The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-07 00:00:00

NEW WRITS.

On the motion of Mr. HArrizn a new writ was or•
dered for the borough of Tiverton in the room of Lord
Palmer-49n, who mince his election has accepted the
office of Prime Minister.
On the motion of Mr. HATTER a new writ was or-
dered for the Southern Division of Wilts, in the roem of
the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, who since his election
has accepted the office of one of her Majesty's principal
Secretaries of State ()Nome-office.) -

ORDNANCE SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES.
Mr. GLADSTONE proposed that the Speaker do
now leave the chair, in order that the house might go
into committee of supply, for the purpose of giving a
vote on account of the supplementary estimate for the
Ordnance Department, of which his right hon. friend,
the principal Secretary of State, had duly given notice
yesterday. He might state that the Government were
of opinion that it was the wish of the house
that they should not proceed with any business,
except such as was of absolute necessity for the
public service, until those who bad accepted
office or changed office in her Majesty's Government
had had an opportunity of submitting themselves to
their constituents for re-election. So far as the Govern-
ment was concerned, it would not be convenient to-day
to go on with the bills which were already stated on the
votes of the house ; but if the expression of the opinion
in the house should make it evident that the contrary
was the wish of the house, the Government would be
ready ; but estimating the probable wish of the house,
it had been thought not convenient, and consequently
the Government proposed that the first important busi.
ness brought forward should be the Navy Estimates, and
they fixed Friday week for that purpose, more particularly
as his right hon. friend the First Lord of the Admiralty
OD whom it would devolve to propose those estimates,
had been indisposed, and would not be able to be in his
place before that day. With respect to the vote he (Hr.
Gladstone) proposed to take to-day, it would only be
necessary for him to remind the house of the restrictions
laid upon the Government by the rules and regulations
of the house, in regard to public money, The house
would bear in mind that it was not only necessary that
all money raised for the public service should be raised
by the authority of Parliament—it was not only
necessary that the money should be appro-
priated for the particular service for which it
was asked, but the wisdom of the house had
enforced, as a further restriction, that this money, al-
though legitimately applied, could not be issued without
the authority of the Ways and Means Bill. It had
become necessary for the Government, in consequence of
the expenditure of the Navy and Ordnance departments,
to propose a supplemental estimate for the present year,
aid, in the first place, to authorise the further expendi-
ture of money for those services, and to issue the money.
He hoped, therefore, that the house would make no
objection, or raise mu difficulty in giving the vote he
required ; inasmuch as it was required to meet
the exigencies of the public service, and no doubt the
house would be desirous that no department should be
stopped. (Hear, hear.) The vote would be reported to-
znerrew, and in the meanwhil. She GOVezilineut would
examine whether it was possible to meet the necessary
expenditure without troubling the house to meet from
day to day. He hoped it would be distinctly understood
that if he proposed that vete to-day, that it was desirable
no discussion should take place upon the subject of the
estimates, an opportunity for which would be afforded
to the house when the residue of the estimates were
moved on Friday week.
Sir H. 'WILLOUGHBY had not been aware of
the intention of the Government to ask for
the vote in question until he saw it upon the
notice paper in his hands. And he should like to
know whether constitutionally it had a right to call
upon the house to vote a large sum of money on ac-
count, when there was no responsible person in office to
answer for its proper and efficient outlay, and moreover
as the notice had come before the house without full
notice. He should also like to know the meaning of
the two supplemental estimates which the Government
proposed. Did they include the army, or were they to
have another estimate for that service ; and further when
they should what were the supplies required for the year
1854-55 ? (Hear, bear.)

Mr. WALPOLE observed that the only object for go-
ing into committee was to take the vote which had already
been passed for the public service, and that being so he
thought there could be no objection to that course. He
morrow.
should, however, object to reporting the resolution to-

