The Press. — London, England, 1855-06-30 00:00:00

JUNE 30, 1855. Vrocabings in Vadiament. AUSTRIA. Lord LYNDHURST on Tuesday brought the proceed ings of this power before the attention of the House of Lords and of the 'ountry. After declaring that from Prussia he expected nothing whatever—con vinced, from her conduct in the last war between Russia and Turkey, of her utter subserviency to Rus sia—he said that from the great military power of Austria—governed by a young and h - iihspirited monarch, impressed with Russian injustice and a sense of his own interests—he had looked for active co-operation. The position of Austria was one of humiliation, which might be traced to the effect of the partition of Poland. Russia had by that means advanced into the centre of Germany, to which country her fortresses on the Vistula were as much a standing menace, as those in the Crimea were to Turkey. Austria, he contended, could never hope for a better opportunity of repelling Russia than the present. He then traced the history of our dealings with Austria throughout the contest, observing on the treaty of the 2nd of December that, while it pledged the Western powers to a definite line of conduct towards Austria, the obligations imposed on Austria were vague, indistinct, and almost unintelligible. He eulogised her conduct during the late negotiations, in which Count Buol had expressed decided opinions in favour of our propositions and against those of Russia. It would have been expected after this that Austria would have taken active measures ; in• stead of which she made other and evidently useless propositions, of which it might now be said—though he himself did not believe it—that It was made for the purpose of enabling Austria to slide out of the obligations into which she had entered. He com pared her to the phantom ship, which the mariner pursues till he finds himself entangled in rocks and shoals. Russia, he argued, had derived exclusive advantage from the negotiations, as by her ready acceptance of the first two points she hail done much is persuade the German powers that she had already conceded all that in any way affected their special interests. He rejoiced that the terms offered by the allies were not accepted, believing them to have been useless for the purposes for which they wete pro• posed. After some sarcastic remarks on the seceding members of the Cabinet, he urged the Government to persevere in the destruction of Sebastopol, which was erected solely to subjugate Turkey, and criti cised over again the Crimean campaign and the misfortunes attending it. Lord CLARENDON observed that in all this Lord Lyndhurst was travelling beyond his subject. He complained that the tone we had adopted towards foreign countries had materially damaged their sympathies in our behalf, that the small consideration we had observed towards them, and our aptness to call those enemies who were not entirely with us, had generated a feeling of resentment very different from the favour with which we were regarded at the commencement of the contest. Admitting that Austria would have stood higher if she had adopted a firmer tone from the first, he reminded the house that she was an independent power, guided by her own interest, and whose opinions in respect of which we had not the means of controlling. Policy required us to be especially mindful of the difficulties of her position, otherwise we might have forced her into a direct assumption of that neutrality which Russia so especially desired. He argued, from the • history of the Austrian proceedings, that she was sincerely attached to our cause, and that if she had intendeu to deceive us she had proceeded in a very ill-advised manner, which would only have brought out her own bad faith in the most conspicuous manner. She had expressed her undisguised plea sure at the reported successes of the allies last year. That she really intended to act when she increased her army was evident from the sum she had spent on it, a sum which she could ill afford, and much of which might have been spared had she intended that increase for a blind. But she expected the direct co-operation of France and England, a co-operation which we had it not in our power to afford. Her occupation of the principalities was a direct act of hostility to Russia. Our present position with Austria comprised her engagement to occupy these States to the close of the war. As to the four points, we were now entirely free from any terms connected with them, hut he declined further to discuss that subjest. