The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-05 00:00:00

THE ADDRESS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR having read the royal speech,
The Marquis of SLIGO rcee to move the edam's to
her Majesty in reply. He observed that though he had
had for some years the honour of a seat io their lordship.'
house, he had taken very little part in their discassioes.
He hoped that the motioo he had now to submit would
inset with fell discussion, but be anticipated that it would
be adopted with entire unanimity.
Lord ABERCROMBIE, after stating that notwithstand-
lag the trials which our commerce in the north of England
kid endured, it was satisfactory to find from abunclaot evi-
dence that our former prosperity was returning, concluded
by upre g a hope that the address would be uoanimously
speed to. I Hear, bear.)
The question having been pat by the LORD CHANCELLOR,

Lonl DERBf. after alluding to the birth of a son to the
Prince of Wales as an I happy promise for the
future, referred with mtiafaction to the general prosperity
of the country, notwithstending the interruption of the
supply of cotton and the consequent distress io the menu-
facturim: districts. He hoped, however, that the heaviest
pressure of suffering wee at as end, and stated the grounds
oo which he based his hopes of improvement. Passion to
the other topics of her Majesty's speech, be referred to the
commission to be appointed to inquire int, the subject of
subscription by the clergy of the Church of England. He
feared that the result of such an inquiry would not be
proportionate to the magnitude of the machinery em-
ployed is it. He then called the attention of the house
to the portion of the speech relating to foreign affairs.
Her Majeety's government bad for two or three yearn past
mainly rested their claim to public ooafideoce on their fo-
reign policy. They had abandoned the qieetion of parlia-
mentary reform the moment it had served the purpose of
placing them is office. The fulfilment of the promisee they
had made wee defeated by Lord Rumen, and when he was
transferred to the more serene atmosphere of the House of
Lords he pronounced the funeral °ninon of reform. He had
told them to "rest and be thankful; and from that tiros
their foreign policy had been the groundwork of the claim of
her Majesty's government to public confidence. This policy
he examined and criticised. Its chief principles were stated
to be the maintenance of a good understanding with
Prance, and n on -iotervention with the internal affairs of other
countries. With regard (continued the noble earl) to eon-
intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, if I I
look around me I find it difficult to say what country it is
with whose internal affairs the noble earl and the govern-
ment have not iuterfered—

