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have ended . But . he seems to have behaved throughout the business with a haughty selfsufficiency far from the character of a true soldier . . Major Reed has reintroduced the subject of promotion , moving a resolution , " for a select committee to inquire into ihe present mode *> f conferring appointments kcgfcre ^ pipy ( by pM * jBfcase \ or otherwise ) , to report on thje same , and recommend a more efficient systemafer securing pr « s * ption to merit and ; . long . series . " This wjws ^ followed up by a hdi $ < 'of spes # ies for arid ^ gainst ,
ending in a division throwing out the motion by 104 to 70 . The sum and substance of the argument for the motion was , that purchase Is the grand corrective to ihe extreme . slowness of jpw >* motion by mere seniority ; and it is evident that persons practically acquainted with Jfee -service can hardly conceive any rule except that of letting aged officers live « p to the next . step in rank , until ail the upper yanks become crowded with
superannuated veterans . The only idea apart from this is promotion by " merit ; " but as the average run of © ffieers behave well , "justice " already seems to be done to merit . To pick out t he best men for rapid promotion , to set the ablest men of the kind to work for which they are most suited , to reward extraordinary bravery or sagacity hy extraordinary advancement , seem to be ideas alien to our present managers .
An excellent blow has been given at Churchrates . Sir William Clay introduced his biill ( amended in form ) with a _ vote of 155 to 76 in favour of the first reading , and with Lord Pal-Mekstow ' s permission to go at the impost , if he can strike hard enough to overcome the " difculties . The House of Commons threw out Mr . Deedes s motion to postpone theMinisterial Bill for altering the Newspaper Stamp Law by a net majority of-54 . The-measure was made _ a-regular Ministerial question , and Ministers , of course , could do anything if they resolved to it . It is only a pity that they limit their determination to matters like the
newspaper stamp . Among the incidents of the week the Liverpool election is interesting . There , in that stronghold of Toryism , a Liberal has been elected by a majority jOV . er . _ his Tory ^ opponent of 15 GO : and all the circumstances emphasise the triumph . There was no " question" before the constituency to agitate either side into extremes : the Tory was certainly a foolish and non-oratorical old gentleman ; but the Whig was a plain merchant of the town , eminent in no sense , and recommended simply in his representative aspect as o , Liberal ; and we thus regard the election as evidencing
that if you appeal to any crowded communityeven a rather Tory community , and are free from passionate agitations , having neither the cry of measures nor the cry of men—the chances are that , on the broad question—Do you prefer a reactionary Derbyite , or a practical progressive Liberal P —the answer will be dead against Toryism . There is a world of mean , ing in this quiet © lection : and though the Tories have lost , and explain their loss by the fact that they did not take much trouble , nor spend much money , yet we may compliment them on the business as highly creditable to them : —to have taken trouble to return a Bonham , would indeed have been disgraceful .
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Orrroious , not OrjpioxAi ,.-r-A fortnight ago the semi-official weekly organ of the young Tories announced with fracas that the " Emperor Louis" w as all for war , and that ho woujd invade the Crimea at the head of a largo army in the spring . Last wecflc the same authority announced with equal fracas th » t the Emperor of the French was disposed to peace . The probability is that , of these two announcements , one at least is move or less correct . What an advantage it cawtixe tofeave f peciol sources of information !
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THE ' TBEATS WITH SARDINIA . The Earl ^ " Clareujdon moved on Monday that the House shjonld take into consideration the message , of her M «* B&ty respecting the convention lately concludeSTwith Sardinia . He-stated that . < fre -adhesion of Sardinia * o the Alliance was perfec # y vojwntary , aiul # iat skehad adliep ® d to-Jhat article e £ thes $ reaty by * ghich England anft 3 ? ranee bind themscihws not to Serive tiwy advantages frjwi the war . —T * e Earl of ifeiRWWaWeB expressed hi * admiration ^ f ^ fee way in wlii ^ t ^ he Sardinia *! arn # - had behave » « . t a very critical period of its history . He seconded the motion . —The Earl of Shaftesbury believed that the je * ils « ef * Jjfi ^* eeeat « ar ^ . © uld h& . compensated by the establishment of Sardinia in her proper position among the nations of Europe . The motion -was carried rieminecontradieente .
