The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-20 00:00:00

which might be effectual_ for _the purpose, but which, Ministerial resporallit (Hear, hear.) We did not
owing to the various accidents and various fortunes now send peccane IstiniYsiers to
which befall warlike expeditions, was not successful fur- rejoiced at the chj, Tower-bill and no one
nee more than hedid ; but when the
found that great calamities had
ther than in maintaining the honour of the armies of both House of Comma,-
elneeethesconnernas house was in duty
countries:---But s hectementereyet, comer-and-wow-wen rsexs . beenahreught
pectations, and enable. us to say we have defeated .one bound to expres. its opinio ,thefalil.
an a
roperly thne sense airy
respon6snibeilitY; great means of Russian oppression. It has been, said- with and to bring homsp
had the affairs of the country in
respeetne the hon. and learned gentleman's charge that on all wh3 might eve
been Raid that a portion of the late
while the expedition was being sent out, the inemberit of their hands. It ha,'
from
office,
nene sense they had,
Lord Aberdeen's Government were elsewhere. The mem- Government had be punished.
hers of Lord Aberdeen's Government had decided upon the for they had been eluded
expedition, and had received from Lord Raglan every infer- doing penance on th, nob beside bin,. and were
now
mation, and every measure of preparation had 'been made. it follow, becauseeeee Ministers had been( punished,g that
`There was none who had more right
I know not that any other members of tho Cabinet were others should escape
required in order to communicate with Lord Raglan to escape than the ear e lord the member for London, for
it was always customary
than those immediately connected with the War Depart- when ho found his ce eeera,
tes were captured he turned
ment. If Parliament insisted on having the whole time of King's evidence—gar. ter)—and
' every member of the Administration, who are also members to allow such persons," escape punishment. (Laughter.)
of the House of Commons, and requiring them to remain in The noble lord was ieSonsible for his acts, but he was not
London, and not to resort to other Places, such Aden:tend punished, but rather, according to the rules of the India
will not, I think, tend to the efficiency of public business. service; he was Pr""Tel to a he'll r office- -to greater di
Tbe work of the House of Commons is so severe—the work nity and power. The tiest4o: ''
ewhat the h memberg-
of attending eight or nine hours in the house every night could-not see that it tr was . hon,
feen
to take part in debate, added to the official duties, efsuch sure on the existing lie rarganhxl its
anolaleeleo d at
that if this rule were insisted upon you might have; men its head. That was 'Hi •tof c and the r
view, after all, in which
broken down by their ditties, and you would be obliged to the house would be for: regard it. It was remarkable
replace them by other ministers; and in doing se you that the noble lord at 4,1 dof the Government had ex-
,
would not gain the object of having an administration able pressed no regret at the ace nation
not shown any sympathy
ff
t. i , :1 1
Government
of tohfe
the noble lord
noblel
lord.
to resume their duties with vigour, and with health neces- , member for London, at • •
sary to the purposes of administrative labours. What was with those who had spo
the period in question ? It was the period between Aug. The noble lord at the hex
and October. In that period the battle of the Alma took cated—(laughter)—intox ted with thenninetli
toil
seemed
feel o iaotsnwoaifra gettingßoberti n t i.
