The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-24 00:00:00

two cases, and for this reason. The House of Comisions
not only has the right, but it is the duty of the House of
Commons, to institute the most searching investigation
into the conduct of the Ministers of the Crown, if they are
so minded. I, therefore, have not one word to say against
that portion of the hon. and learned gentleman's motion
which concerns the examination into the conduct of the
Ministers. He had a perfect right to bring forward the
motion, tho House of Commons had a perfect right to pass
it, just as I had a perfect right to resist it when I was con-
scious it conveyed an imputation which we did not deserve.
(Hear, hear.) I contend that the hon. and learned gentle-
man was not only justified in bringing it forward if he
thought there was a necessity, but he was right in adhering
to it, because he distinctly avowed that he thought there
had been malversation or misconduct on the part of the
functionaries at home. The tribunal he proposes to con-
stitute is a perfectly constitutional tribunal, and it is im-
portant to bear in mind that it is a tribunal which, from
its proximity to the scene of action, is able prat-eminently
and efficiently to investigate the charges to the bottom.
say Ido not object to that part of the motion. I shall be
ready when the committee sits to go before it. I have no-
thing to conceal—l was going to say, I have nothing to re-
gret ; but woull to God any of us who look back to ell .he
details of the war could safely say that; but I say I have
nothing to be ashamed of—nothing which I am afraid to
place before the light of day. There is not one word which
1 have said or wii ten which I am not, ready to place befor3
the committee, and I am ready to abide by the issue. (Cheers.)
Let no man think for one moment that I am attempting to
shirk or evaCe inquiry. I might 'vote against the in-
quiry as a Minister of the Crown. I was justified in
so doing, because an accusation was brought into Par-
lianieet, backed by a proposal fur inquiry, and a Mi-
nister of the Crown ought not to ho placed under sus-
picion so long as ho holds his place. I felt it was not
right, when the inquiry was penctinv, that' I should retain
the office of a Minister of the Crown. Now this com-
mittee tnk:s rather a wider and a far different scope. I
have sun in this house several occasions in which, unfor-
tunately, confusion and difficulty have been the result of
motions being brought forward which have not been suffi-
ciently clear and distinct, and couched in such ambiguous
terms that they might be considered to mean ono thing or
be converted to other purposes. This vote, when brought
forward the other night, was adopted by a vast number of
gentlemen in the house as a distinct vote of censure, and I
recollect that the remarks of the hon. and learned gentle-
man were clearly to that effect. There have been others
who have understood differently,- but the question is,
What was the general feeling of the house, and what was
the general expectation? (Hear, hear.) I believe the ge-
nes al expectation was, that when Lord Aberdeen's Govern-
ment was put an end to we should hear nothing more than
a formal negativing of the names of the committee. - The
House of Commons may be accused of a great want of fore.
sight ; but they shared that opinion to a very great extent.
I can answer for this, that my colleagues shared in that
feeling—l can answer for this, that the noble lord at the
head of the Treasury shared in it until last Friday, and the
speech which he made on that occasion was that of a man
who entertained a strong objection to the nomination of
the committee. I will read the words which he used on
that day :—" We begin then the task which it has been
the pleasure of her Majesty to confide to our care. In un-
dertaking that task it is useless to dissemble that there is
one difficulty which immediately meets us. and which I
may say, stares us in the face ; that difficulty, I mean,
which arises from the notice which my hon. and learned
friend has given for Thursday next. Sir, I will not at-
tempt to disguise the fact that I feel the same objections
to the appointment of the committee of which he has given
notice which I had the honour of stating when the subject
was before the house on a recent occasion. My opinion
is, that such a committee would, in its action, not be in
accordance with the true and just principles of the con-
stitution ; and that for the effectual accomplishment of
it purposes it would not be an efficient instrument." I
must say that that statement of my noble friend was in
strict accordance and strict consistency with everything
that fell from him at the interview which I had the honour
of having with him at the time when, after some conver-
sation, I accepted the position which he offered me in his
Government. The noble lord then thought that that mo-
tion would afford no obstacle or difficulty in the way of his
Government, and that it would be negatived without a
division. But I put that out of the question, and will -
consider the motion for the committee in the second point
of view. Whilst the Administration was in the course of
formation a very marked change of opinion took place out
of doors. The vote which bad done its duty for the pur-
pose of extinguishing an Administration was taken up out
of doors, and honestly taken up, as a means of inquiry into
evils which are gigantic in theiroperation, and which have
perplexed every man. That alters the whole aspect of the
matter in this house. Then comes the question—if the
people of England are determined—and, as I think, right-
ly and justly determined—to have a searching investiga-
tion into these matters, is this the best, is this the most
constitutional, is it, above all, the most efficient, tribunal
for getting at the truth ? Now, take care that, in coming
to this decision, you are not practising a great fraud on
those out of doors. As I said before, for the purpose of
inquiry into the state of the departments, you can have
nothing better, because you can send to any man in five
minutes and obtain his despatches and papers. But for the
purpose of inquiring into transactions going on 3,000 miles
off, the course you contemplate is totally inefficient. The
hon. and learned gentleman said he did not move that in•
struction, and that it was placed on the paper by mistake.
Now, I do not attach much importance to the withdrawal
of that part of the motion. It does not get rid of the
difficulties inherent to the question. What is past is
not specified. What happens to-day becomes "past" to-
morrow. Of course it means the existing as well as the
past state of the army. I apprehend also he means not
simply to inquire into the state of the army, not to ask
how many are sick and how many are wounded—God
knows, wo have lists enough to give that explanation,
without summoning a committee !—but also what were
the causes of these calamities. For that purpose this com-
mittee will be entirely a delusion, You might have had
a commission—somebody in whom the country had eon
dence—who should have gone out to the spot, and ascer-
tained there what were the causes of these evils, and to
whom should likewise have been entruited a reme.lial power
emanatit g trom the Crown, which is the rightful authority.
If you must have this committee of the Flouse of Commons
without`
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If
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relations of this country which you are going to take
from they
the charge of responsible men, sworn to secrecy, and
to entrust to an irresponsible body, who may publish every
thing How do you indicate your own
opinion of
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tnheectm(lliauyi. ittee
you aro going to appoint ? Yon
advise, you entreat the Government to pay no respect to
it, to institute its own inquiries—not to wait for the re-
port of the committee, but from its own inquiries and its
own observation to act at once. So that, when your blue
book comes out, four months hence, it will be a complete
piece of waste paper, and the committee will have been
treated with the utmost contumely by the Executive
Government. You will with great pomp and ceremony
have installed a committee upon which you yourselves
ask the Executive to heap every disrespect—disrespect
in not waiting to know its opinions, in not -adze/