The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

noble lord who has also filled that situation, whether, of all
the business to be brought before Cabinets, there was not
_ .

the greatest difficulty in obtaining for colonial business a very
small portion of that very small period of time which the
Ministers generally can spare from their individual depart.
ments to the collective discussion and consideration of pub-
lic affairs. The reason is this—because there were always
pressing upon every Cabinet matters more urgent with re-
gard to immediate Parliamentary discussion, and more in-
teresting to parties nearer at hand, and therefore, practi-
cally, the colonial business is more exclusively in the hands
of the Colonial Minister than the home business is in the
hands of the Home Secretary of State, or the foreign busi-
ness in those of the Foreign Secretary. Hence, of all Mi-

nisters whose absence from the country would cause incon-
venience to their departments, I believe the Colonial Mini-
ster is the one whose absence would cause the greatest. I
am told that, in consequence of the absence of Lord John
Russell, the duties of the Colonial-office are for a time to
be undertaken by a right hon. gentleman of very great abi-
lity and experience, but who also fills the office of Home
Secretary. Now, I know something of the duties of the
Colonial Department. I know that if not almost overwhelm-
ing, they are quite sufficient to occupy the attention of one
Minister ; but from what I have seen of the business and
duties of the Home Secretary, I would say they were infi-
nitely more important, requiring every moment of time
that the Minister can devote to them. Ido not mean to
say that there are not two ways of doing business. One
mode is not doing it all (a laugh), leaving everything in
arrear, and thus making an easy berth of any office ; but
if the Secretary of State does his duty, as I know Sir G.
Grey does his, the Home-office, I am sure, is enough to
absorb the whole attention of any one minister. (Hear.)
The right hon. gentleman, it is generally believed, and re-
gretted wherever it is believed, is not in very strong health,
andlupon that account alone, before the late changes in the
Government, it was supposed he was desirous to retire
from the conduct of public business ; but were he the
strongest madkin England, in mind and in body, I say it is
absolutely impossible that for any lengthened period he
should continue to discharge the combined duties of Home
Secretary and Colonial Secretary, and attend besides to his
parliamentary duties. (Hear.) Time and physical energy
are absolutely impossible to equal the duties and labours
which would be imposed by such a situation. Of course,
all this turns upon a question of time. (Hear.) If Lord
J. Russell's absence from this country is likely to be one
of very short duration, of course the inconvenience is ma-
terially less ; but, however short it may be, let me point
out, with reference to the state of the colonial business at
the present moment, several important questions that are
absolutely in abeyance in consequence of the absence of
the Colonial Secretary. I do not refer to the delay—
though that, too, is a matter of considerable importance—
in coming to a decision with regard to any answer to be re-
turned to the various offers of pecuniary and military as-
sistance which have been received from the colonies. One
of the members of the Government had stated in this house
that that is a question which must wait for the return of
Lord John Russell. But, at the present, moment, I have
a letter, giving a most serious account, which ought
to be the subject of the greatest anxiety to the
Government of the state of that colony, which
is not unconnected wish the question that has
just been discovered—l allude to the colony of Victoria. I
do believe that the state in which that colony is at the pre-
sent moment, partly arising from the difficulties relative to
the gold-licenses, and partly from the course taken by the
Colonial-office here, with regard to the removal of convicts
from one colony to another, is such as to cause the deepest
anxiety to those who watch the progress of the colony, and
imperatively requires the earnest and immediate attention
of the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department.
