The Press. — London, England, 1854-06-10 00:00:00

I I I 532 VretaVings in arliament. THE WAR MINISTER. The House of Commons reassembled on Thursday, after the brief Whitsuntide recess. Supply was set down as the business of the night, the miscella neous votes out of the civil service estimates being appointed for discussion and grant. Before the house resolved itself into committee for this purpose, however, Lord J. RUSSELL took the opportunity of stating the decision which the Government had reached with respect to the new arrangement of the War Department and the appointment of a special War Minister. The noble lord said, after some pre fatory remarks : " I imagine that there are two questions upon this sub ject which engage the attention of the house—the one is the question of giving more immediate vigour and effi ciency to the War Department, and the other relates to the arrangements to be made respecting the administration of all the various departments connected with military affairs. With regard to the first point, it is,l think, to be collected from the general feeling, and it is the opinion of her Ma jesty's Government, that a Minister having the charge of the Colonial Department, bearing in mind the manner in which the business of that department has increased since the last war, is both physically and morally unable to give to the affairs of the War Department that great amount of attention, time, and labour which those affairs in time of war absolutely require. (Hear, hear.) It is, therefore, the opinion of her Majesty's Government that the affairs of the War Department, instead of being united to the administration of the Colonies, as they at present are, should be separated from it. The next question regards the administration of the various departments which are connected with military affairs. The house is aware that these departments are several in number, and it knows, likewise, that one of the principal Secretaries of State, as Secretary of State for the War Department, takes the Queen's pleasure with respect to the amount of forces to be kept up for the year—takes the Queen's pleasure, also, with regard to any considerable augmentation to be made, and generally takes from her Majesty those directions by which the military of of this country are regulated. The Secretary-at-War administers the financial affairs of the army ; the Board of Ordnance has, in the first place, the management of the artillery and the engineers, but it has likewise various other duties to perform which from time to time have been added to it ; the Commissariat is a department by itself, and its duties are well known; and there are various other departments which are more or less concerned in the military affairs of the country. Reviewing the plans proposed for the concentra tion of these departments by the Duke of Richmond's committee of 1831-2, and Earl Grey's commission - subsequently, by one of which the powers of the Secretary•at-War were to be enlarged, and by the other a general Army Board established for the administration of military affairs, the noble lord pro ceeded Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that the best thing to be done for the present would be to confine our selves to the change of making a separate Secretary of State for the War Department, confiding to him a superin tendence over all those matters which fall under the administration of military affairs in time of war. Having been a member of both commissions, I have no hesitation in saying that I was not at all satisfied, after hearing the objections of Earl Grey and the Duke of Wellington, that either of the proposed plans would have ensured the effi cient and complete working of all the various departments connected with military affairs in this country. But a Secretary of State would have these departments under his immediate superintendence. He would have the con trol of the whole of them, and could say from time to time what improvements ought to be introduced, and could either introduce these improvements singly, or prepare some plan to be afterwards submitted to the consideration of the Government as a more general reform of the various military departments. This, 1 think, is all that it would be advisable at the present moment to attempt. To intro duce greater changes—to derange and put into a state of confusion all those various departments at a time when we have but lately entered into a war—would, in my opinion, be a very rash and dangerous undertaking. I have been told, with respect to the most beneficial change which was made by the present First Lord of the Admiralty, when he abolished the Navy Board more than twenty years ago, that it took upwards of two years before that alteration could be made so as to ensure the harmonious working of the new system. If that be so, it is obvious you cannot adopt in the first instance an entire plan without the risk of producing probably a great deal more confusion than at the present time, instead of ensuring that harmony and unity which are so much desired. There are certain prin ciples which I think should guide us with respect to this subject. It is easy to say, Unite the various depart ments.' But, while there is the greatest benefit in having one head which can control departments and branches of the same kind of service, there very often will be very great disadvantage in uniting in one department what ought to be divided amongst several. With respeetto certain things unity is desirable. With respect