The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-03 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 3, 1855. resignation in the hands of her Majesty. I, therefore, my lords, was commissioned by the whole of the members of the Cabinet to place their resignation before her Majesty, who was graciously pleased to accept it; and, consequently, we only now hold our offices until our sue. cessors shall be appointed. My lords, I wish to say that in opposing the vote of Monday night, and in regarding that vote as in some degree unconstitutional in itself, as well as liable to many objections, it is not our belief, nor is it our desire, that the House of Commons should be precluded from inquiring into our conduct. I believe, my lords, that an impartial inquiry would fully establish thut no indifference has existed on our part to the wants of the army in the Crimea, and that there has been no absence of exertion and preparation to supply its wants, or to maintain the efficiency of its condition. He then said that he did not wonder at the general feeling through the country; it had not come to right conclusions upon all points, but it was perfectly justi fied in feeling strongly; it turned naturally to the Ministers as the cause of existing evils, and he did not complain. Still, he declared that these evils were greatly exaggerated and, looking at the present state of things, he saw no reason for dismay, but every prospect of ultimate success. He then enu merated the various subjects of congratulation, the large force of France, the Sardinian alliance, the Austrian treaty, and said that with such prospects it would be impossible to entertain apprehensions un worthy of them, even in the face of the present casualties. He adverted to the internal measures of the Government, dwelling with satisfaction on its financial operations, and then recurred to foreign affairs, and the treaty with Austria, all of which had been managed by the Foreign Secretary with ability, caution, and prudence. The want of the country was a strong Administration. Rumour had assigned to Lord Derby the post of Premier, but, as he saw the noble earl in his place, he presumed that he had not succeeded in his attempt. He concluded by saying that whatever Administration was formed, it should receive from him and from his colleagues the support so urgently necessary in the actual crisis for any Government, and that he hoped that such Government, as soon as the real object of the war shall have been attained, should lose no time in realising the advantages of peace. The Duke of NEWCASTLE, after apologising for not contenting himself, as was usual on such occasions, with the announcement of the head of the Govern ment, proceeded to defend himself from the asper sion of Lord John Russell, as well as from the popular outcry against him. He explained that in the arrangements made last year for dividing the War and Colonial Departments he had abstained from demanding either of the two ministries : he had said that he was ready to take "either or neither," and had expressly written to the Premier to do with him as he pleased for the public service, and yet he had been charged with presumption and self-love in insisting on the seal of the War odice. After adverting to Lord John Russell's final aban• donment of his own proposition respecting the arrangement of the War•oflice, he recounted the propositions which had been read just before the last meeting of Parliament to the Cabinet by Lord John himself. It tended to establish a Military Board, and, although the proposer said that he had seen no reason to think it would be accepted, he cer tainly had no reason to think it would be rejected. The noble duke then with much feeling vindicated himself from the charge of indolence and indif ference. He had himself two sons in the services, which was a sufficient pledge against indifference, and, as for indolence, he had allowed himself neither rest nor recreation in the performance of his duties. He concluded by promising notonly his support, but the results of his experience to his successor, who• ever he might be. The noble duke was listened to with evident sympathy, and sat down amidst cheers from both des of the house. The Earl of DERBY said : My lords, whatever may be the parliamentary irregularity of the course which has been pursued by the noble duke opposite in his reference and his answer to the speech of the noble lord late his colleague in the other house, I am ready to admit, and your lordships will probably feel with me, that that course, if not regular, may well be regarded with some indulgence, and that a sufficient apology is afforded for the explanations we have heard this evening. I can easily understand the feelings under which the noble duke thought it necessary to offer before your lordships, as Minister of the Crown, a vindication of himself against the charges which certainly affected most materially his char 11:ter, not as a man, but as a Minister. And I should not tor a single moment have complained of any portion of the noble duke's reference to the proceeding in the other House If Parliament if I did not feel it incumbent, at the outset of the few observations I shall have to submit to your lordships, to notice with regret one state ment which fell from the noble duke, and which to me, and I believe to most of your lordships, was utterly unintelligible. The noble duke, in speaking of the assistance which he should be ready to afford to his successor, made an allusion to some gentleman who, he said, in the other house crossed over the floor of that house, and, speaking to my right hon. friend the leader of the Opposi- tion there, asked his ooncurrence to a motion, not directly _ . conduct THE PRESS. of the noble duke himself. Of that statement, of that person, that unknown individual, and of that fact, or of anything like that fact, I can only assure the noble duke that up to this moment 1 have been in complete igno. rance. Further than this, I assure him that if he believed the decision come to by the House of Commons to ex press their opinion of the conduct, not of the noble duke, but of her Majesty's Government, in the management of the war—if he conceives that that vote was the result of concert or of previous communication, directly or indi rectly, between any parties whatever, to the best of my belief and knowledge the noble duke is absolutely and en tirely mistaken. The Duke