The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-23 00:00:00

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No. 112.—VoL. 111.

gly Vrtss.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1855.

Government was left to conduct them as it
pleased until that moment came when they
could no longer be permitted to continue with
honour or safety.
We recollect but one instance in which the
Opposition interfered in the slightest degree
to control the purpose of the Government
since the war commenced, and that was in the
case of the Foreign Legion. The wisdom of
its course on that occasion must be judged by
the result. The argument then used was,
that the same exertion and expense made to
enrol this Legion would procure an equal
number of troops from our own population or
our colonies—more to be depended on in the
field, and sooner formed into effective troops.
The little progress made with this Legion yet,
and the fact that it has been thought neces-
sary to offer foreign recruits higher induce-
ments than are offered to our population, con-
firm that view. Why prefer mercenary to
native soldiers, or publish to the world that,
moderate as our army-roll yet is, we are
unable to fill it up with our own subjects? If
there was faction in opposing this measure, it
was a kind of faction which the public cor-
dially sympathised with and approved.
Apart from the ordinary business of the
Executive, three great questions have occupied
the attention of the Legislature—the Com-
mittee of Inquiry into the conduct of the war,
the tone of the Government in relation to the
Vienna Conference after the return of Lord
JOHN RUSSELL, and the subject of Administra
tive Reform. On these three questions the
Opposition have arrayed their forces, and
taken a decided course ; and the point to be
determined is, whether in doing so they acted
for or against the country. As for the interest
or the convenience of the Government, with
that the Opposition had nothing to do. It
had to regard only the solid interests of the
commonwealth.

......
The Committee of Inquiry was opposed by
the whole force of the last Government; and,
as we learned from the revelations of Sir
JAMES GRAHAM, Mr. GLADSTONE, and Mr. HER-
BERT, the present Government was formed on
the understanding that it would oppose the
Committee also. It would endanger our
alliance with France, it would impede the
effective prosecution of the war, it would tie
up the hands of the Executive, it would be
unjust to public servants, it would encourage
insubordination, it would be unconstitutional.
The Premier would be the youthful Richard to
head the discontent, and to safely lodge it in
the pigeon-hole of some public office. The
facts of the most terrible catastrophe in our
military annals were too strong for his ele-
gant pbrsuasion and romantic imagery ; the
sacrifice of the twenty thousand heroes, struck
down by the pestilence of Ministerial inca-
pacity—a pestilence like that of the locusts,
the lice, and the frogs—more odious and
fearful from its apparent insignificance, had
roused the public wrath ; it was an insult to
common sense to deny all inquiry into the
source of such colossal calamity ; and had the
inquiry been refused it is doubtful whether
the House of Commons would have existed a
dozen years hence. The Committee has
ended its labours—we have the evidence it
took and its Report. None of the threatened
evils have come to pass; but we have the in-
formation we desired, and are brcught face to
face with the main causes of the failure of the
Crimean expedition in the first instance, and
of its waste and suileringlin the second.

PRICE SIXPENCE.

When the Plenipotentiary of our Governs
ment had returned from Vienna, and the Con..
ferenco was virtually dissolved, 'Parliament
had surely a right to some better information
than was afforded by such evasive replies as
that the Conference was only suspended, and
that any propositions from Austria would be
most favorably received. An Austrian alliance
was the favorite project of Lord Assn.
DEEN. Ho had been deluded with it from
the commencement of the dispute. It seemed
exceedingly probable that some new juggle
was to be attempted. The Opposition again
acted, but in this instance acted alone. The re-
solution of Mr. DISRAELI amounted, in effect,
to this—that the Legislature had a right to
demand from the Government, after the
failure of the negotiation, some explicit de-
claration of the policy it purposed to pursuer
that further concealment or evasion would not
be tolerated ; that it was time fur the silence of
Ministerial reserve to be broken, that the
nation might know what it had to expect, or
whether to prepare for peace or war. The
motion was a protest against the shifts of a
timid and uncertain diplomacy. It had its
effect. The Vienna Conference, which before
was " suspended," was almost instantly closed :
tho propositions of Austria, which were to
receive a favorable consideration, were re-
jected ; the Premier assumed a warlike tone ;
the war tolif a more active shape; and the
Opposition 'did unquestionably—as may be
seen from a comparison of the language held
by the Ministry before and after that motion—
dictate a policy to the Government, and com-
pel it to assume an attitude consonant to the
honour of the nation—an attitude of which it
became so proud that it over acted its part.
and crowed over its late failures as if they
were successes of which it had reason to be

proud.
Administrative Reform, it has been proved,
is not a new question It is not the property
of the empirics who now claim it. as their ex-
clusive property. It was seriously considered
by Lord DERBY'S Administration. The object
in view was to raise the character of the Civil
Service, and increase its efficiency. The weak
points of the system were then visible, though
not so prominently as the strain of the war
has brought them forth. To throw open the
higher posts in the Administrative Depart-
ments to merit and service, instead of reserving
them for political connection, would be a great
reform in itself. The subject dropped with
the overthrow of Lord Derby's Administration.
To the party which originated the question
belongs the right of directing it, and of giving
it practical shape and development. The sys-
tem is not to blame for the disasters of the
war, but the system is open to improvement,
and vigorous minds, untrammelled by official
routine, are required to initiate the necessary
changes.
The resolution offered by Lord Ettsw-
BOROUGH to the Lords affirmed the principle
that merit should be the great qualification for
advancement in the public service. It was
opposed by the Government, and defeated by
the aid of Whig-made peers. There is this
evil attending the House of Lords, or rather
perhaps attending the long-continued rule of
a political party, that the House is so domi-
nated by new creations that it loses all inde-
pendence of action, and becomes the almost
servile instrument of the party to which a
, number of its members owe their votes. Sub.
stantially the same resolution was offered by

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