to others, separation is the best way of attaining that end. It appears to the Govern ment better to allow the Secretary of State who is placed at the head of this department to consider from time to time what is the best arrangement, and how improvements can be introduced. It certainly appears that there are de fects, which have been pointed out in the other as well as in this house, and no doubt very considerable improve ments can be made (Hear, hear.) There is one chan e, however, which I Ma say I do not Visa vss THE PRESS. in the light of an improvement—that the patronage exer cised by the Commander-in-Chief without political consi derations should be abolished. (Hear, hear.) Ido not think that would be likely to give satisfaction to the public. It seems to me far better that the patronage should con tinge to be exercised as for a long series of years it has been and is now exercised, having regard to the benefit of the army, totally apart from any considerations of which party is in power or in opposition. (Hear, hear.) These are the only remarks which I wish to make on the subject. It will not be necessary to have recourse to Parliament for any bill to separate the departments of War and the Colo nies. That can be effected nearly in the same manner as the Home Department was separated from that of War and the Co'onies. There will be, of course, some increased ex penses ; but the establishment now found to be sufficient for both departments will be nearly sufficient for them when separated. An estimate will be proposed for defraying the charges of the Secretary of State for the War avartment; and the Secretary of State for the War Department, having his undivided attention given to the affairs of that depart ment—never more important than at the present moment, ' or requiring more vigour and decision—will he able to serve his country in the manner it deserves. (C'heers)." Some brief comments were made upon the Ministerial announcement by several members. Mr. liumx rejoiced to find a beginning made in the direction of a much-needed administrative change, hut pointed out a variety of extensions that must be given to the proposition before the War Ministry could be considered properly organised. He asked the Government to produce some definite scheme. Mr. ELLICE thought the plan would suffice if looked upon as a merely temporary arrangement to be Made shift with during war. Colonel Drxxx recommended the appointment of a military man as the new Minister of War. Mr. M. Gummi asked, by way of fishing question, "in which house the new Minister was to sit ?" Lord J. RUSSELL replied vaguely that, under the statute of Anne, two Secretaries of State might have seats simultaneously in the Commons. To a further question whether the intended War Secretary would be a member of the Lower House, the noble lord gave no answer. PRINCE ALBERT'S FARMS. In committee of supply on Thursday, a vote for money to maintain certain royal palaces called forth some complaints and explanations touching the farms occupied by Prince Albert at Windsor. Mr. Wittums observed in the vote an item of 2,0001. " for replacing some decayed buildings" on those farms, and urged that, if his Royal Highness paid neither rent nor rates, he ought to keep the farm buildings in repair out of his own pocket. Mr. Wrtsow corrected the misapprehension under which the hon. member laboured " The Prince paid for the farms which he occupied the same rent as would be charged to any ordinary tenant, and the amount of the rent was carried to the public credit. His Royal Highness was a great improver, and had carried ' high farming ' to a point of great perfection ; but when ever he had proposed substantial or permanent improve ments, and those improvements had been carried out, they had been paid for in the same way as they would have been in any other case, one half by the Crown, as landlord, and the other half by his Royal Highness, as tenant. He thought that, upon the whole, they were rather more strict in dealing with his Royal Highness than they were with an ordinary tenant." Mr. SPOONER inquired what was the number of acres which his Royal Highness occupied, and in respect of which this 2,0001. was to be expended ? Lord SEYMOUR said, as the arrangement was made when he was at the Board of Works, be might, perhaps, he per. mitted to explain that, with respect to the farms which Prince Albert occupied and farmed, he was treated in pre cisely the same way as any ordinary tenant of the Crown ; but that with respect to the dairy farm, that was con sidered an appendage to the castle, which ought as much to be kept up as the kitchen or any other part of her Ma jesty's establishment. (Hear, hear.) He imagined that this 2,0001. was required in order to carry out a plan which was in contemplation when he was in office, for putting the buildings on the dairy farm into suitable con dition. Sir WILLIAM MoLEswourx assented to the accuracy of this explanation, and said that this sum of 2,0001. which was now asked for was required for the purpose of com pleting the new farm-buildings on the dairy farm. Mr. SPOONER quite agreed with the noble lord that the dairy farm was an appendage to the castle, and had no ob jection whatever to its being made as perfect as possible ; but the explanation just offered differed very materially from that which had been before given by the Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. WILSON said the explanation was this. Improve ments on the dairy farm were paid