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London, England, 1855-02-02 00:00:00

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GREAT-WESTERN RAILWAY.-
NO riflE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the next HALF-
YEARLY GENERAL MEETING of the Proprietors of this Com-
pany will be held in London, pursuant to act of Parliament, at the
Paddington Station, on THURSDAY, the 15th day of February next,
at half-past 12 o'clock, for thelectin of Fe Directors in th
place of Anthony Rington Baker, Esq., Captainiv Thomas Bulkeley,e
James Haswell, Esq., Joh nandm Miles, Esq., and Henry Simends,
Esq., retiring by rotation for other purposes of business.
It Is also intended that the said general meeting shall be made
special for the purpose of considering and determining the mode and
conditions of raising the capital authorised to be created, in pursu-
ance of certain new sets-of Parliament, for completing the works o
the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway, and other undertak-
ings belonging to or purchased by this Company. ,
An agreement for the joint working of the Cornwall Railway,
when constructed between Plymouth and Truro, under a lease thereof
to this Company, the Bristol and Exeter Company, and the South
Devon Company, subject to conditions specified therein, will be sub-
mitted at the same spec al general meeting, for the consideration and
approval of the proprietors.
The chair will be taken nth alf-past 1 o'clock precisely.
CHAS. RUSSELL, Chairman. -
BARRING am, Deputy-Chairman.
The retiring Directors are re-eligible under the provisions of the
act, and, in compliance with a bye-law, notice must be given to the
Secretary, on or before the Ist day of February, of the names of any
proprietors who are to be nominated for election as d:rectors at the
said half-yearly general meeting.
The Transfer Books of all stock and shares will be closed on and
from the 31st day ofJ &Mary instant, and will not be re-opened until
after the said half-yearly general meeting on the 15th day of
February. By order of the Board.
CHAS. A. SAUNDERS, Secretary.
Paddington Station, Jan. 25,1855.
•

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY COMPANY of
CANAD A.—Notice is Hereby Given, That a CALL of 2/. 10s.
per share on each and every share of the A series of the shares of
this company has been made, and will be due and payable on Mon-
day, the 10th day of February, 1855.
• A CALL of 101. will also be due and payable on each of the Certi-
ficates exchange.- ide for Company's Debentures, and 101. on each of
the Certificates exchangeable for the Debentures of the Province of.
Canada.
Six per .cent. interest will be charged on the Calls as long as they
remain hrarrear.
1 Call Letter will be sent to each shareholder for the payment of
the Call on his shares. The Debenture Certificates must be presented
at the Bankers, in order that the payment of the Call may be marked
upon them.
Holders have the option of paying up in full on their shares and
debentures. Interest at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum is paid on
' all sums received in advance of Calls on either shares or debentures.
All payments to be made at the Banking House of Messrs. Glyn,
Mills, and Co., 67, Lombard-street. .
Ey order of the Board.
WILLIAM CHAPMAN, Secretary.
Offices of the t empany, 21, Old Broad-street,
London, Bth January, 1855.

THE WEATHER, THE- PARES, AND THE RAH -
WAYS.-DETENTION OP THE MAILS.

IMPERIAL PARLI.

My lords, no man can feel more than I do the inconve-
nience of thrusting upon Parliament or upon the public
what I may call domestic differences between colleagues
in a cabinet even at the moment of separation. But, my
lords, in the speech to which I have referred the noble
lord (Lord J. Russell) placed the justification of the course
ho had taken almost so exclusively upon my acceptance
of and upon my subsequent continuance in tho Secretary-
ship of the War Department, that I feel it necessary to
state to your lordships some omissions which were made
by the noble lord, and some explanations consequent upon
the words which foil from him. The noble lord said, in
one of the letters which he addressed to ray noble friend
at the head of the Government, and which he read to the
other house, that when the two Secretaryships of State
were divided, he yielded to my strong wish that I should
occupy the war department, thereby undoubtedly imply-
ing that he had boon opposed to that arrangement, that
he had remonstrated against it, and had been overruled.