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH thought that the position of Austria fully justified her in the caution she had exercised. He urged the various reasons connected with her dependencies which would pre vent her from engaging in war with Russia unless sure of support, and instead of supporting her we had removed 50,000 good Turkish troops from her vicinity and sent them to the Crimea. If Prussia and Austria had joined us, and Russia had obtained THE PRESS. successes against them, it would have seriously em barrassed our position. He did not wish to see the war extended to central Germany, and would advise Austria to be strong and prepared, but to hold her hand till the extremity arose which would insure success. He cared little for her diplomacy, but looked with alarm upon any reduction of her and if that took place urged the Government to consider seriously how our own military means were to be increased and a safe and honourable termina- tion to hostilities secured. The subject dropped, after a few words from one or two other peers. THE HANGO MASSACRE. Captain Duwows' on Monday having inquired whether any further despatches had been received by the Government with reference to the outrage at Hango, the First Lord of the Admiralty recapitulated the tenor of ailvices which had just previously arrived . . _ . . . from the commander-in-chief In the Baltic , :L- He had great pleasure in stating, that the Admiralty had received that very morning despatches from Admiral Dundas, announcing the steps which he had taken ; and also giving the must welcome intelligence that many of the persons whom we supposed to have been killed, from the account given by the only survivor who was rescued, were, although wounded, not killed, and that some of them were not even wounded. Admiral Dundas sent a letter to the Governor of Helsingfors, stating what had taken place, and remonstrating most properly upon the subject, pointing out what an atrocious act it was to fire upon the boat's crew under the circumstances detailed in those despatches which he ( Sir Charles Wood) read the other night, and Admiral Duudas received an answer from the Governor of Helsingfors, excusing and justifying, to a certain extent, what had taken place, and declaring that the officer and the soldiers said that they saw no flag of truce, and that they had been tricked by our vessels, upon some occasions hoisting the Russian flag, and, as reported in the news• papers, under colour of a flag of truce, taking soundings elsewhere. The house would remember that the question was asked of him (Sir Charles Wood), a little while ago, whether he had any reason to believe that such a thing had taken place ; and the answer which he then gave was, that so far as any report which had reached the Admiralty was concerned, no such transaction had taken place. That morning he had the satisfaction of seeing the officer who commanded the gun-boat, in which the flag of truce was hoisted in the bay of Kertch, when that transaction was reported by the newspapers to have taken place ; and that officer assured him, most distinctly and most unequivocally, that nothing of the kind was ever done—(cheers) —that the carriage, which was restored to the Russian officer, was taken ashore by a Russian boat, under charge of a Russian officer, accompanied by one of the Driver's baste, under the eye of the Russian officer, and that nothing of the kind had taken place—that it was utterly unnecessary that it should have been done, for there was not the slightest difficulty in their taking soundings at the spot in question by night or by day; and that the place where the carriage was to be landed was pointed out by the Russian officer, and the carriage taken on shore by him ; therefore, there could not be the slightest doubt that the story, such as it was, was totally and utterly destitute of foundation. (Cheers.) ACCOMMODATION FOR SOLDIERS AND INCREASE OF PAY IN THE CRIMEAN ARMY. The Duke of RICHMOND, on Thursday, asked if in the barracks about to he erected due care would be taken to have separate accommodation for married soldiers, their wives, and children. Admitting that much had been done for the improvement of barracks by establishing schools and reading-rooms, much yet remained to be done, and he did not see why the soldier should be worse treated than the pauper, and be compelled to cook and eat in the same room. He wished to know if the recruiting was prospering satisfactorily, and hoped that not boys of eighteen, but young men with well-formed constitutions, able to endure the hardship of a campaign, might be found for the service. Lord PANMURE acknowledged that much remained to be done for the comfort of the soldier. A com mittee was now sitting on the subject, which had not yet made any report. Day rooms were necessary to the wholesomeness of barracks, and if there were married men there should be accommodation for them. But he thought that for the first twelve years in the cavalry and ten in the infantry the men ought not to marry, which would end in marriages being confined to non-commissioned officers, for whom accommodation could easily be provided. As for the recruiting, it was progressing most satisfac• torily, although, owing to the extent of our losses, we were not yet up to the standard voted by Parlia ment. The Government now proposed to adopt a plan by which all men engaged in action, beginning with the Crimea, would be allowed double pay, that is, a shilling a day extra, such sum not to be paid to the soldier at once—as what he now received was adequate for his