The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-29 00:00:00

JULY 29, 1854. Mr. PETO pointed out the impropriety of discus sions like the present. Hon. members in their im. Faience extorted discloltures from the Ministry, and then blamed them for indiscretion. With so vast and important a work on their hands the Government should be trusted implicitly, or not at all. The coun try he believed placed unreserved confidence in the Ministry, and was ready to leave the conduct of the war, without misgiving, in their hands. Lord J. RUSSELL hardly thought it necessary to add any further explanations respecting his speech of the previous night. T hu re p orts he had seen of it appeared to be accurate, and he was ready to abide by them. Mr. Cobden might have supposed that he meant to declare that Sebastopol mus: ba destroyed and the Crimea occupied, but this was a gratuitous inference. Upon the general topics he remarked that the war question, as he believed, was in reality a very simple one, notwithstanding the ingenious sugges tions of difficulty or of duplicity that had been ha zarded in many quarters. Briefly defending the practical operations set on foot by the Government, the noble lord passed on to the attacks made upon Lord Aberlean, remarking upon the unconstitutionality of the endeavour to separate the Prime Minister from his colleagues in the Cabinet, with regard to measures which they had adopted in common, and denying that either the head of the Government or any of its menbers had shown themselves lukewarm in carrying on the war against the common enemy. If there seemed any difference in the tone of the speeches made by Lord Aberdeen and himself, Lord J. Russell explained that it arose from the different forms in which the question presented itself. In the Upper House the answer to the royal address was chiefly of a formal choracter, but the Commons were asked to vote money, and could justly require a more definite expose of the purpose for which it was required. If the house were not satisfied with the conduct of the Admini , tration let them vote for the amendment ; if otherwise let them confide to the Government the discretion of calling Pa;diament together whenever the public welfare seemed to require it:— " If we are fit to be ministers of the Crown we are fit to have that discretion; if we are not fit to have that dis cretion, on the other hand we are no longer fit to remain ministers. The noble lord has chosen to bring the matter to au issue by proposing an amendment to this vote, and I shall cheerfully abide by the decision of the house upon it (Loud cheers. )" Lord DUDLEY Smearr gave.some explanations, and then offered to withdraw • his amendment. There was, however, some opposition to this step, and the house was cleared for a division, but when the ques tion came to be put by the Speaker there were [no voices for the amendment, and the original vote was therefore carried unanimously. THE RUSSIAN SECURITIES BILL. This bill, which makes it a misdemeanour to deal with any securities which since March 28, 1854, have been, or previously to a peace shall br, issued by the Russian Liovernment, stood for consideration in c mmittee on Wednesday. The motion for pro ceeding with that stage was opposed by Mr. T. RAPING, and subsequently by Mr. BROWN, member for South Lancashire, on the ground of its possible inter ference with the arrangements of capital and com merce. The chief event of the following debate consisted, however, in the renewal of the antagonism between the SECRETARY for the TREASURY and the HOME SECRETARY. That the opinions of these two Ministers were divided upon the question had become known in previous discussions. Their discordance was, however, new proclaimed in most energetic language by Lord l'almerston. Mr. Wilson had previously spoken, briefly reurging his objections to the measure, and contending that, if the Russian system of finance were only well known in Englar.d, it would prove far more effectual in discouraging our capitalists from dealing in the securities of that country than any bill which could be enacted. The Russians began the last war with the rouble note at 3M., but, having depreciated it, by rendering it incon vertible, and by excessive issues, till it was only worth 10Id., on resuming cash payments they resolved to pay their debts at the depreciated rate, instead of that at which they were contracted. The value of the rouble note was restored to 3M., but the whole of the notes previously issued were paid off at 100. Now, Russia had already commenced the same course. The rouble note, again rendered inconverti ble, had fallen to 32d. Further depreciation must take place if the war continued, and holders of Russian securities might, at its close, find them selves only repaid one-third of what they bad lent. He thr italists - Lid be THE PRESS. ledged by all, is, that to furnish the enemy directly with money in time of war is the highest of crimes—is, iu fact, high treason. But what a puerile distinction is that which is attempted to be drawn between furnishing money directly and furnishing it indirectly ! (Hear, hear.) This bill applies, not, as many gentlemen are eudearowing to repre sent, to the established Dutch stuck, which has been matter of bargain and sale, of bequest and inheritance, in times gone by. It applies merely to stock created for the purpose of making war on this country. Its object is simply this—that if the Emperor of Russia endeavours to negotiate a loan in Europe, to kill our soldiers and sailors, to destroy our commerce, and to frustrate our national policy, at least Englishmen shall not contribute to the resources of the enemy. (Cheers.) The argument of my honourable friend the Secretary to the