My. lords, I venture to say that such was not the case;
and if I now presume to offer any explanation with refer-
ence to what took place in the cabinet, I beg to say that
I have followed the proper course, and have applied to
my sovereign for permission to make those explanations,
without which, in virtue of the obligation which rests
upon all privy councillors, I should have been precluded
from doing so. My lords, in the cabinet in which it was
decided that the two offices of Secretary of state for the
Colonies and Secretary of State for War should bo
di-
vided, a discussion took place in which 'I felt it my
duty to point out to the cabinet the difficulties, which
would follow upon that separation, unless, before
it was made, the ,duties of the new secretaryship were
accurately defined, and some definite plan was laid
down. (Hear, hear.) And I stated at that time to the
noble lord that I thought he, in advocating that measure,
ought to have provided us with a definitive plan. I told
bins that I was encumbered at that moment with two such
laborious offices that I had really no time to consider the
organisation of the department, and that I regretted that,
before the measure was adopted, some definite plan had
not been laid down. But the noble lord expressed his
opinion that, in deference to the wishes of Parliament,
that step should be immediately taken. It was determined
upon by the-Cabinet; and I am sure the noble lord must
admit that, so far, from his being considered to swat to
my wishes--I, appeal—confidently- ta,,ealy .lath
col
leaves who sit near me whether, at the conclusion of that
discussion, nay last words were not these :—" The Cabinet
having-now decided that the-two secretarysbips shall be
divided; all that I can say is that, so far a am person-
ally concerned, I am perfectly ready to retain either or
neither." (Hear.) My lords, that is nay strong wish
which has been spoken of by the noble lord. I can only.
say that in any discussion of which I hoard, I never un-
derstood for one moment that the noble lord had expressed
any desire that my noble friend Lord Palmerston should
occupy the War Department: I did hear—and I was in-
formed by my noble friend lately at the head of the Go-
vernment—that, for a time at least, the noble lord himself
had contemplated the possibility of Lord Grey takiag the
department ; aid most undoubtedly if that had been the
case, I never for as instant should have thought of stand-
ing in his way. Bat I should wish it to be distinctly un-
derstood, and I will say, that I not only did not express a
strong wish to continue in the War Department, but that
I expressed my readiness to retain either or neither of those
offices, as my colleagues might think best for the public
service, and might advise her Majesty. I do not at the
same time hesitate to say that when, to the best of my be-
lief and knowledge, no other member of the Cabinet was
put forward to occupy either, I did, not shrink from
the duy, assuming that, as I certainly did feel I
should have been blind unworthy, having held those
seals for three months, if I then shrunk from
what I knew to be a post of difficulty and danger.
When I say a post of difficulty and danger, thero aro many
of my private friends in this house and elsewhere who
know the observation which I made to them, when told
frequently by them that I had done unwisely in leaving a
department where they were kind enough, perhaps preju-
diced enough, to say I had gained some slight reputation.
My answer to them was this, without refen nce to the Co-
lonial-office—" lam well aware of what I have done ; I
know that in this department, whatever success may at-
tend our army, I shall never derive any credit ; but this
I also know, that if there should be disaster upon use alone
will come the blame and the public indignation." (Hear,
hear.) My noble friend opposite, who is generous enough
to cheer, is one of the friends to whom I made that bbser-
vation. My lords, I think I have said enough to prove to
your lordships how uujest have been the complaints which
have been made, in Parliament and elsewhere, of my pre-
sumption and my self-love, which insisted upon keeping
this office. I hope I have sufficiently explained to your
lordships the conduct which has been characterised by
some as arrogance, and by the noble lord to whom I have
referred, in the more patronising phrase of " commend-
able ambition." (Hear, hear.) My lords, I will pass
over in the correspondence the letter which the noble lord
(Russell) addressed to my noble friend late at the head of
the Government, on the 18th of November, in which he
says, " It was my intention, in writing the letter, to avoid
throwing any blame upon the Duke of Newcastle ; indeed
I think he deserves great credit for the exertions be has
.made." Ido not wish to, dwell upon this letter, or to at-
tach any importance to it, because the noble lord has him-
self stated, in the speech to which I have referred, that in
reality we must consider that letter as only what our
friends on the other side of the Atlantic are pleased to call
" soft sawder"—(a laugh)—and he has stated, when he has
spoke in those terms of me, that my removal from office was
his object. Si possis, &writer; si non; quocunque modo.
I have said that the noble lord has read extracts from those
letters which have rendered it absolutely necessary for mo
both to make comments and to give other extracts in ex-
planation.. Now, my lords, I cannot but feel surprised,
when the whole gist of the noble lord's Speech was to re-
istrLuer t meno 1 determined:plsutor hoJddotfecte,:nlirrolvted to retain
followlpg sentence "from.rtigeselettera of he did
onol7de Wren.d on
the 21st of November, in answer to that which he had re-
eel-vett The very beginning of that. letter was in'tbeee
words—"`I have shown your letter to the Duke-Of New-
castle, and also to Sidney Herbert. They both—as might
have been expected—strongly urged me to adopt any such-
arresegement, with respect to their offices, as might be most
conducive to the public service." (Cheers.) My lords, I
have shown you that I did not insist upon holding the seals
of the war department ; and when my noble friend (Lord
Aberdeen) placed that letter in my bands my immediate
answer was—" Don't give Lord. John Russell any pretext
for quitting this Government. (Laughter.) On no ac-
count resist his wish to remove me from my office. Do
with me whatever is best for the public service. (Loud
cheers on both sides of the house.) In that way you will
gratify me most ' • iu that way you will be serving the
Queen best." (Cheers.) My lords, the next instance in which
I am obliged to quote from the speech of the noble lord
is where, having read a portion of one -of tie letters
of my noble friend, he used the words—" I then went ou.
