The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-25 00:00:00

ceived in; the spirit •of that of the right hon. • member
for Manchester ; and the great object I have to-night is
to obtain if possible, from the first minister a declaration
to that effect. (Loud cheers.) But the right hon. mem-
ber, acting in a perfectly Parliamentary manner, and quite
consistently with his Leigh character and eminent talents,
have that notice, and I must say that I heard of his doing
so with perfect satisfaction, because I felt that the ques-
tion would fairly be brought before the house, and that we
should have the opportunity of entering at length into the
discussion of a subject which I believe to be of the utmost
importance to the honour and interests of the country.
(Hear.) And, although 1 would not have supported the
right hon. member for Manchester in his motion, I should
have been grateful to that gentleman for giving to me and
my friends an opportunity of expressing my views
subject, and of taking a course which would have n
elicited
an opinion the expression of which is, I believe, absolutely
necessary for this country. I never for a moment supposed
that the discussion would not take place. Is there a gentlemeaen.
on this side of the house who for a moment supposed
othde
that it would not? (Loud opposition cheers.)t
slightest hesitation was made on the part of the Government
When the notice was given. True it is that the right hon.
member for Manchester had not the power of commanding
a day in order to bring his question before the house, but
. who could doubt, considering the magnitude and import-
ance• fl
of the country,
of the subject, the feeling of tieo peoples e still influences
a the sense of propriety which suppose
a British minister ui the House of Commons, but that pri-
vilege would be waived, and that no obstacle would have
intervened to prevent the discussion being fully and fairls
carried on? And so it turned out. The noble lord, with
an impulse that was not wholly unexpected, took an op-
portunity of facilitating that discussion, by giving up a day
for that purpose, and at last we had an address to the Crown
placed on theles.per by a privy councillor, which would have
brought forward the whole question of the war. A day was
fixed, Parliament assembled in an unusually full house, and
the whole attention of the nation was fixed on the House of
Commons, because it was believed that after the dreary
interval of suspense the house was at last going to give
some symptoms of a return to political and Parliamentary
life. (Hear.) But to our great surprise, and the surprise,
I take it, of any one not in the secret—and the secret was
well kept—(cheers and laughter)—the expectations of Par-
liament, and I maysay ofEurope, were completely baulked,
and there appeared no possible chance, pending the most
momentous transactions for this country since the peace of
'l5, of raising a question which, strange to say, not only
deeply interests the feelings, but absorbs the passions of
the people of England. (Hear.) I need not recal what
occurred in this house on Monday night, when the right
hon. gentleman's resolution was to have come on for dis-
cussion. The scene was too vivid and dramatic to be
easily forgotten. A. right hon. gentleman, recently this
colleague and I suppose still the friend of the noble lord
at the head of the Government, suddenly rises, whether
actuated merely by political motives, or by more social in-
fluences, as some suppose—(a laugh) —and that right hon.
gentleman, turning to some papers which had long been
lying on the table of the house, and which we all had read,
turns over a well-thumbed passage, and asks the first Mi-
nister whether it is a fact that there is still some possibi-
lity of renewed negotiations on the great subject of peace
or war. To do the noble lord justice, I must say that he
showed the' most uncompromising courage on that occa-
sion, for he did not inform the right hon. gentleman that
there was the slightest ground for thinking anything of the
kind. But nothing would satisfy the appetite for suppres-
sion that characterised the conspirators on that occasion.
