The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS, APRIL 24, 1858.

tion, dwelling upon certain items of diplomatic ex-
penditure, such as the extraordinary expenses, the
charges for couriers, &cc., which were not known to
the house until after the money was spent. He re-
ferred to the recommendations of the committee of
1850 for reducing that expenditure by the revision of
salaries, the union of missions, or the substitution of
consular agencies for missions, which had not been
adopted :

Now, he asked the house to consider what had been done
with this report of the Committee of 1850. In 1851 there
was a Treasuiy minute, ordering that the ambassador at
Paris should have a salary of 8,0001. a year ; but a short
time afterwards the Foreign-office made another order,
raising the salary to 100601. He was not saying whether
10,0001. a year was too much or too little. Paris was an
expensive city ; the ambassador was called on to give
many dinners, and they had the authority of one of their
diplomatists for saying " that dinners were the soul of
diplomacy." The salary of 10,0001. was given during the
war, but he had never heard of the additional 2,0001. being
taken off after the war ceased. At Constantinople the
salary was 14,0001. and 8,0001. for allowances. This was a
large sum, but if there was one establishment to which
more than another he would consent to give a liberal ex.
penditnre it would be to that of our Embassy in the East.
Nothing could be more important than our mission there.
The Eastern question was only adjourned. There could
be no doubt that Russia, France, and England looked to
the East as a kind of Nabob's vineyard, and nobody could
say writ events might occur; therefore, if we would
maintain a good position in the East. we must keep able
and energetic men in that part of the world, and espe-
cially in Egypt. In Egypt we had great interests. Mr.
Bruce, our Consul-General, received a salary of 1,800 a
year, and he had been to China, discharging the duty of
secretary to our ambassador in that country. Surely
Egypt should not be dealt with after this fashion. Our
trade with Egypt had greatly increased, our exports to that
country being 2 500,0001., and our imports 1,000.0001.,
while our transit trade was of the greatest possible impor-
tance. To carry on our business in the East we required
not only men of great energy, but men instructed in the
languages of the East. We paid not less than 6,0001.
a year for dragomans, end let the house only consider what
our position was at Constantinople and elsewhere when we
had to depend on the fidelity of these men. In one case
we employed a man as dragoman, whose brother was
dragoman to other powers. In this respect we acted in a
manner totally different from other countries. France,
Austria, and of course Russia, had their own countrymen
taught in the Oriental languages, while we alone did not
employ our own subjects. It was a great misfortune that
6,0(X/1. a year should be spent in native dragomans. He
was aware that young men had been sent out from Oxford
or Cambridge, but he believed that the experiment did not
succeed, and he thought the most likely mode of getting
good interpreters was to train up the young sons of consuls
for the work. Turning from the East to the West, what
did we find in Germany? At the important Court of Han-
over our Minister had more than 4,0001. a year; at
Bavaria, 4,5001.; Saxony, 3,0001.; and Wurtemburg,
3,0001., the kingdom of Wurtembarg not even thinking it
worth while to send a Minister here in return. ft was
said these Envoys at small Courts were the eyes and ears
of the Foreign-office, but he thought the maintenance of
Ministers at Frankfort, Vienna, and Berlin was quite sal-
cient for the service of Germany. With regard to Belgium,
Sweden, Denmark, and one or two smaller missions, the
committee of 1850 had a right to say that it was worthy of
consideration whether a great deal of money might not be
saved by revising these missions and leaving Chargé.
d'Affaires to manage the business. In Italy we bad
usually three Ministers, with the following salaries :
Naples, 5,0001.; Florence, 3,2001.; and Turin, 4,8501. He
generally found that some of these smaller missions, such
as Florence especially, were held either by influential
incapacity or incompetent patricians. They were places
for men rather than men for places. They were in fact a
kind of disguised misappropriation of the public money.
You could not go to the 'Treasury and put your hand in the
national sack, but it was easy to create a place that was
not wanted and to create a salary. The present Emperor
of the French told a story of his great uncle, who getting
up very early one morning in the middle of summer, and
taking a walk through the apartments of the Tuileries,
found a little boy in one of the drawing-rooms heaping up
a mass of beechwood upon a roaring fire. When asked
what be was doing, the boy replied,—" I am making ashes
for my father; they are his,perquisites." Many of these
diplomatic places were in like manner what Napoleon
called in the case of the ashes " consommation inutile?'
In conclusion, Mr. Wise insisted that we were not
so well served, especially in respect to interpreters,
as other powers, and indicated how, in his opinion,
the diplomatic service might be rendered more effi-
cient and less expensive—viz., by an arnal,gamation of
the consular and diplomatic services, and by promo
tion from (ho one to the other. Among other re-
forms, lie insisted that secret diplomacy must be
abolished.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD remarked thatt much of Mr.
Wise's speech had not the slightest connection with
his motion, which had reference to the mode of
paying the diplomatic service. This very question
had been decided by the committee of 1831 appointed
to inquire into the matter, which had reported that
it was not expedient to include these salaries end
pensions in the annual estimates, and recommended
that they should be charged upon the Consolidated
Fund. Some 4' the items, however, most open to
observation wer".i44 fact, year by year brought be-
fore the house, •„ ~iikplying to the strictures of Mr.
Wiee upon our ". \ N4Eimouir—whiA bo atm-
kegu
•
. ,