to give some instances of errors' which had been com-
mitted." Now, my lords, the impression produced upon the
public mind was, of course, that these errors were of a
grave character, that upon them' had hifiged the safety of
our troops in the Crimea, and perhaps all the consequences
that we have lately seen, including the disaste one sickness
which has prevailed. The noble lord did not read the
complaints which ho had made of these errors, and there-
fore, with your lordships' permission, I will read them
myself. They were contained in a letter of the noble lord
dated 28th Nov.—" I will give you an instance but too
pregnant with warning. Early in October I wrote to the
Duke of Newcastle on the subject of transferring the 07th
Regt. then at the Pirxus to the Crimea. He informed me,
in answer, that he had also wished to do so, and that he
had also wished to send between 2,000 and 3,000 men, the
draughts of various regiments, to the Crimea. Now, why
was he not able to carry his intentions into effect ? Because
ho could not remove the obstacles put in the way by other
departments, and because the Prime Minister did not at
once overcome those obstacles. At a much later time, the
97th has moved, and it is only to-day that I see by a tele-
graphic despatch from Lord Stratford, dated on the 18th
inst., that the Orinoco (which conveys that regiment) had
left Constantinople for the Crimea. But, in the meantime,
Lord Raglan had reported that he wished he had been able
to place iu the position of Balaklava, on the 26th of October,
a more considerable force ; and aUo, that on the sth of
November, the heights of Inkerman were defended by no
more than 8,000 British infantry. What can be done bya
single British regiment was seen on the sth of October,
when the 93d alone saved the position of Balaklava by
their firmness and gallantry. Had 5,000 more men been at
Lord Raglan's disposal on the 25th of October and the
sth of November, how much more fruitful, though not
more glorious, might have been those memorable days."
These were the errors which I was supposed to have com-
mitted e and now let ins give the explanation of these
errors, which I gave to the noble lord in writing en both
occasions. And first, with regard to the 97th Regiment.
I informed him that several days before I had received
his letter, it had been my desire to send forward that
noble regiment to aid Lord Raglan in the Crimea ; but
that I had applied to my noble friend the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs to know whether it would be safe to move
that regiment from the Pirasus, and whether the objects
for which it had been sent thither had been sufficiently
attained. In answer to my question, my noble friend pro-
dnced a letter, which I rather think he had received that
day, in which thb most earnest stress was laid upon the
maintenance of the British and French force in the Pirame ;
and in which my noble friend was told that if it was with-
drawn the consequences which it had been sent to prevent
would immediately occur. Now, will any man maintain
that a Secretary for War, after having received such a
statement from the Foreign Minister, would have been j us-
tified in removing that regiment, at all hazards' from the
Pirmus, and sending it to the Crimea. (Here a Peer made
a remark.) The noble lord says that it was subsequently
removed. It was subsequently removed, because some
few weeks afterwards my noble friend, whom I had
earnestly 'messed to let me know the first moment when a
change might take place, informed me that although it
would be impossible to part with the military force it
might be somewhat reduced. On recoiviog that !statement,
I immediately desired General Ferguson, the general com-
manding at Malta, to select one of three regiments of 600
men which he considered, from the qualifications of the
officers, to bo the fittest for the service, and to send it to
the Piraeus, in order that the 97th, the strength of which
was 1,000 men, might go ou to the Crimea. The se_con
was
error error of which the noble lord complained was this, I
rafts
desired by him to send out two or three thoussu d
ct I ex-
to the Crimea ; but there were two reasons,
,should
plained to the noble lord, why those drafts shw not be
sent. First, Lord Raglan had written to say
othlearta,thwehliacsht
drafts were so yoinag that when exposeddto h
at that tune prevailed, they had rapt subsequent
fallen_ sick and
died ; and he therefore deprecated, unless subsequent pres-
sure should arise, the sending out of those drafts until they
should have grown more mature. Tue second reason was,
that at that time we had exhausted all the steam trans-
ports. Others were of course daily expected from the
colonies and other parts of the World ; but at that moment
the Admiralty was not able to supply ns with transports,
in which to convey those troops. I say, therefore, my
lords, that it is perfectly true that these " errors," as the
noble lord has called them, wore laid before me ; but it is
also true that they were answered ; and although en the
28th of November those errors were brought forward as
reasons why I should quit my office, at a date anterior to
that, but subsequent to my answer, I had the better for-
tune to satisfy the noble lord ; for in the last letter which
I received from him beforo he returned to town, be used
the words which lam about to read. These letters, I may
observe, were written, as frona their dates your lordships may

conceive, from Scotland and Scarborough, at a time when the
noble lord, like other members of the Government, had re-
sorted for the purpose of health to distant parts of the
country. Ido not complain of the noble lord, or of any
of my colleagues, for doing so ; but it was not ray good
fortune to resort to the country eithor for health or for
any other purpose—for day by day and hour by hour, dur-
ing the whole of 1854, it was my duty to remain in town
to exert my humble abilities for the service of the country.
