The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-16 00:00:00

1188 FOR polititians—and who is there in England that is not a politician now ?—the week has been crowded with events. For the moment all eyes are turned from the Crimea to Westminster—from the heights of Balaklava to St. Stephen's. There i 3 a lull in the war, our troops are left to contend with the elements, and the question is now what mea sures have Ministers to propose for their relief—what defence have they to make for past blunders and neglects? Lord DERBY in one House, and Sir JOHN PAKINOTON in the other, stated the case against the Government with great calmness and moderation, but with fatal precision. In all their measures for the conduct of the war the Ministers have been too late ; when the period for action arrived they began to prepare for it. Hence all their ar. rangements have been incomplete, and all their plans unsuccessful. The resources of the Russians could not have been anticipated. Perhaps not. But might not winter have been anticipated? Was not that sure to come? The Ministers in their arrangements were equally unprepared for the uncertain resistance of the enemy, and for the certain operation of the seasons. No attempt was made to meet this charge. The Duke of NEW CASTLE in one House, and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT in the other, merely attempted to defend their several departments. They were profuse on details, and silent on principles. They gave all the information the public cared little about, and not a ward of explanation the public desired. These Ministers "of war " and "at war," with the resources of the nation at their disposal, had collected so many pounds of lint, so many pairs of socks, so many flannel shirts, &c. Who could not have done as much? With pompous particularity his Grace cf Newcastle undertook to assist their Lordships' comprehension of the magnitude of his figures. " Your Lordships cannot conceive " what a quantity of lint 26,546 pounds represent. I am sure I " could not; so I had a calculation made ; it would actually cover no " less than thirty-six acres of ground." We are familiar with this kind of calculation, through the medium of popular lectures. His Grace might have gone further in the same style. This lint, manu factured as thick as whipcord, would encircle the globe ; piled into a column one foot square, would reach as high as the Monument ; woven into gauze, would just form a veil for the sun; and spun into fibre as fine as a spider's thread, would exactly reach from the earth to Sirius; tho port wine sent out would be just enough to float a line-of-battle ship; and there would be sufficient sugar to afford a taste to all the inhabitants of the earth, from the Creation to the present time. In this style was met the heaviest accusa tion ever made against a Government, and at the end of every list of statistics there was a cackle of triumph as if the answer was complete. One circumstance in this debate is worth notice. The Ministers did their best to stifle discussion. After Sir J. PAKINGTON and Sir R. PEEL had spoken, Mr. S. HERBERT reluctantly rose to continue the debate, and when he had been answered by Mr. LAYARD, the discussion would have terminated abruptly but for the Speaker leaving his chair for some minutes. Colonel DUNNE then gallantly continued the debate; and Mr. DISRAELI, in one of his most effective speeches, suc ceeded by a charge of bayonets at the close in forcing from Lord Joils RUSSELL his real opinion of the Austrian treaty. At the last moment Austria might say she did not agree in the interpretation to be put on the four points, and she would then be released from the alliance. In fact, it was easy to see from Lord JOHN'S tone and manner that he did not consider the treaty worth the paper on which it is written ; and for his candour he has been fiercely assailed by the Ministerial prints, though they quite fail in showing that his version of the treaty was not in every respect perfectly accurate. The business of the sitting commenced on Wednesday with the " introduction of Lord PALMERSTON'S Militia Bill, which appears to be mystifying every one. The volunteering from the militia to the line has been highly successful, but the Ministers think they can improve on this plan. They propose to legalise and to encourage the volunteering of whole regiments. or of companies, or of corps of militia for foreign service, such troops to be sent in the first instance on gat rison duty. But there will plainly be a hitch here. Such services were never con templated from the militia. The regiments were raised to feed the army if necessary by volunteers, a part they have admirably performed, but were never constituted to be fit for foreign service. Many of the officers would be unable to leave their duties at home, many would be unfit for active duty abroad, and many of the men, in spite of what . screw " which would be put on them, refuse, to part from their family and therefore be completely disorganised, a regiment of militia alone ; its head tore would be no attempt to replace the Lord pzapx, e lls the " moral 1'1{4;02 63 1. i.eth iant, or would r 7 A i llligitre 'ment would 1 ' •.•:. • fr ,' '' . lu.lki . • abroad as a ' ' 1 • • 1 ‘-'• .0. 