Sir C. WOOD said the resolution would not
bind any one ; it was only to take a vote on ac-
count, and every item in the estimates could
be fully and fairly discussed when the residue of the vote
was prepared. The resolution of to-day would commit
no one whatever. With regard to what had fallen from
Sir H. Willoughby, he might state that this vote would
require no loan in fresh taxes, as it was simply a vote
on account to meet the demand of the public ser-
vice out of the existing funds in the Treasury. No
public business could be taken until Friday week, when
Government would propose to go on with the Navy
Estimates, which would be laid on the table to-morrow.
Mr. A. STAFFORD said he had received a letter
this morning from Scutari, stating that the difficulties
of that hospital were increasing. The deaths
averaged
40 a day, and, information had come down from the
Crimea, directing the authorities of the hospital to be
prepared for the reception of five hundred additional
R thereQ U E
were
sick and wounded. He was told also that the system
uofrgteradnusppoonrt
tehveas6sotivllermnnosietndtistghe necessity disgraceful,
of bestowing
ful, and he therefore
some signal mark of confidence upon Dr. Macgregor,
who had undertaken to reform the transport system.
Rpointed
two
out to
CtleANhoCnEovLrLabOitiß
mofetmhbeeEr XoCjallt
courses open to him, which it would have been better
fer him to have taken rather then make a statement
which the house had just heard. Either he could have
laid his information before the War Department, or he
could have formally called the Government to account
in Parliament for their neglect if they bad committed
any error. Neither of these courses had the hon. gen.
tleman taken, but he had preferred to make an ex parte
statement upon his own responsibility, and he could
only state generally that everything had been
and was being done to mitigate the evils at Scutari.
Additional medical assistance was rapidly being sent
out, and he must again express his regret that the hon.
pie _at his inform:ton before the
proper department, instead of disclosing it in his place
in Parliament. He deprecated the appeal which the
hon. member hal made on behalf of Dr. Macgregor,
because it assumed the appearance of dictating to the
Government. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. A. STAFFORD explained that he had come
down expecting to find the Secretary at War in his
place, or he, perhaps, should have taken the course re-
commended by the right hon. gentleman.
Mr. WHITESIDE said the state of things at Scutari
was so horrible that it was preposterous, nay, it was
cruel, to expect members to remain silent upon it, or to
apologise when they ventured to refer to it. He would
not be so mealy-mouthed, and he had no hesitation in
declaring that, after the censure which had been passed
upon the Secretary at War, it was the height of impro-
priety to reward him by so shuffling the political cards
as to enable him to step into a higher office. (Hoar.)
Col. B. KNOX said the case was so pressing that it
admitted of no delay. The army in the Crimea was
perishiug at the rate of a thousand a weele—in fact, it
was now reduced to 11,000 men, and all ;his was owing
to the mismanagement of the authorities- in the East.

Col. DUNNE said no lecture from the Chancellor of
the Exchequer should deter him fr nn stating the facts
to the house. The army in the felrimea did not number
more than 11,000, of whicli, 4.lember not more than

2,000 were fit to go into act'on, while there were 1,000
men in the hospital at Balaklava ; and: yet the men
whose incompetence bad brought this state of things
about wire to be promoted in office ; but he was sure
the country would not stand it, and ho hoped the com-
mittee of inquiry would be proceeded with.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said the hon. and gallant
member had fallen into an error. The British force in
the Crimea numbered 30,000 men, while the weekly
deaths were far less than 600 a-week, as the returns
would show.

The house then went into committee of supply.
In reply to Sir. H. WILLOUGHBY,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated
that no supplementary army estimate would be re'
quired for the year 1854-55. He stated last August
that the military expenditure of the year would not ex-
ceed the estimates then voted by 3,000,0001. His esti-
mate of the excess now was 3,340,0001.
A vote of 1,200,0001., of account of the Ordnance
supplementary estimate, was then agreed to.
The house then resumed, and the report was ordered
to be received to-morrow.
NAVY ESTIMATES.
On the motion of Mr. WiLsoN, it was agreed that
to-morrow orders of the day should have precedence of
notices in order that a vote might be taken on account
of the supplemental navy estimates for the years 1854-55.
The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned at half-past one o'clock.

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

(From the Times of this day.)

