The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-26 00:00:00

that period--(laughter)—but the truth was he had been
pressed by his hon. friend the member for Bristol to
attend a meeting of the literary society there ; and when
coming from the north he had been solicited to attend
a similar one at Bedford, and to these two requests he
made no refusal, not only because what he had to say
involved no groat amoint of time and study—(laughter)
—but he thought, as President of the Council, they were
not alien from the business of education. (Hear, hear.)
But, passing to more important matters, continued the
noble lord, I have to state that haring attended the
Cabinet Councils regularly I write to my noble friend
the Earl of Aberdeen, inquiring whether a Council would
be held, as I supposed, at the beginning of October,
and telling him I should be ready to attend.
My noble friend informed me in reply that he should
not return from the north until about the 14th, and on
the I ith a Cabinet Council was called, and I thought it
my duty to attend. Rut in the course of that month
it struck me that a better administration of affairs
relating to the war was required. (Hear, hear.) The
noble lord then went on to say that, finding the
necessity of the case urgent, he had made up his mind
that he had a duty to perform, and accordingly he had
entered forthwith into a correspondence with Lord
Aberdeen, the subject of which referred to two points ;
irstly, relative to arrangements it was necessary to make,
in consequence of the pledge given to that house
last session, that the whole of the War Department
should be considered, with a view to arrangements for
its efficiency ; and, secondly, relative to the prosecution
of the war. (Hear, hear.) Then, with regard to the
first point, be had recommended that it was of the utmost
importance that a competent person of the rank of Privy
Councillor should held the office of Secretary at War in
that house. The noble lord next read the correspondence
in question to the house, in which he had advocated this
step, bit without wishing to affect the political reputa-
tion of the Duke of Newcastle ; but it appeared that
Lord Aberdeen expressed himself unable conscientiously
to adopt the change proposed by the noble lord.
The noble lord then went on to explain that be had
been spoken to subsequently by Lord Aberdeen on the
subject, in similar terms. He (the noble lord) had con-
sented not to press the matter further, more especially
as his respected colleagues had intimated to him that
they also thought the change unadvisable. He had
some doubt, however, whether he ought not then to have
brought the matter to an issue. (Hear, hear.) Passing
that to advert to the administration of the war depart-
ment, the noble lord said, when, on Saturday last, he
was informed of a proposed change in it, he found that
be could not, upon reflection, say that there was at the
head of the military department that vigilance and
vigour which he deemed necessary at this crisis
—(hear, hear) and, under these circumstances,
feeling that he enjoyed the confidence of many members
of that house, and feeling too that, though his views
had not been met, he hoped that he might yet be able to
point to a remedy which would be beneficial in the
present state of military affairs in the East, he had
determined upon the course he had adopted. I there-
fore felt that I could come only to one conclusion, and
as I could not resist inquiry, it was my duty not any
longer to remain a member of that Government. It
would be cempetent for others who thought that every-
thing that could be done had been done to oppose it ;
but I could not do so, and I wrote to Lord Aberdeen
announcing my intention to resign on Wednesday. I
received no answer to my note, but in the evening I
saw Lord Aberdeen, who told me that he had been to
Windsor with my resignation, and her Majesty had been
graciously pleased to accept it. (Hear, hear, hear.)
Of course, it is open to Ministers to resist this
motion, if they can do so conscientiously ; but
there is a rumour afloat which I hope will turn out
correct, that my proposal that the seals of the War-
office should be placed in the hands of my noble friend
the member for Tiverton. (Hear, hear.) I shall be re-
joiced to find that my resignation should have :ed to that
result, because I think it would be for the benefit and
advantage of the country that such a change should be
made in the Ministry. (Hear, hear.) Perhaps it could
not have been so easily made had I remained in office ;
but now there is no obstacle in the way, and if such a
change is made, it would go far to remove my
objections to opposing the motion of the honour-
able member for Sheffield. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
Perhaps I ought to stop here, but as I shall take no
part in the debate that is about to take place, I hope the
• house will allow me to go further, and state what I
think with regard to public affairs. (Hear, hear.)