Tke same subjfiejfc wjts introduced into ihe House of Commons , when the H ouse having gone into committee to consider the Queen ' s message , Lord Pxi-atEKSton stated the terms of the agreement between this country and Sardinia , namely , that Sardinia should furnish a corps of 15 ^ 000 men , and that England should advance a sum of 2 , 0 O 0 , O 00 Z towards the . expenses , Sardinia paying four per cent , interest , of which , one per cent , is to be a sinking
fund . Lord Palmerston spoke highly of the courage and efficiency of the Sardinian army , and trusted that the alliance between Austria and Sardinia would obliterate old feelings of animosity , and lead to an improvement in the general condition of Italy . He concluded by moving , as a resolution , that the Commissioners of the Treasury be empowered to advance 1 , 000 , 000 ? . by way of loan to the Sardinian Government , and a like sum at the expiration of twelve months , if the war be not concluded by that
time . Mr . Disraeli said , the circumstances connected with the resolution should not foe passed uHnoticed by the House . The loan which they were asked to make in favour of a foreign power would probably not be very speedily repaid ; and he g reatly feared that in the end it would prove to be a subsidy in disguise . Subsidies , he said , were generally condemned , and were indeed so pernicious in principle , that nothing but extreme necessity could justify them . Did that extreme necessity exist in the present case ? If it did , it was in consequence of the late Government , and more especially Lord Palmerston , having neglected the development of our military means while ' hostilities were imminent . On this point he-said : —>•
" " We did not enter into this war hastily . It was not on a sudden that England found herself involved in a struggle with a great military power . The whole country , long before the message of her Majesty came down to the Houses of Parliament , was prepared for more than the possibility of such a great contingency . The Ministry , who / or more than a year had been carrying on negotiations , were they "dufirig that period making no preparations for the war which they must have considered inevitable ? or , if they did not , it was at least a proof of their want of becoming prescience . Her Majesty ' s Ministers , ' wo now know , were in possession of secret information a year before war was declared— they were apprised of the most confidential intentions of the late Emperor of ltussia . I say , then , that after having
been placed in possession of those intentions , her Majesty s Ministers must , or ought to , havo felt it their duty to prepare for the great struggle which was more than possibly intending . " Mr . Disraeli then strongly censured the late Government for not having embodied on a much greater scale the English militia , and called out the Scotch and Irish militia . He concluded by saying that he would not oppose the measure then brought forward , but thought it right to proclaim that , " at the commencement of the second year of war , wo are beginning a system of subsidies , because her Majesty ' s Ministers have from the first neglected those national means which would havo prevented a recurrence to so odious a measure . * ' LCheers . ) so odious a measure . CCheers . )
Lord Palmeuston denied that there was tho remotest analogy between a loan , for which interest was to bo paid , together with a sinking fund , and a subsidy . In answer to Mr . Disraeli ' s charge against the late Government , in respect to not having embodied the militia earlier , he said that tho blame really lay with the Derby Government , whoso Militia Bill only gave powor to the Crown to embody tho militia in . the case of actual invasion , or danger of invasion . Tlve late Government , therefore , had to bring in a special act ; to enuble them to embody the militia in time of war , without reference to invasion ; and as soon as they obtained the power , they proceeded to embody several regiments . Mr . Bright said thdy had been told 'by tho Government , that this is not a subsidy because Sardinia is to pay interest upon tho loan ; but they had not been told anything about the . security . He believed that debts of this kind , from one State to another , are generally shuffled oft" under some pretence or
other , not very long after the money is adv an ced H # x «« npathised greatly with the progress of Sar 4 inia , M $ Ji * l 4 that she had no interest in the wai and addefti- *¦ - *^ I wH&nalao to express my entire dissatisfaction wit the plan 4 ? subsidies , whether in their original form o in the ilh $ pe « f . <« # . loan . I "wish further to express m deep regret Jtkat fthe kingdom of Sardinia should hav left the peaceful and honourable pursuit in which sh was emsiged , o'f settling her own internal freedom on Ifinn i ana satisfactory foundation , and should hav thiwowiipsBSiSf-into a struggle from which greater coun tf&UJ thanJBgirtBpia can » pt retire without loss and dis ; yster , acd probably dishonour , and from which I believ that Sardinia , especially iF * fir forces ' are placed unde your generals and under your management , will retir with the « ame dishonour as ourselves . "
Mr . BowTBRmade a few remarks reflecting upoi the credit of the Sardinian Government . He sai < there was an annual and increasing deficit in thi revenue of Sardinia , which amounted to several mil lions of francs ; the taxes were heavy ; commerce ha < been stimulated to the utmost ; and there was considerable over-speculation , and an unsound state o credit in the trade of the country . An increase o : expenditure arose every year from the manufaeiim of places , which-were disposed of for the purposed
enabling the Government to manage the House ol Commons and obtain that influence ^ vhieh was necessary to carry their measures ; and there was a great standing army , out of all proportion to the resources of the country or to its necessities . The trade oi Genoa was carried on principally withKussian ports ; and a great injury must therefore ensue from wai with Russia . The recent seizure of ecclesiastical property by the Sardinian-Government evinced the necessitous condition of the State—a condition which shows how uncertain is the security we possess .
