The Press. — London, England, 1854-02-25 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 25, 1854. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION FOB etc Preoz: Per Annum .. Half-Yearly .. Quarterly .. L 1 6 0 0 18 0 0 6 6 Payable in advance. Subscribers are requested to send their Orders through their News Agent; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a Remit tance. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALFRED Ivs 110, Strand, London. TO ADVERTISERS. the abolition of the Duty on Advertisements enables us to insert at the price of Three Shillings the Advertisements for which we have hitherto charged Five ; and Adver tisers generally will receive the full benefit of the change in the law. TO CORRESPONDENTS. It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive. Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde pendent of the merits of the communication. We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Ccmmunications should always be legibly written, and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of finding space for them. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authonticatetlby the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publica tion, but as a guarantee of his good faith. ~J~s -I~n~e~~> LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARYIB,IBS4. POSTSCRIPT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—Fainay. Lord BEAUMONT moved a resolution declaring that every effort had failed to reconcile Russia and Turkey without recourse to arms, and that the interests of the country require the adoption of im mediate measures to repel the unjustifiable aggres sions of Russia, and place the relations of Turkey and the rest of Europe on such foundations as may produce a durable peace. He disclaimed all inten tion of reopening the Eastern question, but yet pro ceeded to examine the documents lately issued, compared them with contemporary events, accused the Ministry of credulity, admitting the difficulty of their position, and the delicacy required in treat ing assurances vouched by royal authority. Tracing the successive steps of the Russian aggression, he blamed the Government for neglecting sources of accura te information regarding the progress of events, and believed that, with a juster knowledge of the resources of Turkey, they would have assumed a less deferential tone in mediating with the Czar. He exonerated the Ministry from the charge of con nivance, but contended that their words and attitude were most encouraging towards Russia, and con firmed his views by quoting his personal experience of continental opinions during the last months. He contrasted the tone of the debates in the two houses, declared that Lords Palmerston and Russell spoke like men of vigour and action, and Lord Aberdeen like a member of the Peace Society. He _ . was astonished that on the refusal of the Czar to assent to the last terms offered him the Govern ment had not instantly declared war. They still continued to hope against hope, for peace. Parlia ment was sitting, yet no Ministerial announcements, no message from the Queen, no information given when asked for by independent members. The Government still left them in igm,rance of their actual position, and they were warranted in de manding enlightenment. He had suspicions of a still graver error. The note of the last Vienna Con ference was yet before the Czar, it might be ac cepted, and the Government might consent to treat upon its basis. He entered his indignant protest against so abortive a termination. Russia, he be lieved, had abandoned all intention of territorial conquest : her views were directed to the consolida tion of a system of patronage and moral influence over Turkey of a yet more dangerous character. An opportunity was offered of frustrating these in sid ous designs, and he trusted that, after all the expenditure of time and money, it might not pass away unimproved. He concluded by eulogising the treaty of 1844, which he hoped would be the basis of further negotiation. The Earlof CIARENDON rested the defence of the Government upon the result which was now appa rent. Russia was completely isolated. France, Austria, and Prussia were united with England against her. l'ublic opinion was excited both here and on the Continent in favour of resistance. War would now commence under the most favourable cir- THE PRESS. cumstances—a consequence that had followed from many months of patient negotiations and forbearance, and which effectually repelled the charge either of credulity or connivance. Remarking upon the im patient desire evinced in some quarters for a formal declaration of war, he admitted that the event seemed to be altogether inevitable, but pleaded that England did not stand alone, but acted with and for allies, and must not, therefore, act with precipitancy. Briefly touching upon the terms of successive treaties concluded between Russia and Turkey, and especially the convention of Kainardji, he urged that Russia had repeatedly attempted to evade or prevent their meaning, and contended that as Europe was now aroused there should be no peace allowed which did not define the position of the two countries, putting a final bar to the aggressions of Russia, and securing Turkey her proper place in the great community of nations. The Earl of Monsisorox believed that no greater benefit could be conferred upon Turkey than to teach her Christian subjects to behave better, and he sug gested for that purpose the judicious interposition of some Christian power. Lord LYTTELTON analysed the terms of various treaties and despatches, and argued that the demands of Russia, if not reasonable, were at, all events logical. He believed that the negotiators would have been justified in insisting upon the acceptance of the Menschikoff ultimatum by the Porte, and that war would have then been averted. These past con siderations ho admitted bore little reference to the present or the future. For months past war was inevitable ; and, as an inevitable war was a just war, it was now incumbent upon us to carry it on with the utmost vigour. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE was convinced that the Legislature and the country were unanimous in supporting the Government for the prosecution of war. They had begun, however, by sending out a large force without sending any message from the Crown to Parliament, or obtaining any address from Parlia ment to the Crown. This proceeding, he contended, was altogether contrary to precedent. The noble marquis then offered sone criticisms upon some recent manoeuvres of the combined fleets in the Black Sea. Earl GRANVILLE dealt with the charge that Ministers had acted with weakness and vacilla tion, and remarked that similar charges had been brought against the Governments all round—Rus sian, Turkish, French, and English—and that it was a mathematical impossibility they should all be true. Earl FITZWILLIAM wished for further information, being desirous that the world should know we had no selfish motives in going to war. Lord BEAUMONT then withdrew his motion, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMAIONS.