The Press. — London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

Ze U re ( t rt 61. No. 1 97.—VoL. V. LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1857. STAMPED ....SIXPENCE. UNSTAMPED-FIVEPENCE. tic Vrtss. LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1857. THERE were circumstances in the debate on the Address in the House of Commons, on Tuesday night, which it is impossible for that Assembly, or the country which it represents, to overlook. The leader of Opposition in the House makes a clear and emphatic. declaration that a secret Treaty is in existence which nearly concerns the policy of this nation and the good faith of its Government. The allegation is expressly denied by the Prime Minister. It is derided as a romance. For the honour of our statesmen and the credit of the first deliberative assembly in the world, it is essen tial that this contradiction should be cleared up. After what has passed, the country must know the truth. National honour is of infinitely higher importance than diplomatic reserve. When the two come in contact, it is the latter which must give way. The excitement which this contradiction has occasioned in the Houses of the Legisla ture, and in all political circles, and the anxiety universally felt for further explanation, are a proof of the importance attached by England to the character of her public men. On Tuesday evening Lord PALMERSTON had the last word. The Right Honourable Mem ber for Bucks owes it to the confidence re posed in him by a great political party—a confidence, we are bound to say, which time and the career of the Right Honourable Gen tleman continually tend to strengthen—to show that he was justified in making the statement which has excited so much interest. That he bad authority for his assertion no . one can doubt. We do not believe that he, will allow the denial of the. Prime Minister to pass in silence. • . .1 . Should it prove ihitt the Premier, in his anxiety to conceal diplomatic secrets, has relied. on the technical meaning of a word, and has denied the existence of stipulations under one name which subsist under another, it will be impossible to regard without pity 'the indiscretion which compels him to seek shelter in subterfuge. We await the issue with anxiety. The end is not yet. THE BANK CHARTER. 'TILE proposition of the Government last night with respect to the renewal of the Bank 'Charter appears to have given general dis satisfaction. They move for a Committee of Inquiry into the operation of the Bank Act of 1844, and 'also of Joint-stock Banks in general. In doing •so, they announce that they have no alterations to 'propose in the Bank Act. ~- Their minds are made up. Why not, then, introduce a bill eual , odying the policy which they recommend ? Why devolve upon a com mittee the investigation of subjects on which the decision ofthe Ministry is already formed, and propose a committee on which they will appoint a majority of members, in favour of the Ministerial conclusion ? Then, again, the subject of Joint-stock Banks has nothing to do with the Charter of the Bank of England. Their regulation is a matter of urgent interest and general controversy. If both subjects ought to be inquired into, they should be investigated by separate com• mittees. The Ministry have made up their minds on one point; on the other they offer no solution. It may be said that there are not suffi cient members of special intelligence to form two committees. The same class of intelli gence is not required for the two questions. For the first, statesmen who have applied themselves to the fundamental princip'.es of currency ; for the second, rather lawyers and men of business, who have personal expe rience of these new institutions for the distri bution of capital. The prospect of the Government committee is not propitious. The committee, so far as the Bank Charter is concerned, will encounter lengthened laboars, for every question, and every combination of questions long settled, will be reopened, while a bill introduced by the Government for the settlement of the Bank Charter would pro bably have been early and speedily carried ; on the other hand,l the investigation into the conduct and operation of Joint-stock Banks will open considerations and contro versies to which we can contemplate no end, and probably will lead to a report of the evidence without any conclusion. The general impression in the House as to the proposition was, that it was the act of a weak and. timid Government. THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE SESSION. WHEN financial questions are before the coun try, the discussions in the House of Commons become more specially important than those in the Upper House. It is in the Commons. that the Finance Minister sits, as well as those who have previously filled the post. The largo mercantile interest in the Com Mons also, and its direct responsibility, give