C
It!O _

terized as an attempt to bring odium upon a dis-
tinguished• service—he read a list of eminent men.
our Ministers at foreign Courts, and, declining to
follow Mr. Wise into the various subjects into which
he had travelled,—unpaid attaches, dragomans, and
other matters,—he refrained, be said, not because
he undervalued their importance, but simply because
they had no relation to the motion.
Mr. Flossess observed that, under the present
system, the house was in a state of ignorance of our
foreign affairs which was inconsistent with the
principles of constitutional government, and that
Mr. Fitzgerald had not resisted the motion upon
constitutional grounds.
Lord PALMERSTON said he could not concur in the
resolution, which tended to reverse a decision deli-
berately come to as to the mode in which diplomatic
salaries an 4 pensions should be paid ; and it was
incumbent upon those who objected to that mode to
show its inconvenience and the advantage of a
change. He rested his objection to the abolition of
what was termed secret diplomacy upon constitu-
tional grounds. Parliament must either place con-
fidence in the Ministers of the Crown in regard to
our foreign relations, or appoint a standing corn•
mittets of diplomatic relations in their place, which,
in his opinion, would be neither constitutional nor
consistent with the interests of the country.
Mr. KINNAIRD supported the motion.
Lord J. Russztr., for one of the reasons stated by
Mr. Fitzgerald,—that the bringing these charges
annually before the house would not conduce to
economy—could not vote for the resolution, but he
thought some of the collateral questions raised in
the debate were well worthy of consideration.
Upon a division the motion was negatived by 142
to 114.

DONEGAL.
Mr. Itsawm. moved for a Select Committee to
inquire into the destitution in Donegal, the northern
part of which county, he said, was a wild, moun-
tainous district, in which there was a great deal of
very bad land. The people, according to the evi-
dence of Lord G. Hill, were quiet and inoffensive,
but in a rude state of society. He read statements
showing their miserable condition, which, be con-
tended, called for inquiry.
Lord NAAS did not oppose the motion, but bad
doubts about the authen►icity of many of the state-
ments of the Irish priesthood.
Mr. MACAULAY and Mr. ROEBUCK opposed the
motion, which after some further discussion was
carried on a division by 147 to 111.
Mr. L. KING moved for and obtained leave to bring
in a bill abolishing the property qualification for
members of Parliament.

The LORD ADVOCATE obtained leave to introduce a
bill to make provision for the better government and
discipline of the Universities of Scotland, and im-
proving and regulating the course of study therein ;
and for the union of the two universities and col-
leges of Aberdeen.
Leave was given to Viscount Goderioh to bring in
a bill to provide for the general registration of part-
nerships ; and to Mr. Adderley for a bit/ amending
the Public Health Act passed in 1848.
The motion for the second reading of the Govern-
ment of India Bill (No. 1) was postponed till Thurs-
day week, the Bth of May.
Viscount R►YNHAK having briefly moved the second
reading of the Cruelty to Animals Act Amendment
Bill,
The HOKE SECRETARY submitted that the exist-
ing act, which the measure was designed to amend,
provided all necessary prohibition against the inftic_
tion of needless cruelty on animals. Believing the
measure unnecessary, he moved that the second
reading should be deferred for six months.
After a few words from Mr. AYRTON and Sir J.
EAST, the amendment was agreed to without a
division.
On the motion of Sir R. Brrueu. the Chancery
Amendment Bill was read a second time.
The house adjourned at a quarter past twelve
o'clock.