Mr . Gladstone said that , to the best of his belief , all the financial obligations of Sardinia , notwithstanding the great and peculiar difficulties she has had to confront , have on every occasion beenmel and discharged with fidelity . He denied Mr . Disraeli ' s allegation that the present loan is , in fact , a subsidy , and held that the treaty with the . Sardiniar Government is wise and beneficial . — Mr . Ajddeblei thought " tiiat a single regiment of Canadian volun ' teers would be of greater worth than 15 , 000 foreigr auxiliaries . —Mr . Walpole contended that the la * Government had been guilty of delay in the enibodi ment of the militia . —Mr . J . Ball said that the em barrassments of the Sardinian Government wer
merely temporary , and Mr . Cobden regretted tha Sardinian freedom should be forced into an-allianc with Austrian despotism , and asserted that it wa very ill-judged to enter into this loan at the ver , time when there was a probability of peace . —I : answer to . a question from Mr . Milnbs , Lord Pai merston stated . that , if the war came to a prema ture close , only a part of the loan would be advanced in proportion to the expenses already incurred b ; Sardinia . —The resolutions were then unanimpusl ; agreed to ; and a Bill founded . upon tliemiwasbrougli into the House of Commons on Tuesday njght , rea < a second time on Wednesday , and discussed in com mittee on Thursday .
POSTAL COMMUNICATION "WITH AUSTRALIA . The Earl of Hardwicke , in the House of Lor < Js ; called attention to the fact that , since the war , the steam-vessels used for intercommunication between this country and Australia have been used for transports , thus throwing the colonies back upon the sailing vessels , in consequence of which they have to wait four or five months instead of six weeks . He presented a petition with reference to this question . —Viscount Canning admitted the importance of the subject , but said that the war called for every resource which the country could command . Ho affirmed that Australia was not tho only one of our colonies which had to suffer , but promised that Government would as soon ns possible remedy tho
. COURT OF CHANCERY . Lord Lynmiurst moved that the Court ot Chancery Bill be referred to a select committee . The bill ultimately passed through committee after a discussion between the Lonp Chancellor , Lor " St . Leonard ' s , and Lord Lyndiiurst , which disclosed the note-worthy fact that tho remuneration of solicitors in Chancery proceedings is so lnsutflcient as often to oblige them to put their clients W unnecessary expenses in order to obtain some sorcw compensation for their services . BLOCKADE OF IUJ 68 IAN FORTS . In the House of Commons , in ¦ -ropy - \ ° jr Bandars , Sir Charles Wood etated that ™ ow vernmont proposed to establish an effective W <** T of the Russian ports in the Baltic and White Sena * soon as . those ports are open . THE MAUL OF DUNI > ONAU >' S PBOPOSAL . In answer to Mr . Bexlbw , Sir C , Woon said : J proposition was submitted to the late go ** o Admiralty by the Earl of DundonaW . bonio * P quiries had been made into it , but tho lion , gontw
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IMPERIL JgARLTAMENT .
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290 THiB LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1855, page 290, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2084/page/2/
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