The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVEN

IMPEINAL PARLIAMENT

t Prussian merchants, and as a proof of that be might
state that they were known to pay 20 per cent. for dis-
count. But capital was not all that was required. A
personal acquaintance with the agents was necessary,
and without such acquaintance capital would be of very
little avail. Now, how was it possible that such a class
of men could suddenly spring up in Russia ? And in the
meantime, in what condition would she be ? Her exports
would be destroyed ; her rouble would be of the value
of a French assignat ; her finances would be in the most
inextricable confusion in the course of two years ; and
the soldier landlord—on whose fidelity the sovereign
must depend on the day of battle—would be rendered
desponding, despairing, and disaffected. A prohibi-
tion to trade would have taught him not merely that
war, was restrictive of the serfs, and burdensome in the
shape of taxes, but would have brought him to beg-
gary and ruin. Now, he would ask, could the war be
carried on for a year under such circumstances ? He
himself saw something of the temper of the nobles in
1824, when the insurrection of the following year was
as freely talked of as the clubs of London now talked of
the efficiency of her Majesty's,' Governinent. (Hear,
hear, and laughter.) An indefinite sort of notion pre-
vailed that this country would be ruined by the st•ippaee
of the Russian trade. But Ras there any foendation for
that supposition ? None whatever. The Russian ex-
ports were not of that rare kind that no other country
could produce. He would take for instance the article
of hemp. Now, Russian hemp was not the best hemp
thst came into the market. Manilla hemp was better
by 16 per cent. Hemp was obtained from Belgium, the
North of France, and Lombardy. In India there was
a superabundance of all the materials obtained from
Russia. That country absolutely swarmed with
them, and the while vegetable creation seemed to
resolve itself into hemp and flax, and if not into
animal tallow, at least into a substitute for that
article. Besides all these sources of supply, he might
mention the Hi ralayas and the Philippine islands. The
nett'e was a most valuable article, and produced linen
equal to Irish, and the ropes male from it were as good
as the best Russian. A. fibre of a Russian rope broke with
160 lbs., whilst a similar nettle fibre 'sustained 400 lbs.
without breaking. Besides all these substitutes for Rus-
sian pro luce, iron cables and wire were fast coming into
use amongst the great shioping companies' and even in
the royal dockyards. It had been stated by Mr. Noble,
one of the great hemp brokers, that if her Majesty's
Ministers would declare it unlawful to trade with Russia
for one year, such an impetus would be given to the
gro avers of these textile fabrics that this country would be
able to compete with Russia, even with an open trade, in
price, quality. and quantity. (Hear, hear.) Then with
flex that article was completely
respect to Ruvian
beaten out of the field by Belgium, the flax of which
county was better by 12 per cent. In India there
was an inexhaustible supply of that material. The
country best adapted for the growth of flax was Ireland ;
it was no new crop there, because, in some of the north
ern provinces, it was already cultivated extensively. Sir
John M‘Neil, the celebrated engineer, upon the faith
that the blockade was to be strict, laid 600 acres under
flax ; but, now that the market was flooded, .he could
not get a price for it. With regard to tallow, before
the war was declared, Russian animal tallow was losing
its price in the market, as it was being superseded by
vegetable oil, while taking the duty off soap produced a
great effect in extending the number of substitutes for
animal tallow. In Price's patent candle manufactory
there was not one cask of animal tallow used ; it was
palm oil and other vegetable oils they used. Palm oil
was chiefly cultivated along the coast of Africa where
slavery abounds, and since the slave trade diminished as
the produce of palm oil increased, they had an additional
reason for rescinding the Order in Council of 1854. He
believed France almost entirely abstained from the use
of animal tallow, substituting for it what was commonly
called the African ground nut, which they obtained
from Algeria. these facts showed the facility with
which substitutes could be found for tallow, but to shbw
how necessity produced substitutes for anything, he
might mention the experience of the Irish Peat Com-
pany. They were in the habit of extracting oil—naphtha
oil—from peat, which they originally valued at is a gal-
lon ; but it turned out that this oil had high lubricating
powers, and in a few months the price rose from is. to ss.
a gallon, the augmentation being caused by the substitu-
tion of this oil for tallow. The present was a peculiarly
favourable time for striking la blow at Russian produce ;
its value had considerably fallen in our market of late,
and if advantage were taken of the present moment
the trade of Russia would be destroyed without,
comparatively speaking, inflicting any injury upon
ourselves. Stop the funds by which the trade of Russia
was carried on, and you destroyed it at once. He did
not attach much importance to the machinery by which
that end was to be attained, but the plan pro-
posed by the petitioners was to compel an importer to
certify before a consul or an agent appointed for the
purpose, either at the Customs or elsewhere, that the
produce he wished to import was not the production of
Russia. There might be occasional cases of fraud, but
