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

FEBRUARY 7, 1857. defending their own homes, and take possession of peace- able cities? I say that those proceedings of the English Government at Ilushire will not be forgotten for many generations, and that by what you have done you have alienated Persia from you probably for ever. Russia exercised an undeniable influence over Persia, it was true; but was our present policy such as could weaken that influence ? If you, with your gigantic power, attack that weak country, what resource has she? She must, willingly or unwillingly, throw herself into the arms of Russia; and thus you are accomplishing that which you believe to be the aim of the Russian Government and people. If Persia is compelled, either directly or indirectly, to admit Russian ascendancy—if she is driven to employ Russian officers to command her troops, and to avail herself of Russian skill and discipline—she will undoubtedly very soon be in the position of the horse in the fable, who applied to man to assist him against his adversary. Again I say, then, that it is for our interest to make Persia strong and powerful. Does it conduce to that object when you lay waste her ter- ritory, slaughter her soldiers, and;destroy the small amount of regular force which she possesses ? In the present case war had been declared under remarkable circumstances, and there was no ques tion but that we were the real aggressors. The noble earl then alluded to the constitutional phase of the question : I find that the proclamation was dated on the Ist of November, and that the expedition sailed from Bombay on the Ulth of the same month; and, as both those measures were ordered from home, it is obvious that the order to invade Persia must have 'been sent from this country not later than the middle of September. I say, then, that when her Majesty's Government determined on making war with Persia and sent out those orders, it was their bounden duty at the same time to advise the Crown to call Parliament together and to appeal in the usual form to Parliament for support. (" Hear, hear!" from the Opposition.) If Ministers sought to evade responsibility because they had made no formal declaration of war this was far from excusing them, and if Parliament was to maintain its authority over the advisers of the Crown it must not pass over this omission. Lord Grey concluded by moving an amendment, framed without communication with any member of the house, to the effect that it was the duty of her Majesty's advisers to summon Parliament together and inform them of the state of affairs with Persia before declaring war. Lord GRANVILLE replied, and defended the course which the Government had taken in the negotiations with Persia. With respect t 9 the relative position of Russia towards India, Lord Granville said : Now, my lords, T, for one, am not inclined to attach any exaggerated importance to the probability of the Russian Government making formidable expeditions of an aggressive character a long way from their own domi nions. I believe that at the present moment—and lam more justified than most other persons in saying this—it is not the intention of the Russian Government to take any such steps, and that their anxious desire is that this matter should be arranged as speedily as possible. But this does not affect the question of future contingencies. Ile justified by the precedents of the Affghan and Chinese wars the declaration of war through the Governor-General cf India, and maintained that at the close of last session a direct intima tion to Parliament of the probability of a Persian war was made by Mr. Vernon Smith. Though her Majesty's Government were quite pre pared to meet Earl Grey upon any question he might raise, he trusted that the noble earl was not serious in pressing his amendment at the present juncture. Lord BROUGHAM hoped we had not been picking quarrels for the sake of !advantages therefrom. With respect to Europe, he condemned the notion of it being our vocation "to plant Parliaments all over Europe." His lordship then spoke strongly against the further continuance of the income tax. In 1816 he, in conjunction with Mr. Baring, made a reduction of 6,000,000/. or 8,000,0001. in the amount of the in come tax, upon which the Chancellor of the Exche pier withdrew his estimates and framed new ones, on the principle of cutting his coat according to the cloth. His lordship then reverted to the necessity for a legal reform, especially in those laws relating to secondary punishments. The LORD CHANCELLOR agreed with what had fallen from the noble and learned lord as to the necessity for law reform. He had himself given notice that evening of his intention to bring forward at an early period three bills for the purpose of amending the laws relating to marriage and divorce, testamentary jurisdiction, and ecclesiastical law. In the other house a bill would also be brought in to meet those crimes of breach of trust such as had lately shocked the public confidence. His lordship concluded after briefly referring to bills for the registration, for the transfer of land, for the simplification of the law with regard to mortgages, and for the consolidation of the statute law, to which the Government in tended directing their earliest attention, and among others a bill which would be brought in by Sir George Grey, haying peculiar reference to secondary punish- THE PRESS. Their lordships then divided upon the Address and the amendment, when the numbers were : For the Address, contents Not contents Majority for the Government HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TuEsDAv. NEW MEMBERS. The following noblemen and gentlemen took the oaths and their seats !