The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.'

individual measures of domestic policy—that of con-
ducting a great war with one of the most formidable
European powers. Should he be made to think
that the Government ceased to occupy a position in
which they could alone carry on that war so as to
make it successful, anti tend towards a safe , and
honourable peace, then he should cease to be a mem-
ber of it; but, till that time, no taunts could move
him. His part was one of far more labour and
anxiety than of pleasure, profit, or emolument ; but
he would retain it, trusting his conduct would re•
ceive a fair interpretation from the house and the
country, which, though " occasionally apt to be mis-
led, had hardly ever failed in the end to construe
rightly the actions of public men."
Mr. B. OSBORNF. endeavoured to impugn Mr.
Disraeli's statement of fact by producing certain
volumes of Hansard, where he found that the right
hon. member had been absent from one division on
a question of Jewish rights, and in another had voted
in the negative.
Mr. DISRAELI briefly demolished the allegation,
explaining that his absence in 1849 was caused by
illness, and that in 1850, during a debate in which
there were very numerous divisions, he voted for the
negative one upon a " cross" question. Mr. WAL-
POLE followed up this subject, hearing ample testi-
mony to the sincerity of Mr. Disraeli's opinions and
conduct in favour of Jewish emancipation.
Mr. BRIGHT assumed the character of impartial
critic of the controversy, from which, he observed,
Lord J. Russell had not withdrawn without some
scars. He acquitted the noble lord of having acted
improperly or yielded to unworthy motives in join-
ing the present Cabinet, but pronounced, on his own
part, a full conviction that no good measure was to be
expected from them. Mr. Bright went on to protest
against the precedent which the Ministry were setting
by first plunging the country into war, and then
claiming for themselves exemption from all the ordi-
nary casualties that could befal a Government on the
plea that they must not be embarrassed while carry-
ing it on:—
" On the theory of the noble lord, the majority of nine-
teen, by which the late Government was overthrown, was
not more decisive than that which threw out the last mea-
sure of the noble lord ; hut if they had involved us in war
—if they had undertaken the responsibility of this great
calamity—it would then have been the duty of Government,
and the noble lord would himself have said, As you have
got us into this war you must get us out of it again—you
must take the responsibility of the war on your own slum].
ders. That is the condition to which we are driven. Let
a Minister be ever so reckless, ever so unprincipled, ever
so unpatriotic, yet, by a course of concealed and misunder-
stood diplomacy, let him involve this country in difficulties
with a foreign country, and then we are told that the majo-
rities of this hoitse go for nothing—that reform hills, cor-
ruption bills, oaths bills, settlement bills—all that in ordi-
nary times were thought necessary for the welfare of the
oouatry—all these are to go for nothing now—we may not
be able to pass a single measure except those which have
reference to the imposition of taxes--but as we have led
this country into a war Parliament must support us, and
all other measures must be deferred. (Lund cheers.) I
confess, looking to the future, I can see nothing clearly de-
fined as to the foreign policy of this country. We are
engaged in a war for objects on which the Government has
never yet condescended to enlighten us, and as to the
terms on whioh peace is to be procured no one has any
idea—we have so ally who was denounced by members of
the present Cabinet not more than eighteen months ago,
and who is in possession, and will shortly be in possession,
of no fewer than four European capitals—Paris, Rome,
Athens, and Constantinople. (Loud cries of Hear,hear )
And, seeing that all this has been brought about by what I
believe to be the mistaken and mischievous policy of the
noble lord and his colleagues, I see no ground for the noble
lord calling for the confidence of this house, or for the con-
tinued support and approbation of the country. (Loud
cheers.)-'
Sir J. PAsieorom contentedly left the question of
the Derby Administration where the able and spirited
vindication of Mr. Disraeli had placed it. The ob-
ject of his address was to vindicate his late colleague
in turn, and for this purpose he recapitulated the
facts which Mr. Osborne had presented in so dis-
torted a form, showing that the right hon. member
for Buckinghamshire had never faltered from the
conviction which he had originally announced in
favour of the Jews
" From that opinion (said Sir J. Pakington) it has been
my fate, like my right hon. friend the member fur Mid-
burst ( Mr. Walpole), always to differ, but it has been ad-
hered to by my right hon. friend the member for Bucking-
hamshire with a decision, a boldness, and an honourable
consistency which, I believe, has tended to win hin the
confidence and regard of all men, whether they differ from
him or not. (Chem.)"
The CRANCRLLOR of the EXCREQtrER then entered
into the debate, but spoke only briefly, touching first
upon Mr. DISRAELI'S charge against himself of assail-
ing Lord Derby's Government with " sanctimonious
eloquence," and then seeking to put Mr. Bright right
on the question of ministerial duties and privileges
during the progress of a war. He then sketched the
career of the present Administration, enumerated
their performances during the last session, and with
respect to this pleaded that pending circumstances
rendered it altogether exceptional. On the whole he

