The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-20 00:00:00

THE MAYNOOTII REPORT.

Mr. SPOONBh should to-morrow
(this day) inquire when the report of the Commitrioners on
Meynooth would be presented to the hones ; and alto whe-
ther it we. true that a copy of the evidence bad been far-
sashed to Dr. Callen,

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TRADE WITII RUSSIA.
Mr. DANBY SEYMOUR begged to ask Mr. Collier
when he proposed to bring on his motion with respect to
our trade with Russia ?

Mr. COLLIER said the motion had stood over for a loan
time, having been Hied for a day before Christmas; he
should bring it on, if possible, to-morrow night, believing the
question to be one of a pressing nature—(bur, hear)—and
that the commercial interests of the country were desirous
of having the opinion of the house on the questions of
blockade and the checking of the overlaid transit of Russian
oods.

THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
On the motion for going into crommittimi of supply,
Mr. LAYLRD rose and said, that before the Speaker left
the chair, to enable the house to go into committee on the
army estimates, be must beg the indulgence of the
house while he made a few observations on the present cri-
tical position of publio affairs. He knew that he had on former
occasions made great demands on the indulgence of the
and if this were en ordinary occasion, be should not

spin claim that indulgence ; but the house would bear is I
and the imp interest he had taken fa the question new
ProlhtheatlY bane the country; awl believe that it was
only his conviction that we were now is the midst of a most ,
monientous crisis, which induced him to address them. He ,
had Intended to rase the question of the position of oar
align, not at the moat moment, but when the motion of
his honourable and leaned friend the member far Sher-
fisld for the &militant of his sonatas was brought ,
is; bat, as le Used that it was not improbable i
that ea arnagsment wad be come to between his boa. and
bean friend sea tL woveralasat, which would prevent
the his. hem dlesanag the gsamal question on an mor-
ally whin It might hen ben reasonably brought on, he
MOM the
aweibi not be satisfied unto another
7l MI to ORM innabon of the house to
penp on the situation of our affairs. What
beam amain mail then be than when the bons was
Gila at Se tete a sum of seven millions and a half for the
&inns al dm essay, and so to give a mark of its
osedamos to the government as it stood. At
this time last' year, whoa a similar sum was
voted for the may, there was a large and efficient army
ready to tabsthe field ; but now it had dwindled down to
some 12,00 men, although they heard a very different
await of its mann from the government. It was ea
imperative duty to call the attention of the country to the
smiting state of things, having, as he had, • firm conviction
that the country was standing almost on the brink of ruin;
and he certainly might say in a position of disgrace. It was
no use blundering on in oar present ration ; and he felt
degraded ia his own eyes that he had not last
year spoken out the truth which weighed on his
mind, but which, from various considerations, he
bad refrained from expressing. He wished now, hov-
erer, to mats an or two remarks on the conation of the
government. A short time ago, the hon. sad learned
member for Sheffield gave notice of a motion for a en-
mities to inquire into the condition of our troops before
Sebastopol, and into the administration of those to whom
was entrusted the conduct of the war. That motion we
resisted by the goverment, not so much on the ground a
its being inconsniont, but because it conveyed a dines
censure on the ministry. That was the challenge
which was thrown oat to the house and the
wintry. He (Mr. Layard), the country, and the house,
=Vthe challenge Not only was that fully under-
at
every member of the government declared that
they would take such a vote as a vote of censure, not on one
or two nienthen of the ministry, but on all and every one
of them. (Hoar, hear.) That was tho champ an it
was accepted ia that sense. What was the result ? The
motion was brought on, and carried by one of the largest
majorities that env voted on a question of suck magnitude.
(Hear, hear.) The votes were more than two to ono in
favour of the motion. blowy members voted for
it who poreemally would rather have opposed
it, and it was only the very decided feel-
ing on the subject in the country which caused
than to vote In its favour. Other members voted against
it ; somas of whom it was probable that they would not see
&pia in that house, because they had voted against it.
(Hsu. hoar.) The result was, that the government went
out FOllOlllO days it appeared to be impossible to form •
new administratisa. He would not allude to the causes of
Mist ffillealty, el bsegh he should take an opportunity of
big so hereafter. However, the noble lord (Palanntoo)
=dos wiribielration • and what was it ? It was ides-
the seine as the last government, with one or two
enseptions. Under ordinary circumstances, it might have
bees expected that some such ministry would have boss
hewed. But at a moment when the conduct of the mi-
any with regard to the administration of the greatest war
hi which we were ever engaged, was about to
be inquired into, and when the home was about
so be called on to vete money for an army which had
been reduced SLUM to nothing, and so to vote that it had
confidence in the government, he believed that the country
would ask what had been gained, as they could see
little or no difference between the present and
the lut ministry, In which the house by its vote bad
declared it had no maidens. It was said, to be sure, that
they were the sem an, bat that they won not in the same
trlt was tune then had been changes, bat soma it
enniesid se they were, and let it be seen ben fki
Mom who reassiod in their places wen justified in ralsia
kg whim. They had hoard an hon. gentleman the alter
sight say that men the member for Aylesbury had net
dared Is alarm nowthisg against the administration
of the Afarallti. The hem gentleman must have
rather a shut oforgy. Hs (Kr. Layard) was
surpeleed to beer the honourable gentleman say that, after
what bad peami In the hems on two most important points
in oosseaties with the Mr—the Noshed. Ind the
senile. Had net the alarm Jed offeetaal block= =
Midas alooldef and awed one of our primigeldifieshiso
(Ilear.berm) Then m regarded the treamert ionise: lad
astmembass el that brews, one after the ether. bentsht
we She (modes et the hopeless state of seahnies vldeh
oohed in Ibe Inemport service ? (Hear, berm) How then
add the ben. gentleman venture to mart that his
=el amber the department to whisk he belonged,
emenre. Then look at oar diplomacy. He
Missed it was a duty which every member owed to his
ematitnents to brig forward the question of our diplomacy.
He believed that the war was greatly owing to the misma-
nagement of our diplomacy, and that the melancholy
conferences at Vienna had brought, he had almost
said, disgrace on our diplomacy. If we had pur-
sued a bold course of diplomacy, one worthy of
the country, he believed that we should net now be
in our present difficulties. (Hear.) There was a subject
in connexion with diplomacy to whieh attention ought now
to be called : he meant the subject of diplomatic appoint-
ments. Hs would not mention names, but there was en
instance in which an arrangement had been made between
• noble lord and another minister, by which ohs noble lord,
who was getting too old to serve his country as an ambas-
sador, was charged with a mission, the exclaim being
effected by what could only be called a " job.' (Haar,
hear.) The fact was that the country wanted more truth.
The country did not want a government certainly to giro
indiscreet answers to indiscreet questions, or to make im-
provident disclosures ; but it did require that if a member
of that house sand a straightforward question on
a matter of importance, that he should receive •
straightforward newer. (blear, hear,) He had frequently
asked last year if a Dionne was kept up in the Black Sea
and he was told that then was ; and yet months afterward;
they were told that in fast thus hn been non at all.
(Hear, hear.) The country would not be satisfied with
conduct such as that. One member stated that we had not