Although the noble lord did not give the slightest ground
for believing that a discussion would interfere with any
negotiations whatever, another noble lord, influenced also
by those social feelings to which I before alluded
—(a laugh)—with a naivete and simplicity which cannot
be sufficiently admired, gave the house the very necessary
information that he had engaged to second the motion
of the right hon. member for Manchester, but that
really after the question of the right hon. member for the
University of Oxford, although it remained unanswered
by the Prime Minister, it would be totally impossible for
him to fulfil his promise. (Laughter.) Well, in a very
short time it was found out that there was to be no debate
on the great question of peace or war before the Whitsun-
tide holidays which were then impending, and I, still in-
fluenced by the convictions *which I have on the subject,
believing that the conduct of her Majesty's Ministers in
respect to this question is open to suspicion and distrust,
and that if not vigilantly watched and carefully controlled,
it may lead to consequences most perilous to the honour
and interests of this country, I felt it my duty to give that
notice, which now, sir, I shall have the honour of placing
in your hands. (Hear.) These are the simple reasons for
giving that notice. It is a notice limited to the issue at-
tempted to be expressed in the resolution, and if it be one
involving a question of confidence or censure on the Go-
vernment, let it not be said that it has been hastily given,
or that honourable members have not had sufficient no-
tice. The motion has, on my part, arisen from the cir-
cumstances of the hour ; the Government offices have had
the same notice as my friends, becausel should be ashamed
if I had attempted to take her Majesty's Ministers by sur-
prise. Not having confidence in the Government on any
subject, the nearness of the Whitsuntide holidays would
alone have impelled me to give a notice of a comprehen-
sive character, and of this notice, which has arisen from
the circumstances of the hour, I shall now briefly attempt
to explain the purport. I think that the conduct of the
Government, with respect to the question of peace or war,
has been uncertain, while their language has been ambiguous;
and I think that that uncertainty and doubthaa been occa-
sioned by a peculiar combination of circumstances, which
I shall endeavour to point out to the house to-night ; and
if the house be of my opinion, I hope it will join me in ar-
resting a coarse of policy which, if it continue, must fall most
injuriously on this country. But I ask them to do something
else. I ask them, when uncertainty of conduct so prevails,
when ambiguities of phrase are so rife, that it shall, in a
manner which may not be mistaken, declare to the country
that with regard to this war their opinions have not
changed, nor is their spirit daunted. (Loud cheers.) I
trust that, while they disapprove of the language and con-
duct of. Government—while they are resolved if possible to
destroy what is the cause of this ambiguous language and
this uncertain conduct, they aro at the same time ready to
carry on this war until its great object has been secured
and an honourable peace attained, and with the view that
such feelings may be expressed I shall attempt to-night to
obtain a clear expression of the opinion of the House of
Commons, and also if possible—although with less hope—
one from her Majesty's Ministers. (A laugh.) Having
made these observations on the cause and objects of my
proposition, let me, before I enter into severer research, re•
vert to the observations made by the noble lord on a former
evening. when I gave this notice. The noble lord made a
good-humoured tee quoque—and a tee quoque should always
he good-humoured because it has nothing else to recommend
it (alaugh)—on the faree which was performing, intimating
to the house that there was some concert between me and
the hon. member for Aylesbury, because he relinquished
to me the place for which he had a prior claim. Now, I
beg to say that I had no communication whatever on the
subject with the hon. gentleman. I cannot say that, if I
had casually met him in the lobby, I should have refrained
from communicating with him, as hon. members have
often given up their notices in cases of this kind, but it
so happened that I did not meet him. I say this because
Ido not want it to be thought that there was anything
extraordinary in my having communication with the hon.