for wholly by the public; on the other farms his Royal Highness paid one half, as any other tenant would do, and the public paid the other. HER MAJESTY is expected to be present at the opening of the new St. George's hall, in Liverpool. The committee have been accordingly indefatigable in their exertions to accomplish the completion of the magnificent building in time for the honour that awaits them. The day for the opening has not yet been definitively fixed; but it must be arranged to suit the convenience of the Queen, who will probably leave Osborne for the north about the latter end of August, so that it is more than probable that it will take plane the first week in September. SATURDAY, lortiga aio Colonial 4nttlligtittt. FRANCE. Several regiments designed to form part of the army of the North have already arrived at Wimerenx, near Boulogne, where they are constructing but barracks for the accommodation of the troops. A decree nominating a large number of general officers to command in the armies both of the north and south of France has appeared in the Moniteur. In the northern army, which is to be commanded by the Emperor in person, there will be no fewer than thirty-one generals. General d'Hautpool, Grand Referendary of the Senate, will command the southern camp, having under him thirteen general officers. The organisation of the French Imperial Guard will be terminated probably by the end of July. There is some idea, it is said, to incorporate with it a corps of Arab cavalry. The Sentinelle of Toulon states that the greatest activity prevails in the dockyard of that port. An additional number of men have been set to work in order to have the Navarin ready for launching by the 10th inst. Every exertion is also being made to complete the Flenrus, and the repairs of the Sone rain. These three vessels are screw line-of battle ships, and form part of the squadron of reserve which the Minister of Marine has ordered to be ready for sea within the next four months. Supplies of stores are every day arriving at the arsenal. The embarkation of troops for the Levant is about to be resumed at Toulon with renewed activity. On Satar day last the Montezuma steam-frigate departed with 1,000 men of the 28th Regiment of the line and forty horses. " These measures," adds the Sentinelle, "lead to the belief that it is intended to urge the war in the East most actively, and with a fez greater amount of troops than was at first in tended." GERMANY. An abstract of the note lately transmitted by the Emperor of Austria to the Czar has appeared under semi-official authority, in the Vienna journals. This missive was forwarded to St. Petersburg yester day week, the 2nd inst.:— " In the note Austria for herself—that is, as a great European power—strongly advises the evacuation of the Turkish territories. After referring to the treaties existing between Rushia and the Porte, the Imperial Cabinet,in the clearest language, expresses its opinion that the passage of the Pnith was an unjustifiable act. A longer occupation of the Turkish provinces would increase the danger of a general war, and, under existing circumstances, can no longer be borne. The Imperial Cabinet, therefore, calls on the Russian Government to name the time at which its troops will quit the two principalities and the other Turkish provinces. The concessions which have been made to the Christians by the Porte are brought into strong relief in the body of the note." A similar note has, it is stated, been transmitted by the King of Prussia to the Emperor Nicholas. Respecting the proceedings at the German Con ference, to whom the last Austro-Prussian protocol was submitted, the following statements appear in the Moniteur as from " official sources ": " After numerous discussions, it was unanimously de clared that it was to the interest of all the German States to adhere purely and simply to the convention of the 20th of April, in the event of its being submitted to the Diet; adding, that, as the resolution of the Confederation might be adopted in an Assemblie restreint, the votes of the eight Governments represented at Bamberg should guarantee the adoption of the treaty. " At the same time a project of a note was drawn up, which would serve as the basis of the answer of the agents of theldifferent States accredited to Frankfort, if Prussia and Austria should determine to make more complete communications to the Diet." The Austrian Government has resolved to raise the military cordon on the frontier of the canton of Tessin, the Swiss Federal Council having given satisfactory assurances for a future good under standing. In Berlin a royal decree has been issued forbid ding the exportation of gunpowder, percussion-caps, and war ammunition of every denomination. The legal proceedings against the Archbishop of Friburg are terminated. The rev. prelate pro tested against his imprisonment. At the close of the final examination he was again restored to liberty. DENMARK. The file in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the constitution took place on Monday last. Fifty thousand persons assisted at the festival, which passed off without accident or commotion. The Government did not interfere, as had been ru moured, and took no part in the proceedings. The Court also was absent. SWEDEN. It was rumoured in Paris on Wednesday that the Swedish squadron had received orders to combine its force with the allied fleets in the Baltic, and that the Swedish Minister at St. Petersburg had demanded Lis passports.