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509

submitted that they did not deserve the charge of
legislative impotence.
The discussion terminated, the orders for the se.
cond reading of the five bills being discharged.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE FLEETS
AND ARMY.
The FOIST Loan of the ADMIJULTY, in reply to
Lord I). Stuart on Monday, detailed the arrange-
ments by which, provided only they are honestly
carried out, the officers and men serving in the Bal-
tic and Black Sea fleets, and with the expeditionary
forces In Turkey, may correspond with their friends
at home regularly and economically :
Forthe Baltic fleet a midi was made up in London every
Tuesday, the letter being transmitted eta Belgium sad Prussia
to Dantric. whither Sir C. Napier war instructed to despatch
every Friday a steamer to meet and convey the correspondence
to the fleet. The postage on letters not exceeding the half
oinice in weight would amount to ed. fee officers' letters, that
sum being made no by a charge of Sid. for the British, Id. for
the Belgian, and gad. for the Prussian rate. Seamen and wi-
thers would receive their letters for tel., the British rate being
reduced in their behalf to • halfpenny. Besides this weekly
despatch, letters would be transmitted by all Government vessels
that might be sent to join the fleet, at a charge of hl. to the
seamen and soldiers, and of lid. to °facers. With regard to letters
from the Baltic fleet, Sir C. Napier was instructed to send a
steamer regularly once a fortnight to England, so as to keep up
a regnlar communication. Letters to the Black See fleet and the
army in Turkey would be sent six times in every month through
France, at the same charges established by the Franck Govern-
ment for their own troops—via., 3,1. a piece for all letters under
• quarter of an ounce in weight. Soldiers' and sailors' letters
would also be conveyed at the usual privileged rate of Id., by the
fortnightly Oriental steamer from Southampton to Malta, and
thence by such casual opportunities as might offer to their ulti-
mate destination. Sir J. Graham further explained that the
complaints of delay and overcharge which had been so frequently
made were principally from the fact that the letters In question
had been addressed to a particular locality instead of, generally,
" To the Fleet," the poets! authorities being consequently
obliged to forward them through the visual route and at the cus-
tomary charge.
LAW OF PRIZES.
The Manning the Navy Bill, as it is intituled,
which relates to the treatment of prizes taken from
the enemy, custody and distribution of prize-money,
&c., was brought up on Tuesday for third reading in
the House of Lords.
The Earl of HARDWICKE urged several objections
to the details of the bill, contending that as its pro-
visions stood the duties of prize-agents could not be
efficiently discharged. He moved amendments
taking away the retrospective operation of the bill
with regard to agents, and securing to the officers
and crews of her Majesty's ships the right to appoint
their own agents.
The amendment was opposed by the Duke of
NEWCASTLE, who contended that it was calculated to
raise many doubts where none need exist.
After Some remarks from Lord BROUOHAK their
lordships divided, and the amendment was negatived
by a majority of 47 non contents to 34 contents-13.
The bill was thon read a third time and passed,
as was the correlative measure called the Navy Pay
Bill.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL.

The committal of this bill was resumed on Thurs-
day at the 20th clause (relating to the establishment
of " private halls"). Several hours were passed in
the discussion of different amendments, and mid-
night had some time passed when only two clauses,
20 and 27, had got through committee. The
further progress of the measure was then inter-
mitted.
Lord JOHN Balsam., before the chairman left the
chair, announced that the Government designed to
make considerable alterations in the latter part of the
bill. They had discovered from the long debates
and frequent defeats they had already undergone,
and the almost innumerable amendments proposed
upon the remaining clauses, that it was almost im-
possible to get it through as it stood during .the
present session. They designed, accordingly, to
cut away some sixteen clauses involving points of
detail, and substitute five new ones in their plate.
The precise tenor of this new matter he could not
explain at the moment, but indicated that the general
effect would be to restrict the enacting force of the
measure, and on many points leaving them to be
settled by the proposed Board of Commissioners in
concert with the Heads of Colleges.

RAILWAY REGULATION BILL.
The Railway and Canal Traffic Regulation BiL
passed through committee in the Peers on Tuesday.
Lord CAMPBELL interposed another protest on the
occasion, declaring that he had consulted his brother
judges with respect to the bill, and they bad unani-
mously expressed an opinion that the duties which it
would assign to them were not judicial duties, and the
great majority felt themselves incompetent to per-
form them properly.
The LORD CHANCELLOR replied that the duties
devolving upon the judges under the bill were of
similar character to those they were already often
called upon to perform in regard to other cases
which came before them for trial. It was, however,
agreed, at the request of the Chief Justice, sod with
the consent of Lord Stanley of Alderley, that the
duties in question should be limited to the Court of
Common Pleas.

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