member or any one else in the house, for so long as I am a
member of this house, I hope to maintain that frank com-
munication with any member of Parliament which, what-
ever may have been my errors, has always distinguished
my conduct. (Hear, hear.) So far as the hon. member
for Aylesbury is concerned, I have known him from child-
hood, and always. have had the greatest confidence in his
abilities and character. His abilities have since be-
come European, and his fame has justified my
opinion, and I have no doubt that whatever may
be the unfortunate circumstances that have prejudiced
many against him in this house, which I deplore, and of
which I disapprove, the time will come when, with his
talents and disposition, lie will have outlived those pre-
judices, although I will say frankly to him that I believe
they have a fair fountlaion. Neither the hon. member nor
the house will misunderstand my observations. I should not
have made them but that I have heard he is about to vote
against my motion. I hope, however, that no genleman
will vote against my motion until he has heard the debate
which is about to ensue. (Laughter.) I think that the sub-
ject is a little too grave and important for the leaders of
• party on either side to count noses with accuracy. We are
about to-night to discuss no common subject. We are
going to scrutinies and examine the conduct of high per-
sonages, who are entrusted with most solemn duties, and
on whose performance of those duties depends the great-
ness of this country, and. the happiness and prosperity of
its people. (Cheers.) He would not be a bold, he would
be a shameless man, who could say before this discussion
closes that his vote was registered for any man or for any
party. (Opposition cheers.) I shall now recal to the recollec-
tion of the house circumstances which will require no great
exertion of the memory. lam not going to ask them to
go back
hi
to the passage of the Pruth or the declaration of
ar
My criticisms to-night on public transactions will
refer to recent dates, although I admit that without know-
ledge of the circumstances that preceded them it would be
impossible to form a correct or solemn judgment. But,
although my canvas is ao small, I shall
commence at the
installation of the chief minister opposite in office—that
glorious epoch for the country, (A laugh.) One cannot
but remember the triumphant cheer of the nation, and
the crown of Parliamentary laurel which encircled' that
reverend brow. There was the Minister at last who could
vindicate the honour of the country; there was at
last, the Minister who could carry on war like Chet-
ham, and maintain his principles in this house like
Pitt ; there was the man who, backed by an enthusiastic
people, was to redeem the falling State. (Opposition
cheers.) I remember on that occasion, when the first fer-
vour had a little subsided—when men began to cease as it
were to feel, and to commence to think—that a member of
this house rose in his place, and asked a significant inter-
rogatory. lam sure the house could_ not for a moment
anticipate who would be the first—whose would be the
sagacious mind that would anticipate the fast dissipating
enthusiasm—who would be the first man in this house who
would begin to occupy that future position in which he
was to save the country, or disturb the Minister. The
right honourable member for Carlisle rose to ask a question.
(Loud laughter.) The right hon. gentleman in a moment
of thoughtlessness—(laughter)--had the
forgotten to leave
Cabinet when Lord Aberdeen retired, but it was one of
those moments of amiable weakness to which all are sub-
ject, and which persons in opposition will most readily
Pardon. But the right honourable gentleman, when he
ook Lis place in the gangway, when he surveyed the
seeyeirstothrough his sagacious eye, after those thirty-seven
„mai variable fortune, which he appealed to the other
a veryng& ta tarally remembered that a few years back—but
who were Zearav back—assisted by his eminent lieutenants
Minister of tsiiesiting near him, he had impeached the First
foreign affairs . The on account of his conduct in our
at. least a firebraa noble lord was then, if not a traitor,
morable Parkiamenta
and we can all perfectly recal the me-
ofre.contest which ended in the triumph
the noble lord—a treeseol
twined so much by. the nu b. I am bound to say, not at-
er..of his friends as by his own
distinguished prowees.
,remembering the right hon. gentleman
rose, and remembering all thisir that foreige
polity was the weak point of the noble remembering,
too, that he had failed in turning the nobld,
for theel out of the
nobletrod Opp.-
Cebinet (which was a duty reserved
ed the
site, his colleague, who iu an adjourned debate,
uagtttehe
-
n
object which the right lion. gentleman did not succeed in
accomplishing), the right hon. gentleman,ruelinh oa very em. berl
past, rose in his place, and in a not very f
tine house, ce having just left that seat in the Cabinet
willich is now so worthily filled by his right hon. enecelsor
(81r C. Wood), anti which was still warm with the ample
esence of the right hon. baronet—(alaugh)--reldressed an
-inquiry to the noble lord, whether in the new Government,
6f which he had himself been so recently a member,f. there
"ma to be any change in the principle of theirdo otreedigbnptircyd
--whether the policy recommended and a
eki_. le Cabinet was to be followed out,
saa" whether there was to be any change
and,pin theatermsbyove aall
uponet,editions which the new plenipotentiary was to insist
ill lee et*
entieenita,gi, la,ting for peace at Vienna ? The right hon.
but that sat "`clear
noble lord ''l°l3.
w" in a moment dispelled when the
had some suspicion upon th;subject,
re" 844 laid that he identified himself and his