The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAT. MAT 14.
Ili. LORD CMANCILLOR leak his Hat so Os wool's& at'.
issoWocii.

LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S MOTION.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUO Hi said ie. was now some-
where about a year sone they had been et war—a period
somewhat locger, he believed, than the war was expected
to list by the mini-ten who made it. During that period
they had put forward the whole military forte of this
country, mei a. it was, and their whole navy. They had
no resin whatever to be dissatisfied with the madam of
either our soldiers or our sailon. (Hear.) They bad rivalled
the great actions of those who had preceded them
in former wars, sad they had been led en all oe-
melons by Eogledi gentlemen with their accustomed spirit
and decision (Heir, hear.) They had been allied with
the greatest military power in Metope—a power almost
equal In naval string Ito this country, end though teen
had been the meet cordisi union between the forces of the
two powers, and though they bad obtained so meth glory,
by the side of that glory there was nothing bet barren
meow. Notwithstanding all their strength, united with
Fruee—sotwithstanding all the courage sad devotion of
our trope, they had eel obtained say decisive seen es, nor
was there soy body who could say at the protein moment
that be had soy expectation of it. These grounds alone
would be sufficient to justify him in galling their lordships'
' attention to the rubject, end asking them to
consider the causes of the failures they had en
eountereil, and the remedies to be applied to guard against
them in future. Very recently another event had happened
which had given • g hateenr to the war. namely, the
negotiations at Vienna, which had failed; and bow had
they tailed ? They had tailed in such a meaner. (rots the
production of propositions on the past of Russia that were
wholly inadmissible—(ns', hear)—u to offer a prospect of
a prutracted war as well as a great contest. Under such
eiroimsteaces, he felt that the only apology he had to offer
to their lordships end the country was foe sot having
brought forward the question at as earlier period, end not
for its production now. (Hear, bear) Since the 'Minion
efLord Palmerston to the government a sort of torpor had
existed in pulls:Dent not likely to induce any man to bring
proud ouch ain Init. Had it rested with that noble lord.
the torpor existing in parliament would have been extended
to the pubic mind, for the first measure which he attempted
to carry was one td wide the committee of inquiry i•W the
state of affairs before Sebastopol, although that
committee had been voted by a large majority
of the limps of Common,, and was supported almost
unanimously by the pe iple out of doors. The mode adopted
by the noble lord for inducing the House of Commons to
rescind their resolution, wee a strange and singular one. He
desired to bear in the political monorails the character of
Richard the Second. It hie (Lord Ellenborough'r) recollec-
tion served him right, that was a prince who owed his fall
from power to his preference for mercenaries—his choice of
men on private and net on public grout. dieand to his disregard
of public opinion. It was represented that Lord Palmer.
aton was the fittest person to conduct the affairs a the 1
country during a war, on account of his great military '
experience. It was true, indeed, that for the two,
first epochs of his public life he had held this office I
• of Seeresary at War ; but that office was not in any way'
connected with the direction of a war or of military affair',
' it wee connected only with the finance of tee army, end a
person might have held that office sad not posses any
greet military experience. They had recently seen Mr.
Sidney Herbert, who had discharged the dodo of that office,
showing a greet deal of scat fur the public service/ in aiding
mid resisting the Duke et Newcastle, who was at the head
tof the war department That was perfectly justifiable, but
'it was a part of the duties of the Borates, at War. 11, in
- reality, Lord Pal menton bed, through having held that office,
acquired any great military ezperienee it would probably
have been haulm to the Doke of Wellington, and must
have seduised him to set a high value on the assistance of
Lord Pumenten in any government. He (Lord Moth°.