Well, then, I agree with the resolution of the meeting
at Leeds, that the war ought to be carried on in the
most vigorous manner, if we are to hope for an honour-
able peace. (Cheers.) Carried on in that spirit Ido not
think there is that caurre for despondency which prevails
in some quarters ; because, with the aid of Austria,
which now seems certain, I cannot doubt but that
Russia will be subdued. (Hear, hear.) Austria
will bring to our aid 500,000 men, while we can
rely upon the fidelity of our ally the Emperor of the
French. (Hear, hear.) Of that I am satisfied from the
evidence I saw on a recent visit to his capital ; and with
these advantages I think we may hope one of two things—
the one far more aisvantageo IS to us, no doubt, but the
' other no loss honourable—either the Emperor of Russia
must make peace on such terms as shall be honourable
to England and France, or we must be prepared to have
such a concentration] of arms cellected against him; as
shall lead to his inevitable downfall. (Cheers.) Having said
thus much, I cannot sit down without reading what Sir
R. Peel once said of Lord Aberdeen : it was that the
noble lord was always anxious for peace, but no peace
' would satisfy him which was not just and honourable.
In that opinion of Sir R. Peel I most cordially agree ;
and I am convinced that no terms of peace will be agreed
to by the noble lord which shall not prove alike honour-
able to England and satisfactory to Europe. (Cheers.)
The noble lord then concluded by stating that he should
always look back upon his connection with the present
Government with pleasure. He agreed in their general
policy, particularly that part of it which had reference
to finance, and to that extent the Administration
should still bare his cordial support. (Cheers.)
Lord PALMERSTON said it would naturally be ex-
pected that he should not allow the remarks of his noble
friend to pass without observation ; but, in the first
place, he must be permitted to thank his noble friend
for the flattering terms in which he had spoken of him-
self. (Hear, hear.) Differences had occasionally arisen,
but nothing had occurred in the present or the past
to induce him to do otherwise than look upon his noble
friend with admiration and respect. (Hear, hear.) Of
course it was always open to a public man to take what
course he thought was best for the maintenance of
his own character or the interest of the country, and it
was not for him to question the propriety of his noble
friend's resignation. (Hear, hear.) He could confirm
much of what his noble friend had said with regard to
what had taken place in the Cabinet. He had fre-
quently urged changes in the war department, but it
was before the December sitting ; and if his noble friend
still entertained his objections to that department, he
ventured to submit to him that the proper course for
him to have taken would have been to have stated to the
noble lord at the head of the Government the very ob-
jections and views which he disclosed to him on Wed-
nesday !est. (Hear, hear.) It would then have
been open to Lord Aberdeen to consider and meet his
objections, while any necessary change would have been
made in the Government with more convenience than
now. Ho, therefore, could not help feeling that his
noble friend had taken a course at variance with ordinary
custom ; but in making that observation he intended no
disrespect to his noble friend. (Hear, hear.) He con•
curred in tho latter observations of his noble friend
with regard to the vigorous conduct of the war ; but
that was no reason why the Government ought to run
away from the hon. and learned member for Sheffield.
(Hear.) The Government should oppose the motion—
as they stood, if it was carried, the result could
be easily foreseen —(a laugh) —if it should be re-
jected, it would then be for the Government
to consider what changes should be made in their
body, but if this house might rest satisfied that no mat-
ter what these charges might be, they were determined
to carry on the war with vigour, no as to receive as
speedily as Possible a safe an honourable peace. (Cheers.)
The orders of tils day
were then read for the purpose
of being re-appointed.
THE
ROEBUCK rose to move the
a
Mr.
ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.
saermlecyt cboemfomreittseeebtaeltoinpqoui
,ire into the
tphpeoinctom conduct
to f
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those departments of the Geyer
it has been to minister to the wantsenof
th
He thought the introduction of this motion
needed
apology. It divided itself into two parts—first w ,what
was the condition of the army before
Sebastopol 4_
and, secondly, what had produced that condition I
The condition of the army had already been
admitted. The army was without food, without clothes,
and without shelter. What had produced this state e f
things ? Why, he should contend, that it was owing to
the mismanagement of the Government. (Cheers.)
He
was no soldier, and therefore he should enter into no
criticism of the expediency of the expedition to the
Crimea. He should simply content himself by reminding
the house that early last year we sent out an army the like
of which had never before been seen, consisting es
54,000 whereas at present it appeared that there
were
men,onlyl4,
000 bayonets available iii the Crimea.
What had become of the other 40,000 mon I (Hear, ,