The Press. — London, England, 1856-05-03 00:00:00

413 faults of tits Palmerstoo's MAY 3, 1856. Vrocabings arliamtnt. THE FALL OF KARS. mr. WHITESIDIC, on Monday, moved the following resolution That, while this house feels it to be its duty to express it, admiration of the gallantry of the Turkish soldiery. and of the devotion of the British officers at the siege of Kars, it feels ►t to be equally a duty to express its conviction that the capitulation of that fortress, and the surrender of the army which defended it, thereby endangering the safety of the As►at►c provinces of Turkey, were in a great measure ewing to the want of foresight and energy on the part of her Majesty's Administration. The hon. and learned member first dwelt on the importance of the war in Asia, and insisted that as Russia always struck at Turkey in her Asiatic provinces, it should be our policy to strike at Russia i n Georgia, which was the root of the Russian power. He detailed at length all the circumstances connected with the appointment of General Williams as her Majesty's commissioner to the Turkish army in Asia, and the neglect observed towards him by Lord Strat ford in leaving fifty-four of his despatches un answered. Who was answerable for the misconduct of Lord Stratford ? I beg to ask the house one or two plain questions upon that point. Is the ambassador responsible to the House of Commons? I say, "No ! " Who appoints him ? The Crown. Who exercises authority over him ? The Minister. Who can call him to account ? The Minister. Can we call him to account? No. We operate upon public ser vants through the medium of the Minister, and to call upon the house to enter upon the consideration of the misconduct of a public officer is to ask the house to assume the executive. The house can neither appoint nor dismiss. We can only exercise control, by making known our opinion of a Minister that fails in the perform• ince of duty in a matter of great public interest. (Cheers.) How does this case stand? Take it as put in the strongest possible manner for the Government, ' Lord Stratford de ROA& is an extraordinarily intractable and clever man. He was our ambassador at Constantinople. He failed to perform duties required of him, and the Foreign Secretary censured him." Hut where, I ask, is the ambassador ? He is there still. (Cheers.) He misconducts himself, and therefore the Government retains him. It is in exact consistency with that principle of Government, latterly adopted. which rewards a man according to his demerits, and, in daring defiance of public opinion, promotes him in exact proportion to the excess of his fault. After the quarrel with Lord Stratford had been settled, and after Lord Palmerston's Cabinet had been formed, General Williams addressed on the sth March a despatch to Lord Clarendon, urging the importance of sending reinforcements to the amount of 20,000 men. The reply to that urgent demand was to be found in the note of the War-office of the 12th April, and of the Foreign-office the 15th April, stating it would be advisable that the Porte should he urged to comply with the request of General Wit ham; when the more urgent need of the services of the Ottoman troops elsewhere should have ceased : With great labour and at much expense to the country these despatches were concocted, and when they were de livered, the S eras ki er rep li e d, " Oh, we k now a ll this as well as you—if we had an army of our own we should not want you as an ally, nor if we had a full treasury should we ask you f or money !" ( Ch eers ) I am aware it is not possible for a great man to do great things every day of his life; and no wonder that, exhausted by this last stopen dons effort. our W ar Mi n i ster soon re l apse d i nto an official alumber—(laughter)—until, unfortunately, he . awakened into mischievous acti v i t y i n t h e mont h o f J u l y following. I have heard it said that there are members of this house who are prepared to vote that " energy and foresight" in this matter have been displayed by the War Department of England! But l will not believe it until I see it recorded on the di v i s i on li st. Let me warn hon. gentlemen that it is of little moment what becomes of a Ministry, but of the last conseque nce w h at b ecomes of the character o f this house. (Cheers.) If a body of English gentlemen, the representatives of the people, who have sacrificed their blood and their treasure in a great struggle, are of opinion that when four British officers are inclosed in Kars and E rimatu, heroically fighting their country's battles, a document such as I have read acquits the Minister of all responsibility for the disaster which occurred, then I say, talk no more of const i tut i ona l Government, b ut g i ve us inatitationa consistent with national safety, and with the Prinisry ends of State policy. (Cheers.) Compared With the War Minister, who evinced such signal imbecility, soy that the man whom the noble lord the member for London overthrew was an intellectual giant. (Cheers.) Tim hon. and learned member then reviewed the subsequent conduct of the Government, dwelling " 