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while expressing his participation in the nation a disappointment in having to forego hostilities after the vast preparations that had been made , conceived that it was our duty to conclude a peace upon satisfactory terms . The address was seconded by Lord Abingdon , who spoke to the same general effect . Lord Derby declared , in Ids own name , and in that of his party , that no attempts would be made to prevent the address being carried up to the throne . The Royal Speech he described as the least satisfactory he had ever heard . It was bald and meagre beyond all precedent , containing no information oa the trade and nuance of the
counsadorof the monarch of Haiti caused considerable curiosity among the fair visitors . Her Majesty entered the House leaning on the arm of Prince Albert , and , on the arrival of the Commons , delivered
THE ROYAL SPEECH . "My Lords and Gentlemen , " Since the close of the last session of Parliament , the arms of the Allies have achieved a signal and important success . Sebasfcopol , the great stronghold of Russia in the Black Sea , has yielded to the persevering constancy and to the daring bravery of the allied forces . The naval and military preparations for the ensuing year have necessarily occupied my serious attention ; but while , determined to omit no effort which could give vigour to the operations of the wur , I have deemed it zny duty not to decline any
overturea which might reasonably afford a prospect of a safe and honourable peace . Accordingly , when the Emperor of Austria lately offered to myself and to my august Ally , the Emperor of the French , to employ Ms good offices with , the Emperor of . Russia , with a view to endeavour to bring about an amicable adjustment of the matters at issue between the contending Powers , I consented , in concert with my Allies , to accept the offer thus made , and I have the satisfaction to inform you thai certain , conditions have been agreed upon which I hope may prove the foundation of a general Treaty of Peace .
" Negotiations for such a Treaty will shortly be opened at Paris . "In conducting those negotiations I shall be careful not to lose sight of the objects for which the war wa 3 undertaken ; aud I shall deem it right in no degree to relax my naval and military preparations until a satisfactory Treaty of Peace shall have bean concluded . " Although the war in which . I am engaged was brought on by events in the South of Europe , my attention has not been withdrawn from -the state of things in the North ; and , in conjunction with the Emjieror of the French , I have concluded , with the King of Sweden and Norway , a Treaty containing defensive engagements applicable to his dominions , and tending to the preservation of the balance of Power in that part of Europe .
, 1 have also concluded a Treaty of Friendship , Commerce , and Navigation with the Republic of Chili . I have given directions that these Treaties shall be laid before you . " Gentlemen of the House of Commons , . ' ¦ " The Estimates for the ensuing year will belaid before you . You will find them framed in such a manner as to provide for the exigencies of War , if Peace should unfortunately not be concluded . "My Lords and Gentlemen ,
"It is gratifying to me to observe that , notwithstanding the pressure _ of the War , and the burthens and sacrifices which it has unavoidably imposed upon my people , the" resources of my Empire reinaiu unimpaired . I rely with confidence on the anauly spirit and enlightened patriotism o f niy loyal subjects for a continuance of that support wluch they have so nobly afforded me , aud they may be assured that I shall not call upon them for exertions beyond what may be required by a duo regard for the great interests , the honour , and the dignity of tLe Empire . " There are many subjects connected with internal improvement which I recommend to your attentive consideration .
** The ditference which exists in several important particulars between the Commercial Laws of Scotland and those of the other parts of the United Kingdom , haa occasioned inconvenience to a lai'ge portion of my subjects engaged in trade . Measures will bo proposed to you for remedying this evil . " Measures will also be proposed to you for improving the Laws relating to Partnership by simplifying those Laws , and thus rendering more easy the employment of capital in commerce . " The system under which tho Merchant Shipping is liable to pay Local Duos and Passing Tolls , has been the subject of much complaint . Measures will be propoaod to you for affording relief in regard to thoso matters .