--Mr. B. Cochrane, for Lanark shire, in the room of Mr. Lockhart, deceased ; Lord Henniker, for East Suffolk, in the room of Sir E. Gooch, deceased ; Lord Castlerosse, for Kerry, on his appointment as Comptroller of her Majesty's Household ; and Mr. Paget, for Nottingham, in the room of Mr. Strutt, raised to the peerage. NEW WRITS. On the motion of Mr. HAYTEn, new writs were moved for Greenwich ; for the borough of Hertford, in the room of Mr. Cowper, who has accepted the office of Vice-President of the Privy Council of Edu cation ; for Limerick county, in the room of Mr. Monsell, rho has accepted the office of President of the General Board of Health; f3r Aylesbury, Bute shire, Southampton, Newport, Clonmel, and Dum friesshire. On the motion of Sir W. J OLLIFFE, new writs were also moved for the Western Division of Kent and fur Bandon. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE. On the motion of Mr. HAYTER, a return was or dered of the income and expenditure of the year ended the sth of April, 1856, and of the balances in the Exchequer on that day. PUBLIC BUSINESS. Mr. llArri:n rose and gave the following statement upon Government measures Perhaps it will be convenient if I were to state some of the measures which it is the intention of the Government to introduce in the present session. I beg, therefore, to give notice that, on Thursday next, the Secretary for the Colonies will move for at select committee to consider the state of the British possessions in North America under the administration of the Hudson's Bay Company, or over which they have the license to trade. On the same day he will move for a bill to enable the subjects of the lonian States to bold naval and military commissions in her Majesty's service, and also for a bill to alter the ecclesiasti cal government of Norfolk Island. On Friday next the Chancellor of the Exchequer will move for a select com mittee to inquire into the operation of the Bank Act of 18 L 4, of the acts of 1845, relating to banks in Ireland and Scotland, and also to inquire into the operations of the law relating to joint-stock banks. On Monday next the Secre- tary of State fur the Home Department will ask for leave to bring in a bill to amend the 16th and 17th Vic., cap. 99, and to substitute in certain cases other punishments in lieu of transportation. On the same day the Secretary of State for the Home Department will move for leave to bring in a bill to facilitate the establishment of reformatory schools in England. NOTICES OF ➢SOTION-THE INCOME TAX. Mr. PELLATT gave notice that, on the 12th, he would move, in a committee cf the whole house, that as the income and property taxes were imposed ex pressly to defray the expenses of the war with Russia, the house was of opinion that the war, having happily terminated, the acts imposing those taxes ought to be repealed or reduced from Is. 4d. to sd. in the pound from the sth of April next. Major REED gave notice that, on Tuesday next, he would submit a motion to the effect that as war taxes were unconstitutional in time of peace, it was the opinion of the house that the property and income taxes should cease on the 6th of April next. Mr. MUNTZ also gave notice that, on that day fortnight, he should submit a motion on the same subject. SECONDARY PUNISHMENTS. I Mr. Rom:ex gave notice that, on Tuesday next, he would move for a select committee on secondary punishments with a view to consider whether, regard being had to the public security, it might not be ex pedient to reintroduce the transportation of convicts. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC JUSTICE. Mr. NAPIER gave notice that, on the 10th, he would move an address to her Majesty for the institution of a separate department of public justice. CHURCH RATES. Sir W. CIAY gave notice of his annual motion for the abolition of church rates. PUBLIC EDUCATION. Sir J. PAKINGTON gave notice that, on the 17th inst., he would move for leave to bring in a bill for the promotion of elementary education in cities and corporate towns. EXTENSION OF THE FRANCHISE. Mr. L. KING gave notice that, on the 17th inst., he would move for lease to bring in a bill to make the franchise in the counties of England similar to that in boroughs, by the institution of a 101. franchise. