The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-30 00:00:00

A


LORD DERBY ON THE EASTERN
QUESTION.

On Wednesday afternoon a deputation appointed by the
large meeting held in the Guildhall last Monday Week, in
reference to the atrocities in the Turkish provinces, waited
upon the Ent of Derby at the Foreign Office in order to pre-
sent certain resolutions embodying the views of the meeting.
The committee, which consisted of about fifty persons, bad
previously met at tho City Terminus Hotel to consider the
course of proceedings.

Among those forming the deputation were Mr. Hubbard,
M.P., Ms. Twells, M.P.. Mr. S Morley, M.P., Mr. Chadwick,
, Sir C Reed, Sir John Bennett, the Rev. W. Dangers,
the Rev. Dr. Denton, the Rev. Dr. Parker, the Rev. Dr.
Abbott, Mr. McGeorge, and Mr. H. Merriman.
The Lord Mayor of London, in alluding to the resolutions,
said the meeting at which they were passed was most power-
ful and unanimous. Tne committee who organized it had
no desire to fetter the Government; but they were exceed-
ingly anxious that the Foreign Secretary should be backed
by the kfluence and spirit of England. They had greet con-
fidence in the Government of the day—(hear, hear)—and
they hoped to hear from his lordship words of comfort. They
believed that all England was hangirg upon the words
which might drop from his lips, and which would help to
route or to quiet the feeling that had been excited in
the country. (Hear, hear.) The atrocities had forced on
the hand of diplomacy, and, he would add, that the
hand of Providence had pointed to them in the hope that
the Christian peoples would take up the cause of the scat-
tered Christian populations of the East, nod bring about,
through the power and intelligence of England and of the
Engliih Government, a more benign, a more mercitul, and a
more Christian government of those people who were under
the government of the Turkish Empire. (Hear, hear.) As
far as his lordship could do so, the deputation would like
him to tell the English people the position of affairs in the
East.

Mr. J. J. Merriman said the deputation desired a clear,
fratk, and emphatic exposition of the policy of the Govern-
ment. (Applause.) They desired a definite statement of that
policy, and he trusted that it would be the same policy as
had been exhibited by the people of England. (Applause.)
Mr. Hubbard, M.P., said that the publication of Mr.
Baring's report established two points—first, that all the
frightful revelations of the cruelties which have been
practised in the East were by no means exaggerated; and
secondly, it established the entire and absolute incapacity cf
the Turkish Government to protect their Christian subjects
from cruelty. (Applause.) This c.luntry required a policy
which would bring immediate relief and permanent security
to the suffering Christians in the E ist—( Applause)—and he
thought the Engliah people would not be satisfied with less
than the entire freedom of all the provinces north of the
Balkan from Turkish interference, the people of the provinces
only recognizing Turkey by the payment of an annual tribute.
(Applause).
After a few words from Mr. S. Morley and the Rev. Dr.
Parker,