1 111 great force on t h e i gnorance d i splayed b y L or d Cla rendon in rej ec ti ng t h e proposed Turk i sh expe dition to. Georgia, on the grou n d th a t th e route for a relieving expedition was by way of Trebizoud the noble earl objected to sending succour anywhere rePt to T re bi zond That was the plan of strategy nlgiruced the noble earl. N ow , t h e op i n i on o f t h e The r earl or of th e no bl e lord at the head of the Govern "t question of f ore i gn po li cy, no dou b t, wou l d b e v ery valuable, hut on a matter of strategy the case is not ee quite th e same. Does anybody living, any military man, nt was num the opi n i on now that the plan of the noble earl g ood sue? Could the nobly earl have known any thing about the country or the means of transporting munitions and ►aateriel of war? Why, the proposal made in this luminous despatch for an army, with all its materiel and artillery, to march from Trebizond to Erze. roues wonlil have occupied from three to four months. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") The road was merely a mule path over which it would be almost impossible to drag artillery, and, in point of fact, in the last war, Paskie witch, when within four or five miles of Trebizond, found the road impracticable for artillery, and did not attempt the passage. Now, how was this proposal looked upon by military men who had bad the advantage of experience to guide them? Why, sir, the opinions of Otner Pacha, of General Guyon, of General Mansfield, of Colonel Simmons, of the whole of the members of both French and English embassies, were in direct opposition to the opinion of Lord Clarendon and of the noble lord the Secretary for War. I repeat that the opinion propounded by Lord Clarendon in this despatch was upheld by nobody. He showed that through Lord Clarendon's objections the expedition of Omer Pacha was delayed until too late to be of any real service, and contended that the fall of Kars was most clearly traceable to the neglect of our Government to render it any direct assist• ance I asked a military man, acquainted with the country, what sum of money would have saved Kars. He thought 50,0001. would have been sufficient, but 100,0001. would have been an extravagant sum. Will any one telt me that if the Minister had asked the house for that sum to save the key of Asia Minor he would not have obtsined it ? A Ministry that undertakes the conduct of a war cannot escape from responsibility by saying that they did not choose to [ask for money. If they had asked and been refused, the case would be very different. At the time of the Spanish war the Government—we then had a Govern ment of ability—did not ask for permission ; they did what they thought necessary. Surmising what may be the answer to this part of the case, I will now show that one more futile was never attempted. I undertake to say that itiwas determined to give no assistance to the army at Kars. This is a strong assertion, but I make it delibe rately. After the debate in this house upon the Turkish Loan Lord Panmure, in another place, expounded the senti ments of the Ministry with regard to the conduct of the War A noble earl, who, in the other house, from first to last endeavoured to hammer some sense into the heads of the Government (the Eatl of Ellenborough), said, upon the 3rd of Au just, relative to the necessity of relieving Kars : I have, from the very first, earnestly, but fruitlessly, en deavoured to impress upon her Majesty's Government and the honse the necessity of attending to the war in Asia. . . . . . You may depend upon it, if 'once Russia is in possession of Erzerourn, she will hold that place, and Turkey in Asia, and Persia also, will be at her command, and she will have gained as much as she will have lost if you should capture Sebastopol. Now a more direct appeal to the Government to know what had been done in Asia Minor could not be imagined. Lord Panmure, in reply, spoke these words. He said : My lords, In reference to the position of affairs in Asia, I mutt say that I regret this as much as the noble earl. But Turkey Is in that quarter able to maintain herself against her enemy; and I should have some hesitation, considering the difficulties to which I should expose her Majesty's troops, in piecing them in that part of Asia where the Russian troops now are. The noble earl has threatened her Majesty's Minis ters in the month of November with a visitation of public opinion. Now, I ask the house whether a grosser deception could be put upon the people of this conntry than that represen tation of Lord Panmure on the 3rd of August, when he was charged with a neglect of duty in the prosecution of the war—when he was asked what he intended to do, and when he intended to do it. The Turkish Loan was then before Parliament. Let this sentence never be for gotten :—" Turkey is in that quarter able to maintain her self." (Loud cheers.) Now I appeal to the house and to the country to say, is that candid? Is it fair? Is it true? Did the Duke of Newcastle ever do anything like that? Did Lord Panmure write a despatch on the 11th of July