The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-02-12 00:00:00

THE WAR QUESTION.

Len week a conference of Liberals was held in the
Town Gall, Christchurch, to talus into consideration
what action should he taken with regard to the foruits
policy of the Government, and with regard to the vote
of credit for D 6,000,000. TIN Conference was a largely
representative one, comprising Liberals from various
towns in Hampshire and from Dcrohostsr. The chair
was taken by Gr. El_phinatores, and there wee,
also Primal Bey. W. H. Payne (Lyndhurst), Bev.
H.G. Leonard (Bouresmouth), the Rev. L
Bora* (Bournemouth). Bey. T. Near. (Dorchester),
1t.,. Mr Colman (Bournemouth), and Rm. „T. Wake.
(Chrinchureb.)—The Rev. T. Noire seconded the
following resolution :--" That in the opinion of this
Conference. representing various towns to the County
of Hants, the proposed vote of credit of six millions io
In spirit, If not in the letter, a war Tot.; is a 010111011
to friendly all'; is an indirect encourigentent of
Turkish tyranny and oppression ; is calculated to
injure the best interests of the country; is totally
unasomiery, and ought to be resolutely opposed by all
lovely of peace and of justice to the subject races of
Turkey Hs thought they ought not to mix up
'banana intersets with Liberalism or Conservatism.
=were am there to enter Into the usstioe as to
the Liberal@ or the IMO the
bat Meads al Sneak billunit. but to view lik as •

Ciabrolreemeffliiviion, to be comektereci by them as
Re regarded the of Mr. '
Gladstone the other night as one whispeechch discomfited
the War Minist-r, althongh one of moderation. He
melotained that it was the disastrous end irresolute
policy .1 Um Government which had induced the
Turkish Empire to go on to their ruin. If Mr. Glad.
stone's policy had been accepted at first we should
have been in alliance with Russia, whkh woukl have'
condoned to the independent prommity of the
provinces and place. along the Balkans. It would
have been • safeguard against the Ruseian occupation
of ConstanUnople is the future. After some further
I remark. bearing upon the result of the war, thonigh
what he believed to be the action of the COn.enatives,
he said be was preparel, with Mr. Gladstone, to Bay
they had no con 000 C in the past policy of the
Government (Hear, hear.) They were asked to
have confidence in the future. Bat he would sib
could they have any confidence in the Prime Minute,?
(A Voice: " No, no. Could they have any con-
fidence Ins Prime Minister who at the time be had
the redgnatket of me of the leading Minister% in his
hands, got up and said the Government were united
In their policy) but for the resignation of the Minister
to wiwimhe alluded the °meter might now have been
at war. ICheent) In his opinion it was entirely dee
to Lard °ternary= that this country did not go direct
to war. (Hoar, hear.) If he had not stood out
vigorously the fleet would have gone beyond the
and the coneequenoes might have been
serious for this country. Re then referred to Mr.
Gladstone's speech affecting the vote of credit, in
which he gave statistics relative to the expenditure
during the Crimean war, to show that the 101,000,000
salted for moan amount they could not spend between
this end the following March. He condemned the
policy of the Government with regard to the Eastern
Question; but he thought that, as a Conference, they
might pursue the policy of Mr. Gladstooe.—The
motion was then put to the meeting and carried
unanimously.