The intelligence we have to communicate to the public
on the present Ministerial crisis, and the materials from
which we can attempt to form an opinion of the success
and stability of the new Cabinet, are still, unhappily, of
[ a scanty and unsatisfactory kind. It is known that Lord
Palmerston perseveres in his undertaking, and had two
audiences of her Majesty yesterday to report progress.
It is known also that some of the impediments which
had been raised against the formation of the projected
Administration have been removed. We believe it to be
definitively settled that Mr. Gladstone, Sir James
Graham, and Mr. Sidney Herbert retain their positions
in the Government, the latter gentleman succeeding
Lord Palmerston at the Heme-office. Sir George Grey,
too, has consented to remain at the Colonial Department,
in spite of his ill-health, as a proof of his cordial desire
to support Lord Palmerston at the head of the Govern-
ment. The changes likely to take place are, therefore,
even fewer than had been anticipated. They will, in
fact, probably be confined to the removal of Lord Aber-
deen from the Premiership and of the Duke of New-
castle from the War Department, and the only office
new to be supplied by a new Minister is that of the Se-
cretary of State for War. After 10 days, then, of anxious
negotiation and endless intrigue while .the whole
business of the empire ha. been suspended Parlia-
ment been adjourned from day to day, or vexed with
Personal recriminations—negotiations for peace post-
poned, and the fate of armies in the field left in suspense
—we revert to a point which might have been reached
with less delay and less injury to personal reputations.
Nay, even at this hour we are by no means certain that
the office of Secretary of State for War is filled up,
though it was the source of all this commotion, for some
doubt remains whether Lori Panmure's health will en-
able him to accept its arduous duties. We believe, how-
ever, :that Mr. Layard will hold the office of Under-
Secretary of State for the War Department—a post for
which his great knowledge of the East, his recent visit
to the theatre of war, and the energy of his character
undoubtedly qualify him.
The most certain and inevitable result of the vote of
the House of Commons appeared to be that Lord Aber-
deen and the Duke of Newcastle should cease to form part
of the Government. The Duke intimated, with great
feeling and dignity, that he was equally determined to re-
sign the seals of the office he held, and to accept no other,
because he felt that his name, • under the existing cir-
cumstances of the country, would be a source of weak-
ness rather than of strength to his colleagnes in office.
As matters now stand, the Duke acts wisely for him-
self and for the country in keeping aloof for a time
from the direction of public affairs, nor should we have
doubted that Lord Aberdeen himself had come to the
same resolution, and for the same or still stronger rea-
sons. Rightly or wrongly, justly or unjustly, his name
has been connected by the public in this country and
other parts of Europe with the inefficient conduct of
the war, and that imputation has been used as an instre-
ment to break up the Government over which he pre-
sided. The belief in Lord Aberdeen's retirement was,
therefore, so• general and so natural, that we should
hardly have adverted to the subject, if we had not ob-
served in a journal connected with one section of the
Government a statement that Lord Aberdeen was ex-
pected to return to office in the capacity of Lord Presi-
dent of the Council. We cannot suppose that Lord
Aberdeen himself entertained any such intention.
Whatever be the merits or the defects of his character,
they are perfectly consistent with the principles he has
uniformly professed—an earnest desire for the restore-

tion of peace, aid a strong hope of obtaining it chiefly
by iliplorastic means. That oninimt iii Not popular at
this time in the country or in Parliament; and Lord
Palmerston is collect upon by acclaniation to form a War
ministry. We heal say trust that his energy sad practical
knowledge of nailitax7 affairs nay enable him to pro/meats
and terminate the war with triumphant success. But
there would be an obvious absurdity is Lord
Aberdeen's holding a subordinate office in a Cabinet
which comes into power for the express purpose of tak-
ing measures which he, as Prime Minister, did not think
it necessary to adopt. His own dignity and reputation.
evidently prescribe a comparative retirement, although,
in an age of great and extraordinary events, accompa-
nied by strong revulsions of feeling and judgment, it is
by no means certain that the opinions which are identi
fled with the name of Lord Aberdeen will always be as
unpopular as they are at the present moment. These
considerations are so self-evident that we wonder any of
Lord Aberdeen's friends should have thought it expe-
dient te put forward his name at all at the present
moment, er to make his presence in the Cabinet a con-
dition of their own acceptance of office. If Lord Aber-
deen formed part of the new Ministry its failures would,
in the present temper of the nation, be thrown upon him,
and its successes ascribed to others ; it is therefore in
his power to reader far more valuable services to the
Government and to the country in an independent
position.

We are reluctant to suppose that any cause of this
nature can have contributed teretard the formation of the
Government; but certain it is that there has been a most

injurious delay, and the mutterings of impatience which
were heard last night in the House of Commons will, ere
long, burst forth in an explosion of dissatisfaction. We
have ranch boa time and lost ground to regain—we
have great and continuous efforts to make before we can
restore the military influence of this country to the high
point at which it stood after the Battles of Alma and
Inkerman ; and we have yet to prove that with a free
Parliamentary Government this country can carry on a
campaign to a successful termination. The world,
jealous of our wealth, and jealous of our freedom, may
say that prosperity has relaxed the warlike spirit of the
nation, and liberty impaired the authority of the Go-
♦ernment. Yet never were the people of England more
eager to throw their whole strength into the prosecu-
tion of a war, or more ready to obey any Minister who
will take the measures necessary to obtain success. The
more resolute the Minister, the more he will be sup-
ported, and our difficulties have arisen entirely from a
want of authority in the Government, not from any re-
sistance to authority in Parliament or the nation.