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S. oftty Jmwb
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POLITICAL FOKESHADOWiNGS . A great meeting was held at Glasgow oh Wednesday evening at which Sir Archibald Alison was present and made a characteristic , that is to say a voluminous speech . In the course of his remarks he said :-No defensive preparations can ever give a foreign nation a pretext to say that we are actuated by ajgressive motives , that we are disposed to invade or disturb other countries . We are essentially a pacific people . There is no war can be waged m any part of the world which does not strike at some British industry , and there is no war can be waged by ourselves that would not bring upon us , if it were with a great Power , an amount of distress and suffering which it is painful to contemplate
Therefore , we are a pacific people . And if we now show a warlike attitude , if we now show that we are determined to maintain the independence of the country and its honour , and the honour and reputation of the State , it is not because we are a warlike or aggressive people , but because we are a free and independent people , and that while we will do no injury to any man we will allow no man to injure us . Whereas at the end of the late war we had 240 sail of the line in royal yards , and : 107 at sea bearing the royal flag , we now have only 65 sail of the line in the dockyards , and 37 bearing the royal flag at sea . Besides this , we cannot bring forward more than 50 , 000 regular troops to defend the nation from invasion . It is because I know the bravery of France , because I know the power of France , and because I
know the spirit and the ability of the Emperor—rit is for this reason that I say the volunteer movement is indispensably called for by Great Britain . This is not a case of dispute—it is not a quarrel or temporary necessity . It is necessary that we should be armed . The French are brave and . patriotic , and they are determined to rival us in every way they can ; but I say we are patriotic , and we are brave , and we are as inuch determined to maintain the power
which we possess . It is often said by people in this country that we need not be afraid of the French , for we have a great mercantile navy of 220 , 000 sailors , who at any time can be added to our regular navy , and therefore we are perfectly secure . In _ the present state of matters I pray you to observe thisthe great mercantile . navy of England , so far from being a refuge or support , is—people say that it can easily be made otherwise—rbut as matters stand it is the most serious weakness that we have . The
wages of the seamen in the mercantile navy are 50 s a month , while the wages of seamen in the royal navy are only 31 s . a month . It has been often said , how does it happen that there are so many English sailors in the American navy ? And in the late strife with that country , we were really often fighting our own navy . The answer to that question simply is , that there is a wonderful strength in half a dollar a-day . That is the way that matters ; stand as regards our mercantile navy . How can we expect that men , many of them having families , are to join the royal navy at so great a loss ? Do not , therefore , let us lay our heads upon our pillows and say
we are perfectly safe because we have a great mercantile navy . Our mercantile navy is just a huge competitor , which drains men from the royal navy . After alluding to our insufficient military force , the speaker continued : — "The first step I would take in this matter would bo at one blow , and without the least delay , to raise tho pay of the soldiers and sailors and the militia from Is . Id . to Is . 8 d . or 2 s . a day . If you do this for the militia , and do the same for the royal navy ; yo « will find that the ships of the line will bo-filled with sailors , and you will find that fcJie ranks of the regular army will be flUed with able and valiant men . " Proceeding to notice the effect of a successful invasion , Sir Archibald observed that , in addition to its otlicr horrors and insults , "In the matter of pounds , shillings , and pence , it would jMFuct tho pockets of every
human being in the country . In 1808 , Tsapoieon went to Portugal , and ho said ho camo as a , liberator , to free the Portuguese from their yoke . Tho first thing he did when he got Into Lisbon wns to lay a contribution of £ 4 , 000 , 000 Btorlingof Portuguese money , equal to at least £ 10 , 000 , 000 in Scotland . Napolaon went in 1796 to Milan as a liberator , ami the first thing he did was to impose £ 800 , 000 upon the liberated . city . He next went to Venice , and hoimposod there , £ 2 , 600 , 000 . In 1800 ho wonfc to Prussia and levied upon Prussia- — containing only about 4 , 000 , 000 or 5 , 000 , 000 of inhabitants— a contribution to the amount of £ 24 , 000 , 000 sterling , and ho actually squeezed the money out of tho country in tha flvo years by military occupation . In 1812 , he said , in a letter to Dnvoust , when that Gonorul was in Hamburg , * If you had shot six ol'tha principal uiorclmnts of Hamburg on tho day you ontorod , it -would have
been well ; but as you have not done that you mus t just make . them pay for it , and therefore I require you to lay hold of 200 of the principal merchants , and keep them as hostages for the payment of 50 , 000 ^ 000 of francs , ' and he actually levied that sum , equal to about , £ 2 , 000 , 000 sterling , upon Hamburgh , which at that time only contained about 80 , 000 inhabitants , and the imposition would be equal to £ 10 , 000 , 000 in this city . You see at what price the