ed on Mr. PnitenevB to accept
piece, but the important account of commencing the siege rid of the noble lord, 'a
of Sebastopol was dated the Bth October—a period when Walpole felt when he pro
turned the key of the closet-
the cabinet were about to assemble. Everything that could a peerage, saying that he b
t that he had got rid of his
be considered by ministers was considered. So it is not upon him. The noble lord
true that any, great queition was neglected in conse- ancient competitor, and th-- stood alone the leader of
quence of the absence from town of ministers. Nothing the Whig party, With reap 1 u the motion before them,
but the habit of the hon. and learned gentleman ;of he regarded it as a want of eefidence iii the noble lord,
applying reproaches to one period that properly be- and should vote for it on 'le ground. He was afraid
longed to another period ' could afford ground for ParliaMent was about to se' ate—he presumed only till
such a charge. I baVe stated the question with regard to November —so that for th
con-
the justice of the case; but I, can show, if you enter upon duct of the war would be et in the hands of the Go-
the question whether it was right to send an expedition to vernment, in whom be was 'ext three- months the
the Crimea—to send an army to act in that quarter—that house did not place that '`...,
urneSewhich a Can:
you can hardly come to a right conclusion withont inquir- ought to-have who administerettentne2 - e -- •
'eenfte- ' •
large majority of tl,
ing into all that was done by the -Government of France. (Hear, hear.) It might be the nibble r . t shrink
I have told the house that when the army was in the Cri- from his policy, but they ought to reels sect sat it was
men, the army departments took care, as fast as they were not the policy of-Lord Aberdeen, of the right hon. member
able, to despatch with diligence reenforcements to the for Oxford, of the right hon. member for Wilts, or of the
army, and to furnish that army with supplies of food, noble lord the member for London. It appeared to biro
shelter and clothing. I will come now to the great ques- that the noble lord at the head of the Government did not
tion ()Feeney. Is it discreet at this moment—the 19th of . see that clouds were gathering in the horizon, and that his
July, that we as the House of Commtina should come to a policy was dooming to death thousands upon thousands,
vote which will hitt) effect, not only of casting a stigma on and carrying desolation into the -homes of millions. He had
those out of office, but of driting from power the head of no faith in the policy of the noble lord, and believed it to
the administration and other Ministers who act with him ? be full of humiliation and of peril to Parliament, the
That seriously is the question; it involves the question Crown, and the country. (Hear.)
whether the Government are carrying on the war with Sir DE LACY EVANS concurred in some of the state-
sufficient vigour, or whether the house thinks, by ments of the hon. member who had just sat down. He
replacing the present Government with Lord Derby agreed with him, that the tone and manner of the noble lord
and those ,joined with him, there will 'be a more at the head of the Government was not satisfactory with
efficient 'administration of the vier? e I canna 'think you respect to the house. That, however, after all, was a secon.
will be of that opinion. I can see that great inconveni- dary question. e The question was-the policy of the conn-
ence and confusion will-arise from diselacing those who try itr the-great struggle in which theywere engaged. He
arc engaged in sending our army to the Crimea, and in thought the house and the country were greatly indebted to
organising the operations of our fleets. Such a change the hon and learned member for Sheffield foe the just
without confusing will be impossible. "And, then, when and impartial manner with which he had conducted this
you get through the confusion, will you have a better ad- matter. He thought the results of the committee were of
ministration ? It is for the house to say, for this is a the highest importance, but that the hon. and learned
question of policy as well as justice. If Lord Aberdeen's gentleman has made a mistake in bringing forward accuse-
administration could be shown to have been utterly in- tions of so sweeping a character as would excludafrom hold-
competent and incapable—without talent and strangers ing office so many eminent men in that house. He did not
to administrative duties—then a case would be made out altogether approve of the amendment of the previous clues-
for dismissal with disgrace., But no such case can be pro- tion, still less of the proposal of the hon. and gallant mem-
(-Need against the existing Government (we understood). ber for Cambridge. The shortcomings of the late Govern-
The case is that of the case of a minister who has. always meat and the want of• earnestness in the present Govern-
turned his attention to our relations with foreign powers, malt went far, in his opinion, to justify the vehemence
and who is desirous of hating the War Departments of hon. and learned member for Sheffield. He could
efficiently conducted. We know the disadvantages of not agree that the country, and not the Government, were
change in these departments. But will nothing . else oc- to blame for what had occurred. The late Government
cur? Will you not affect the spirit of those who succeed had two years' notice of the impending war, for no one