as the onus of proof would rest with the proprietor, he
thought Government would have no difficulty in esta-
blishing such machinery as should at once determine
whether the produce was Russian or not. War must
always be attended with evils and difficulties to trade,
but in the case of Russia she had the least power of al-
most
any nation to inflict injury upon our commerce,
because, during the time of peace, she did all she could
in the way of hostile tariffs to cripple British trade.
Why, he found that, in the last years to which the ex-
isting returns were made up, the whole of the British
exports to Russia amounted to 1,228,4041., while we
received from Russia imports valued at 9,280,041/., so
that the balance of stopping the Russian trade would be
greatly against Russia,. Bat he disclaimed the idea of-
treating this matter in a niggardly; huckstering spirit ,•
they had no right to set cuff the paltry produce of I
Russia in hides and tallow against the blood
and sinews of Englishmen ; but -still it would only
cost 1-80th of our exports to reduce the imports
of gold and silver into Russia by something. like
7,792,437/. He thought the bargain would be a goodi one.
Well, now, that would be precisely the effect of the step
he was urging upon Government; and although it might
be opposed to the strict principles of political econotily,
yet it was peculiarly a +apted to a state of war, while it ;
was beat calculated to hasten mace. He hoped it would
be adopted without delay. (Hen- )
Lord STANLEY Of Alderley) said with regard to
the papers there would be no obje tion whatever to pro-
duce them. The noble earl complained that the
blockade last year was not strictly kept, but in reply
to that complaint he must remind their iordships of the l
circumstances under which the blockade was instituted.
We were engaged in a war with Russia in concert with
an ally who entertained a different opinion to ourselves
with regard to mercantile matters. They recognised
the right of neutrals to carry property of the enemy
w thout being subject to the right of search, and that was
one reason which rendered it necessary to deal tezn-
optohrearrielyirciwimitshtat I ece
wb
hoi
ca gads.
ren d e Butre he
(I t
ht
lte there was yet
necessary.
anAd-
vances of money had been made by English houses upon
the Russian produce of the year, and in point of fact a
good deal of the Russian produce lying in the ports of
the Baltic and White Sea was the property of English
merchants. If, theretere. the blockade had been imme-
diately and strictly ca lied into effect, we should not
have been injuring Russia, but our own merchants. For
these reasons it was deemed expedient that the period
for commencing the blockade should be extended, and
accordingly an Order in Council was published for
'that purpose, but that order li3d only reference to
British merchants. It in no way altered the law,
but was issued simply to meet the case he had I
mentioned. The blockade, however, was strictly en-
forced in the Baltic ; but from causes which had already
nleeoetns.,exstrliain
stringently
ntliyn
ktehpet ointhrteheHußolacs e
keofePaaam . rliTiwentitwas
effect
of
this blockade had been greatly to cripple the Russian
trade ' • indeed, by the returns which he held in his hand,
it would seem that the importation of Russian flax, hemp,
and-tallow was reduced. last year, as compared with for-
mer years, by at least one-half ; while it was only reason-
able to suppose tha.'t the trade of Russia with other
countries had been reduced in a corresponding degree.
With regard to the proposal of the noble earl there'
would be great difficulty in carrying it out, because
the certificate process which he wished to establish could
be easily evaded.' How were the authorities to decide
what was and what was not Russian produce when
under the existing Customs law any produce which bad
been subjected to the slightest manufacturing operation
became a manufactured article, and was treated, not as
the produce of the country where it was originally
produced, but as the produce of the country where
the manufacturing operation had taken place ? Here,
then, would be a fruitful source of evasion, whereas
on the other band, if an attempt were made to enforce
the regulations the noble earl wished to establish, we
should be running the risk of creating hostilities on the
part of countries that were now faVourable to us. As for
the future, the blockade would be strictly enforced in
the East as well as the North, and when they considered
that already half the trade of Russia bad been destroyed,
and the whole of her mercantile marine swept from every
sea in the world, and when they recollected that the
Russian manufacturers depended entirely upon her im-
ports of cotton, be thought their lordships would agree
with him that the noble earl was hardly justified in say-
ing•that the blockade of last year bad proved inoperative
dlottrhbi
nee"
and inefficient.
Lord BERNERS said it was of great importance to
the mercantile interest of-this country that they should
en-
forced d announcedbot
both
i n
th that t
White the
sbeleae.aknadd et
hvitaehonenudlaf
know what were the real intentions of Government with
rsohtir.
he
aiocrtdlyse. trustedn
regard to blockading Russian ports, and 'now that it had
that determination would be steadily adhered to.
The Earl of ALBEMARLE spoke a few words in
jdetscrte d in,
reply, and announced that on a future occasion he should
resolu-
tion, upon. which be should take the sense of the house.
suTbmheitrhetisurvnisewwseorne tthhiesnsuobr
adjourned shortly before nine o'clock. •

