The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-21 00:00:00

How far diplomacy has affected them I know not, but I really
envy the satisfaction which the noble earl must have enjoyee,
when the convention was signed with Piedmont. (Hear.) I
look upon that as contributing a valuable force to the common
exertions of the Western Powers. (Hear, hear.) I envy him
the satisfaction he must have enjoyed, because I must say-
that of all the events which have occurred since 1848—events
which have generally been creditable to the smaller constitu-
tional Powers of Europe, whose conduct almost universally.
has been far superior to that of the great Powers in the emer
gency in which they were placed—l say of all the measures
adopted, that which most conduces to the credit of the Pied.
montese statesmen by wit( m it was adopted —that whichmost
conduces not only to their present credit, but to the future
interests of their country is that convention, by which Pied-
mont joins the Western Powers. (Hear.) That, of all other
measures is destined to find a:place in history as one of the
most admirable transactions and most remarkable acts of a
long sighted Government. I congratulate the noble earl an
the statesman at the head of the Piedmontese Government—
the people tud the army of Piedmont, on that event. (Hear.
hear.) They have token by it a new position in Europe, and
have justified the expectations entertained of their virtue and
wisdom, and I most earnestly hope that they may get the re-
ward they so justly deserve in the advantage to be derived
from the measure in question to their country, and in the
honour which they deserve to have for themselves. (Cheers.)
I deplore the loss of the Duke of Genoa, as noble a soldier
as ever met an enemy in the field, and who, if he had been
spared, would have shed another ray of honour—of that
honour which never deserts them—on the head of the illus-
trious military fami:y of which he was so great an ornament.
(Hear.) There is another subject on which I have to congra-
tulate the noble earl, and that is the recent convention with
Turkey ; that also adds a very material force to the army
which is to be employed in this war. Undoubtedly, it would
have been a subject of very great satisfaction if that conven-
tion had been made ten months ago. Whether it was impos-
sible to overcome Turkish scruples sooner, I know not, or
whether the ordinary means were adopted for the purpose of
effecting that great object, I know not, but this I will say,
that it is an object fraught with advantages, not only to the
prosecution of military operations, but more especially to the
actual position of Turkey itself; because we must not think
that if we can save Turkey, in this war we have 'done all.
(Hear.) We have done little or nothing unless we place Tur-
key in a position in which she will be able to protect herself
until the other Powers of Europe may come to her assistance.
I know nothirg that can tend so directly to the revival of the
Turkish empire as the revival of the Turkish army. (Hear.)
It has had at net distant period an army more instructed,
more disciplined, and more scientific than any army known in
Europe at the time, though that was the time of Charles V.
I know not why at this time she should.not be capable of
producing au army of equal merit, but this I know, that in
States such as that is, the only possible chance of revival is
in the reconstruction of an army. (Hear.) When a State is
falling in virtue, the last place virtue leaves is the army in
the field. It was so in the fall of the Roman empire, when
the highest virtues still adorned the army, while everything
that is corrupt existed in the court. And, my lords, I feel
satisfied that if you can in any way reconstruct the Turkish
army, you will give to that country the chance of reconstruction
in other respects which it has never yet had, and which may
free the future Government of that country from many difficul-
ties and dangers to which it has been recently exposed. (Hear.)
But I must say that I think the extent to which the employ.
ment of Turkish troops in our service is to be made avail-
able is very insufficient ; and I think that it is not in
our own service only, but in the service of the French also,
that a very large body of Turks ought to be employed. In-
stead of 15,000, we should at least have 30,000 Turkish sol-
diers in the service of this country ; and I should earnestly
desire to see the same number in the service of France, offi-
cered by French officers, to serve on the Pruth, as our Turk-
ish contingent should be byEnglish officers to serve in Asia ;
for,-my lords, I have no doabt whatever, that, so long as we
attempt to conduct this war against Russia without attempt-
ing any diversions whatever—allowing her to bring her whole
forces over the hardened snows, with all their means of tran-
sport and all their artillery, to attack our forces, at a most
inclement season, and at s. distance of 3,000 miles, without
an adequate artillery perhaps, certainly without the adequate
equipment that an army in the position before Sebastopol
ought to have—l say we shall meet with difficulties which it
will be impossible to withstand, unless we take means to
make necessary diversions. (Hear.) My lords, i.; has been
to me a deep subject of regret, from the commencement of
this war, that her Majesty,s Government should not have paid
that attention which I think they ought to have done to the
importance of the war in Asia. (Hear.) I entirely concur,
my lords, in all that has been said and written by that able
gentleman who, more than any other, is acquainted with the
affairs of Asia—l mean Mr. Layard. I entirely concur in all
that he has said. We are not only a European but an Asiatic
power. (Hear, hear.) To us this war has a double interest
and importance. It affects us, not merely as regards the
coasts of the Mediterranean, or the manner in which Russia
may get possession of Constantinople and establish her fleet
in the Black Sea, with a view to the destruction of our
commerce and our position there as a naval power ; it is of
importance to us, as it affects greatly our position in the
East. (seal., hear.) Upon the result of this war depends
the communication with India through Egypt. Upon the
result of this war depends the question whether Turkey shall
possess any independent strength in Asia Minor. If Russia
conquers that strength will fall. All communication be-
tween Turkey and Persia is cut off. Persia becomes sub-
ject to Russia, and all the power of Persia, through Russia,
will be against us in India. (Hear.) I say, therefore, the im-
portance of the war in Asia is incalculable to us. It is quite
a different thing to us whether she succeeds in Asia than it is
to any of the other Powers engaged in this war; and there-
fore I most earnestly desire that iu addition to these Turkish
troops we should also have the aid of Persian soldiers. The
Persians form the very best soldiers, equally able with those