In a letter from the noble lord which finished the corre-
spondence, and which was dated the Bth of October, he
said—" You have done all that can be done ; and I am
sanguine of success." (Loud cheers from both sides of the
house.) Let me explain to your lordships that, after the
proposal which I made to my noble friend with reference
to my readiness to leave the Cabinet, I did not even say
that I positively refused to change the office I held—dis-
agreeable to me as such a course would have been on per-
sonal grounds, inconvenient as I believe it alwaystobet
the public service, and implying, as it does, an arrange-
ment never very obvious to the public. I made, however,
no such objection. What, then, was the reason why my
noble friend did not avail himself of the offer that I made
him ? He (Lord Aberdeen) did not act, as from the state-
ment that was made in the House of Commons would ap-
pear, upon his own responsibility, or from any anxiety or
regard for me, generous and kind as his conduct towards
me has ever been. He did not take upon himself to reject
the proposal ; but he laid the proposal before the whole of
our colleagues, and the proposal was—it is not for me to
say whether rightly or wrongly—but it was unanimously
disapproved of by the whole of my colleagues. (Hear.)
The last letter of the whole series which passed between
the noble lord and me was dated the 3d December, when
the noble lord had apparently returned to his original idea,
for he said he should bring the subject before the Cabinet.
It was not, however, brought before the Cabinet. Parlia-
ment met ten days afterwards, on the 13th of December ;
and it was my duty to make a long statement to your lord-
ships, in vindication of the conduct of the Government,

and More especially of the department to which I belonged.
My sight hon. friend the Secretary at War made a similar
statement in the House of Commons, and the debate in
each house resulted, I believe—of course, noble lords oppo-
site will not agree in that view—but the result was satis-
factory to the Government. Three days after that, on the
16th of December, a Cabinet wait held, at theelose of which
I exchanged words with two or threw` of my' ealeagnes,
who aaiethat, from the conduct of the noble lord in the
Cabinet, and from the interest he had shown in the matters
which had been discussed, they felt very confident that he
had abandoned the opinions which he had entertained and
wished to express. , But we were not- left altogether to-
conjecture on this point, for in the course of that very
evening, in a conversation which my noble friend had
with him, ho expressly told my noble friend that he had
changed his views, and that he had abandoned any wish
that he had entertained for a change. (Hear.) I should not
go any further into this point, for these matters are pro-
bably much more interesting to myself than to any of your
lordships—(cheers)—but my noble friend (the Earl of
Aberdeen) reminds me that the reason which the noble
lord assigned for the abandonment of his proposal was this.
Not being satisfied with the opinion of his faithful and at-
tached friends in the Cabinet, he had consulted another
friend—and from my knowledge of that noble lord I am
sure that he (Lord J. Russell) could not have had a better
adviser. Well, the noble lord told my noble friend that
from the answer he had received he was satisfied and con-
vinced, and had abandoned his views. (Cheers.) Having
disposed of the personal part of the question, the noble
lord proceeds to discuss in the next place the question of
measures. He said that, having been called upon to oppose
the motion of the hon. and learned member for Sheffield,
he felt himself placed in a difficult position, because—l
will quote his words—" because be could not say that
measures had been taken by which these evils could be
prevented, and by which the administration could be vigo-
rously prosecuted." Now, my lords, I think tho fair and
just iniercuce from this Aateincut is, that the noble lord
had proposed. to his colleagues measures and suggested
arrangements which they had been unwilling to adept. I
can only say that, to the best of my belief, such was never
the ca.e. I know of no measures which were proposed by
the noble lord, and which were rejected. I know of no pro-
posAls which were made by him, and which were not ac-
ceWed, except one. That proposal referred to myself in
this manner. The noble lord said that at the Cabinet
which was held on the Saturday preceding the Tuesday,
the day of Mr. Roebuck's motion, and of the noble lord's
resignation, certain new arrangements had been proposed,
by which the mode in which the business of the war de-
partment had been carried on should be regulated; and to
which I referred on Monday night. The business of the
military departments had previously been carried on by
the heads of those departments, who met at my office,
somewhat in the form of a .board, though not with the
strict formality of one. It was proposed, therefore, the
greater formality should be given to it, and that it should
be constituted either by a minute or an Order in Council.
