now , that is not the case . Undoubtedly , we take the voluntary offers of such a militia force as may be

      necessary to liberate our garrisons , which are indispensable ( however reduced they may be , and very much reduced they are ) for the occupation of our important- possessions in the Mediterranean . For these garrisons we accept the voluntary offers , and only the voluntary offers ( they will not be " dragged" into the service , as the noble earl opposite said ) of such militia regiments as it may . be thought fit to employ for this garrison duty ; . and by releasing the regular regiments hitherto stationed there , wo thereby obtain at oirce a valuable reinforcement of veteran troops for active service in the East , not at all interfering with tlie future recruiting of the army from tho sources of the militia force at home . This measure is in . fact requisite for the purpose of

      enabling the Government to make what we consider to be a 3 ieces 8 ary addition to our effective force * "You may have volunteers from tho niilitia in a greater or smaller degree , but all tliM will require time , and such volunteers cannot be made available in the same manner and to the sain © extent as troojs raised upon the principle of this bill . I cannot at all admit tho accuracy of the description which refers to tlia employment of this- force at homo , where it will not be « rnployo < l at all , and still-. less , at tliis time of day , can I regard it as subject- to a serious constitutional objection , tlmt wo- shouldl raise such a force under the circumstances which I have described , having them in this country , merely for tho-purposo of being drilled before they ureaontout upon . foroign

      service . I soy 1 cannot tliiiik that there is any good ground for the opposition -which the noble eurl opposite has so unexpectedly raised" to thia , the first measure designed by her Majesty's Government in owlec to cany on the war with vigour . Tliis measure , intended to accomplish such nn object , lias , I immt say ,, bocn but illrecoived by noblo lords opposite , although they do profusa such extreme anxiety- and impatience that her Majosty ' H Government should oxert every moans for VJKoro'isly prosecuting the war . " The Earl of Ej . i-kncojiouou reminded the Earl of Aberdeen that this introduction of foreign niov « enarics was what had rondorcd the Eurl of Chatham ' s administration odious to the nation .

      The Earl of MAJUMjesBunv , while disclaiming any wash to throw impediments in the way of . the ( jbr vernmenr , thought that tlio Government were bound to show moro respect for tho opinions expressed by those who felt bound to dlflfcr from them . lio certainly was rather surprised tlmt such « measure should have been introJucenf » o early in tlio war . After some observations from the Puke of A-iioym ^ who ( Mended tho bill because tho war might be called a European rather thun a national struggle ,

      I * ord Giusv suicl tluU though ho regarded tho raising of ouch a foreign force with joalousy > ib appeared dosirablo to augment tlio military force of tho country na speedily aa possible , and for that reason ho thought tho muiwuro might bo justified . In saying this l » o reserved to liimaeif tho foil right to express his opinions freely on this us well jib tho Militia Bill . ^ . „ , , « After eomo observations from tuo Iiim of < 3 ; uti * - OM . U ,

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      _ BECEMBEBag ^ JLS ^ . ] THE I .. EADEB . ' 3 ^ 33

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 16, 1854, page 1183, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2069/page/7/