peaee-at-any-price gentlemen would purchase their salvation . " Sir Archibald then advocated the establishment of a volunteer force which should prove an efficient support to the regulars ; he impressed upon his hearers the necessity of training and discipline , remarking that in the contrast between the loss of the Royal Charter and tlie perfect safety of her Majesty ' s ships in the same gale was to be seen the superiority of the sariie men disciplined over their equally brave but untutored countrymen . made
At Rugby , on Thursday , Mr . Nuwdegate a speech upon public affairs , in the course of which he spoke of the importance to the safety of the constitution of a full representation of the agricultural interest ; then congratulated hisconstituents upon the defeat of the attempt to legalise the appointment of Catholics to the Irish Chancellorship ; and condoled with them upon the downfall of church-rates . Referring to the Duke of Wellington ' s celebrated letter to Sir John Burgoyne , Mr . Newdegate said that he read that letter in the House ' of Commons in 1852 , during the discussion upon the Militia Bill , and to the honour of Lord Derby ' s Government , and the patriotic spirit of Lord Palmerston they , with much this
difficulty , passed that measure . But remember , 150 , 000 well-organize J militia was the minimum that the Duke of Wellington said was necessary , aiid we have never had 85 , 000 . We have , in point of fact , never had half . Looking . to the state of the navy , it has been observed that it is scarcely superior to the navy of France alone , and totally unable to resist any combination . Such was the length which the apathy of the country , and the economical mania of some , actuated by the designing poliey of others , have gone , that it has rendered us exposed to the aggressions of France for years . Even Louis Philippe warned her Majesty that , though he would be the last man to break the alliance , it was dangerous to leave the country in such a defenceless condition before the people of France , who in some evil hour might be incited to impel their Government , in
remembrance of former victories of ours ,, to make an inroad on our shores . It is , therefore , a subject of congratulation to find such a manly spirit aroused throughout the country as is manifested in the formation of volunteer corps . On our foreign policy he also made some observations . He said : —The question now remains , shall England be represented in the Congress that is proposed to be held ? I should be sorry that England should damage her position in Europe by failing to take part in any great settlement of affairs , but England has had nothing to do with the disturbances that have rendered this Congress necessary , and therefore she cannot speak with the strength and power of a State which not only has formed a decided opinion upon the matter , but is ready to enforce that opinion . I myself cannot help thinking that it is far better that England should abstain from entering into the . Congress at all .
At Hanley , on Tuesday , Mr . Adderley , M . P ., after bestowing his commendation upon the volunteer corps , said , of the homejpolitics of England at the . present moment there was only one subject which could occupy their minds , and that was Parliamentary reform . He was only speaking the sentiment of every gentleman in that room when he said they were not only ready but anxious to carry outnot only now , but always—from time to time , that system of reform which shall keep the institutions of this country on a level with tho advancing intelligence and political progress of the people . But when they found that there were men who put this question forward as having tho monopoly of reform * ,
and indulging in tho grossest misrepresentations in order to keep that position of monopoly , and who put themselves forward us leaders in this question , to which they had so little , claim , it was high time they ( tho Conservatives ) should understand theso men , and what they wore about . Foremost of thoso nion was Mr . IJright , who he ( Mr . Adderloy ) , did mot hesitato to say . as ho hatl frequently said iu Ms presence , prostituted tho highest abilities for the simple purpose of personal aggrundiuenient . But what did Mr . Bright say ? Ho said that this
constitution of ours must bo changed altogether j it was a moro sham and protonco to talk of adapting id to oireunistancos ; it must bo revolutionised . Mr . Bright said tho House of Commons did not represent tho country j , but to hla' ( Mr . Addorloy ' e ) mind the Houses of Commons had always yoprosentod tho country , and had always altoroa Itself to suit tho feelings of tho country . Mr . Bright expresses his hostility to rich nieu j but us ho was protty woll off himself , and had relations rich enough to brlbo constituencies , he had restricted his
animadversions to > those rich men who had the misfortune to invest their money in land , and he said these horrible men , who filled the House of Commons , had no interest in economy ; they only take an iuterest in extravagance . He ( Mr . Adderley ) felt sure that if a Reform Bill were introduced , and lie believed that the Reform Bill which will be introduced will be very much like that introduced b y Lord Derby's government , whatever might be the shuffling of the political cards , it would , only end in strengthening the Conservative party .