The Earl of Derby, after some preliminary remarks, said—
You have touched on three points—the desire which Is
generally and justly felt throughout the country for ade-
quate punishment of the offendeis (no), and the desire that
reparation should be made as far as is now possible to those
who have suffered outrages; you have touched also, not
only by the mouth of the lest speaker (Dr. Parker), but also
in an address to her Majesty, which was forwarded to me to-
gether with the resolutions, upon the question cf holding an
autumn session ; and you have also gene,into a much wider
question of the general plan which the Government should
pursue with reference to the whole of the Eastern matter.
Now, gentlemen, I hope that no one who has spoken here
will think me wanting in respect to him if I do not take up
one by one the various points which have been touched
upon in course of their speeches With regard to
the first question to which I have adverted, I need not say
very muoh in reply, partly because in principle we are all,
I apprehend, agreed as to what ought to be done. It Is
a simple matter of justice, and one that involves no
difficult or complicated considerations. I am spared the
necessity of referring to it at length, because I shall be
able in a few days to make public a despatch which has
been sent out to Sir Henry Elliot, in which you will
see fully detailed the views the Government take, and
the demands they have felt themselves enabled to put for-
ward in regard to these Bulgarian atrocities. Sir Henry
Elliot has been charged to obtain an audience with the Sultan
to lay all the facts fully and unreservedly before him, to de-
nounce by name the persons stated by Mr. Baring as the
authors of those atrocities, to call for their punishment, and
to represent the urgent necessity of steps being taken to re-
lieve the suffering which has been caused. (Cheers.) His
special attention is also to be given to the cases unfortu
nately too numerous. I am afraid, in which it is alleged that
women have been taken away from their homes ; they must
be searched for, and, wherever possible' found. I should
be very glad to publish the despatch at once; but,
as many of you know, it is not usual, nor con-
convenient that papers should be published in this country
betore they have been received by the ambassador or
Minister to whom they are addressed, and before they have
been acted upon. As soon as we hear from Sir Henry Elliot
that he has had an audience with the Sultan, that dispatch
shall be published, but until then I can only ask you to sus-
pend your judgment on the question. You will not have
long to wait; nor, indeed, do I think that between the
Government and the public there is likely to be much dif-
ference of opinion on that part of the question.
Replying to the advisability of holding an autumnal session,
Lord Derby proceeded—But there are some considerations
to which I will refer. The summoning of Parliament before
Christmas is an unusual and to many persons an extremely
inconvenient proceeding. To the beat of nay recollection
it is a thing which has only been done twice in the last 25
years, and on each of those occasions it was done because
there were measures proposed for which the consent of Parlia-
ment was necessary, and which did not admit of delay. One
of those occasions was in the winter of 1854, when we were
involved in the Crimean war, and when various mea-
sures connected with the prosecution of the war had to
be proposed which did not admit of delay. The other
instance a ste in 1867, when we were unfortunate enough to
find ourselves involved in the Abyssinian expedition, and
when the necessity for the expedition having arisen during
the recess it was a matter of course that Parliament should
be called together to vote the necessary supplies at the
earliest possible date But in the present instance we are
not at war, we are not in the least likely to go to war—
(cheers)—we have not got to ask for supplies, nor have we got
in Parliament measures of urgency to propose. (Cries of "Oh
oh.') I say ne measures of urgency to propose. You do not
apprehend. I suppose that the question of Eastern affairs is to
be dealt with by a bill brought into the House of Commons.
There are only two reasons for which it can be desired
that Parliament should assemble—one is to infleuenee negotia-
tions which are actually in progrese, and the other is to pass
jadgment—favourable or unfavourable as the case may be—
upon those negotiation& Now, in the latter case I do not
port a n
r February.
ce , and
such special
done
gg cuilnma 1
Januarym i o
imlsfyosne workltfhsewe eotherwhich
ym time
a deht
Parliament at
is
an unusual time is to give an influence and direction to the
may
hwoeefloi object o
negotiations in Parliament—(hear, hear)—then you will excuse
me for saying that, taking the very earliest date which is now
possible for Parliament to assemble, you would still he very
likely to be too late. (Cheers.) I cannot, of course, foretell the
result of negotiations now pending, but if they go on
smoothly, as we hope they will—(hear, hear)—it is possible
and probable that all the most material points will have been
settled between the Powers before the date at which Parlia-
ment could possibly meet. No doubt it is conceivable that
there might arise a state of thirgs so grave and so fraught
with danger to Europe that the public would rightly and
properly desire that Parliament should be summoned for
its discuszioo and the Government for themselves would be
willing to adopt that course as tending to strengthen their
hands. Though that is conceivable, ills not a state of things
hat has arisen, and I am bound to say that it is not one which
appears to me probable. (Hear, hear.) If I may ;say frankly
what I expect, I do not think you will see the general peace of
Europe broken up, or the fabric of the Turkish Empire broken
up (expressions ot dissent). I think it may be open to doubt
whether in a time of general European peace, and in absolute
t exlcheept
American
epreicraionds woa f
r, war
and
tranquility as regards all external affairs, there is any ade-
quate reason for resorting to a step which has never been
n
unusual e
France
aenter.ud
waekrjecy.
thator tnsome
between Germany were considerably mere he
to say so, than what is passing
wp o(rctiean.t,
off I,mNay venture
whether you look to the magnitude of the co, no a)
'
operations, to the
amount of bloodshed involved, or to the ultimate results to
the destiny of the world. Then as now there • e were
very various opinions as to the w
course
which our
Government ought to take. Yet in neither of those cases
was it thought necesaary to summon Parliament for the
purpose of discussing the events of those ware, although
then as now there was a difference of opinion as to the
course which ought to be adopted. These are reflections
which I throw out for your consideration, but I repeat that
the matter is not one on which it is possible to decide at
I this moment, at all events, ills not on 3 with which I alone
am capable of dealing; and I end as I began, by saying
It is a matter which I shall refer to my colleagues of the
Cabinet.

Ills lordship, after some obtervations on the various poi..
des which had been of late publicly discussed in this country,
concluded as follows is quite possible, while rejecting
the Idea of political autonomy, to accept the idea of local
os tkdminutratiTo autonomy. (Murmurs.) I do not par.