-FRIDAY. - - In answer to a question from Sir H. Halford, Mr. BAINES said that the souses in the Leicester prison were under the consideration of the Govern ment. Lord Dudley Stuart haring asked when the Government proposed to introduce the bill for medi cal reform, Lord PALMERSTON replied, that the Government were waiting for a report of a committee now sitting. Mr. MACARTNEY inquired the intention of the Government as to the wives and children of the soldiers sent to Turkey. Mr. S. HERBERT said that the usual rule was to allow six soldiers out of the hundred to take their wives with them ; but the present occasion was a special one, and it had been thought expedient to reduce the rule to four out of the hundred The other two would receive half rations, and, if necessary, sent back to their native homes. On a motion for a committee of supply, Mr. MActilui complained of the removal of Irish persons from England the moment they required parochial relief, under whatever circumstances, and for a time however short. Mr. BAINES admitted that the present law of re moval was in an unsatisfactory state, and proposed that the subject should be fully considered when the correspondence which had already been moved for was produced. Lord C. HAMILTON said that the correspondence would show but a very small part of the evils of the existing system. Sir J. WALSH called attention to the imperfect military organisation of the country in the actual crisis. Too much disposition had been shown of late to underrate the resources of ltus°ia. Though the Government was despotic, the national and patriotic feeling was strong. The holy alliance had taken for its principle a disclaimer of all territorial aggrandise ment; this had been one of the causes of the long peace. Russia had now abandoned this policy, and thus a new element wai introduced into the question. It was necessary for England to adopt a new policy adapted for its fresh etigencies. War was to be, for ears to come, the normal state of things. England, 181 to maintain her position, must develop her military as well as her naval resources. Mr. ALCOCK argued that by taking energetic measures in the Black Sea we could ensure a cer tain triumph. Sir DE LACY EV %NS recommended a reduction of the forces now stationed in the colonies. The cob). nies ought to defend themselves. He complained, besides, of the great age of general officers ; recom mended more frequent brevets, or that generals should sometimes be appointed for merit ; and pointed out the inconveniences of the system of granting temporary rank for occasional purposes. Mr. F. FRENCH complained that the Turks had been prevented from defending themselves : if Ad miral Slade had been allowed his own way, the dis aster of Sinope would not have occurred. The weakness of the foreign administration of the country had done all the mischief. Mr. HATFIELD lauded the Government for avoiding an appeal to arms till the last moment. Lord Jolts RUSSELL complained that a lengthened debate had arisen on a vote for going into a com mittee of supply, and hoped that business might at once be proceeded with. The house then went into committee, on which Mr. S. HERBERT stated that the present estimates should not be considered final. The apparent increase was 10,000 men ; but the real increase was larger, by completing the numbers of the colonial regiments. The real increase was 11,000 men. The army expenses had increased by the prices of previsions and new establishments; yet such had been the economy that their expenses bad diminished by 33,0(X11., making the increase of expenses in the increased number of troops only 270,000/. The army had already been concentrated ; army education had been organised ; and three classes of schoolmasters had been estab lished, with fixed rates of payment, with promotion from one to the other. Hitherto the system had worked well. For the offices of examinations, the first should be conducted on general and liberal grounds ; but the second examination was profes sional, in which the candidate should show technical knowledge. It was proposed to appoint district captains of instruction, under whom each subaltern might go through a course of lectures, upon which would be founded examination for lieutenants and captains. In the instruction of the war, the volumes used in the military libraries were greatly increased; in 1804 the number was about 5,000, it was now 118,000, with 16,000 subscribers. For the education of medi cal officers it was now proposed to superadd to gene ral lectures others on military surgery. No army required medical aid so much as our own, quartered in unhealthy situations in unhealthy climates. Army surgeons should understand tropical diseases as well as those belonging to camp. A professorship of mili tary surgery was about to be established for instruc tion on this head. The army had lately much im proved ; reward had been substituted for punishment, and the effect had been wonderful. He enumerated the encouragements now given to soldiers for good conduct. Their rations and transport accommoda tion had been improved. As an instance of the im provement of the men, they had invested in the savings bank, in 1844, 1,8001.; and in 1853, 124,000/. He read letters proving the decrease of military offences, from the effects of reward and education. Last year an establishment had been founded at Hythe for musket practice. At present every regi ment contained many soldiers masters in the art of shooting, of which he quoted several striking instances. With respect to the colonial force, that in Canada, the Cape, and the West Indies had been reduced; those in the Mediterranean stations had been in creased. In Australia a regiment had been raised and paid by the colony. As to the age of general officers, a commission bad been issued to inquire into the mode of bringing younger men into promi nent positions. With respect to the number of men, the present was not a war estimate, and he feared that before long he should have to propose a supple mentary vote. He concluded by moving the techni cal votes of the number of men. Mr. HUME congratulated the house on the improve ments in the system of army punishment, and on that of military education and provident conduct. He quoted his own experience as to the deficiencies of army surgical education in former years, and hoped the Government would persevere without partiality. He trusted that merit instead of patronage would ensure advancement. The first vote, granting 112,000 officers and men for the army service, was agreed to after some fur ther d:scuasion. The consideration and passing of some following votes upon the military estimates oc cupied the remainder of the sitting. The Paris Moniteur publishes an official report by Omer l'acha, dated Shumla, the 29th of January, containing important details of the serious affair which is already known to have taken place before Kalafat. The Turks gained a complete victory. The l'acha estimates the Russian troops on the Danube at 77,000 men, and adds, "We have a sufficient force of men and artillery."