rough) did not mesa to soy that the Duke of Wellington
did not minutia such an opini in of Lod Palmerston, but
be ref -dented &circumstance which would lead him to be-
lieve the contrary. Ile recollected sitting by the site of the
Doke of Wellington during ihn dismission connected with
the trusactiom which led to the retirement of
Mr. Huskieson cad s son other members of the
cabinet. Tee duke was c.lied out of the house,
en his return he said, "It was I..ned Pahnergoa
who wanted to see me to tell me that if Has-
Worm went he oho aid go he e." He ,(Gird Eileaborongh)
then asked toe Doke what was his reply ? " I said nothing,
feel do set like firing greet guns at small birds." (Cheers,
and laughter.) West we. then in the opinion of the Duke of
Wellinetes bat • small bird might have since attained the
character end dimensions of an eagle; bat there could
be no doubt as to what was the Duke's opinion at
that liar. Bat a short time since the public '
lestructors of the country infecund the people that
the man of all others whom it was necessary to
place in the position of minister was Lod Palmerton—
that he was the man of the situation. The nation s-thetimes
Indulged in au unfortunate weakens, end then like an 1
individual cared only to greasy their fancy ; but when they I
did so, it was the mime won them as with an individual— 1
'repentance soon followed indulgence. II- believed there was I
'hardly any people so reedy ee the peonle of this couetry to I
give threnseves up to the admiration of en individual for a I
short period. It was, however, only for a short, for a very I
abort period that they showed the warmth of their affection I
,and sdmiration. A ening:, soon came over them, and the I
warmth of affiction was ..cn followed by a frigid indifference
more than equal to the intensity of admiration before ex- I
pressed. He feared that the people were at the present I
moment in that cold state, and greatly disippointed with I
themselves, and with the man they had desired to have. I
While parli uneet was in a state of torpor, the public had 1
began to speak—(near, hear)—the public had come to I
certain cochineals conclu.ious—which appeared to him to I
be lust, as to the conduct of the war, and as to the mean
to be adopted for the figure for the purpose of avoiding I
Mailer disappointineete They had arrived at this conchs- I
sion, that it was neawary in the ofectioo of individuals for I
the public employment to regard fitness, and not to be actuated '
by favour. He had not lately been converted to that notice,
It was the priuiple on which he acted during the period be '
bad been in poeeissiou of power, end be weld speak from I
experience of its advantages and its dangers. Its advantages
were all to the public; the danger was only to the individual I
who adopted it ea his principle:of conduct. (Hear, hear.) '
Re bad seen disaster a:inverted into victory; be had seen
ellecouragensent converted into enthusiasm ; he bad men ,
public confidence re-established, and the prosperity ,
of a country carried to an unexampled degree be-
yond that of any previous period, and he had been
able in a very great measure to trace all , these
improvements in the situation of the state to the adop- !
don et the principle of regarding only the fitness of
Individuals in the sehetioa fur public employments. The 1
danger to the Whited who acted on this principle '
wee, that be was amseuaded by prone who, with ell
the wasplike* of disappointed jobbers. ,
would join to emegerbeles who deprived them of I
animesityysy
the patronage wWM& &Feuded for promo- I
ties. la the pr heft the ,if a vernment 1
VW to be establisheesednt dessembilid topeo aetple uniformgoly on that I
principle, he Mt mooed that is would fail unless it re. I
solved the cossistent, unarms and vigilant asppeet of the I
people, on whom it depended. He had net bean osehesr.
vent of the events which had taken piesa to this .1
country for a considerable, time, and had eareversed with I
many who bad ;regarded events with an equally vigilant 1
observation, and their cognation was in accordance with his
emu. Re had observed with regret a very danpress I
*sage which had some over the practice cf the tomtits- I
non. Time was when the speeches in parliament directed I
the opinion of the country; when, whatever might be the 1
feeling during the recess, however the people might be led I
astray reh-• parliament was net sitting, when its sitting I
commenced thus members who were in the habit of leading I
parties in parliament at once gave a direction to rublic
opinion, and brought it late a right end safe is one. A very I
materiel change, however, had bees grewieg up in that '
respect, and public opinion was now more generally formed i
out of doors. and being then formed acted on the con- '
duet of parliament. (Hear, hear.) He looked with
peat apprehension to sash a state of things es that any per-
son, however able, but wholly irresponsible, should possess
a power—greater power perhaps than that of parliament—
sad that the gentlemen of the p Worm should overrule the
gentlemen of the House of Commons. The stew of things
shies bad grown up in this country filled him with consi-
derable alarm ; he knew the importance of watching public
opinion ; he knew the importance of endeavouring to direct
it. A public opinion, in essay respects, resembled a great
river running between dykes ; the waters rose gradually,
aloely, imperceptibly, without any duper apparent to
those who were sot secustemed to wr.teh them; at length
they overtopped the dyke, bore down on the plains sad
ed destroy and desolated every thing before them ;
the same waters, it distalbeted by prudent sad
judicious previsica into sereemlet• over the fields,
Would have fertilised tied beautified them. (Rear, bear.)
Is his opinion, it was emestial to the geed marking of the
esentitution that perAmeet should dlreet.setm as possible,
piths opiaice • sari la is be made it ter
the pupa thismed ,
et 'enabling their te ghee that beam
to front of the people--be male it the poopens et ma-
&Wog them to ge le the hell of the tithe se the hithful
lettermen* of public eyielon—(bees, burr)—end state re-
speetfully to Me Majesty dm extent ot the polite Moulds-
hones • and to state their determination sad OM et the
people .to mast her Majesty with all the remesees et life
seas any la the pmesendien et a Jut and asessary war; bat
t the cams ill% is ask opiates *et the gown.
ant _ ca me
be eininebeil ea tme pubikt priesitkor
a sheet* he seismott for employment rely la re-
' •••411._ he simian the state.(ftt beer.)
.WA elegem of the sea; to *des it
ea es draw their attention. be wbbid to
'' whisk Separated the hmetimeet the
et the newel, It wen the duty

se• that ata *WM be
reirlterkaw
Ina wassigi."
en. Shaw= Um
gmenmait ego
4