Treasury goes to this—that you ought to remodel your law of high treason— ( Hear,hear)—auti permit y 3 ur merchants and m ail nine tnrers to supply the Emperor of Russia with powder and ball, ships-of-war, and all the implements of destruction It is sheer nonsense to say that we should do so. (Cheers and laughter.) Such an argument is founded on the principle on which we know the Dutch admiral proceeded, who, in an interval of lull during a naval action, sold powder to the enemy. (Great cheering and laughter.) lam as fond as any man of encouraging the commercial enterprise of this country, but, for Heaven's sake, do not let us yield to this peddling system , which places pocket against honour (cheers )—which turns a balance-sheet against national interests, and which lowers down the best feelings of the country into a mere question of pounds, shillings, and pence. (Great cheering.) L say that that principle is dis graceful and fatal to a country. If we meant) maintain our national independence, we must have a regard for the generous and great principles on which nations act, and by which alone national independence and honour can be maintained. (Cheers.) It is said that the bill will be nugatory ; but it cannot be nugatory in so far as it estab lishes a principle. You may say that it will be evaded ; but there are men who will evade a law, however high the sanctions may be which the law is calculated to enforce. You cannot guard against the bad and evil passions of men, and the way in which they may be induced by motives of private interest to deal with general principles. All you can do is to lay down the rule, to which honest men will conform, while those who choose to evade it must settle the matter between themselves and th it conscience. I therefore shall strongly recommend the house not to reject this bill. I think the rejection of it would really be to en courage Russia, and to make a general advertisement to all British subjects that they were at liberty to assist the enemy wtth their money as much as they pleased. (Hear, hear, hear.) 1 think it would have a very lowering effect on the national character, not only in this country but in Europe, if it were found that the House of Commons, guided by simple greed of private emolument, rejected a bill which was founded on the principle of your established law, which does not carry that law to the extent to which it exists in reference to other transactions, but which simply affirms a principle that every honourable man will endeavour, in his own dealings, as much as possible to observe. ( Hear, hear, hear.) Let it be remembered that the bill is simply applicable to debts contracted for the pur pose of giving the Russian Government pecuniary means to carry on the war against this country. As I have said,) see no difference in principle between allowing British sub jects to furnish the Russian Government with money and allowing them to furnish it with money's worth. Money is only useful to them as supplying them with the imple ments of war ; and you may just as well say that you will leave off your blockades, and allow everybody to send everything they please by which they may make a few pounds profit to Russia, for the purpose of carrying on the war, because it is against our commercial principles to interfere with Ovate enterprise. (Hear, hear.) There fore, as far as I ant concerned, I shall certainly give this bill my very hearty support. (Cheers. )" The supporters of the bill were successful in ob taining considerable majorities in its favour upon two successive divisions. In both cases the house was informed of little Min:sterial incidents of some significance. Upon the first division. Lord D. STUART complained that a member of the Government, whom he afterwards named as Sir W. Molesworth, though present in the house when the doors were shut, had abstained from voting. At the se:.ond, Sir J. SHEL LEY, one of the tellers, stated that another member of the Government (Mr. Lowe) had "bolted" into the gallery instead of going into the division lobby. The house finally went into committee on the bill, but made no progress, the discussion being adjourned on the plea that the law officers of the Crown were not present. The bill came on again for discussion at a late hour on Thursday night, when a warm debate took place, chiefly, however, relating to the day upon which it would be most convenient to enter into a real discussion of its merits. The SOLICITOR-GENE RAL, in the course of this bebate, expressed his decided opinion that the bill required alteration from beginning to end in order to prevent it from producing very mischievous consequences. Ulti mately the chairman was ordered to sit again on 703 demand for accommodation for public purposes, and at the present moment a sum of 11,0 tali. or 12,t;001. a year was paid as rent for public offices. The pressure for ac commodation of this description was increased by the sale of the old Excise-office iu Broad-street. by which the pub lic had gained somewhere about 120,0001. The object of disposing of that building was to concentrate all the excise departments in Somerset-house. The concentration of public offices was an economical auungement, for by that means it would be possible to dispense with various staffs of messengers which it was necessary to keep up under the present system. The purchase of Ilurlingtoirhouse would enable the Government to remove from Somerset house those learned societies who had apartments there, and which would thee be appropriated to the public ser vice. It had been intended to offer those learned societies apartments at . Gore house, Kensington, but they had unanimously declared that the distance of that site would prevent them from accepting