4 abroad, then lt, e• - a , „-.../ gia, . • . irAitYti4NVA:- THE WEEK. SATURDAY, THE PRESS. force, and the services of the men who remained at home would be lost. In this measure there is exactly the same want of foresight and preparation which has characterised every act of the Administration. Present necessities are alone cared for. The militia regiments are wanted—they are hurried away, and all the future advantages which would result from these regiments remaining at home to rouse, embody, organise, and discipline the military spirit of the country will be entirely lost. " The goose," said Lord DERBY, " will be killed " for her golden egg." On the other hand, all who wished to volunteer into the line would be encouraged to do so, the head-quarters would remain at home, enlistment would go merrily on, the regiments would be kept up to their proper strength, and a continued stream of effective men would be poured into the ranks of the regular army. This was the old system. Why is it to be altered now? Can Parliament con sent to its being altered without seriously endangering the public in. terests. The militia is the creation of the party now in Opposition. Is it not right that they should have some voice in its disnosition ? Does not common sense suggest that the militia regiments should be kept at home, however often thinned in numbers from volunteers joining the line, and not that they should be sent altogether out of the country, and their services both as a nursery for soldiers, and for home service, should the occasion arise, be entirely lost. The pro posal is plainly so exceedingly impolitic and improvident in every respect, that it appears unlikely the Legislature will ever be brought to sanction it. Never within our recollection has political excitement so gathered and spread and deepened in a single day, as on yesterday, when the proposal of the Government became known for raising a legion of 16,000 Swiss and German mercenb.ries. As this subject is fully noticed in our other columns, we only allude here to the effect it has produced. It was the one sole topic of conversation yesterday, and mingled with the surprise and indignation universally expressed at the proposal was a feeling of shame and sorrow at the humiliation which the very idea that we need this aid has inflicted on the country. The Bill was debated last night in the Lords, and called forth a most eloquent and powerful address from Lord ELLENBOROUGH, and a speech not less effective from Lord DERBY. The Bill was carried by a narrow majority of 12. But this, considering the natural wish of the House of Peers to avoid anything like unnecessary opposition to the Government at a time like the present, can hardly be other wise viewed than as a defeat. We confidently claim the thanks of our readers for presenting to them this day as perfect a report of Lord DERBY'S speech on Tuesday as we have been abl to procure. Never were the splendid oratorical powers of the Noble Earl more conspicuous than during this week. The whole town is unanimous in admiration of his beautifully expressed tribute to our military champions. His description of the exploits at Alma, Balaklava, and Inkermann, was graphic and thrilling, and will be read with ardent gratification by our troops in the Crimea. It is a difficult thing to " speak up "to the level of such sublime themes, and to none but first class orators is the faculty as signed. Hitherto, Mr. WINDHAM'S speech, in moving the thanks of the House of Commons to the army that won the battle of Vittoria, has been looked upon as the chief masterpiece in eloquent gratulation on military triumphs, but that fine oration has now found a rival in the noble style in which Lord DERBY celebrated the exploits of our coun trymen in the Crimea. It was heard with breathless admiration, save when at the close of the flowing sentences bursts of applause for the orator, and for the deeds extolled by him, broke spontaneously from the great body of the House of Peers. The last intelligence from Balaklava is gloomy. General CANROBERT'S description of the falling torrents of rain—of the trenches filled with water—of the works entirely suspended—excite the most anxious apprehensions for the health of our troops exposod to weather of such unusual severity. All this time the wooden houses, which should long since have been erected for their shelter, are only preparing in England, or tardily leaving our shores. It is vain to disguise the truth ;we speak it in mercy to our heroic defenders. The sufferings to which they are exposed, as we hear from a hundred sources, are positively appalling. Our troops are so wasted by disease, that we are assured by letters to the end of November that the total number of effective bayonets, including all reinforcements to that date, did not exceed 10,000. Yet we are told by the Government, 54,000 men have been sent out. It is right that details should be made known, that public opinion may be brought to act on the Govern ment, and compel them to expedite the despatch of necessities. Shelter, and firing, and clothing are now required more than men, and every hour lost in sending out these essential necessaries entails a loss of life not to be contemplated without a shudder. But it is most gratifying to learn that the spirit of our fine fellows is not broken, and that they are still full of confidence in the ultimate triumph of our arms. One of our private letters says, that a Polish major who had escaped from the Russian camp, affirms that:—" To a certainty the " killed, wounded, and missing of the Russians are estimated by them " at a much higher rate than that of Lord RAGLAN—over 20,000." —He says also, " that our licking them so magnificently has staggered the " whole lot. They had made up their minds to drive us right into the " sea in the end, and the consternation and fury of the Grand Dukes " were extreme. High words passed between them and the generals , " even to MENSCHIKOFF. The major declares it is not true that they " were in personal danger at any time of the day, for the generals " themselves would not have taken the responsibility." Ili