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANOELLOIC took his seat on the woolsacl
It fire o'clonk.

The Earl of ALBEMARLE presented a petitior
From Wandsworth in favour of the total abolition o:
Church rates.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY rose to call the atten•

tion of the Commander•in-Chief to the two cases that
had recently appeared in the newspapers of what was
called " practical joking," and having read the state-
ment that had appeared with respect to the conduct of
the officers of the 30th Regiment, asked the noble
:ord whether he intended to put a stop to such
.mischievous and discreditable conduct in the army ? It

vas his belief that the 'parties principally at fault were
,e commanding officers of the regiment. He wished to
know ‘thethcr the no'ole lord had instituted any inquiry
,to the transaction ; and if so, whether he would make
zaown to the public what was the determination of the
matter ?
Lord HARDINGE expressed his regret at being
bliged to adroit that the facts reported of the cake re-
--rred to were not exaggerated. He had admonished the
(fending' parties in the stronge st language, and he had
yoly to say that if these remonstrances proved ineffec-
ual he would feel it his 'duty to advise her Ma-
jesty to exercise her prerogative by adopting a summary
node of putting a stop to such practices.
The Earl of HARDWICKE said that if he was Com-
iander-in-Chier he would certainly deem it his duty to
mold the colonel of each regiment responsible for those
,ffences, and he would deal with him in the most sum-
mary manner.
Lord VIVIAN said it so happened that the colonel
af one of the regiments alluded to was at present in the

Crimea.
The subject then dropped.
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE Haffe's Estate
Bill was read a second time.
THIRD READINGS.

The Folkestone Harbour, the Brighton Improvement
Bill, and Prices Patent Candle Company Bill were read
a, third time. .

CHURCH RATES.

The Bishop of EXETER, in presenting two petitions
from Exeter and another place in Devonshire, on the sub-
ject of church rates, took, the opportunity of calling the
attention of the house to the actual state of the law on
the subject. A few evenings ago, when this question
was brought under their notice, the Lord Chancellor
gave his authority to the motion that the law respecting
church rates was absolutely effete, and that there was
oo power to set it in action—that it was, in fact, a bye-
law, which it would be vain to revive. He (the Bishop
of Exeter) wished to revive nothing on the subject,
but he would state what was the fact as regarded the
law upon the subject up-to within a few years ago.
The right reverend prelate then proceeded at great
length to cite the different statutes of the law with
respect to church rates. The reverend prelate
contended that the spiritual courts are still empowered
to compel payment of church rates, under penalty of im-
prisonment of the person or sequestration of the estate, of
the parties in default. In fact the law as regarded church
rates was more stringent than that applicable ti the
payment of tithes, for it gave a. remedy in the former
case which did not exist with respect to the latter. The