the presntGovernment—will you not infuse into them that who read Sir Hamilton Seymour's letter of January, 1853,
caution by which the soulof enterprise is effectually damped could doubt that war would be the result. They had the
—and will you not damp by your vote that vigour which evidence of Lord Aberdeen himself that he saw no reason
ought to animate them in their exertionsagainsttheenemy. to anticipate this war three months before the dacha
I will read a quotation to the house; it is somewhat long, ration of war, and yet not an additional soldier or
but the matter is so much better than my own, and it is sailor was added to our forces at that time. In the next
not inapplicable to the present time. I shall conclude place they had omitted to call out the militia ; and when
what I have to say with the quotation, feeling that the the noble lord now at the head of the Government was
house will decide fairly the whole question, being ready to taunted with the neglect by the right hon. member for
accept the motion of the hon. and gallant gentleman of the Bucks, he retorted by saying that the men could be much
previous question, but equally ready, if the house decides better employed upon the harvest which was then about to
contrariwise, to contend against the justice and policy of be got in. At last, however, when some 10,000 men were
the hon. and learned gentleman's resolution, and not being dispatched to Malta, and thence transferred to Gallipoli,
afraid that the house, on the merits of the question, will and afterwards to Scutari, they had in evidence before the
come to a decision adverse to the Administration of Lord committee, notwithstanding the assertions •f Sir C. Tre-
Aberdeen. This extract is from a speech made by Mr. velyan, that even this small army bad not been provided
, Canning, on the 29th March, 1810, upon the Scheldt Expe- with the means of moving. Why, he himself, happening to
dition, which was undertaken when he was in office, but pass through Malta at the time the army was there, in-
, who went out of office before the expedition came to an quired what was the means of transport provided for the
end : army; and he ascertained that in order to enable it to
take the field, the commissary general had brought some
" Something yet remains to be said upon one topic, on
which much stress has been laid by our accusers, the policy 30 mules and some 30 carts. (Laughter.) And yet in the
face of this, they had Sir C. Trevelyan boasting of his
of marking with extraordinary severity a failure so disastrous
as this is represented to have been, of an enterprise' (as it is great knowledge of the commissariat, of his 15 years' ex-
averred) so rashly undertaken." So far the averment is not perience of that service, and of his having conducted two
very different to that of the hon. and learned member. ~ sir, Cape wars. But that gentleman should know that the
of this policy, as a matter distinct from justice, I take the experience of a war against the Kafirs could not be brought
liberty to entertain great doubts. I doubt whether the vice to guide him in a war like the present. Why, there all
of the British constitution "Aid Government be a too great the operations of war were conducted by columns of some
proneness to undertake splendid anddaiing enterprises, or its 900 or 1,000 men, and in no country of the world did such
main perfection and uncommon facility for conducting the ope- an abundant means of transport exist ;so much so, that
rations of war. There is enough already, as it appears to me, upon one occasion Sir Harry Smith took no less than 530
both of difficulty to impede and of responsibility to daunt any waggons of all sorts for the service of 960 men. (A laugh.)
administration in this country to whom the conduct of a war How was it that the noble lord at the head of the Govern-
is entrusted; and when that war is to be carried on againstsueh went, and the noble lord the member for the CAv of Lon-
an enemy as him with whom we have to contend at present, don, allowed the army to stand in need of everything, and
it is not, in my humble opinion, politic to go one step beyond the entire control still to remain in the hands of an indivi-
what justice may prescribe, to enhance that difficulty, and dual, who with all the presumption of a red tapist was wont
press the weight of that responsibility upon the Government. to speak with such contempt of the statements of general
Possibly I might think that even to stop something short of officers ? Both these noble lords must also have recollected
an extreme and vigorous account might be the more politic well what was the condition of the military departments ;
alternative of the two. We have to contend against an enemy yet he never found them acting fairly by their colleague at
who, with whatever qualifications he may be endowed by na- the head of the War Department, and coming forward to
his assistance. He said this because the noble lords sat
ture, has full scope and play given to all his facilities and
upon a commission 17 or 18 years ago, for the express pur-
views;- by the unlimited power, the irresponsible freedom
pose of examining into the military deficiencies of the
with which he acts. He asks no consent, he renders no ac-
count. He wields at will the population and resources of a country, and which reported that the military arrange-
mighty empire and its dependent states. His successes are
meats were in a most unsatisfactory and disorganised state.