That board was to consist of the Secretary of State for
War, the Secretary at War, the Commander-in-Chief, and
the Master General of the Ordnance. The noble lord said
that this question had been brought before the Cabinet,
and that it had been decided adversely to his opinion.
Now, my lords, a proposal was brought forward by the
noble lord himself, which was agreed to ; and we had
every reason to believe that the noble lord was an entirely
consenting party. But in the course of the evening a pro-
posal was sent by the noble lord to my noble friend; and
as it is of some importance to my case, I will read it to
your lordships :

". ARMY DEPAILTXENTS.

" Jan. 22,
" Tho committee of the House of Commons on army and
navy expenditure recommended that the army departments
should be simplified and consolidated. What is now pro-
posed is, that there should be a board of—l. Secretary of
State; 2. Secretary at War ; 3.. Master-General of Ord-
nrnee ; 4. Commander-in-Chief • 5. Inspector-General of
Fortifications. It is oontemplatedthat there shall exist at the
same time a Boardof Ordnance, consisting of--I.The II aster-
G neral; 2. The Storekeeper-General ; 3. The Surveyor-
("rubral f- 4...Thalelark of theOrdnan co under
will
di-
rection the Inspeoter-General of Fortifications;
It seems obvious that these two boards, acting at
the same time, instead of consolidation and simplification,
would would produce complication, disorder, and delay. There
aro but two modes in which unity of direction and rapi-
dity of action can be procured. The one is to give the
Si °rotary of State the entire direction of all existing offices
and beards connected with the army ; the other is to make
a board, with the Secretary of State at the head, absorb-
ing the Board of Ordnance, and controlling the whole
civil and military management of our military force. The
constitution of this board and its functions would be :
"1. The Secretary of State, to preside over the board
and be responsible to Parliament.
" 2. The Secretary at War, to pay the army and control
its finances.
" 3. The Master-General of the Ordnance, to arm the
army and the navy.
" 4. The Commander-in-Chief, to command the army.
"5. The Clerk, Storekeeper, and Surveyor of the Ord-
nance, all in one, to lodge the army.
"6. The Commissary-General, to clothe and feed the
army.
"This is nearly the Duke of Richmond's plan.
" J. RVISSELL."
The noble lord said he had no reason to think that his
views would be adopted by the Cabinet. But when the
noble lord says that I.can most positively state that I have
no reason to think that his views would have been rejected
by the Cabiuet—(beers)—because the first step which my
noble friend took on receiving the communication from the
noble lord, after showing it to my right hon. friend the
Secretary at War, was to send it to me. In my answer 1
said that there were but twe points on which the noble lord
differed from my right hon. friends in the Cabinet. One
of the two was that he wished that there should be a new
board, absorbing the Board of Ordnance, and having two
additional members. I said that I thought this principle
! manifestly right, for as I was not very fond of boards, I
thought it would be proper to institute a superior board,
and do away with the interior boards. As to the second
point, the two additional members, I doubted whether one
of them should bo added, and as for the other, there was
no such officer as commissary-general. Formerly there
was an officer called the commissary-in-chief, but that
office was abolished many years ago. I believe that so far
from the noble lord having season to complain that his
views counceted with the war have not been carried into
effect, I have already stated that I knew of no proposal of
hie which was rejected; that I may equally say that I
know of no objection of his which was overruled.
(Cheese.) I need hardly say that upon such important
questions as the conduct of the war, there were differ-
ences of opinion upon incidental matters of detail; but
thi-; 1 may soy, if 1 were to point out the member of the
Cabinet from whom I received the most general assent
to my views when they were discussed—most kind
and generous as were all my colleagues—it was ihe noble
lord. (Cheers.) If I wore to point out, I say, those mem-
bers between whom there was the most complete identity
of'views, I should say that there was a more complete ,
identity on all questions between the noble lord and myself
than between any other members of the Cabinet. (Loud
cheers ) I have a rea ly referrealto the easy manner in which
I consented to abandon any views which 1 understood to
be adverse to the institution of the board; and, perhaps,
it might be said that 1 ought to have insisted on them a
little snore strongly; but I did'uot feel that I was in a po-
sition in which it would havo become me to oppose the
general views of my colleagues respecting public matters.