* ' Other important measures for improving tho Law ia Great Britaiu and in Iroltind will be proposed to you , which will , I doubt not , receive your uttoutivo consideration . * ' Upon theso and all other mnttors upon which you ma A oliberate f 1 fervently pray that the blosaing of Divino Providonoo may favour your councils , and guido thoin to tho promotion of tho great object of my unvarying solicitude—tho wolfe . ro iuad tho happiness of my people . " The House then adjourned till fivo o ' clock . On the reassembling of the Peers nt that hour , the Lonn Chanckl , loh re-read the Queen ' s Sneech , and Lord Goaponi ) moved
TIIM ADDUUSB . Ho prefaced his motion by ft brief speech , in wluch he commented on the chief topics which had just been ollicinUy brought before them j nud ,
try ; making no mention of India ; saying nothing of our colonial possessions ; omitting any warm and hearty acknowledgment of the services and heroism of the navy and army ; not even alluding to the gallant defence of Kars ( the fall of which must be investigated , so that the true culprit might be punished , though Lord Derby did not believe that Lord Stratford de Redclifle was to blame ) ; and passing over in entire silence the actions of Sardinia , an ally , and of Turkey , a principal ^ in the present war . He hoped the peace negotiations would not cause any indefinite suspension of hostilities by an armistice , which musi . be more advantageous to Russia than to England . Another omission in the Royal Speech , much to be regretted ,
was that of any reference to our relations with the United States—an omission which he hoped would not be regarded by the Americans as a contemptuous sileuce . Moreover , we had not been informed of the state of our relations with Persia . Such , he conceived , were the objections to the speech ; but his party would not throw obstacles in the way of pursuing the negotiations for peace to a just and honourable termination . His Lordship concluded by referring to the recent creation of a peerage for life in the case of Lord Wensleydale , which , he thought an unusual exercise of the prerogative , and in connexion with which he suggested that the new peer ' s patent should be laid on the table before he took the oaths , and that tlie question should be discussed without party feeling .
tage , in the prosecution of these negotiations , would accrue from the Parliament of England being in session . Rumours had been current for some time past of the original purpose of the war having been changed . In the last session of Parliament , a noble lord in the other house had said that one of the designs of the war was to vindicate the cause of the oppressed nationalities ; and that noble lord was shortly afterwards invited to take one of the highest places in her Majesty's Councils . The nationalities of course assumed that operations were to be made on their behalf ; and
considerable misapprehension , both at home and abroad , was the consequence . Mr . Disraeli was glad that the speech from the throne contained assurances that the original objects of the war would be adhered to , and not augmented . Some persons had been found to regret that the war was not continued for the sake of sustaining or increasing- the honour of the arms of England , which , it was thought , had not been sufficiently upheld . But to him ( Mr . Disraeli ) this appeared a very questionable position ; arid , besides that , lie denied that the lustre of our arms had been dimmed .
It might be afiVuied of the ?? who depreciate the power and achievements of England that they disbelieve their own assertions , and that , as had . been said of a great sceptic , they tremble as they sneer . " Of the fall of Kaxs , some explanations must be given . " Let us , " said Mr . Disraeli , " vindicate the conduct of those who , though not crowned with' success , were at least crowned with glory in another place ; and let us make our absent countrymen understand that it is the man who deserves , and not the man who achieves , success who is honoured by us . '
Lord Pal . merst'on paid a compliment to Messrs . Byng and Baxter , forthe eloquence and the argumentative skill they had exhibited in moving and seconding the Address ; and to Mr . Disraeli , for the temperate and becoming course taken by him as leader of the Opposition . He agreed with the latter in thinking the presence of Parliament , so far from being an inconvenience at the present crisis , is a great aid . The ; rumours which had been circulated , of an intention on the part of Ministers to adjourn , the House for a period , were entirely incorrect . It would not be expedient to enter into any details as regards the negotiations at present ;
but , as soon as any step was actually taken , it would be communicated to the House . Assuredly , it would not be the duty of the Government to urge the country to prosecute a war merely for the sake of glory , if it could be honourably terminated . No doubc the resources of the country were unimpaired , while those of the enemy were rapidl y diminishing . No doubt wax-like preparations were being made on a gigantic scale . We should , therefore , be justified in expecting that another campaign , should another campaign be forced upon us , would result in successes which might , perhaps , entitle us to require—perhaps enable us to obtain- — even better conditions than those which have been" offered to us , and been accepted * by us .