more tian 12000 sea in arms before Sebastopol, and a
right hon. gentleness asserted in reply that there wore
30,000 ; sad yet it was afterwards found out
that the latter statement could not be true ;
while the government refused to predate doeumeats
which would show whether it was true or not. (Hear, hear.)
When it was said that our army was starving and obliged to
est French bread, we were told that they were liviag
midst of plenty, and were adequately protected from late
ineleatency of the weather. It was impossible that the
omatry could be satisfied with such a state of things. Thee
as to the policy of the government. A few days base
Christmas he parliament was called together for t
it
two measures, the Militia BM
Peeirliiirlistment Bill. He would say little et
with moped to the Militia Bill; bat with regarlle
Foreign Balistinent Bill, the liberal party was east ea
to swallow all the &dentin's they had made ea Me boo
Pegs, sad booed to carry that bin as mplilly as pildble
twee perliemeat. A noble MA =low um
of thereasimp bombes, in a opeedi it Welems'
andeaveand is show that that bill nueileallini Oa
sat gaol psiley. He (Mr. Layard) did MS IMO 11,
sod lie hal sever it'd that bed Alm
&Mai es. ins my that beOM MOE
41944449 SOWSIV 4149 Ingle man bad besa=in ibl
lonise of this omentry vadat the F t IML
Mos the goveramsat beswOt is thilirrll it was aatsralb
=Slthat they bad the deft& of the measure cut sal
ot a bit c f it ; and they W set sow made up their
salads bow or by whom its umeemasta were to be emend
eat. The result was that Preens had bees belerehasd
with us in forming a lonian login; sad as Germsay was
se it woecalled, " raig " her Federal army, that is,
providing sea sad heroes, and placing them in, sack a
Mate of preparation that in 14 days the army would be
ready to take,the field, we were now unable to obtain say
nee, or, if say, only the scum of the population. It was
eery impormat that we should obtain a loves of German
meshy. Now, a foreign gentleman had told him the other
day that le had been prepared to point out where the best
berms were to be had, and the best means of raising a
'aviary force, but as no step had been yet taken, all
the beet horses had been taken up, and there would
be great difficulty now in raising such a form.
The house was now about to be called on in the
estimates to vote 14,000 men for a foreign legion ; and on
that sunset there to be the fullest explanation. Than
:81.66 mush Ads Auer. We were to have made large
he sank ma nabob in Asia Minor last year;
bat what had beat dose ? The very gentleman whom he
(lit. Lewd) bad nesmmended as best qualified for that
terries had written to him to say that some offence bad
bus Isla by the ffingish government, and hie contracts
W berg rased ; t they had been smelted by the
Preseh, and that se was buying up for the French, and
that very soon it would be most difficult to obtain any for
Messeviee of the English government. Again, last year it
was 1114044414 that a body of Turks should be taken into
the serene of this country. It was stated that the
Turin& neldlers were badly ofiloered, but they bad in them
the manorial of excellent troops. Unfortunately, a number
of them had been on *mice with our troops is the Crimes,
and, he was sorry to say, had been treated by our omen
sad soldiers in a manner unworthy of British OfaCell aid
soldier,, being constantly beaten, struck, and ill-pared in
every way. Was or was not that true ? If it was, had
such conduct been authorised by the authorities la this
country or on the spot ; or had any steps been taken to put
a stop to such proceeding+ ? He hoped that on that inabjeet
they should bear some explanation. We were now told
that 20,000 Turks were to be taken into our service, and
to be placed under British officers, but it was to be feared
that it was almost too late. These being the antecedents
of the former, and, therefore, of the present governairet,
he did not see on what pounds the house could be asked
to support the present administration. Sums, the mo-
tion of the hon. and learned member for Sheffield, for
the appointment of the members of his camatittn, was
pressed to a division, he (Kr. Layard) had not changed
hie opinion with regard to that committee. He believed
that if it was pressed as it stood, it would operate inju-
riously to the public service, especially as the conduct of
the present government must be canvassed. because must of