Notwithstanding the arrogance, self-love, and presumption
which I am supposed to have exhibited, I was not unaware
—God knows it would have been strange if I had been—
that the public feeling had been roused against any admi-
nistration of the war. I felt shortly before the meeting of
Parliament that the feeling of the public mind had become
so throng that it would be impossible for me, in justice
to the public serviee, to continue to occupy the office which
I held. My lords, the meeting of Parliament being so
close at hand, I felt that if I had read aright the history
of constitutional government, it would Rut have been pro-
per at such a moment to anticipate the verdict of Parlia-
ment with regard to the manner in which the duties of my
office have been performed. (Cheers.) The noble lord, in
his stetemeht the other night, said that until notice of his
motion was given by Mr. Roebuck, he had not fully con-
sidered the course which ho ought to take. My lords, I
had. (Loud cheers.) I had maturely considered it, and I
had made up my mind that my official career was practi-
cally brought to a close ; but I made up my mind at
the same time that I would face the ordeal of censure in
your lordships' house, and that I would submit the
conduct of my administration to the House of Commons.
(Cheers.) I stated my determination to the noble
lord at the head of her Majesty's Government. I did not
tell any other of my colleagues, from motives and feel-
ings which I think, my lords, you will appreciate, but
I told my noble friend that, whatever might be the result
of the discussion in the House of Commons, whether the
Government succeeded by a large majority in their resist-
ance to the motion, or whether uhe other alternative pre-
vailed, I would tender my resignation as soon as that
judgment had been given, and the verdict of Parliament
had been pronounced. (Cheers.) My lords, no doubt that
was the origin of the rumour to which the noble lord re-
ferred—namely, that an arrangement had been proposed.
'iiLich the noble earl at the head of her Majesty's Govern-
ment had found it impossible to recommend, but which ho
had found perfectly consistent with his honour to adopt
now. My lords, lam sorry that such a statement shultd
have gone forth, but it is baseless. I told my noble fro nI
that 1 should secede from the Cabinet—that I would not
. consent to exchange places with my noble friend the Home

meeretary, or take the office which the noble lord (Lord J.
ussell) has quitted. I said I was confident that the public
in tereft would be best served by my retirement, and that
„. ti,, 1,1. (.u.7 1,1,1 boon crA rl nn inv..
i._ t 01.11.1 Ix, LVA, thy li,u
iiPLTOfOTO the de:,•ision of Parliament had been pronounced,
I would take my seat on one of the benches not occupied by
those in office, and I would attend there night after night,
so that whenever a discussion arose I might be ready to
defend the policy to which I had been a party;. for I
should feel just as much h.und to do so as if I continued
in office. (Hear, hear) xv, my lords, I have done with
the speech )f the noble lord, which is the subject of this
explanation on my part. Various accusations have been
made against me, and one of the most prominent is that of
incapacity. My lords, I should be the last man in the world
to offer to express any opinion upon that. lam ready to
leave that in the hands of my countrymen. I cannot but
feel that this charge of incapacity is just now with the
public the favourite explanation of every misfortune ;
but whether our misfortunes are justly attributable to
such a cause, I will leave to the verdict of the future.
But there is another charge which I confess I feel deeply.
I have been charged with indolence. (Hear.) The public
have had a right to every hour and every minute of my
time, and not one hour for recreation or amusement have
I presumed to think myself entitled to. (Cheers.) My
lords, I have been charged with indifference, and that is a
charge still more painful. Indifference, my lords, to the
honour of my country ! Indifference to the sweets and
safety of our army ! My lords, as a father I have given
hostages against such a crime. I have two sons in the
two branches of the service, and that I think should be a
sufficient answer to the charge. (Cheers.) Indifference
as a Minister ! My lords, many a sleepless night have I
passed in thinking over all those things for which the pub.
lie think I should have cared. God knows that indolence
and indifference are not charges which can justly be brought
against me. I repudiate them ; and I trust that before
long the public mind will be satisfied ; and that whatever
they may think of my capacity, they will be ready to omit
casting these unjust stigmas upon me. (Cheers.) As re-
gards what I have done during niy official administration,
I believe, and trust, and hope that I, at least, shall gain
some advantage from the investigations of that committee
which the Hoase of Commons has decided to have. I can
only say that, as far as I am concerned, I shall rejoice to
lay before that or any other fair tribunal everything that
I have done with perfect fairness and open-handednesa.