rev. prelate then quoted the opinion of Dr. Lushington,
who considered church rates a poll tax, and expressed
his astonishment at such an opinion. He hoped that

n y attempt to obtain the abolition of church rates
would be firmly resisted. The right rev. prelate con-
cluded by moving that the petition which he had pre-
sented should lie on their lordships' table.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it would not be
right for him to Fay what the Government had contem-
plated in this matter, but at present a hill had been in-
troduced into the other house of Parliament which pur-
ported to effect the object to which he had referred, and,
under these circumstances, the Government had thought
. . .

it would be wise for them not to interfere, but to see
how far that measure might be adopted or improved, or
might serve as the foundation of some other to be intro-
duced in this or a subsequent session of Parliament.
After a few words in reply from several other noble
lords,
The subject dropped.
THE RUSSIAN 'TRADE,

The Earl of ALBEMARLE rose to present a petition
from the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, praying for a
vigorous prosecution of the war with Russia ; also, to
move for a return of the quantity of hemp, flax, and
tallow received into this country from Russia and Prussia
between the Ist of January and the 27th of April in the
years 1853, 1854, and 1855 respectively ; and also, to
inquire whether her Majesty's Government intend, with
a view to bring the war with Russia to a speedy conclu-
sion, further to restrict the trade a that country by pro-
hibitory duties, or by any other means. Humanly
speaking: he considered her Majesty's Ministers respon-
sible for either peace or war. He believed it to be in
their power, by a proper, and energetic, and vigorous po-
licy, to bring the war to a speedy termination, or to make
the siege of Sebastopol another siege of Troy. A ,right
hon. gentleman, the immediate predecessor of the pre-
sent President of the Board of Trade, stated some time
ago that it was the policy of her Majesty's Government
to inflict the maximum of injury on Russia and the
minimum of injury on ourselves. (Hear.) Now, with
regard to inflicting the maximum of injury on the enemy,
he wished to ask if there was any reasonable prospect of
our doing so ? In March, 1854, as the law stood, it was
an act of felony, if not of treason, for any subject of
these realms to trade with the enemy. Unfortunately
for this country that wholesome law bad been departed
from. In his opinion, if it had been adhered to, instead
of this country appearing as a suppliant suing for peace,
and submitting itself to the humiliation of a refusal, our
adversary would have been at our feet begging for peace
upon any terms, to save him from the fury of a nobility
whom our measures would have driven to beggary and
despair. The Government declared their intention to
establish a strict and rigorous blockade. In the Baltic
thelblockade was pretty well carried out. In the Black
Sea it was carried out partially, but in favour of the
enemy, for while we blockaded the mouths of the Danube,
and shut out 2,000.000 of quarters of the corn of our
friends, all the ports of the enemy were left open, and
millions of quarters of linseed were allowed to be ex-
ported. But that was not all. The British merchants,
looking upon the Black Sea as tabooed, as a part of the
world with which it was treason to enter into commerce,
went to Africa and India and brought in large supplies
of linseed. The enemy had, however, anticipated them.
and sold their produce, and our merchants were obliged
to sell at a depreciation of 15 per cent. In that case,
therefore, the maximum of i: jury was inflicted on -the.
British merchant, and the maximum of profit was given
t.) the enemy. (Hear, hear.) It appeared from the
best-authenticated accounts, that in the year when the
trade of the enemy was the most crippled, 10,000,0001,
baeefrnouriectehiivsedc.our.Htryte
year would not be
i
renewed, but that a most strict blockade would be
nnr
u
gold,rtetdu rtab:adftorstiblven goodsrbluwnewdnehtri
set ho
oßfh had
last
established both in the Baltic and in the Black Sea ;
at least, so far as ships could carry that object into
effect. But he considered ships utterly ineffective for a
blockade, seeing that there was land transport from
Russia through the Prussian dominions. Certain goods
found their way through the provinces of Smolensk and
Novogorod to the frontier town of Tauruggen, and were
shipped a few miles from thence. Now, he considered
that the Government ought to enforce the blockade, not
merely by naval armaments, but by sending out soldiers.
The parties whose petition he bad just presented, prayed
that .the Government would take such steps as would