to say that there was no room for hope ? (Cheers.) Did' this noble lord, who is the War Minister of England, write a despatch to say it was " too late to regret the policy which has left General Williams and his army ex posed to such straits "? Did he read that despatch of the 3rd of August tothe French Government? He did. And yet, when asked in public for information relative to the war, he says, " I think Turkey in Asia will be able to maintain herself." (Hear, hear.) Why, if the house will pardon that conduct on the part of a Minister who is bound to speak the truth—if it will tolerate conduct such as that— talk not to me of Ministerial responsibility. It is a farce — an idle ceremony. ( Hear.) That statement was made to lull the public suspicion—to calm the public mind. It was made as this Parliament was about to break up for the session. I impeach this Minister for shameful neglect, and I charge him with having perverted his duty, not only to his allies and to his sovereign, but to the sacred cause of truth. (Cheers.) Kars was beleaguered and starved. Those gallant officers I should be ready to thank upon my beaded knees for what they have done for England. Is there any man in this house who believes that when our plenipotentiary entered the council•room at Paris he was not met by the conquest of Anatolia and the capture of Ken? I was not there, but I believe as firmly as if I had been there, that the first thing Lord Clarendon heard at Paris from the Russians was, " We shall give yon very little of Bessarabia, because we have taken Kars and Anatolia." The lion. and learned member reflected on the " good taste" of Lord Clarendon in writing that sarcastic despatch to the Turkish Government on the fall of Kars, in which his lordship said : The neglected garrison 'of Kars will at least have the satisfaction of knowing t. , at their sufferings troubled the sleep and repose of the Turkish Ministers, who, in default of all ordinary measures of relief, never ceased to pray for their safety and success. He showed that whatever might be Turkish Government, the faults of Lord Administratisn had been still more glaring, and he appealed to the house whether it could rents() to affirm the resolution he had placed before it:— I ask you fearlessly —not appealing to one party more than another, because I believe that all parties are equally desirous and resolved to maintain the honour and uphold glory of our country—are you satisfied with the prosecution of the war? How is it possible that you can be so? Are you prepared to say that England could do no more than send four men and a doctor to cope in Asia with the resources of the colossal empire of Russia, leaving them, moreover, to perish without the least atom of assist ance ? Will you refuse before Europe to acknowledge your obligations to the Turkish army? I have placed that point first in the resolution, because it deserves the best and most prominent place. The Turkish troops are worthy of your thanks. They gave to your countrymen all they could; they shed their blood for them; they endured famine and suffering in every form and shape ; they followed the gallant Williams proclaiming to the last, " Such a pacha we never saw before ! " Once only were they observed to use the language of murmur and com• plaint. When commanded to surrender to the victorious enemy, it is recorded that they dashed their muskets to the ground and cursed the country which they served and the country which had betrayed them. But in that moment of distress and anguish they mistook the Governs ment for the people of England. There is not an artisan in the country who would not have shared his last crust with them—who would not have shed his blood to M. them from destruction. (Cheers.) Will you refuse to make public and joyful acknowledgment of your dt gratitude to the English offieerswho took part in the de of Kars? I hardly think there will be a dissentient to against that proposition. The gallant Williams speaks to you from his captivity—from his bed of suffering—tellin you in penetrating tones that the fall of Kars the Asiatic territories of Turkey and involved interests in fa great and terrible peril. Can further to say that there was a want of foretrlght part of her Majesty's Government? Where is foresight—where the ability —where the brilliant prise, well conceived and ably executed—where the prehensive design—where the judicious use of the weal of the world or of that mighty fleet which is said to be able,. to sweep the seas? Search through this mama of and you will look in vain for the evidence of vigour. Here you have idle words for brilliant polished phrases for prompt and decisiv e a c tions. expected and deserved more from England, as* sir, I plum this resolution is your bands, intoillsolfli support the votes of a patriotic Parliament, as I widisip*/* the approving voice of an indignant people. . . The ATTORNEY•GENERAL rested the defense of the Government upon the fact that, so far as tbe relief of Kars was concerned, Turkey had no rams to spars, and the English troops were monopolised by the siege of Sebastopol. The real