The Press. — London, England, 1857-03-28 00:00:00

304 in their opinion equal to the crisis. We carried on with energy and vipur the war in which the country was en gaged, and in hearty co-operation with our gallant allies— the French, the Sardinians, and the Turks—we brought it to a successful termination, and the result was a treaty of peace which accomplished the objects of the war, and which secured fur the allies conditions which sonic of those to whom I have alluded had deemed it unreasonable to propose and impossible to obtain. In the execution of the stipulations of this treaty diffi culties in regard to matters of great importance arose. Those difficulties by firmness in negotiation her Majesty's Government mainly contributed in a satisfactory manlier to remove, and the full attainment of the objects of the treaty in regard to the matters to which those difficulties related has thus been secured. At the beginning of the recent session of Parliament we announced our intention of taking off the war portion of the income tax, and we proposed a budget which was ap proved by a majority of eighty votes. The Persian war, which had originated in aggressions and breach of engagement by the Persian Government, was put an end to by a treaty of peace concluded at Paris. Onr diplomatic relations with the United States had been replaced upon their usual footing by the appointment of Lord Napier and his departure for Washington. Papers have been presented to Parliament explaining the reasons why the British and French missions had been withdrawn from Naples, and no notice had been given of any motion to be founded on those papers. Upon none of these matters did the Opposition deem it possible to found any successful attack on the Govern ment. _ _ _ But events of much importance had happened in China, unforeseen by her Majesty's Government, and nut the con sequence of any steps taken by them. An insolent ha•barian wielding authority at Canton had violated the British flag, broken the engagements of treaties, offered rewards fur the heads of British subjects in that part of China, and planned their destruction by murder, assassination, and poisons. The British officers, civil and naval, on the station had taken those measures which appeared to them to be proper and necessary to obtain satisfaction and redress, and her Majesty's Government had approved the course pursued by those officers in vindication of the national honour and for the assertion of our national rights. A combination of political parties, not till this last session united, carried a resolution dechirivg the course pursued by our officers in China unjustifiable, and consequently censuring her Majesty's Government for having approved that course. lint it that course was unjustifiable, the British Govern ment, instead of demteding an apology, ought to make one, and instead of expecting satisfaction ought to offer compensation to the Chinese Commissioner, and this course the combinel opponents of the Government, if their parliamentary victory had installed them in office, must in consistency have been prepared to pursue. Will the British nation give their support to men who nave thus endeavoured to 'Eska the humiliation and degra dation of their counti y a stepping-stone to power? I confidently assert that such will not be the answer that will be given to the appeal now made to the electors of the United Kingdom. We offer to the country a Government founded upon far different principles. Abroad it will he our• earnest endea vour to procure peace, but peace with honour and with safety, peace with the maintenance of national rights, peace with security to our fellow•countrymen in foreign lands. At home our guiding principles will be judicious and well regulated economy, progressive improvement in all that concerns the welfare of the nation, the continued diffusion of education among the people, and such well considered reforms as front time to time may be required by changes of circumstances and by the increasing growth of intelligence. On these I., , rounds I present myself to you, and I ant;ci• pate with confidence the result of the share which you are about to take in the solemn decision which the constituen cies of the United Kingdom are about to pronounce.—l have the honour to be, gentlemen, your obedient and devoted servant, PALMERSTON. 94, Piccadilly, March 23. THE RIGHT HON. W. BERESFORD met the electors of North Essex at Colchester on Saturday last, and addressed them at some length. Major Beresford explained his reasons why he had not supported Mr. Cobden's motion : Before the division night arrived he bad many (minor. tnnities of conversing upon the question with gentlemen wh occupied a high position in the Conservative party, and he said enough for them to understand that he did not cree with them. The arguments which they used to alter his opinion did not succeed, and he then received a very pressing written application upon the subject. He would not state anything that should in the slightest degree be a b.