them. In addition to providing accommodation for learned bodies, Burlington house would be an appropriate locality for the concentra tion of the various public commissions scattered over the metropolis The vote was discussed on that day, and again on Thursday, when it was carried, on division, by a large majority. OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL. This bill came once more, and for the last time, before the House of Commons on Thursday night, when the Lords' amendments to the measure were taken into consideration. Two alterations of importance had been effected in the Upper House, both of which underwent con siderable discussion. To the amendment substi tuting " congregational" for " sectional" election in the choice of certain members of the Hebdomadal Council Mr. Watrota moved that. the house should disagree. On a division, however, this amendment was retained by 115 votes to 62-53. The clause in troduced in the Commons by Mr. R. Palmer for maintaining the preferences to college privileges and emoluments hitherto enjoyed by various public schools had been considerably modified by the Peers. Mr. R. PAtraza now proposed that his clause should he restored to its original vigour, and moved that the I Lords' amendment relating to it should be disagreed with. This motion was debated for some time, but ulti mately negatived, and the clause ordered to stand as amended. Some trifling alterations were effected in sundry I clauses, and the bill was then finally agreed to. THE BISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND. B ;fore going into committee of supply on Thurs day night Sir J. PAKISOTON moved an address to the Crown praying her Majesty to direct that the salary of 000/. per annum heretofore allowed to the Lord Bishop of• New Zealand should be paid for the years 1853 and 1854, with the assurance that the house would make good the same. He contended that the grant had been withdrawn, apparently by some mistake of the Colonial-office, and without due notice to the bishop, upon whose services and disin terestedness he passed a warm eulogiurn. Mr. W. Wri.Lusis remarked that the grant had been often opposed by himself and other members, and a distinct undo-standing had long existed that it should be withdrawn. Sir T. 1). ACLAND insisted upon the justice of con tinuing the grant. Sir G. GREY explained the circumstances under which the grant had been discontinued, and justified that step with respect to future years. As the bishop, however, had actually received the salary for 1853, and might have been put to inconvenience through the absence of notice during the current twelve month, he thought that Parliament might justly be called upon to make good the amount for either, or both, of those yews, if the colonial Legislature should decline to provide for the deficiency. Upon this intimation the motion was withdrawn. THE METROPOLITAN SEWER COMMISSIONERS pro pose to devote 110,0001. of the 300,(X)01 which the bill now passing through Parliament will enable them to borrow to the construction of so much of the northern high-level intercepting (or Hackney Brook) sewer as will extend from the present outlet of the open sewer to High street, Stoke Newington. With the remaining 190,000/. they propose to construct the whole of the low-level intercepting sewer from Deptford Creek to Battersea, except its northern branch, which extends from High-street, Deptford, to a point near Paradise-row, Rotherhithe. The sum of 200,0001., which the act of last year authorised them to raise, and which brought their debt up to 300,0001. (now to be 600,0001.), was borrowed of the - - the I we, nail taiien to 02d. t urtner aepreciauou um. m decided opinion that the uni requireu HI ItI ► MIMI to a point near l'aratiise-row, xtoinermine. 1. lIC FILIIII take place if the war continued, and holders of from beginning to end in order to prevent it from Russian securities might, at its close, find them- of 200,000/., which the act of last year authorised producing very mischievous consequences. Ulti- selves only repaid one-third of what they bad lent. them to raise, and which brought their debt up to mately the chairman was ordered to sit, again on He thought, if this were known, capitalists would be 300,0001. (now to be 600,0001.), was borrowed of t he Wednesday next. very chary of investing their money in such seen- Rock Life Assurance Company at ili per cent. , on t he rides. BURLINGTON-HOUSE. security of the rates, the money to be advanced by Lord PALMERSTON energetically declared his inten- A vote of 140,0001. for the purchase of Burlington- the company in ten monthly instalments of 20,0001. tion tosupport the bill:— house was proposed in committee of supply on Wed- each, beginning_ on the Ist of March last. THE nos. WILLIAM Mr. V. Starru requested some explanation EDEN now paid attaché at "The m easure a pp ears t o me t o b e f o unded OTI a general nesday. Stuttgardt, is appointed paid attache at Stockholm, i ll • principle, which it is exceedingly important to maintain. of the uses to which the site was to be turned. Lord Scomburgh Kerr is appointed unpaid attache to That general principle is, that subjects of the realm shall The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that the prin-her Majesty's Legation at Lisbon. Mr. Henry Dupre i not in time of war be allowed to furnish the enemy with cipal object which the Government had iu view in purchas- the means of carrying on war against us. The common in g Burlington-house was to provide accommodation for the Labouchere is appointed unpaid attache to her and established law of the land, which has been acknow- public service. Of late years there had been an increasing Majest) 's Misaion at Washington. . . . . .. , 1 f