1 I am not now about to enter into any defence of the con-
duet of the war. The noble and learned lord (Lord Lynd-
hurst) has given notice of a motion; and although I pre-
same it is doubtful whether, under the circamstanoes, it
will come on upon the day fixed, I suppose that he will
persevere with it ; and, in that case, whenever the subject
is discussed, I shall be prepared to meat it. lam net inclined
to shrink from any attack, or to shelter myself behind any
excuse. Whenever that motion is brought on I will be.here
to speak upon it, and most assuredly I will not shrink from
it. I shall be prepared to defend the Conduct of the Go-
varnment, the conduct of my own administration, and the
conduct of the whole Cabinet who are involved lyith
lord Min-Russell inclided. (Cheers.) -.My-lords, yell
ab-,1-I,hear from..n3e no complaint' of treatment I,have met
Oitherin Par ..;heat or out of it.. I only peer to a
,now to say that, whoever may bis;My sAecessa in Win
'.'office which I have lately held, heihala meet, with no on-
generous treatment from me. Iknow that in both holism
of Parliament I have many 'bitter political opponontasihit
I trust that I have but few personal enemies, (Loud
cheers.) But, if I have, Ido not except even them from
the promise I have made ; and to them, alike with -my
friends, I extend my offer of whatever assistance I out
render. (Cheers.) We were informed the other night in
the House of Commons that an lion, member went over
from the Ministerial side of the house to the right hon.
gentleman the leader of the Opposition, and asked him
whether he would be a party to a vote of censure, not 'pen
Government, but upon me as an individual. I say that.
even if the individual who sent that message should be the
War Minister, my assistance shall be rendered even to him.
It will be my duty, I am bound to the public, to render
my assistance to whoever may be the War Minister. Who-
ever may succeed me, I will endeavour to make his path
easy ; and will support him whether in this house or out
of it. If my past experience be of the slightest value, ho
shall claim it and have it, whether he takes my acts as an
example or a warning. He shall meet with no feelings of
jealousy on my part. The crisis is too important, the in-
terests involved are too great, for any such feeling. I shall
rejoice in the success of any War Minister, whether that
success be attributed to• bettor fortune or greater ability.
My lords, I fear that I have occupied your attention too
long. I will conclude the last speech which I shall address
to your lordships from these benches with the earnest
prayer that, whoever may receive from the Queen the seals
of the War Department, may bring to boar as arduous
labour, equal zeal, and as earnest devotion as he who quits
that office; that he may meet with a success which I have
not met with, and that in meriting, and obtaining, and se-
curing that success he may also receive that approbation of
his country which it has been my earnest desire, but has
not been my good fortune, to secure. (Cheers from all
parts of the house.)
The Earl of DERBY—My lords, whatever may be the
Parliamentary irregularity of the course which has been
pursued by the noble duke opposite in his reference and
his answer to the speech of the noble bird late his colleague
in the other hoase, lam ready to admit, and you lord-
ships will probably feel with me, that that course, if not
regular, may well be regarded with some indulgence, and
that a sufficient apology is afforded for the explanations
we have beard this evening. I can easily understand the
feelings under which the noble duke thought it necessary
to offer before your lordships, as Minister of the Crown,
a vindication of himself against the charges which cer-
tainly affected most materially his character, not as a
man, but as a Minister. And I should not for a single
moment have complained of any Rortion of the noble
• duke's reference to the proceedings in the other !losses
of Parliament if I did not feel it incumbent, at the - -
outset of the few observations I shall have to sub-
mit to your lordships, to notice with regret gone
statement which fell from the noble duke, and
which to me, and I believe to most of your lordships, was
utterly unintelligible. The noble duke, in speaking of the
assistance which ho should be ready to afford to his suc-
cessor, made an allusion to some gentleman, 'who, he said,
in the other house crossed over the floor of that house, and,
speaking to my right hon friend the leader of the Oppo-
sition there, asked his concurrence to a motion, not di-
rectly impugning the Government, but impigning the
conduct of the noble duke himself. Of that statement,
of that person, that unknown individual, and of that fact,
or of anything like that fact, I can only assure the noble
duke that up to this moment I have been in completed g-
norance. Farther than this, I assure him thet if he be-
lieves the decision some to by the Holism of Commons to
express their opinion of the conduct, not of the noble
edge the noble
Tdmeusek;eltt,..bffutbctooenfoowharretr Majesty's Government, in the manage-
mnyd
beliefr c t indirectly, , between wk e—oe nrwi
f afhn
previousye conceivesprtiesw'ht communication,
ah
et thate rtov
directly re wasetelsytthe
rf
duke is absolutely and
entirely mistaken. (Hear.)
The Duke of NEWCASTLE—The noble earl has antire ly
misapprehended what fell from me on this point. I meant
precisely the reverse of that which he infers I meant.
What I said was entirely founded on the speech of the right
hon. gentleman the leader of the Opposition in the House
of Commons. That right hon. gentleman, in his 131600 is
the house, made a statement to the effect that, there had
been such a communication made by a gentleman to him.