question was, what could the British Government have ease to avert the fall of Kars which it had not done? Could the allies be held responsible for that event, especially when there was a force in Turkish Armenia sufficient to preserve Kars if the Ottoman comman ders had done tbeir duty? Because there was a differ ence of opinion among military men as to the plans for the relief of its garrison, were her Majesty's Ministers to be censured ? Lord J. MANNERS contenried that the loss of Aare presented a fatal blot upon the military fame of England, and was attributable solely to the want of energy, foresight, and ability on the part of the British Government. Mr. J. G. PHILIIMORE moved the adjournment or the debate. The LORD ADVOCATE observed that in the conduct of the war the alternative lay between leaving Kars unassisted, or jeopardising the siege of Sebastopol; and it was not a want of foresight, but a deliberately formed conclusion, which led to the selection of the former contingency as involving the risk of least consequence. The house then adjourned. The debate was resumed an Tuesday by Mr. J. Purt.t.imoaE, who axgaed that the capture of Sebes , topol was the main object of the war, and that no Minister could have imperilled those operations by removing part of the troops from before Sebastopol to Asia Minor for a subordinate purpose. The real cause of the fall of Kars was the dilatoriness of Omer Pacha, the cowardice of Selim Pacha, and the conduct of Lord Stratford. The question for the house to consider was, what would have been the result had General Williams received proper support from Lord Stratford ? All that foresight, energy, and industry could do was done by Lord Clarendon, but the most obvious duties were neglected by Lord Stratford, whose conduct merited the severest censure. Mr. hEs SEYMER moved as an amendment that " The circumstances connected with the fall of Kars should not be considered until the treaty of peace was brought before the house." Since the original motion had been announced the treaty of peace and protocols had been laid upon the table of the house, and a larger question n,,w arose,—What was the effect of the fall of Kars upon the Peace Conferences ? The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER could not support the amendment, which meroly postponed the question. The Government were desirous that the , ,_, • . -'.., • • . . . ' . . MAy 3, 1856. THE PRESS. 413 thing about the country or the means of transporting He showed that whatever might be the faults of the .---- VrattblngS in Varliamtnt. munitions and materiel of war? Why, the proposal made Turkish Government, the faults of Lord Palmerston's materiel and in this lumi artillerynous despatotcmarch from Trebizond for an army,wi to al Erze. l its Administration had been still more glaring, and he appealed to the house wh et h er it cou ld re f use to , mum wonlcl have occupied from three to four months. THE FALL OF KARS. (Loud cries of "Hear, hear.") The road was merely a affirm the resolution he had placed before it:— Mr. WRITEs IDE 'on Monday , moved the following mule path over which it would be almost impossible to I a sk y ou fearlessly —not ap pealing to one party more drag artillery, and, in point of fact, in the last war, Paskie- th an anot h er , b ecause I believe that all parties are equally resolution:— witch, when within four or five miles of Trebizond, found desirous and resolved to maintain the honour and uphold That, wh il e this house feels it to T urk ish itednt9 o .M. "Press. the road impracticable for artillery, and did not attempt glory of our country—are you satisfied w ith the p ro s e c u ti o n i ts admiration of the gallantry of the i. s idiery. and the passage. Now, how was this proposal looked upon by of the war? How is it possible that you can be so? t he devotion of the British of fi cers at . t. the siege of . Ka rs , military men who had had the advantage of experience to Are you prepared to gay that England could do no itffeels ato be equally a duty to express its conviction t hat guide them ? Why, sir, the opinions of Omer Pacha, of more than send four men and a doctor to cope in Asia the capitulation of that fortress, and the am•render of the GeneralGnyon, of General Mansfield, of Colonel Simmons, with the resources of the colossal empire of Russia, leaving army which defended it, thereby endangering the safety of of the whole of the members of both French and English them, moreover, to perish without the least atom of assist- the Asiatic provinces of Turkey, were in a great measure embassies, were in direct opposition to the opinion of Lord ance ? Will you refuse before Europe to acknowledge your swing to the want of foresight and energy on the part of Clarendon and of the noble lord the Secretary for War. I obligations to the Turkish army? I have placed that point The Turkish , ir h la e ce y her Majesty" Administration. repeat that the opinion propounded by Lord Clarendon in first in the resolution, because it deserves the best and The hon. and learned member first dwelt on the this despatch was upheld by nobody. most prominent thanks. e of the war in Asia, and insisted that as He showed that through Lord Clarendon's objections your ' gave countrymen m are en w al or l th t y he o y f importance of the war in Asia, and insir'ted that as He showed that through Lord Clarendon's objections your thanks. 