But the £ Government hoped that the terms now offered would be sufficient to secure the objects for which we drew the sword . The gallantry and devotion of our troops had been most conspicuous and General Williams had exhibited the highejt courage and ability in the memorable defence > f Kars . At the proper time , the Government would be able to show that no effort on their part had been wanting to ascertain what had led to the catastrophe . They had taken every means to exchange General Williams and hia companions . With regard to tlie estimates , tho Government would lay them on the table in the shape they had been framed with a view to the war going on ; but a vote on . account would be taken for a portion of
the j'car . Mr . Roebuck said he had wo confidence in the Government of Lord Palmerston , and he believed tho country had none . Wo had been brought improvidently into a great war . We had beheld that war inefficiently conducted ; aud it became the duty of tlmt House to see that the country do not come out of the war with disgrace . " H in said that wo mnnb ontor into this poaoa
bou . iunu our ally , our grout ally , our big brother , us ho in oalloil , uliurwjort to luml tho way . Thno bus been when this country bus hUxrI ulono . Time haw boon when England ha ' n roriiutoti the oon ^ uoring logiona led by the gro . itortt warrior whom tho world oversaw . Wo utoou ulono agiunut tho groat Napoloou , and wo conquered him . iSlmll it ; bo mid thnfc now , with nil tho upplmnoofl of modem soionco—with a iloot novor boforo oqunllod , with an army groator than imy English gonoml ovor
Lord Clarendon commenced by referring to the disagreement with America , of the history of which he gave a sketch , and , while denyiag that Mr . Crampton ever intended or committed a violati on of the American laws , expressed a hope that the quarrel would be settled by the good sense of both people . Of the peace negotiations , he said : — " The plan proposed now to be adopted is , that the terms accepted by Russia shall be agreed to by the representatives of the Allies at Vienna- —that they sliall there sign a short protocol—that an armistice shall be signed agreeing that preliminaries shall be signed at Paris—and that the provisions of the treaty shall be considered and acted upon . "
The armistice , he agreed with Lord Derby in thinking , should be as short as possible . He had himself accepted the post of negotiator at Paris . The Emperor of Russia had exhibited great moral courage in accepting the Austrian propositions , which were in no respect disgraceful to Russia , whose honour should be regarded . After a few words from Earl Granvilue , with reference to the new life peerage ( which he defended ) , and from Lord Campbell on tlie same subject , the House adjourned at a few minutes after eight o ' clock .
In the House of Commons , the Address was moved by Mr . Byng , who reviewed the achievements of the war , paid a tribute to the memory of Lord Rnglan and to tho services of Sir James Simpson , and congratulated the country on tho heroism exhibited by our countrymen and our allies . lie trusted tlmt no impediments would bo thrown in tho . way of the ratification of peace ; but , should tlieir efforts fail , the country might rely with confidence on the future achievements of our arms . The assurances in the Royal Speech with respect to law ami other reforms wcic highly satisfactory . Mr . W . E . Baxteh seconded tho address
Mr . Dishabm said he did not feel himself nt liberty avt present to sittempt to enter into any criticism on the conditions which i \ re referred to in the Itoyal Speech . Tho House was in possession of no information which would justify such criticism , Ho did not impugn th « conduct of tho Government m not umUing any disclosures ; but he trusted tho House , while refraining from whatever would embari-nss tho Ministry , would wntch with tho utmost vigilance —he would not say suspicion —the coiu-do of their proceeding . No httlo ailvan-
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February 2 , 1856 . ] THE LEADEB . 105
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 2, 1856, page 105, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2126/page/9/
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