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN INDIA. Mr. J. Purmmouc gave notice that, on the same dry, he would move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the administration of justice by the Company's judges in India. THE QUEEN'S SPEECH. The SPEAKER reported that at the morning sitting the Commons had been summoned to the Upper House to hear her Majesty's gracious Speech The right hon. gentleman then read the Speech as. given in our report of the House of Lords. Sir J. RAMSDEN moved the Address, and in the course of his speech reviewed the principal topics touched upon in the Speech of the Royal Commis sioners, noticing the omission of any reference to our convict and criminal population, and expressing a hope that the house would be speedily called upon to record its opinion respecting a state of things which, he said, was as disgraceful to the Legislature as it was grievous to the community. Sir A. AGNEW seconded the motion. The SPEAKER having put the Address from the chair, Mr. DISRAFT.I then rose.• Upon Mr. Disraeli resuming his seat, The CHANCEIJAR of the EXCHEQUER rose, and, while declining to follow Mr. Disraeli into the wide field of our foreign policy, replied very briefly to his remarks upon the finances of the country. As to the future year, it was, he said, his anxious wish to lay his financial statement of the probable expenditure and the means for meeting it before the house at the earliest possible opportunity after the army and navy estimates had been presented. A brief pause in the debate ensued, when— Mr. GLADSTONE rose and said : Sir, I confess it is with reluctance that I rise to address you at the present moment. When my right hon. friend left his seat to follow what I must call the comprehensive and remarkable speech of the right hon. gentleman oppo site, I undoubtedly did suppose that we were about to hear from a Minister of the Crown some notice of and some reply to the very grave matters with which the earlier portions of that speech was charged. I frankly own it ap pears to me inoonsistent with the respect due to this house and to the country that when any member of this house supposed to speak the sentiments of many other of its members, in a debate on the Address, questioned the foreign policy of the Ministers of the Crown in terms so grave as those which have been employed to-night, the Government should not vouchsafe one word of notice to the charges that have thus been made. I was not aware, when I entered the house, of the nature of the discussion into which the right hon. gentleman was about to enter. did presume—and it was an act of presumption for which I am bound to apologise—to endeavour to catch your eye immediately after the seconder of the address had sat down, and I did it on the peculiar ground that I well know important considerations of finance are at this moment agitating the mind of the country; that I anticipated the words of the right hon. gentleman in the feelings of my own breast, because I knew there was one man at least in this house who was especially bound both to be definite and to be prompt in explaining to the house his views on financial questions, and that I was that man, on account of the position I held at the end of the financial year of 1853 ; therefore it was my desire not to lose a moment in acquainting the house with the recognition wirch I felt bound to make of certain obligations resting on me, and resting also on the House of Commons, and for this reason alone did I presume to rise in competition with the right hon. gentleman. At a period when the Speech from the Throne is occu pied almost from first to last with matters touching our foreign policy, it certainly was my intention to have ad verted to several of the questions that had been raised; but the right hon. gentleman, exercising his privilege as a member of this house, has entered upon a very wide field, and Las questioned the foreign policy of the Government in its root and in its branches, and has made charges on that subject which the honour of the Government requires them to notice. (Cheers from the Opposition.) I again express my regret that my right hon. friend, a Minister and adviser of the Crown, responsible for that policy, and having listened to the allegations made by the right hon. gentleman opposite, should think himself justified in omitting to defend what had been formally assailed. If I understood the right hon. gentleman correctly, he said there was some instrument or compact in existence by which, unknown to the Parliament and the people of this country, we had become parties and guarantees to Austria for her Italian possessions. Mr. DISRAELI, who spoke in a low tone across the table, was understood to say it was important that there should be no mistake as to his statement on that point. What he said, or meant to say, was that during the time that Lord Clarendon had the con ferences in question with Count Cavour, the Italian dominions of Austna were guaranteed by a secret treaty. The noble lord (Lord Palmerston) then asked with what power. Then he (Mr. Disraeli) said a secret treaty with France, but with the sanction, approbation, and at the instance of England. Mr. GLADSTONE : I am very glad that I have drawn that explanation from the right hon. gentleman, because my belief is that many who heard his previous statement on that point received, with myself, an erroneous im pression. But if it be true that a guarantee has been given by France to Austria for her Italian possessions, with the approval of this country and with the active concurrence of this country, I must say, in my opinion, such a pro- • For the report of the right hue. member's epeeeh we refer t he reed& to the Supplement. 125