'they gave to y our countrymen all they Russia alwa s struck at Turkey in her Asiatic the expedition of Omer Pacha was delayed until too could; they shed their blood for them; they endured famine and suffering in every form and shape • they pro us y s i i n a ces, it s hould y be our policy to strike at Russia late to be of any real service, and contended that the " Such a what we never saw before ! " , followed the gallant Williams proclaiming to the lest, in Georgia, which was the root of the Russian power. fall of Kars was most clearly traceable to the neglect Once nly lle detailed at length all the circumstances connected of our Government to render it any direct assist they observed to use the language of murmur o and c w om- with the appointment of General Williams as her once : plaint. When commanded to surren d er to t h e v i ctor i ous Majesty's commissioner t o the Turkish arm y in Asia, I asked a militar y man, ac q uainted with the country, enemy, it is recorded that t h ey d as h e d t h e i r mus k ets to and the neglect observed towards him by Lord Strat- what sum of money would have saved Kars. He thought the ground and cursed the country which they served and 50,0001. would have been sufficient, but 100,0001. would ford in leaving fif t y -four of his des p atches an- the country which had betrayed them. But in that have been . a n . extravagant sum. Will any one telt me that moment of distress and anguish they mistook the Governs answered. Who was answerable for the misconduct . if the Minister had asked the house for that sum to save in the country who would nose ave shared his last cruet ment for the people of England. There is not an artiean of Lord Stratford ? the key of Asia Minor he would not have obtained it ? A I beg to ask the house one or two plain questions upon Ministry that undertakes the conduct of a war cannot with them—who would not have shed his blood to Mill that point. Is the ambassador responsible to the House escape from responsibility by saying that they did not them from destruction. (Cheers.) Will you refuse to o f Commons? I say, "No ! " Who appoints him ? The choose to task for money. If they had asked and been make public and joyful acknowledgment of your debt of Crown. Who exercises authority over him ? The Minister. refused, the ease would be very different. At the time of gratitude to the English officerswbo took part in the defence Who can call him to account ? The Minister. Can we the Spanish war the Government—we then hail a Govern- of Kars? I hardly think th ere w ill be a dissentient voice call him to account? No. We operate upon public sex- ment of ability—did not ask for permission ; they did against that proposition. The gallant Williams speaks to rants through the medium of the Minister, and to call what they thought necessary. Surmising what may be the you from his captivity—from his bed of suffering—telling upon the house to enter upon the consideration of the answer to this part of the case, I will now show that one you in penetrating tones that the fall of Kars endangered misconduct of a public officer is to ask the house to more futile was never attempted. I undertake to say that the Asiatic territories of Turkey and involved even *PT assume the executive. The house can neither appoint itiwas determined to give no assistance to the army at interests in fa great and terrible peril. Can you hesitate nor dismiss. We can only exercise control, by making Kars. This is a strong assertion, but I make it delibe- further to say that there was a want of foresight on the known our opinion of a Minister that fails in the perform• rately. After the debate in this house upon the Turkish part of her Majesty's Government? Where is the rice of duty in a matter of great public interest. (Cheers.) Loan Lord Panmure , in another place, expounded the semi - foresight—where the ability — w h ere t h e b r illi ant enter - How does this case stand? Take it as put in the strongest ments of the Ministry with regard to the conduct of the prise, well conceived and ably executed—where the coma possible manner for the Government, ' Lord Stratford de war A noble earl, who, in the other house, prehensive design—where the judicious use of the wealth Reich& is an extraordinarily intractable and clever man. from first to last endeavoured to hammer some sense into o f th e wor ld or o f th at mighty fleet which is said to be able He wu oar ambassador at Constantinople. He failed to the heads of the Government (the Earl of Ellenborough), to sweep the seas? Search through this mass of ' n, perform duties required of him, and the Foreign Secretary said, upon the 3rd of August , relative to the necessity of a n d yo u will look in vain fo r the evi d ence o f ' IR censured him." But where, I ask, is the ambassador ? relieving Kars : vigour. Here you have idle words for brilliant ' He is there still. (Cheers.) He misconducts himself, I have, from the very first, earnestly, but fruitlessly, en• polished phrases for prompt and decisive action*. tab, and therefore the Government retains him. It is in exact deavouree to impress upon her Majesty's Government and the expected and deserved more from England, asell consistency with that principle of Government, latterly house the necessity of attending to the war in Asia.... I plow this resolution in your heeds, inedible). ft adopted. which rewards a man according to his demerits, you e m r ° az :ll d depend d w i l " -- 7 P h o O r ld I :it that place, .I)olnaecee R at u i lsili ,ur iz e in i p n os A se s s ia ston an o d f support the votes of a patriotic Parliament, as I isiiiiirlit and, in daring defiance of public opinion, promotes him in Persia also, ' will be at her co m man d, and she w y ill have gained the approving voice of an indignant people. exact proportion to the excess of his fault. as much as she will have lost if you should capture Sebastopol. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL rested the defense of After the quarrel with Lord Stratford had been Now a more direct appeal to the Government to know the Government upon the fact that, so Aar as th e settled, and alter Lord Palmerston's Cabinet had what had been done in Asia Minor could not be imagined. relief of Kars was concerned, Turkey had no roes to been formed, General Williams addressed on the Lord Panmure, in reply, spoke these words. He said : spare, and the English troops were monopolised by sth March a despatch to Lord Clarendon, urging the My lords, In reference to the position of affairs in Asia, I the siege of Sebastopol. The real question was, must say that I regret this as much as the noble earl. But importance of sending reinforcements to the amount Turkey is in that quarter able to maintain herself against her what could the British Government have dame of 20,000 men. The reply to that urgent demand enemy; and I should have some hesitation, considering the to avert the fall of Kars which it had not done? was to be found in the note of the War-otlice of the difficulties to which I should expose her Majesty's troops, in Could the allies be held responsible for that event, 12th April, and of the Foreign-office the 15th April, phieing them , in that part of Asia where the Russian troops . are. The noble earl has threatened her Majesty's Minis • especially when there wail a force in Turkish Armenia stating it would be advisable that the Porte should te no r: in the month of November with a visitation of public sufficient to preserve Kars if the Ottoman commene be urged to comply with the request of General Wil- opinion. ders had done tbeir duty? Because there was s Items when the more urgent need of the services of Now, I ask the house whether a grosser deception could diner ence of opinion among military men as to the be put upon the people of this country than that represen. the Ottoman troops elsewhere should have ceased : i t s garrison, were her Majesty's 'on of Lord Panmure on the 3rd of August, when he plans for the relief of • With great labour and at much expense to the country Ministers to be censured ? was tati charged with a neglect of duty in the prosecution of _ these despatches were concocted, and when they were de- what Lord J. MANNERS contended that the loss of Kars the war—w h en h e was as k ed he intended to do, and livered, the Streakier replied, " Oh, we know all this as when lie intended to do it. The Turkish Loan was then presented a fatal blot upon the military fame of well as you—if we had an army of our own we should not before Parliament. Let this sentence never be for. England, and was attributable solely to the want of want yuu as an ally, nor if we had a full treasury should we energy, foresight, and ability on the part of the ask you for money ! " (Cheers ) I am aware it is not gotten :—" Turkey is in that , quarter able to maintain her- self." (Loud cheers ) Now I appeal to the house and to British Government. possible for a great man to do great things every day of his the country to say, is that candid ?Is it fair ?Is i t Mr. 3'. G. PHILIIMORR moved the adjournment of life; and no wonder that, exhausted by this last stupen- true ? Did the Du ke of Newcastle ever do i.nythinglitiltie the debate. dela effort. our War Minister soon relapsed into an official that? Did Lord Panmare write a despatc h an t h e to alumber—(laughter)—until, unfortunately, he awakened The LORD ADVOCATE observed that in the conduct of July to say that there was no mom for hope ? ( Cheers ) of the war the alternative lay between leaving Kars into mischievous activity in the month of July following. I Did' this nob le - lord, who is the War Minister - of England ,. • have heard it said that there are members of this houseunassisted, or jeopardising the siege of Sebastopol ; write a despatch to say it was " too late to regret the who are prepared to vote that " energy and foresight" in policy which has left General Williams and his army ex- and