compel the Prussian Government to discontinue the
overland trade with Russia. He did not propose to deal
with that question, but to leave the responsibility with
Government. (Hear, hear.) His object was to ventilate
the subject. The question of prohibition ought to be de-
termined by the Government. It had been urged upon
them by persons in all classes of life, who were the most
competent to form a correct opinion. He had always been
an enemy to.class interests, and now advocated the views
of the merchants, because he thought their interests and
those of the public were inseparably connected together,
and it was the interest of both that the war should be
brought to a speedy conclusion. It had been said that
the prohibition would not succeed—that it would inflict
no injury upon Russia, and great injury on ourselves.
Now, he was ready to take the converse of that propo-
sition, and to prove that the entire stoppage of the Rus-
sian trade would inflict incaluable injury upon Russia
and a minimum of injury on ourselves, and he contended
that this must be so from the peculiar nature of the
trade. The export trade of Russia consisted of a few
products, raised by serf labour, the property of the nobles.
Now, a serf landlord was a soldier, and with a sword at
his side he must in a military despotism make himself felt.
The exports formed the rent of the nobility, and any reduc-
tion of that rent must be an injury to that body. The
policy of this country during the past year and the pre-
sent year had teen the reverse of that which had been
spoken of as likely to inflict the maximum of injury on
Russia and the minimum on this country. The manner
in which the blockade had been carried on had made
the war popular in Russia, and had half reconciled Prus-
sia to the disgrace which she had incurred, selfinterest
being the counter-balance to her honour. So long as
the war continued popular with the soldier, landlords'
peace would be impossible, and it would not be thought
of by these exponents of public opinion' until they could
be ,made to feel severely the pressure of war. But, so
far from that having been the case, the land transit of
last year had proved most beneficial to them. They
netted a little less profit on their exports, but their horses
and carts, which were used for the nurposes of land car-
. riage, were an immense source of profit, and so pro-
fitable was the trade that they actually brought their
horses and carts from Siberia. Now, a good policy on the
part of this country would not -have brought about
such a state of things. Our object ought to have
been to make the war unpalatable, to render these
articles ur.saleable, and to make the labour of their serfs
unprofitable. (Rear.) The merchants had repeatedly de-
clared that if the Government would repeal the orders
in councll, and allow the statute law to come into force,
they would utterly discontinue the trade, and it was
obvious that men of high character were not disposed to
risk dishonour and banishment in order to evade the
law. He wished their lordships to bear in mind the in-
evitable consequence that would arise from carrying
into effect the statute law, which made it treason to
deal with a e enemy. That, independ.-nt of any measure to
prevent the ingress of the Russian products, would des-
troy at once two-thirds of her exports and three.fourths
of the capital by which it was carried on, for three-fourths
of her money transactions were conducted in London. But
it was said another class of merchantsanight come in.
Now, he .did not think that very likely. Persons carrying
on the trade must, from the'very nature of the trade, be
persons of capital and credit. The Russian trade was one
of advances. ha am unlike any other trade. Merchants did
not exist in 'Russia or Prussia. He understood that
nothing 99t# 170 l?wer is pars awl credit than-the
_

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
The Inverury and Old Meldruai Railway Bill was
ordered to be considered.
On the motion that the England and Ireland Improved
Communication Bill be read a second time,
Mr. CAIRNS moved as an amendment that the bill
be read a second time that day month.
Mr. FRENCH opposed the amendment, and, after a
short discussion, in which Mr. Kirk, Mr. Vance, Mr.
Lindsay, Lord Naas, Mr. 11. Herbert, and other hon.
members took part,
Mr. BOUVERIE expressed an opinion that puttihg
off the bill for a month would he putting it off for the ses-
sion, and he should give his vote for taking the second
reading at once. • • • -- .
Mr. CAIRNS said he should not trouble the house to
divide ; and • - --
The, bill was read a second time.
PETITIONS.
• Petitions were. presented byVernon fro:4
--- • • Y!
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