of NEWCASTLE : The noble earl has entirely misapprehended what fell from me on this point. I meant precisely the reverse of that which he infers I meant. What I said was entirely founded on the speech of the right hon. gentleman the leader of the Oppcsition in the House of Commons. That right hon. gentleman, in his place in the house, made a statement to the effect that there had been such a commu nication made by a gentleman to him. This is my autho rity for the fact, but the right hon. gentleman expressly said that he had repudiated the offer so made to him. The Earl of DERBY : It will be unnecessary, then, for me to proceed further with the observations I was about to make on that point. But, notwithstanding the statement which the noble duke has just made, I hope he will forgive me if 1 do say here in the most emphatic manner that the vote of the House of Commons proceeded the other day not from any one party, more especially not from the party in direct opposition to her Majesty's Government—nay, more, that it was the earnest recommendation, as 1 know, of those who are intrusted with the confidence of that party to abstain from bringing forward any motion which should cast a censure upon the Government, or tend in the slightest de gree to embarrass them. Now, the noble duke's statement this evening, so far as I could infer from what fell from him, consisted in part of a vindication of his own character, and partly of a reply to the statements made by his late colleague. I and others, I am afraid, have been compelled to differ from the noble duke and from his colleagues with regard to many points affecting the conduct of the war; and I have on more than one occasion expressed mY opinion on the subject to the noble duke and to your lordships—not uncourteonaly, I hope, but with that frankness which I think ought to be exercised in this house. Hut I never heard any one deny to the noble duke the merit of having been laborious in the discharge of his duties, and of having devoted himself assiduously to his office; nor have I heard any one—l know not, of course, what may have appeared in some papers, or what conversation may have taken Owe at the clubs—l say, I have never heard the noble duke charged in Parlia• ment, or by any responsible authority, with indif%rence to the sufferings of the army. The Duke of NEWCASTLE : Certainly not in this house. The Earl of DERBY : It has been said, indeed, by some, and I have been of opinion myself, that when the right thing was done it was not done always at the right time, and that the neglect of the Government in not doing the right thing at the right time had led to increased sufferings and privations on the part of the army. But God forbid that any une of us should have imputed to the noble duke or to any member of your lordships' house that he was in the slightest degree indifferentupon such a subject, or was sparing of his labours in the discharge of the arduous and responsible duties of his office. I am not, my lords, about to enter upon any discussion —this is not the occasion on which to do so—as to the conduct of the Government or any members of the Go vernment. Nor am I disposed in the slightest degree to diminish the effect of that " Picture of an Interior " which has been drawn in such striking terms by the noble duke. ( Laughter.) It is really one of the most effective pictures which I have seen presented to Parliament, and when, after having gone through all the correspondence and conversation and friendly communications which have taken place between him and one of his colleagues, the noble duke wound up the whole picture by saying that he believed that colleague was one of all whose opinions seemed to have most of identity with his own—( laughter )—the effect was heightened and a complete view afforded of the beautiful internal harmony of that Cabinet. (Renewed laughter.) My lords, lam bound to say that I think the noble duke is quite excusable for his statement in this house to-night; an as far as I can learn, although, perhaps, it is contrary to the Horatian motto to decide now—for we are probably always more strongly impressed by what we see and' hear than by what we read in the newpapers—l confess I think that between the two noble colleagues the noble duke has considerably the best of the argument. (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) I don't know what I might say if I " heard the other side ; " but that, at all events, is my present impression. If, however, these dis cussions are constantly to take place in this house—if these representations are to follow one another so quickly—l can suggest only one mode by which to secure perfect in partiality. The member' of the two houses should meet in the large central hall between this and the other House of Parliament, the Lords on one side and the Commons on the other, and there, the champions meeting in the centre, there might be, according to the expression of the noble duke, an exchange of words ; and I only hope it might not lead to the exchange of anything less friendly than words. ( Laughter.) I will, however, leave the picture of the interior of the Cabinet—this picture of the relations between the noble duke and his colleagues—entirely as a matter to be settled between themselves. Nor do I think this a fitting occasion fur comment upon the picture which the noble earl opposite, at the commencer -wt at • the of the 103 That funeral oration—( a laugh )—which he pronounced upon himself and his colleagues—that general and com placent laudation of each and every one of them—first, of the War Minister; next, of the Chancellor of the Ex chequer; next, of the First Lord of the Admiralty ; next, of the noble lord opposite, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs—l have no doubt all these laudations were exceedingly well deserved, and that it was equally satisfactory to the noble earl to have the opportunity of making them, and to his colleagues to receive them at his hands. The noble earl also touched upon the general state of the nation, and although, perhaps, he introduced some de bateable grounds into his observations with regard to the general and abundant prosperity which, according to him, prevails in every district of the country at the present moment, this is not the fittest occasion on which to enter upon the debateable grounds he has introduced. Nor, I think, should 1 hale risen to address your lordship s a t all