-each of confidence, but he wished to defend his eondnct and to put the matter fairly before them. He answered t nit application immediately, and without conferring with a single individual ; and, although at the time he wrote t tat letter he had not the slightest idea of its ever coming before the public, although it was not written with an, d •sire to curry favour with any party, yet, as that letter did o cpress his opinions upon the question and upon the state o' circumstances which then existed, he would ventnre to tr 'able them with whet lie would call the political part of it and by the views therein expressed lie was ready to at Ind or fell. It said : In the first place, I do not like the company which you have lak.ly been keeping or eilear.,uring to keep. I will not enter Int the controversy of whether it is a coalition or au agree ate it, or an approximation. I do not like snob eompliny. It Lust bring discredit, and will bring bad principles with it. In THE PRESS. the next place, I foresee and fear very disastrous results to our military position at Canton, and to our national prestige, if a resolution of the I louse of Commons should go out repudiating the conduct of our forces there. Beware of il at. Further, must look at the consequences of such a vote in its results here at home. A change of Government is unavoidabl-; nay, you acknowledge that such is the object in view. Here I must contest that I sun opposed to turning out an existing Administration unless I see plainly a fair chance, at least, of establishing in its place a better one, which has a treasonable prospect of holding its ground. Now Lord Herby has proclaimed to the country that lie cannot form such a Government with Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sidney Herbert. If lie has had no communication (as lam told) with them, how can he make sure that they will not again decline ? and if they do join will not such a coalition bring more discredit than strength with it? Another ands very strong objection which I entertain to the change at this moment is the conviction in my mind that the first act of this coalition, as a Government, will be to cut down the military estimates and to reduce the army again to 'hat state of inefficiency from which it his only just emerged —an inefficiency for which both Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sidney Herbert were in some degree acces sory and answerable for. Such were the reasons which brought him to the conclu sion not to vote for Mr. Cobden's motion ; but with regard to voting against it, having uniformly upon general sub jects voted with his party, and with the feelings which he entertained towards the leaders of that party, he thought it would be kinder on his part to retire into the country, and not to be present at that division. (Hear, hear.) Mr. C. DUCANE next addressed the meeting at considerable length. In reference to the Chinese question, he said it was attempted by the Ministry to create in the country a feeling in favour of Lord Palmerston, and to make it the great subject of dis cussion at the forthcoming election ; but when the unnatural excitement which it had created had passed away, the great subjects of domestic economy would remain for adjustment, and therefore it was unjust to make the Chinese question the watchword at the forthcoming election. After all the considera tion he had been able to give the question, he had come to the conclusion that Sir John Boring was not justified in his conduct. In reference to matters of more domestic interest, he expressed himself in favour of a reduction of those taxes which pressed heavily on the poor man. He was opposed to the grant to Maynooth. Church races he considered it their duty to continue, being an impost to which landed property had been subject from a remote period, and under which all sales had been effected. He then called upon the electors to rally round the Conservative cause iu North Essex, and secure the return of the Right Hon. William Beresford and himself. Resolutions were then adopted expressive of the approval by the constituents of the candidates, and pledging the meeting to do all in its power to insure their return. MR. ROEBUCK has addressed the electors at Shef field on several occasions this week. In his principal address at the Town-hall he very happily sketched the history of the China question, and after detailing the whole affair, and pointing out the new element, admission into Canton, introduced upon top of the old complaint of the Arrow, observed : We have been excluded from Canton, and every succes sive Minister has permitted it. There is a paper hire from Lord Palmerston, who says, " Forbear from entering by arms, it would do no good; I beg you to be quiet, and not insist upon it." (Hear, hear.) Still Sir J. Boating says this is a capital opportunity for insisting on the demand to enter Canton. Yeh said, " I cannot admit you. You have yourselves acknow:edged the difficulty." The answer of Admiral Seymour and Sir J. Bowring was, " If you do net admit us in forty-eight hours Canton shall be bombarded." Yeli said, " I cannot admit you ;" and they did bombard the town. With these facts before the House of Commons, what was I to do? Was Ito say that it was justice to bombard a great and peaceful city, burning hundreds and thousands of houses, rendering homeless nearly half a million of people; killing men and women and innocent children? Why ? Because it was said the English Hag was insulted, and that Sir John Bowring was not admitted into Canton. I, uan English man, as an honest member of Parliament, as the repre sentative of the merciful people of Sheffield, said that was no justification for the burning of a peaceful city. (Loud cheers.) When I think of the sight that must have pre. sented itself to the eyes of Englishmen, a peaceful city as large as London blazing and burning—shells tired into it from the fleet of England—her great name prostituted to such direful cruelty,-1 say that my heart would not have been iu its right place if I could have sanctioned such a thing. (Cheers.) Mn. COBDEN, at Huddersfield, has put the dissolu tion in a fair light. The Government wanted "a cry " : Lord Palmerston knew a dissolution must come soon, and, having no domestic policy upon which to appeal to the country—for Lord Palmerston hail voted against every kind of reform, against Mr. Locke King's motion, would not vote for putting Scotland upon the same footing as England, and snapped his fingers at a repeal of the church rates—how, then, could be dissolve Parliament as the head of a Liberal party ? Hie lordship had taken advan tage of this Chinese business, and called