At Abingdon , Gapt . Vernon , M . P ., presided at an agricultural dinner , and made some sensible remarks upon our relations with France . He said : —He was very sorry tliat we had not undertaken the expedition to China single-handed . If he could have a voice iu the matter / he would not allow a single Frenchman to pull a trigger in our quarrel . We were strong enough to vindicate our cause by our own strong arm , and we had at present a large number of troops in India "who were not Sepoys , who would have answered every purpose . It tended greatly to diminish our prestige abroad to find that we were always participating with France in our wars , and the Continental nations were bound
to believe that we were not able to make war without the assistance of France . Was the present Emperor then greater than his uncle ? History replied , ne ! Was the French soldiers who fought tli-e other day on the plains of Italy , better than the soldiers of the Great Napoleon , 30 , 000 of whom overrun the whole of Italy in a fortnight , beat 80 , 000 , fought . six pitched battles and gained them , destroying 25 , 000 of the Austrian and Sardinian troops—Magenta and Solferino would reply , no ! Were the British soldiers of the present day inferior to the troops , half regulars and half militia , who fouglit and conquered the troops of Napoleon at Waterloo ? The Crimea and India answer , no ! For argument sake ,
he would suppose that the French soldiers of the present day were equal to the heroes of Marengo and Austerlitz . We need not value them a rush ; our soldiers beat them ; in those days , and they would beat them at any time . In addition to that there was a military spirit growing up in England which was so widely diffused that there was scarcely a man capable of bearing arms who was not anxious , in the defence of his country , to cast in his lot with his brethren whose sole business was war . The rifle movement was a great and unmistakeable fact ; and it was a great physical power in England , and it indicated a new and effective mode of defence . That made it a great moral power on the Continent ; for this was the first time within the memory of man
that they had seen England bristling with bayonets from one aid to the other , and the hardiest and sturdiest race in the world were seen standing shoulder to shoulder prepared to repel and beat back an invading army . The French say that they have the disgrace of Waterloo to avenge . We had no debts of that kind , for in all our encounters with France , from Cressy down to Waterloo , we could regard the conduct' of our army with considerable complacency . It did not require the gift of prophecy to reason on events that were passed ; but he ventured to predict that if the present generation of Frenchmen sought to revenge Waterloo by tho invasion of England , they would bequeath to after generations a still greater defeat—a defeat that would be as decisive as disastrous .
In reference to the statement in the leader of Saturday ' s Times , that « the ballot has been shelved , we are requested by the Committee of the Ballot Society to announce that Mr . Berkeley has made no communication to them of any intention on his pare to " shelve " tho ballot , and that they have no reason to boliovc that tho hon . member for Bristol has tne intention imputed to him by tho Tima ; " .. f . ou tho Times fce correct , the Ballot Socioty will take care that the ballot is not shelved , iu or out of Pur-A very crowded meeting of members and friends of the King ' s College Debating Socioty vas held in Jtho great hall of King ' s College , on Wednesda y evening . The question discussed was , •« Is tho pro / r
sent Ministry worthy of tho confluence m ' country ? " Tho Wh ^ -Radlcal party was led » y Mr . T . P . Xangmoad , and tho Conservatives by JJjr . G . F . Chambers . AD the closo of the dobato ft <» vision took place with tho following , wsult : r- * or tho Government , 51 , against , oo-mnjonty agninsi tho Government , 9 . Tho majority against tliJ uo vernmont would havo boon vory much larger ( U ore wero between 300 and < tp , 0 persons presont ) iiw » not boon for a spcocli made by tho Kov . x . ** PUimptro , tho chaplain of tho College .
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MR . JAMES'S BRIBERY BII-u Tub hon . and loarnocl mom bor for Miiry lobono ¦ luw put iu circulation tho following dooiii »«» lf » wlllon is his intention to introduco noxfc bobsioii . Proposed Dill , —An Act to roquiro tVoiu M . " ^?" roturnod to sorvo in Parliament a Decimation
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1288 THE LEADER , [ No . 505 . Nov . 26 , 1859 .
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S . Mfty JfaWB .
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 26, 1859, page 1288, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2322/page/4/
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