Nibil inteettun
Nihil tenet quad non—
I mut not say,' ornavit," but"couturhavit." (Laugh ter. ) But
to sum up the foreign policy of the noble earl en almtrative
of his " non-intervention." it may be expressed in two very
short and homely words, " meddle" and meddle." (Loud
laughter. ) The whole course of the correspondence
with the foreign countries, great and mid, with
which differences have &rem, has been that of
lecturing. scolding. Umbering, and retreating. (Laughter.)
I cannot look at the foreign policy of the noble earl and the
government without being reminded of another great and
distinguished body of actors commemorated, en your lord-
ships will recollect, in Midsummer Nights Dream, where
the two principal performers are Bottom the Weaver, and
Snug the Joiner. The noble earl appears to me to combine
the qualities of those two distiognished performers in him-
self. lie is like Bottom the Weaver, for he is ambitious to
play every part ; but thatin which he is most like is " Moon-
shine." Bat above all, his most favourite part is that of
Lion. The noble earl says, " Let me play Lice. I will
roar that it shall do • rosn's heart good. I will roar
so that the Duke shall say,' Well roared, lion; well roared,
lice.' " (Laughter.) The noble earl knows as well as say
one bow to follow that other example of Snug where he
spoke fmin behind his mask and said, " I will roar you u
gently as any sucking dove," and moreover the noble earl
has had recourse to that rime original and ingenious device,
sad for fear the audience should be too much alarmed be
has said, " Let us show one half of our faces from under
the screen, sod that for all my roaring I am
Do lion at all, but only honest Song the Joiner."
There was one very important difference to observe :—Bot-
tem the Weaver, and Sang the Joiner were possessed with
a very en aloes desire that they should sot too much alarm
the ladies—(laughter)—end consequently they made • dia-
titterers of their intentions in order that their audience might
not be alarmed. Now, here, though the roaring is the row-
ing of the lion, the face is the face of the noble earl—(re.
mewed laughter) —that annommement was not made betimes
b order that the audience might not be frightened, but be.
cause the noble earl found that all the roaring in the
world would not frighten them. (" Hear," and laughter.)
Bat seriously, my lords, for though there may be something
ludicrous in it, it in a matter of too great importance
to be treated only in this light and jocular man-
ner—seriously, I cannot but feel as an Englishman
that I am humiliated sod inbred in my own
estimation—and that the country r humiliated—when I
End that the result of the noble load's edministration of
foreign affairs is not only that we have not in Europe at this
moment one a:ogle friend, but that this great England—
this great country, whose failing. if it was • faillng,was that
it went straight to the poiat at which it mimed—this couniry
which never heretofore promised without due intention to
peeler's which never threatened without an intention to
strike, which never made • demand without determining
that the demand should if necenery be enforced—that this
great country is now in the eyes of all Europe, under the
administratioo of the noble earl and the present govern.
ment, in the position not only that we have not • friend in
Europe. but that her menaces are disregarded, her magnilo-
quest language is ridiculed, and that her remonstrances are
blared with contemptuous indifference by the smaller as well
as by the greater powers. (Cheers.) Harmony and good
understanding with France '. Why, my lords, it we are ors
• footing of cordial good usdereandimi with France, all I
can say is that the Emperor of the Free& must be the
most forgiving and the mod forbearing of all earthly poten-
tates, because there is hardly a question of recent times in
which we have not —I do not my purposely, but it so hap-
pened—thwarted his policy and exposed him to a position
painful to hie feelings and humiliating to the pride of hie
seentry. (Hear, hear.) My lords, I find no fault
with the noble earl for having withdrawn so
soon es • considerable change was perceptible
from co-operation with the Emperor of the French the
Whirs of Mexico. A.t the time that question was first under
diecusion I deliberately expressed try great regret that
we were exposiog ourselves to possible inomvenieem and
embarraammet by not demanding sad enforcing the claims
we bad ourselves made with respect to Mexico. Ido not
blame the noble earl for withdrawing from the enterprise
ea soon as it was discovered to be of a more extensive cha-
racter than was originally contemplated ; but at the same
time the noble earl placed us, whether rightly or wrongly,
in • position in which our °redact was not very favourably
considered by the people of Fran" and which added much
to the embarrassments of the Emperor of the French.
Further, I believe it to be notorious that the Emperor et
the French was very desirous to take steps
at all events towards a recognition of the Confederate
Stehle of America, but the noble earl, whether r4htly or
wrongly, opposed himself to that policy, and the En. 1
parer, with so earnest desire to co-operate with this country
as far as possible, shaped his policy in accordance with the
policy of this country, and accommodated his view■ to
those of this country. The noble earl then remarked that
from the Mexican expedition England had withdrawn, and
it bad not supported the Emperor's policy in tektites to the
Confederate States of America. It had also declined the
Emperor's proposition of a congress. He admitted the
difficulties that would have been encountered, but if say
country was lees justified than another in meeting the
suggestion with a blunt refusal it was Easiest]. This country
bad no intense that could have been affected by the con-
gress. The proper course would have been to recognise,
the beoevolant intentions of the Emperor, and, stating
that England had no interest that could provost
bar taking part in the minuses to have experienced •
mediums to co-operate in such • laudable design, provided
we received assurances that other States would submit to
such an arbitration. Then, if the plan failed, the failure
would bare caused no ill-feeling between England and
Frasce. It must have been known that the Danish and
German question was pending, sod if the proposition of
bolding a congress could have postponed but for • @bort
time the extreme steps that had been takes, there would
be now a better propect of restoring the peace it wastes late
to ,reserve. As to the points in dispute home's Gerrusay
and Denmark. it ought not to have been difficult to settle
them without an appeal to arms. The noble earl proceeded :
I should have thought that there could have been no diffi-
culty I. ascertaining if the respective parties were willing
to listen to meson and to the intercession and mediation of
other and friendly powers There could have been no difli.
malty in'estertaining whether the terms which had been so.
tend into by Denmark had been fulfilled or not, and whether
PreseLt was or was not exacting more than she had aright to
demand in virtue of the stipulations of the treaty of 1851.
I do not question the right of Prussia to enforce those Mimi.
latione to the utmost, nor do I question the obligation on
the part of Denmark strictly to fulfil them, so far as circan.
dances feeder it possible, and their fulfilment was not pre.
vested by the obstacles thrown in their way by one of the
parties mainly concerned. But sorely the question whether a
eoestitutional step taken by the sovereign of an iadepeedeet
counter with regard to a portion of hie own dominions
ever which, except for this engagement—(l wish it bed been
a treaty which would bars been much more to the purpose,
and which would not have left the matter to thelocse stipula-
tions of correspondence, on which alone it rests at present) -
Clernmay world have had no possible right to Interfere, was