magnified with enthusiasm, his failures slightly passed over. The fact was, the late Cabinet appeared to suppose they
And against this unity of counsel and this liberty of action, could carry on a war with the greatest military power in
the world by demonstrations and protocols. (Hear.) While
we have to contend under the disadvantages of a mixed and
he was afraid, as regarded our subsequentoperations, there
complicated Government. Disadvantages in this respect
they undoubtedly are, though happily and gloriously re- was some foundation for the remarks of the hen. member
deemed and compensated by the great and manifold blessings for Manchester, that they were guided by the current of
of a constitution unequalled by any other system of human public opinion and the great dissatisfaction of the public
policy in the history of the world. Secrecy of design, cele- press at the inaction of the army, he could not, however,
city of execution, a boldness of adventure arising from fear- concur with the hon. gentleman in his denunciation of the
lessuess of responsibility for ill success, are the qualities the public press, or at least a part of it ; for, it must be recol-
most useful for the vigorous prosecution of military operations. lected, that whatever might have been the amount of un-
They are advantages which our despotic adversary enjoys in just contumely cast upon individuals by the press, it had
the most eminent degree. They are those which a free Go- • conferred immense benefits on the country in awakening
vernment necessarily wants. I doubt whether it be politic it as to the sufferings of its army. (Hear, hear.) For his
to aggravate the inequality of such a contest, by a severity of part he did not hesitate to affirm, that were it not for the
scrutiny, and a hardness of animadversion upon failure, which, press and the loyal and energetic conduct of our noble
by making responsibility too heavy to be borne, has a ten- ally, the Emperor of the French, the army might have
l deny to make all enterprise too hazardous to be attempted. perished. At the same time he was forced to admit that
Neither, again, while I admit and lament the failure of this the sufferings of the armyhad been somewhat exaggerated.
expedition, can I agree with those who consider the disap-
Of course he deeply regretted what had occurred ; but he
pointment of a great object of national policy as synonymous believed a false impression would be conveyed throughout
with national disgrace, and as pregnant with national ruin." Europe and the country, if they d welt in that manner upon
what had been the sufferings in the army. Suffered their
Sir, so say I. I cannot consider that what has happened army certainly had, but not to an extent to cause alarm
I
is synonymous with disgrace, or is pregnant with national fortheir national power, nor as to the result of the contest.
ruin. I believe that in going to war suddenly with our i He owned to having a certain degree of confidence in the
organisation very defective; in undertaking an enterprise capacity and determination of the noble lord at the head
more than usually hazardous, we have suffered more than of the Government ; and, therefore, whatever might be
ordinary calamities. But I look to many things which are his feelings on particular points, ho could scarcely feel jus-
sound, both in our military and our political constitution. tified in giving a vote that would have the effect of preci-
I cannot but believe that an army which stood, I will not pitating the noble lord from power. Still he was not quite
say the battles of Alma and Inkerman, but which with- sure that the noble lord had displayed that energy which
stood the hardships of a winter siege of Sebastopol un- his friends gave him credit for ; nor was he able to dis-
broken, and with its discipline unimpaired, must be formed cern that any great augmentation had as vet been made to
by a military system equal to its object, a system which our military strength since his accession to office. (Hear,
teaches men to endure hardships and to meet not glorious, hear.) It really seemed that this system of protocolling at
but inglorious death with calmness in the service of their Vienna had paralysed the exertions of the noble lord. Be-
country. (Cheers.) I cannot but thinkthat an army so or- fore the Duke of Newcastle went out of office a convention
ganised, when reinforced, and with less arduous difficul• i bad been entered into, by which a contingent of 20,000
ties to contend against, will be sure to give to their country Turkish troops were to 'be added to our army. Well, six
victory, and, to Europe safety and repose. I look to our-
months had elapsed since then, and as yet not a single bat-
politicalconstitution. I see in that political constitution talion of those troops had taken the field. Now he could
defects. I see moreover, some circumstances which were not help thinking that was a' proof of the want of energy on
