The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-05-27 00:00:00

TORY TACTICS.

We are evidently drifting far from the Tory-
ism of our forefathers. The mantle of the late
Joseph Hume has fallen on the shoulders of
Mr. Disraeli, and be has turned financial re-
former. It seems, however, very like the old
game played over again to regain place and
power. In 1858, when Lord Ps!wanton's
Government brought in the Conspiracy Bill for
the purpose of conciliating the French Emperor '
and nation, the Tory party promised him •
steady support. They did support him in the
first reading of that Bill, but a fortnight after-
wards, thinking that by going the other way
they might oust tbs. Government, and regain
office, they violated the principles and pledges
they had made so short a time before. In the
following year, when Mr. Disraeli was Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, Lord Derby's Govern-
ment deemed it necessary to greatly increase the
armaments of the country. War was then
breaking out in Italy, between France and
Austria, but that was not likely to affect us,
unless, indeed, the Derby Government contem-
plated an alliance with Austria; yet we find that
our naval and military expenditure that year
was increased to upwards of twenty-six millions.
The military force of the kingdom at that time
was a hundred thousand men. Well, we have
since that period been to war with China. There
are still payments going on on account of that
war ; we are incurring a large expenditure on
account of the disturbances in New Zealand,
and we have deemed it necessary to despatch
8.000 men to Canada at considerable cost on
account of the revolution in America, and yet
our naval and military expenditure is this year
but £1,600,000 over what Lord Derby's Govern-
ment expended at a time when no extraordinary
charges had to be made. Since Lord Palmer-
ston's Government has been again in power, the
Opposition have never found fault that the army
was too large, nor that too large an outlay was
going on in our dockyards. On the contrary,
last year Sir J. Pakington went down to the
House and taunted the Government with not
keeping on a level with the French nation in
navel armaments, showing the great preparations
the French nation were making in iron vessels,
and urging Government to accelerate their pace
in the same direction, whatever the cost might
be. Our Government has not yet done that.
France has, at the present time, more iron-clad
war vessels afloat and building than we have;
and our military force, for the protection of our
shores and the maintenance of our empire, is less
by eight thousand men than the Derby-Disraeli
Ministry deemed necessary. France has about
ten times the number of soldiers that we have,
thirty-six iron-clad steamers to our twenty-five,
but Disraeli says we must disarm more. Be
advises that in our foreign policy it is our place
to sing second to France, and to imitate • her
example even in Rome, home, to regulate
our naval and mili outlay, not by
the strength and preps tions of our rivals
in Europe, but by our mplicit trust in the
professions and kindline of the Third Na-
poleon. He says, '• ou are either the
friends of France, or y u expect to be the
enemies of France; if you are friends, you need
not object to any amount of armaments she is
preparing." Lord Palmerston's reply will meet
an echo in the breast of every Englishman.
His lordship said,—" It does not follow that
because we are on good terms with France, that
we should allow France to become stronger than
I we should be. It is a matter of necessity that
I England should not only be equal to but
superior to France in naval power. And there
are obvious reasons why she should be." The
right hon. gentleman asks,—" Do we expect
France to be an enemy? We do not expect her
to be an enemy provided we are always able to
defend ourselves. But Frenchmen are but men,
and the Government of France is constituted of,
human beings; and it is not in human nature,
if placed in a position where interests are lik• y
to come into collision, not to take advantage of 1
superior strength. (Hear. hear.) Alert there-
for:, I. C.IIIEO I %11311 that this eiiiii,try shou!cl
remain at peace with France—because I wish
-tl2at the alums with France should be lasting
Lmlanrs ksift—ke..t,hst . pabon Ii! irt_
. .„ .
~ .

tempt France or any other Power, by letting
her gain such evident superiority by sea and
land, as would place this country at the mercy
of her forbearance." Well, we are continually
seeing and hearing of strange things now-a-days,
and we shall not be surprised, some of these
days, to learn that Mr. Disraeli has placed him-
self at the head of the Peace-at-any-price Party.
Will the "Old Lady" follow in the wake I