In regard to the militia regiments, he was sorry to say that
some of them had not shown so much energy and vigour in
'urnishing their quota to the line as had been anticipated.
Ind it was his intention to take energetic means for in-
ducing those regiments to supply their quota. Before taking
lime steps, he trusted, however, that au appeal which he
had made to the commanding officers of the several militia
regiments might have its effect. (Hear, hear.) He ad-
mitted that the full number of the militia which the Govern-
nent were empowered to enroll had not yet been raised ;
mt, nevertheless, he did not think it would be advisable to
entirce the ballot, to which there were insuperable objec-
dons, nor the system of fines which prevailed, and which
ailed during the last war. It was clear, however, that
neans must be found, if not by voluntary enlistment, by com-
pulsion, for meeting the requirements of her Majesty's ser-
✓ice, and for enabling the war to be carried on with the re-
quisite vigour. With reference to the remarks which the

noble friend opposite, he hoped and trusted that a war enter-
ed into, as the . were told, to prevent Russian aggression on
the Turks, was not t , be converted into a war for carrying
on imaginary plans of regeneration in Poland. No man felt
more deeply for the Poles than himself, or condemned more
strongly the iniquitous proceedings of the Three Powers,
whicH terminat.d ill its dismemberment; but- at the same
time he thought that, had it not been for the faults of the
Poles themselves, the design could never have succeeded.
Had it not been for those unhappy internal divisions which
always made the Poles incapable of governing themselves, and
unfitted them for acting as a great nation, their number and
Mae resources they possessed, were amply sufficient to have
enabled them to protect themselves against the ambition of
their neighbours: He feared they had the same faults still,
and his belief was that if ever Poland should be regenerated
the work must be accomplished, not from without, but from
within. If wo were to engage in the hopeless measure of re-
establishing Poland, we should find ourselves embarked in
numberless difficulties, and committed to the hazards and
responsibilities of future wars, which might for generations in-
volve the country in calamity.
The Earl of HARROWBY begged to ask his noble friend
in what way he contemplated taking any securities for the
future against Russia, if not in the direction which he had
just specified ? The present war was not one of immediate
self-defence, for Russia was not attacking us, and we Were
under no obligation to support Turkey. It was an act of far-
sighted self-defence—a war of policy, of which the main
object was to prevent Russia obtaining a preponderance in
the affairs of Europe. Could this object be attained by ,
merely expelling her from the principalities—humiliated, ,
but not weakened 7 The noble ea,-1 spoke of Poland as
having been unfit to defend herself; but he forgot that
she had not merely defended herself, but had been the
saviour of the empire under Sobieski ; and it was at the mo-
ment when the main evils cf her internal condition were
about to be remedied that Russia stepped.in and effected her ,
subjugation.