not the case when Canning spoke—which afford great ob- the part of the noble lord. Again, eight or nine months
stacles to the efficient operation of the war ' • but I believe ago they got authority to raise Borne 4,000 irregular ca-
there is a virtue even in the worst of those defects and in valry, under General Beatson, and no one could see that
the most crying of those evils. I believe that which has ' any progress had been made in the formation of the corps;
been found faulty will be repaired, owing to the general while with regard to the foreign legion, he believed there
spirit which prevails of looking into every branch of the had been great remissness in carrying that measure into
administration witk the view to correction. I believe effect, although, if energy had been shown, he be-
likewise, that the spirit of the people of this country is as lieved very gratifying results would have followed. He
glad at all events to perceive that his Royal high as ever it was in war—(hear)—and that it will stop was
High-
short of no sacrifice in carrying on any enterprise neces- ness the Duke of Cambridge had been appointed to the
sary to maintain the character of the country. (Hear, and command of the legion. But iu the case of the legion
sheers.) I hold, that under these circumstances, and with they were guilty of the same mistake as in enlisting for
these prospects beforeus, with this organisation both mill- the line, for the recruits were only getting about half
tary and political, that vote which shall displace the ad- their nominal bounty, the rest being made up in neces-
ministration by an assertion , that the war was not well series. As for the militia, he would say at once its history
conducted, and above all, that it was rash to undertake was a continuation of blunders. He had never been in
the expedition to the Crimea—l believe that such a vote favour of raising a large militia force, and although they
of the House of Commons, far from aiding—far from pro- had now only one-third of that force embodied, he thought
moting the success of the war, will, on the contrary, tend it had been raised too rapidly. At that moment it was
to damp the spirit and confuse the minds of the people of often found they
at the other e were recruitingnd of it for the militia.
at one end of a village
this country. (Hear.) I believe that this house will best for the line, and
perform its duty by giving no countenance whatever to the Now, that was a point which ought to be looked to by
the Government, and some arrangements should be made
lieve :A the hon. and learned gentleman, which I be-
lieve was conceived in malice, and can tend to no objectsuch(Hear, hear.) With regard
useful to the state. (Hear, hear.) to prevent collisions. ear,
the labour
Mr. BRIGHT would occupy the house only a few or 101.—he could not but forget that
wna double
to the bounty given to the recruits—which some 91-
minutes while he explained his views on the motion of the market was in by no means the same staten y, boss could
hon. and learned member. He did not vote for the previe ' the amount of bounty
and yet in this great
ous motion of the hon. and learned gentleman on this they expect to get able-bw:daietigieveen.
He believedu that at the time
ground—he perceived in the words of . the motion a one- than 201.? (Hear, hear.)
h re were no less than 67,000
as recruits for less
eidedness with regard to its application to the different of the battle of Vittoria
.I'.se. rroy;
members of the Government, and he thought that indis `men on the lists of the Bleb_ n a
cated something like conspiracy towards the noble earl contest in the Crimea, tE,
r therefore, behoved the noble
then at the head of the Government, and that portion of only some 30,009 ngland was represented by
thehim . Cabineton that
ground tohe
e refused b e
te particularlygive h
is associatedret rote
th
owuigthh lord
himselfduring
with
ht hrse lael
r, otherwise he could not be spared
nevertheless, all the
isiligree:li.of the parliamentary recess to exert
had I'Bo,ooo men in India, 40,000 of whom
he approved of the constitution of the committee when ap- in future. Thne); 20,000 of them being in the company's
pointed. He now gave his entire approbation to the labours were Eursoneeneas 000 in. the Queen's ;
of the committee and to report, which was both ad- service,
_taaheen withdrawn from India were two re-
mirable and judicious; but when the house had the report troopetzanoei
cavalry, without..o smallest inconve-
in their hands, they were bound, according to all ordinary gi.
n menace they might have drawn from
have
bi ge he
nt 1
aws well d
iwfitthhesenpoobylterolooir)ds.
thence a force of 10,000
proceedings, to take some step with regard to it. The
1 men. Then, opin, their garrisons at Ceylon, the Cape
although the
noble lord (Lord J. Rumen) had been severe on the hen.