addi tional importance to its debates in times like these. When Mr. DISRAELI rose in his place on Tues day, as Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. Gentleman evidently recollected the consti tutional character of the House of Commons. Lord DERBY, in the Peers, had dwelt chiefly upon Foreign Policy, but Mr. DISRAELI had to remember that the pursestrings of the nation are held by the Commons. The speech of the Right Hon. Member for Baclo was nearly equally apportioned between Foreign Policy and Finance. The first subject Mr. DISRAELI treated under the threefold. aspect of past, present, and future, and it was made abun dantly plain to every member in the House that. without having some distinct understand ing of the Foreign Policy intended by the Premier, it will be impossible for Parliament to have fixed views on the expenditure of the country. • "No one," . said the Right Hon. Gentleman, " supposed that war was going to " break out with America, or that the United " States were going to declare war against any " of the great Powers of Europe ;" and Mr. DISRAF.LI then drew attention to the fact that we were founding a great colonial empire, of illimitable dimensions, and exhaustless re sources, by which we secured to our citizens a career with all the excitement of war with out any of its calamities. Mr. DISRAELI then raised the question why, under such circum stances, should there he rumours of war? and he proceeded to criticise the policy of the Premier. As illustrative of that policy, the Right Hon. Member for Bucks referred to certain understandings between the Courts of Austria and France, with the connivance of England. His statement on this point is of great im portance. It attracted the particular notice of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Oxford University, and Mr. DISRAELI again stated that " during the time that Lord CLA• " RENDON had the conferences with Count " CAVOUR, the Italian dominions of Austria " were guaran' " France, with " at the instank To that statemen an answer, which reply, He took a tone it a " romance," and diplomatic and RAELI'S positive substantially true, doubt. The Prern " refinements ' the frank and _ Extrinsic evidences DISRAELI'S revelation. For there can now a sincere - thoroughly soli,. let it be supposed that. the assertion romance "—is that Austria have been in land (after its had been no un, to ? Is *it lik( herself with a' When did Au: tation, as she tion that she tite Alliance kind ? It woul4 of such rashuer But,. op the Prime Minister, would have bee the tinteceden other couhtries. America, and His 3ntanglemen' gotten. It was DISRAELI on Tuesday " Prime Minister " terminating " bank." He sinuously wine ends in dismal Mr. DISRAELI tory course of the passions oh if she had mea and reminded TON was generall: ". ties' from w? Which " told " e Italian dominions of Austria 7 1 Lnteed by a secret treaty with T , li the sanction, approbation, and .nee of England." li . tatement Lord PALMERSTON gave lid' cannot be considered as a ook a tone of personality, Galled . . .. nee," and was simultaneously , .nd facetious. That Mr. Die- • 'II I ive statement is literally and true, we have not the slightest z Premier's answer exhibited..thaie " with which he unjustly taunted,. .i . :ri ' • 1 . , open hostility of Mr. GLansedbdi.": • 1 ! deuces prove the truth of Ike- velation. an be no denial that Austria is* friend to England, and harbans for-the last two years. Well, then; ii posed (for the sake of argument) i adieu of . Mr.. DISRAELI was " a - r • i it not an extraordinary thiag p. i should for the last two years . . such friendly alliance with Eng- • • 3 previous estrangement), if there inderstanding of the kind alluded 1 kely that Austria w,,uld commit I Such marvellous unreservedness? 1 , ,stria ever act with such precipi- would Lave done on the suppose- 4 u 4 t . ti• committed herself to the Tnpar- ,A. tz , without an undertaking of the 1 uld certainly be the first insta n ce- - ° 1 Less on her part. %,- 11 .' ... (3 other hand, the conduct ,of the )1. t 1 j i ,er, as described by Mr. Ihsamm if i, , been precigely identica;3l. with all - t 4 • ' .. [its of his policy with respect to 1. - b es. H6-'swaggered in Spain and i r he got severe rebuffs f r om both. t rnents with Hungary are not (or- es wittily and truly said by Mr. I i Tuesday, " that the policy of the 4 1 1 ster was like the river Rhin e , no t z in the ocean, but in a mud-, . p , . a begins with great • .z•, -, - nds onwards withive ocitt.; •" 11 2 it flatness. -•„ .Li then referred tq.,th- • _ ti . ii - •, 0 $ 4 ,1 of Lord PArmaitsuaqi 1,, - 4 1 1 Pit,,, k of the country a. ,j, -,P11, k • 7 1 ; y r.r,,sib . 'fi-.• cant to recede 'ft... is, 4i - .... -; I I the House that ' 4 Aid s _ pr,.o -; "d rally " the create -. • - 41,4 1 : '' :00 . vhieh he extricattli :. t: • ... ' well; and titer am: - - 7',:1.''4.` , * ) I , I • • , .. 4