■

MI

M

shall have and perform all the powers and duties relating
to the government and revenues India which are or may
be now exercised and perf irtned by the East India Corn•
pony, or by the Court of Directors or Court of Proprietors
of the said Company, either alone or with the approbation
of the Commissioners for the Affairs of India.

8. That such Secretary of State shall be responsible for
the government of India and the transaction cf business
in the United Kingdom relating thereto, in the same
manner and to the same extent as any of her Majesty's
Principal Secretaries of State are responsible in the several
departments over which they preside.
4. That, in order to assist such Secretary of State in
the discharge of his ditties, it is expedient that a Council
be appointed of not less than twelve nor more than eighteen
members.

b. That, in order to secare the greatest amount of
knowledge and experience in the management of the affairs
of India, it Is advisable that the principal portion of the
members of the Council shall have served in India for a
term of years to be limited by statute.

6. That, with a view to the efficiency and independence
of the Council, it ,s expedient that it should be partly
nominated and partly elected.
7. That the members of the nominated portion of the
Council shall be selected by her Majesty, subject, as a
loners.' rule, to the qualification above expressed, and one-
half at the least of the elected members shall possess the
like qualification.
8. That the members of the elected portion of the
Council should be chosen by a constituency composed of
persons who have previously held military commissions
or civil appointments in India, in her Majesty's service or
in that of the Government of India, or who may possess
a direct interest, to an amount to be specified, in some
property charged or secured on the revenues or territories
of India.

9. That the Council shall be presided over by the Secre
tary of State, or by some member of the Council to be
nominated by him as Vice• President.

10. That arrangements shall be made from time to time
by the Secretary of State and the Council for the meetings
of the Council, for the mode of procedure at such meet•
ing•, and for the distribution and transaction of business.
11. That all despatches, letters, orders, and communica-
tions shall be addressed to the Secretary of State, and
shall be open to the inspection of every member of the
Council, except such as are now by law addressed to the
Secret Committee of the Court of Directo►s.
12. That the recommendation of persons for first ap•
pointments shall be made to her Majesty by the Secretary
of State, with' the concurrence of the Council ; and the
same rules shall be observed in the making of such re-
commendations as have been followed by the Court of
Directors in the making of such appointments.
13. That, for the purpose of ascertaining the fitness of
persona for the several appointments for which they may
be so recommended, the same rules for the examination
of cadets and of clerks shall be adhered to which are now
followed by the Court of Directors of the. East India
Company, until the same be altered by the Secretary of
State and Council of India.

14. That provision shall be made for transferring to the
Crown all the real and personal property of the Company,
except their capital stock, and the dividend thereon, so as
to vest the same in her Majesty, for the purposes of the
Government of India; for continuing the charge on the
revenues of India alone of the dividend on the capital
stock of the said Company until the redemption thereof,
and of all the territorial and other debts and engagements
which are payable by the Company out of the revenues of
India ; for auditing the accounts of the Home Government
of India, under the direction of her Majesty's Treasury;
for laying such accounts annually before Parliament; and
for securing the preference given by the 3rd and 4th of
William IV. to the dividends on the capital stock of the
said Company and the right of the said Company to de•
wand the redemption of such dividends, and their right
on the Security Fund undiminished and unaffected by the
transfer to the Crown of the direct government of her
Majesty's Indian possessians.

Mr. RICH has given notice that he will move, in
committee on resolutions for the government of India,
on the resolutions for the appointment of a Secretary
of State and council of twelve or eighteen members,
to propose amended resolutions, for the appointment
of a Pt esideit and Vice-President ; with five assistant
commissioners, to whom special duties may be
assigned in subordination to the President and Vice-
President.

Tits James Baines clipper-ship, just arrived from
Calcutta, to which city she had conveyed upwards of
1,000 troops, caught fire and was burned to the
water's edge in the Liverpool Docks on Thursday
morning. The fire broke out among the cargo,
which, with the ship, was fully insured. Fortunately
the fire was prevented from spreading to any serious
extent, or the result might have been most disastrous.
Tne efforts of the firemen, owing to the inflammable
nature of the cargo, produced but little effect upon
the burning mass, and it was then deemed advisable
t) scuttle the ship. Unfortunately, in consequence
of the low state of the water in the dock, the ship
grounded before she was covered. In the course of
the afternoon the masts fell overboard, breaking in
the roofs of the dock sheds. At. half•past four o'clock
the ship, which lay about forty feet fron► the quay,
was a mass of fire from the stem to the poop. The
shell of the ship, however, was perfect.