__d iong.Kong could supply them with 12 btt r ' a a ions,
and learned gentleman, but he did not blame him, as the
hon. and learned gontleman did not spare the noble lord 7there
emtheomubghert
,
the other night. (Hear.) . The noble lord said the speech
for the City of London had abstained from criticising the
of the hon. and learned gentleman was good at. the cai operations in the Crimea ; at all events ho (Sir De Lacy
m moment and the end, but the middle was left out. Evans) would not
tiCO33ll _have the courage to follow his example ;
, the noble lord think that the hon. and learned ge:on.
and and although immense mistakes had been made, which
ought to have read the whole of the report? The
, had were chiefly in consequence of the Government not hay-
learned member reasonably thought that the nr.. '-.
-t
"I
iw°os euri 1 ('
s
t and ing been iu earnest • (n ) tell
the facts in i , in regard to the war— ear —2 1 t
made themselves fully acquainted with .
Did considering the results attained these operations afforded
that those facts were to be taken as not disputed.bo dealt abundant matter f ' d h H
Us or encouragement an ope. e
the noble lord lord intend that the fee?
putt;to a mu- begged of the house to remember how important it was
with as antiquaries deal with =iced*
0 :10,5 the duty of the that Europe should be made to feel that no disasters of a
scum for the curious to gaze at. case the allegations military character had befallen the country. (Cheers.)
'house to take further proceedhtntated. Had not all While it was erfectl astounding tt reflect what misfor-
which had been made were subs
re than made out by tunes hadl)ygreat vaunted powers of Rue-
descended upon the
• t Government been mo
doubt it had. No •could
the case arms
uld ho a
the committee ? There 'co
et Government could deny smallest c • with the passage of the Danube by the
member of the past or prose
hich had so alarmed the. Russian comparison
statements w army. It had been said that the expedition to the
fairly that those
groped to be correct by evidence before CriMea had been resolved upon too late in the year ; per-
thecountry had been vidonco was now laid on the table h it little too late, nevertheless they must not
baps was a
committee, whiche
they And were to say the whole endof the forget that th •army had triumphed in every contest
their a
of that house.
this, that there was to be some change in there • (Hear.) Perhaps, also, their recruits were too young.
matter was to be ,
ts--the Ordnance to
day
the departmen
John Russell)
be extirpated Indeed he had himself received a letter that day from the
some of retion of offices established ?Wh , C • f n officer there, saying that he would no
y, rimea rom a
and a better consent
Lord John Russell) an *se his Si De Lacy Evans's old
a the noble lord the longer be able to recogm ( r )
the noble lord (
head of the Government (Lord Palmerston) knew for years division, so many young boys had been incorporated with
that these offices required change. The late Mr. the regiments. However, he had every reliance in the
before _
game had over and over
again proposed changes should noble and enthusiastic spirit of the people ; and he was
e
take place, and that proposition found no stronger oppo- happy to see that their feelings was responded to by the
nents than, the noble lord the member for the City of Lon.' House of Commons. Therefore, the Government of the
don and the nob le lord the head of the Government. (Hear, noble lord had no excuse for not proceeding with vigour,
bear.l And now those noble lords wanted to ride off on for never before had a Government been offered such
the ea that the departments Were guilty of the evils corn- ample support in the prosecution of a war. (Hear, hear.)
plainp ed of, and not the administrators of them. The hon. This was a war for the national independence of civilised
and learned gentleman the member for Enniskillen had , nations. It was impossible to oonceive any war of deeper
inclichted the mine Parliament ought to take in respect to interest than the present. When the expedition Was Est
- - - -