Again, in the colony of the Cape of Good Hope we are
threatened with a renewal of the Kafir war ; but these
is no Secretary of State to attend to the business
of that department, and it is quite impossible that,
the Home Secretary can be conversant with the de-
tails. Sir George Grey happens to have colonial ex-
perience, and so far he is better qualified than most
people to deal with these questions, if he could deal with
them in conjunction with his own department. Again there
is the whole range of the Australian colonies, which have
been acting upon the power you gave them the year before
last to form constitutions for the management of their
respective governments. The whole of these constitutions
have been returned by the legislature of these colonies to
this country to wait for the adoption, acceptance, or refusal
of the Colonial-office. In consequence of the absence of the
Colonial Secretary, all these constitutional questions must
rest in abeyance, and the colonies most remain uncertain as
to what were to be their future constitutions. Every day,
individuals connected with these colonies, and deeply inter-
ested in them, are coming here froth the remotest parts of
the world for the purposes of communicating withtheSecre-
tary of State upon matters of the utmost importance to
themselves and to the societies to which they belong. They
come here ; their time is limited ; they find the Colonial
Secretary absent, and no under-secretary even appointed ;
and—having perhaps come from the Antipodes—they are
probablyobligedtoreturn withouthavinghadanopportunity
of laying their case before the Secretary of State. Again,
questions are rising every day in the House of Commons of
deep interest, upon which it may be necessary to address
queries to the Government, and to the Minister espe-
cially charged with the colonial department. There is no
Colonial Secretary in the House of Commons; there is no
under-secretary appointed at the present moment; and I
believe the appointment of such au official, even if he could
discharge the duties of the department, which he cannot,
depends upon the decision of Lord J. Russell himself, ho
being at Vienna, and not having at present made any ap-
pointment. Of course, as I have already said, this ques-
tion altogether depends upon the probable duration of Lord
John Russell's absence. Ido not know that I should have
brought it forward at the present moment, if I did not
hear that, after the noble lord has been absent a fortnight
from this country, preparations are being made for the
removal to Vienna of the whole of his family—the whole
of his establishment, including some very young children
—who are to travel so liesurely that the journey to Vienna
is, I understand, to occupy seven days. (A.laugh.) That,
at all events, does not indicate an expectation of an imme-
diate return to this country. (Hear, hear.) I would not
be sorry if the stay of the noble lord at Vienna should
be a lengthened one. If the conferences are to be broken
up without effecting their object, of COU.I.SOLord John Rise-
sell will return to this country, but certainly his family ar-
rangements do not appear to warrant that view of the case,
on the contrary, they would rather lead us to hope thathe
will be engaged in very protracted negotiations, with at
least some prospect, though that is mote than I expect, of
his being able to conclude a satisfactory peace. But if theme
negotiations are to go on, it was impossible that the present
arrangement with respect to the Colonial-officecan continue,
or that the country can allow the greater part of the session
to pass without a Colonial Secretary or an under-secretary
in the House of Commons. That is not treating Parliament,
rightly—it is not treating the country rightly, above all,
it is not treating the colonies rightly, wisely, orjudiciously.
You will create an unfavourable impression in all our de-
pendencies if you show to the world that an office of such
immense importance as the Secretaryship of the Colonies
may be accepted by a minister who had actually left the
country, and held by a minister who, being resident
in Vienna, is physically unable to discharge its duties. It
is upon these considerations that I have thought it my
duty to bring this subject before your lordships. Ido not
knew whether I shall be able to put my question in a de-
finite form ; but I shall ask the noble earl the President
of the Council whether he can hold out to us any expecta-
tion with regard to the probable period of Lord John Rus-
sell's return; and, if he is unable to do so, within what time
the Government would think it reasonable and necessary
that some permanent arrangement should be made for en-
trusting the duties of the Colonial-office to a secretary of
state resident in this country, and not employed in the
protracted negotiations at Vienna. (Hear, hear.)