noble earl had made with respect to the disproportion which
se thought existed between the number of c mmanding offi-
:ers and of subalterns in the regiments now serving in the
Crimea, he (Lord Panmuro) had to state that he had already
instructed the Commander-in-Chief to make the establish-

nent of these reg ments, in future, two lieutenant-colonels
Lad two majors, instead of one lieutenant•colonel and three
majors, as at present. When, therefore, the regiment was
separated into two divisions, both the portion which remained
at home and that which was engaged at the seat of war would
have the advantage of being commanded by a lieutenant-
colonel. It was proposed to raise the strength of each regi-
ment serving in the Crimea to 2, )00 men, half of whom were
o be sent to the East, while half remained at home. It was
mupposed that, making allowance for sickness and other casu-
alties, the division of the regiment despatched to the seat of
war would be able to bring into the field about 800 men,
which he believed all military men agreed was the number
which could be most easily handled and most easily put
through the requisite manceuvres. A depot of 400 men would
then be stationed in the Crimea from which the vacancies
which occurred in the Crimea might be more easily replaced,
end the remainder of the regiment, 600 men, would remain at
home under the command of a lieutenant-colonel. That he

The Earl of EGLINTON wished to advert for a moment to
the subject of the Scottish militia. The noble earl who com-
menced the discussion had recommended that the lord-lieu-
tenants should call upon the deputy-lieutenants of counties
to co-operate with them in raising men for the militia. The
act for the Scottish militia contained a claus3 precluding the
lord-lieutenant from doing so except under authority spe-
cially given by the Crown. He was happy to say that he had
been tolerably successful in obtaining volunteers in the
county with which he was connected, and several weeks ago
more than 400 out of 600 were enrolled. There had been
great and unnecessary delay about the embodiment of the
militia, and at this moment it was not settled what the uni-
form of the Scottish militia was to be, so that they were
brought to a stand-still until this point was decided.
Lord COLO ci ESTER observed that what his noble friend
_ _

Nought was not by any means a despicable strength for a

lepot, seeing that the regiments that were sent out to
:he colonies a few years ago only numbered 650 men, or

50 more than the number of the depot which it was now
proposed to retain at home. The noble earl bad next ad-
verted to the manner in which the 'complement of the

regiments first embarked for the East was made up.
(Hear.) He agreed with him as to the inconvenience which
arose fro'n the course which was then followed. But
when the Commander-in-Chief was suddenly called upon to
raise the strength of the regiments destined for foreign ser-
vice from 800 to 1,000. ho did not see what he could have
done better than call upon those portions of the army remain-
ing at home to supply, by volunteering, the vacancies which
existed in the regiments ordered on foreign service. He did
not believe, at all events, that the plan then adopted had led

to any permanent inconvenience. The noble earl had next
addressed the house on various matters of high policy connec-
ted with the conduct of the war. He concurred with him in
every word that he had said with respect to the course taken
by Piedmont in joining this alliance, and he might further
mention, in order to show the sincerity which the Piedmon-
tese Government had shown in this matter, that they had
not only sent the flower of their troops to the assistance of
the Western Powers, but had sent them under the command
of the present Minister of War, whom they deemed the man
most fitted to conduct them. He also concurred with the
noble earl in the feelings of s ttisfaction he had expressed with
reference to the signature of the convention of Turkey, from
which he anticipated great advantages. It would, of course,
be unbecoming in him, occupying the position he had the
honour to hold, to enter into all the details of a campaign
upon which his noble friend had commented, but he could not

help deprecating the idea that England was in this war
fighting for any peculiar interest of her own. This war was,
iu his opinion, undertaken against the aggressive policy of a
great Power in Europe. It was undertaken with no aggres-
sive purpose on our part, but to restrain the power and
ambition of Russia ; and he hoped that England would not
seek either to extend its territory or to turn to its individual
advantage the force which might be brought together in
the field by ourselves and our. allies. With regard to the
remarks which the noble earl' Chad made in respect to
the Indian army, no doubt the noble earl was better ac-
quainted with the exigencies of the Indian empire, and the
feoliugs of the Indian empire, than was ho (Lord Panmure )
But it must be a very serious consideration when it was pro-
posed to denude our Indian empire of such troops as formed
its best safeguard, and he could not venture to express an
opinion upon that subject without being thoroughly ac•
quainted with the views of the Governor General of India at
this moment as to the safetyi of India. Nor, further than
withdrawing those few regiments of the Queen's service, to
which the Governor-General had given his cheerful acquisi-
eseence, would he venture, merely for the sake of employing
Indian troops in the Crimea, to deprive India of forces on
which she ought to rely, either to resist an attack upon her
own territory or to maintain that order within its limits
which he was happy to say now existed throughout the whole
extent of our Indian dominions. He moved the second read-