This is my authority for the fact, but the right hon. gentle-
man expressly said that he had repudiated the offer so
made to him. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of DERBY—It will be unnecessary, then, for
me to proceed further with the observations I was about
to make on that point. But, notwithstanding the statement
which the noble duke has just made, I hope he willforgive me
if I do say here in the most emphatic manner that the vote
of the House of Commons proceeded the other day not from
any one party, mere especially not from the party in direct
opposition to her Majesty's Government—nay, mere, that
it was the earnest recommendatiou, 'asl know, of those who
are intrusted with the confidence of that party to abstain
from bringing forward any motion which should cast a cen-
sure upon the Government, or tend in the slightest degree
to embarrass them. (Hear, hear.) Now, the noble dale's
statement this evening, so far as I could infer from what
fell from him, consisted in part of a vindication of his own
character, and partly of a reply to the statements made by
his late colleague. I and others, lam afraid, have been
compelled to differ from the noble duke and from his col-
leagues with regard to many points affecting the conduct of
the war ; and I have on more than one occasion expressed
soy opinion on the subject to the noble duke and to your
lordships—not uncourteously, I hope, but with that frank-
ness which I think ought to be exercised in thi4 house.
(Hear, hear.) But I never heard any one deny to the
noble duke the merit of having been laborious in the dis-
charge of his duties, and of having devoted himself assi-
duously to his office ; nor have I heard any one—l know
not, of course, what may have appeared in some papers, or
what conversation may have taken place at the clubs—lsay,
I have never heard the noble duke charged in Parliament,
or by any responsible authority, with indifference to the
sufferings of the army. (Hear.) (The Duke of NEWCAS-
TLE.—" Certainly not in this house.") It has been said,
indeed, by some, and I have been of opinion myself, that
when the right thing was done it was not done always at the
right time, and that the neglect of the Government in not
doing the right thing at the right time had led to increased
sufferings and privations on the part of the army. (Hear,
hear.) But God forbid that any ono of us should have im-
puted to the noble duke or to any member of your lord-
ships' house that he was in the slightest degree indifferent
upon such a subject, or was sparing of his labours in the
discharge of the arduous and responsible duties of his
office. I stn not, my lords, about to enter upon any dis-
cussion—this is not the occasion on which to do so—as to
the conduct of the Government or any members .of the Go-
vernment. Nor am I disposed iu the slightest degree to
diminish the effect of that " Picture of an Interior" which
has been drawn in such striking terms by the noble duke. -
(Laughter.) It is really one of the most effective pictures
which I Lave seen presented to Parliament; and when,
after having gone through the correspondence and conversa-
tion and friendly communications which have taken place
between him and one of his colleagues, the noble duke
wound up the whole picture by saying that he believed
that colleague was the one of all whose opinions seemed to
have most of identity with his own—(laughter)—the effect
was heightened and a complete view afforded of the beauti-
ful internal harmony of that Cabinet. (Renewed laughter.)
My lords, I am bound to say that I think the noble duke is
quite excusable for his statement in this house to-night ;
and, as far as I can learn, although perhaps it is contrary to
the Horatian motto to decide now—for we are probably
always more strongly impressed by what we. see and hear
than by what we read in the newspapers—l confess I think
that between the two noble colleagues the noble duke has
considerably the best of the argument. (Hear, hear.) I
don't know what I might say if I " heard the other side;'
but that, at all events, is my present impression. If, how-
ever, these discussions are constantly to take place in this
house—if these representations are to follow one anotherso
quickly—l can suggest only one mode by which to secure
perfect impartiality. The members of. the two houses
should meet in the large central' hall between this and the
and I only
other House of Parliament, the Lords on the QUO side and
picture of the
the Commons on the other, and there, the cheatovreeptri:oelnese:mvpeerteehte
isniogninoftthheecneonbtrlee,dtuhkeree
amnigehxtchlszen,
gaeccoofrdi according
words;
hope it might not lead to the exchange of anything less
fpriicetnucrl ley
otfla athneword interiors . ( Loafugthbetevl,
Cabinet,--this
relations between the noble duke arkilohis colleagues—en-
tirely as a matter to be settled between, themselves. Nor
do I think this a fitting occasion for comment upon the
picture which the nobdle earl opposite, at the commence-
ment of the evening, drew of the general state of the coun-
try. That funeral oration, which he
produced upon
himself and his colleagues—that general and complacent
laudation of each and every one of them first, a the War
Minister ; next of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; next
of the First Lord of the Admiralty ; next of the noble lord
opposite, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs—l
have no doubt all these laudations were exceedingly wel 1
deserved, and that it was equally satisfactory to the noble
earl to have the opportunity of making them, and to hie
colleagues to receive them at his hands. The noble earl
also touched upon the general state of the nation, and, al-