upon them to know whether the lit itish flag was to be protected. They all wanted to see it protected, but did not want to see it trailed in the dirt and blood and mud (Cheers.) He (Mr Cobden) was for upholding the policy of the Duke of Wellington, Sir H. l'eel, and Lord Aberdeen. He admired the dignit3 of attitude, of forbearance, and firm ness with which those statesmen conducted the affairs of SATURDAY, this country in regard to foreigners —a policy totally ins tinct from the constant tendency to intertneddle with foreign countries which had characterised the Government of Lord Palmerston. Ilia policy distracted attention freak home affairs and domestic reforms. MESSRS. VILLIERS AND THORNELY addreqsed public meeting of their constituents at Wolver hampton in the Corn Exchange on Monday evening. Mr. Villiers, in defending his support of Lord Pal merston, said : His lordship wns not quite the man that a Liberal and Reformer would desire, but he is the best man that could be found, and he is also an eminently able man for the duties which he undertook. Many complaints are made against him in the country, and some of them do not exist without reason, though the majority are not well, founded. Mr. Villiers, with respect to the China affair and domestic politics, said : lie was sure that Lord Palmerston desired to effect reforms in every department of the State whets they were needed, and he knew that he was now taking measures with a view to a healthy reform in both army and navy. So soon also as Lord Palmerston was con vinced that the time was come that it would be for the benefit of the country to extend the 101. franchise to counties he would carry that measure. MESSRS. MUNTZ AND SCHOLEFIELD met their con stituents at Birmingham on Wednesday evening. The members both defended their votes upon the Chinese war, but denied having given them from attachment to Lord Palmerston. After a discussion of three hours the following resolution was passed : That this meeting, strongly disapproving the attempts that are beirg made to obtain the election of a new Par liament upon the mere question of adherence to Lord Palmerston, and being of opinicn that the principles of civil and religious liberty and progressive reforni are those thst should be maintained by Messrs. Iluntz and Schole field, considers theta entitled to the support of the electors. AT SOUTIVOTPTON the electors, after hearing Mr. Wilcox and Mr. Weguelin explain their conduct in voting against Mr. Cobden's motion, passed the fol lowing resolution : That while this meeting is pleased to express its ap proval of the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, it cannot but regret the continued apparent indisposition of his lordship to support measures of political reform and social improvement, and sincerely believe that a large extension of the suffrage, the adoption of the ballot, the entire aboli tion of church rates, ad immediate suspension of the rapid progress of centralisation, and a national system of unsec tarian education, are objects deserving the favourable consideration of his lordship's Government, and would, if carried into effect by his lordship, tend materially to enlarge the area of political liberty, prevent the acerbities and exercise of religious animosity, give stability to the time•honoured institution of self-government, and thus promote the happiness and well-being of all classes of her Majesty's subjects. SIR FREDERIC TIIESIGER AND LORD ROBERT CECIL addressed their con-dituents at Stamford on Monday. Sir Frederic Thesiger, who wit.: very warmly received, adverted to the foreign and domes tic policy of Lord Palmerston : In the first place, with regard to domestic policy, if it deserved such a name—for he was utterly at a loss to know what was the policy of the noble lorl, and how it was to be described—during the year 1855 war was raging, and it was not to be exptcted that any measures of a domestic character should be passed in Parliament. Afterwards there were bills introduced, in the first place upon the law of partnership; the bill was withdrawn. Another bill was introduced ; that bill was afterwards abandoned. There was a bill for the reform of the Eccle siastical Courts with respect to wills and administrations; that was abandoned. There was a bill introduced upon the law of divorce—that was withdrawn ; a law for abolish ing local dues—that was abandoned ; for the reform of the corporation of London—that shared the fate of the others; and ; in short, without wearying his hearers by going through these various measures in detail, it was sufficient to say that among those recommended in the Speech from the Throne there were no less than twenty bills introduced bv the Government during the session of 1836, and all of them were withdrawn. With respect to the noble lord's foreign policy, he thought it might be fairly characterised as a most vicious intermeddling with other States, and a course of strong and vehement intimidation with respect to those nations which were not in themselves strong, and of pliancy and yielding to the States which were powerful : And now that they had glanced at the domestic policy and at the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, and had had an opportunity of judging of the past, let them see what were the promises for the future ; and they certainly had the advantage of hiving the noble lord's own statement of what his Government proposed to perform. Anything more vague, more ridiculously un• meaning, more capable of any construction which any ingenious mind might choose to put upon it, could hardly be imagined. Any person of any shade of politics might just express himself in the same manner as the noble lord had done. [Sir Frederic here qii"ted the last paragraphs of Lord Pahuerston's Tiverton address.] More unmeaning declarations he thought he never read.