ing of this bill solely with the view of grafting on her Majes-
ty's service a body of men who might be capable of discharg-
ing the duties of hard services more perfectly and at lest cost
of health and life than the class from which our recruits were
at present taken. He proposed to limit the term of enlist-
ment for three years, and should powers be required to en-
able the Crown still further to diminish it, he could not doubt
that their lordships would grant them as readily and willingly
as they would those conferred by the present measure.

THE SUN LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 21,

man, named Charlotte Jones, at present confined in
the Glarnorgaushire county gaol, stating that, in
the year 1850, she was charged by a woman with
slander. She denied the charge ; but, neverthelesr,
she was cited before the Consiebry Court of
the diocese of Llandaff, thereby putting her to great
expense, which she was unable to pay, as she was the
mother of 14 children, and her husband was only in the
receipt of 15s. a-week. She offered to make a recanta-
tion even of words which she had never spoken, but that
was not sufficient, and she was put to an expense of be-
tween 7/. and 8/. Behrg unable to pay the money, she
had been incarcerated, and she now prayed that the juris-
diction of Ecclesiastical Courts in such cases might be
abolished, and that the house would take steps to release
her from prison.

WINE DUTIES.

Mr. OLIVEIRA. postponed his motion in the sub,
ject of the Wine Duties until a future day.
TRADE WITH RUSSIA.

Lord DUNCAN allied the honourable and learned
member for Plymouth whether he intended to bring
forward his motion to-night relative to the trade with
Russia,

Mr. COLLIER replied yes ; if he could, bring it on
at a reasonable time.

FACTORY LABOUR.
Mr. I. BUTT wished to ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department whether any commission
had been issued to inquiro into the employment of women
and children in bleaching establishments in England and
Ireland. If so, when the report of the commission would
he obtained ; and whether
_it was intended to lay it on
the table of the house ?

Sir G. GREY said such a commission had been
appointed, but it 3 labours were not yet terminated.

BALAKLA.VA RAILWAY.

Mr. LOCKE wished to ask whether any report bad
been received from the engineers seat out to construct
the railway at Balaklava, stating the progress which
had been already made, and the time that would be ne-
cessary fur completing the railway ? Also, whether any
common stone road existed between Balaklava and the
extremity of the lines, capable of serving the wants of
the army ; and, if not, whether any orders had been
given for the construction of such a road ?

Lord PALMERSTON said accounts bad been re-
ceived of the arrival of the engineers and workmen who
were sent' out to lay down the railway. On the 6th of
February they bad begun their operations, and at that
date they were in Balaklava. 15 miles of rails, together
with all the other things necessary for laying down the
railway, which had begun with every prospect of success.
He apprehended there was no other road but the one
which bad hitherto existed, and which was liable to be
constantly interrupted by frost or rain.
Mr. LOCKE reininied the noble lord that be had not
answered the question as to what length of time it
would take to complete it.
Lord PALMERSTON .aid the Government had re-
ceived no report whatever upon that point.
MAY.NOOTH.

Mr. SPOONER wished t) ask the First Lord of the
Treasury when the report of the commissioners ap-
pointed to inquire into the system of education carried
on at the College of Maynooth would be presented to
Parliament. Also, whether it was true that a copy of the
evidence taken before that commission had been for-
warded to Dr. Cullen ; and, if so, when and by whose
authority it was so forwarded 7
Lord PALMERSTON was sorry to say he was un-
able to answer the first question, but he was wholly
ignorant of the matter to which the second referred.
Mr. SPOONER.—Perhaps the noble lord will make
inquiry about the report, because it is very important.