expenses—but invested in the savings -bank, and given to himself if he returned, when he was discharged or pensioned, or, if he was killed, to his family. This proposition would be made public by proclamation in a few days, and was, he thought, a much better plan than increase of the bounty, which had at one time been contemplated by the Government. MAYNOOTH. The debate on this subject was resumed on Wed nesday without any new feature. Mr. MARUIRE repeated the assertion and argument in favour of the loyalty of Maynooth doctrines, and the excel lence of the system of education there practised. He described the condition of some of the apart ments, which he said were bare and unfurnished, owing to the prejudice of that house. This last assertion was turned against the speaker by Mr. B. STANHOPE, who said that it did not speak highly of the management of the college. He thought the political conduct of the Irish priests altogether unjustifiable. Captain STUART argued that Maynooth exercised a propaganda in England and in the colonies. Mr. P. O'BRIEN was defending the loyalty of the Roman Catholic tenets, when the debate was cut short by the clock, which anuounoed a quarter to six. FORMATION OF PARISHES. The second reading of his bill on this subject was moved on Wednesday by the Marquis of BLANDFORD. Ile object, he said, was threefold—to establish the independence of existing ecclesiastical districts, to facilitate the formation of new ones, and to provide means for the endowment of poor cures. After stating what had been done in the formation of new parochial districts by the Church Building Commis sion, he proposed that all parishes created under the Church Building Act should be henceforth entirely independent; that the property sod power of the Church Building Commission should be trans ferred to the ecclesiastical commissioners; that to encourage endowments the right of patronage should rest on those endowing new churches, with other provisions of detail. Sir G. GREY, admitting the importance of the subject, and agreeing on many of the points of the bill, thought the session too far advanced to deal with it at present, and suggested its reference to a select committee. Lord EBRINOTON and Mr. PALK were in favour of the second reading, while Mr. It. PHILLIMORK and Mr. W. F. COWPER, though favorable to the principle of the bill, and believing the discussion upon it to be highly useful, advised its withdrawal for the present. Sir W. Clay, Mr.•J. Butt, Mr. V. Scully, and Mr. Hadfield objected to the principle of the bill, BS enlarging the system of church rates, and permitting Government property to be assigned to the Church, and thought that the Government should next year, when the Church Building Act would expire, take the matter in hand. The bill was then withdrawn. PARLIAMENTARY CONTRACTORS. On Tuesday Mr. T. DuscomßE moved for a stew writ for the city of London on the ground that Baron Rothschild having contracted with the Government for the April loan had thereby disqualified himself for sitting in the House of Commons. He entered at some length into the history of the Contractors Act, under the terms of which, fairly interpreted, he contended that Baron Rothschild fell. The ATTORNEY.GENERAL moved to refer the sub ject to a select committee on two grounds—one, that since the passing of the act several members had taken part in loans without vacating their seats ; the other, that Baron Rothschild, being unable from other reasons to take his seat, could not defend him self, which he could do before a committee. In the discussion that followed the committee was opposed by Sir F. THE:4IOER and Mr. FRENCH, who thought that the meaning of the act was clear, the circumstances all before them, and the committee would therefore be quite useless. On the other hand a large number of members — Mr. Disraeli, Lord Palmerston, Lord J. Russell, Mr. Walpole, and the Solicitor-General among them —were of opinion that the unbroken series of members who had contracted for loans without losing their seats justiaed the discussion of the sub ject before a committee. Mr. M. GIBSON pointed out that other members of the house who had taken shares in the loan might equally be placed in jeopardy ; and Mr. DISRAELI that there was an informality in the case, inasmuch as the contract was in the name, not of Baron L. Rothschild, but of N. M. Rothschild and Sons. Ultimately the committee was appointed without a division. SALE OF BEER. Mr. H. I3Ea►cEt.Ev on Tuesday moved for a select committee to inquire into the working of the act passed on this subject last year. He referred to the opportunities given by the railways to the humbler classes for the enjoyment ui fresh a►r on the Sunday, and which were used by many of them to attend country churches, and demanded that enjoyments so innocent and healthful should not be marred by le gislation. He unused the house with descriptions of the difficulties and conflicting decisions of the bench in interpreting the law, which he said had not discouraged drunkenness, and had only encouraged hypocrisy.