on this occasion, had it not been that the noble earl did not think fit to confine himself to the usual announcement on such an occasion—namely, that he and his colleagues had resigned office, and only held their present position until her Majesty should have appointed their successors. I say, I probably should not have risen if, in making that statement, the noble earl had not thought it necessary to make a personal reference to me as having been charged by her Majesty with the formation of a Government. The noble earl, undervaluing and underrating the source from which he derived his information, stated, as a matter of general rumour, that there had been some communication between her Majesty and myself on that subject. The noble earl has, I say, certainly underrated the source of his information, because not only general rumour may have informed him on the subject, but previously to entering into this house I had, under my own hand, given the noble earl information as to the result of this commu nication ; and, consequently, the notoriety and general rumour which led him to believe it might be poasible— ( a laugh)—that I had had some communication with her Majesty are phrases which must have been employed by the noble earl in his usual care to guard against exagge ration, and to avoid overstating any part of his case. (Laughter.) As your lordships may not all be in possession of such information, 1 can inform your lordships on this subject that for once the noble earl is not mistaken. (A laugh.) Upon the resignation of the noble earl, it it perfectly true, and was known to most persons, that her Majesty com mended my attendance yesterday morning, at halfpast eleven o'clock ; that 1 had a long audience, in which I need hardly say I met with that which every person ad mitted to the presence of her Majesty invariably meets with—the most condescending kindness, the most per fect frankness and openness, and a manner of dealing with all public subjects, a consideration for all personal feelings, which all who are called upon to communicate personally with her Majesty knows to what extent she possesses, and which must increase the affection and loyalty that every person who has had a knowledge of those qualities must feel for her Majesty. Ido not think it would be for the public interest that 1 should at this time—even if 1 had the per mission of her Majesty to do so, which I have not—avail myself of this opportunity to state all that passed upon that occasion, as well as all that subsequently occurred. I do think it would be inconvenient to the public service if, while negotiations are going on, and the steps taken by public men should be prematurely detailed. 1 think to do so might lead to serious inconvenience to the public affairs of this country. When 1 say that negotiations are going on, I mean that previously to the formation of a Government I think it is extremely inconvenient that there should be a public discussion day by day ofcommunications which may take place between different parties tending to the forma tion of such a Cabinet. I think it is the duty of every public man, whether he accepts or whether he abstains from accepting the Government, to be prepared to give at the proper time a full explanation both to his own friends and to the country of the motives which induced him either to accept or abstain from accepting office. lint, my lords, I think that that explanation should never be given until a _ . Government is actually formed, and the state of affairs is decided. I therefore, upon the present occasion, content myself with sa)ing that, feeling deeply grateful to her Majesty for the confidence with which she has regarded me, and feeling deeply conscious of my own inability to discharge the duties which this arduous position would have imposed upon me—feeling at the same time that, with the probability of success, the very diffi culties with which the country is surrounded would be an additional inducement to any man of honour and character not to leave her Majesty without a Govern ment to grapple with these difficuities—l yet felt that, in the present state of parties and in the present con dition of the House of Commons, I was not enabled to offer her Majesty that assurance of being in a position sa tisfactorily to conduct the affairs of the country which would induce me, at the present moment, to accept the task which her Majesty was pleased to confide to me ; and, consequently, at this time, I have no charge from her Ma jesty to attempt the construction of a Government. Fur ther than this, my lords, I think it would be impossible for me to say, except that I concur entirely with the noble earl opposite that, whatever may be the composition of the Government (while I concur also with him as to the diffi culty of obtaining it), the great object which this country looks for and requires in the present moment of difficulty, of embarrassment, and I will say of peril, is, if it be possible to obtain it, a strong Government. And, whatever Govern ment may be intrusted with her Majesty's confidence to carry on the affairs of the great war and the great political questions in which this country is now involved, that man is undeserving of the character of a patriot, or of an honest man, who does not to the utmost extent of his power give to the Government of the Queen for these objects a distil terestod, and, as far as he can, a coasolentioua support. assistance which he should be ready to affordto his sqlecessor, the interior of the Cabinet—this picture of the relations questions in which this country is now involved, that man made an allusion to some gentleman who, he said, in the between the noble duke and his colleagues—entirely u a is undeserving of the character of a patriot, or of an honest other house crossed over the floor of that house, and, matter to be settled between themselves. Nor do I think man, who does not to the utmost extent of h i s po wer g ive I speaking to my right hon . friend the leader of the Opposi• this a fitting occasion fur comment upon the picture to the Government of the Queen for these objects a diain - tion there, asked his ooncurrence to a motion, not directly which the noble earl opposite, at the commencement of terested, and, as far as he can, a Conscientious support. impugning the Government, but impugning the oondnot the evening, drew of the general state of the country. (Cheers.) . .. . , .. I=MIimIMUMMIMPFMN