it was not a want of foresight, but a deliberate) this matter have been displayed by the War Department of " 9 Did he read that desp atch of the formed conclusion, which posed to such straits . led to the selection of the England! But l will not believe it until I see it recorded He did. And former contingency as ,;rd of August to the French G overn ment? . involving the risk of least- on the division list. Let me w h gentlemen that it warn on. yet, when asked in public for information relative to the consequence. is of • hide moment what becomes of a Ministry, but of the war, he says, " I think Turkey in Asia will be able to last The house then adjourned. consequence what becomes of the cha rac ter of this maintain herself." (Hear, hear.) Why, if the house will The debate was resumed •)n Tuesday by Mr. 3'. G. house. (timers.) If b •the a hod of English gentlemen, pardon that conduct on the part of a Minister who is bound ~e , representatives of the people, who have sacrificed their - • it • - . r-HILLINORE, who argued that the capture of Sebum !eel to speak the truth—if will tolerate conduct such as that- -1 e and their treasure • in a great struggle, are of opinion talk not to me of Ministerial responsibility. It is a farce— topol was the main object of the war, and that no that whe n f our Minister could have imperilled those operations by 1 i British officers are inclosed in Kars and an idle ceremony. ( Hear.) That statement was made to Erste e I Inn, heroically fighting their country's batt l es , a docum ent such as I • . lull the public suspicion—to calm the public mind. it removing part of the troops from before Sebastopol I have read acquits the Minister of all responsibility for the which occurred , then I say , was made as this Parliament was about to break up for the to Asia Minor for a subordinate purpose . The real I talk no more a es . disaster naututional Government, but give us and I charge him with having perverted his duty, not only cause of the fall of Kars was the dilatoriness of Omer Pacha, the cowardice of Selim Pacha, and the r institutions consistent with national safety, and with the to his allies and to his sovereign, but to the sacred cause conduct of Lord Stratford. The question for the primary ends of State policy. (Cheers.) Compared of truth. (Cheers.) Kars was beleaguered and starved. with the War Minister, house to consider was, what would have been the , . the er, who evinced such signal imbecility, Those gallant officers I should be ready to thank upon my result had General Williams received proper support I i say that man whom the noble lord the member for beaded knees for what they have done for England. Is I Tendon overthrew was an intellectual giant. (Cheers.) there any man in this house who believes that when our . Lord from Stratford ? All that foresight, enemy, and The hon. and learned member then reviewed the Plenipotentiary entered the council-room at Paris he was industry could do was done by Lord Clarendon, but r subs b y the conquest of Anatolia and the capture of not metthe most obvious duties were neglected by ord subsequent conduct of the Government, dwelling • with great force ignorance Ken? I was not there, but I believe as firmly as if I had Stratford, whose conduct merited the severest on the Clarendon in re j ecting the proposed Turkish ex e- ditinn to G Paris from the Russians was, "We shall give yon very little Mr. KER SEYMER moved as an amendment that eorgia, on theground that the for route o f Bessarabia, because we have taken Kars and Anatolia." e The circumstances connected with the fall of Kars 4 a relieving • • r expedition was by way of Trebizond : should not be considered until the treaty of peace The • The lion and learned member reflected on the e noble earl objected to sending succour anywhere * t was brought before the house." Since the original except to Trebizond That " good tee " of Lord Clendon in writing tha t s enibruced by the was the plan of strategy . despatch hTur k ishG sarcasticto t eovernment on motion had been announced the treaty of peace and noble earl. Now, the opinion of the protocols had been laid upon the table of the house, noble earl or o fthe fallof Kars, • w hi ch his lordshipsaid in - 9 The _ „h the noble lord at the head of the Govern-and a larger question new arose,—What was the ) ", &question of foreign nof Kars will very valuable but policy, no doubt, would be The neglected garrison . at least have the effect of the fall of Kars upon the Peace Conferences ? quite the _ ,,,h , on a matter of strategy the case is not satisfaction of knowing tat their sufferings troubled the ,, • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could not wertain g e _ e. Does anybody living, any military man, sleep and repose of the Turkish Ministers, who, in default was sssue opinion now that the plan of the noble earl of all ordinary measures of relief, never ceased to pray for S support the amendment, which merely postponed the 4 PIM sue? Could question. The Government were desirous that 0* the noble earl have known any- their safety and success. .. _ • A THE PRESS.