Earl GRANVILLE.—I feel great satisfaction that
the noble earl seems to agree with the opinion enter-
tained by the country relative to the importance of the
mission accepted by Lord John Russell. I believe it
is universally admitted that the difficult and delieate
duty could not have been entrusted to safer hands,
and I believe, also, that the appointment of the noble
lord is regarded as a pledge and proof to Europe that the
English Government are perfectly sincere in their endea-
vours to obtain as early a peace as possible, provided it
can be concluded upon safe and honourable terms. Under
these circumstances, I think it would have been the most
injurious measure possible if, when Lord John Ruseell had
already visited the Court of the Tuileries, on his way to
Berlin and Vienna, he had been suddenly recalled. It is,
perhaps, using a strong word, but it appears to me that
such a recall, after the delay which had taken place in cork'
sequence of the Ministerial crisis, would have been nothing
less than a breach of national faith. As to the second
point referred to by the noble earl, whether the offer of
the Colonial-of ace on the part of Lord Palmerston, and the
acceptance of it on the part of Lord John Russell, was or
was not justifiable, I myself cannot have the slightest
doubt. We had seen the difficulty of forming a Govern-
ment strong enough to maintain its position. Even the
noble earl opptaite had given an example of how much in
theso.sort of crisis;-personal and party feelings required to
be sacrificed for' the sake of the public interests ; and I do
think it was right for Lord Palmerston to secure, when
his Government had lost the services of several eminent
men, the additional strength which could not fail to be im-
parted to his Administration by the adhesion of so distin-
guished a statesman as Lord J. Russell. With respect to
the inconvenience which may result from the absence of
Lord J. Russell, the noble earl stated that he was perfectly
aware that formally and technically any secretary of state
could discharge the duties of the Colonial-office. Now, I
think if those duties had been imposed either upon the
Secretary for War or the Secretary for Foreign Affairs
—if, in addition to his ordinary office, either of them
had been asked not only to transact the business of the
colonies, but to make himself master of all the ques-
tions connected with that department of the executive
—he must utterly have broken down in the attempt ;
but the person to whom the charge of the colonial busi-
ness has been committed for a limited time is a right
honourable gentleman who has the whole matter at his
finger's end, and who had conducted the administration
of that department up to within three weeks of the accept-
ance of office by Lerd J. Russell. No one belonging to the
Government can maintain that this is defensible as a per-
manent arrangement. As the noble earl said, it is a. ques-
tion of time. Lord J. Russell has gone to Vienna for the
purpose of attempting to negotiate a treaty of peace. If it
unfortunately happens, as the noble earl has himself stated,
that these negotiations shall be broken off at once, there
can be no doubt that Lord J. Russell will immediately re-
turn, and that his absence from London will be of short
duration ; but if a more happy turn be given to affairs, I
can assure the noble earl that the delay will not bo so great
as he supposes. Lord J. Russell goes to discuss and settle
the great and general principles upon which a treaty of
peace may be concluded. If these aro agreed to, I do not
think it is desirable that LordJ.Rttssell himself should stay
dtering that time to finish all the details, and merely forward
matters connected with the treaty ; and therefore I am jus-
tified in thinking, as at present informed, thatthe noblelord
will be able to be back in this country byjEaster at furthest.
In the meantime, I believe no inconvenience whatever has
been felt. I think Sir G. Grey is the person who has a
ever undertakeeomplain. It is an arduous duty thrown upon him
right to
—a duty, as the noble earl has said, which no person could
but so far from atae pecarbrainaantetnocywwhiiothh
Ifahiarvn
oestshotohhimself
to;
already
indisposition to consider colonial
business, we have
important decisions
two meetings upon that
Sir G. Grey has not shwruhnileof
require
subject, two very
_drecisions have been taken, and
acting without any delay
wore
immediate attention.
upon those questions
modes of doing busi-
mian in this country
The noble earl said there Nv
_s. more patient or
mess ; but I am sure that there inwnoe
who, till his health does break down
map
one which can be
snore conscientious in the discharge of his duties than the
Secretary for the Home Department. (Hear, hear.) With
to the void 1.
.;utttce,itthaist mnoa or may not become
aea,, Ass present state in this country, In all
matters of routine the business of the Colonial-office
is going on as usual. In some important questions deci-
sions have been taken, and where inconvenience
no can
arise from a short delay of one week communications are
Rus-
sell at Violl4ll. With respect to tho Cape of Good Hops
exchanged between Sir George Grey and Lord John Rus-