The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENr.

11017 SE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOS, took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented petitions in
favour of a better observance of the Sabbath.
Lord SONDES presented a petiticn from Faversham,
in Kent, in favour of a measure making marriage with
a deceased wife's sister legal.
On the motion of Lord REDxsDALE, the lloarwithy
Bridge Bill was read a third time and passed.
THE VIENNA CONFERENCE.
The Earl of MALMESBURY rose to put some qtses-
tons to the Foreign Secretary. He said—l gave notice
to my noble friend yesterday of. my intention to put
some questions to him to-day relative to the state of the
negotiations at Vienna. lam sure that my noble friend
and every member of your lordships' house will give me
• and noble lords around me credit for having abstained
from taking any course which would be embarrassing to
her Majesty's Government, and from putting any ques-
tions on this subject, for we all felt the
immense import-
. auce of the negotiations which were proceeding, and we
all indulged in the hope that they might lead to an hon-
ourable
and a lasting peace. But yesterday the irapres-
s"oe on the public mind was that all hope of such a ter-
mination had ceased, that the negotiations were broken
off, and that the inevitable consequence was that we had
entered on a war campaign for the second time. My
wish was to ask such questions as I thought would elicit a
correct repressntation of the state of the negotiations at
Vienna, and I find that in another place I have been
anticipated by a member of Parliament, and that the
Prime Minister has announced to the House of Com-
mons what the state of the negotiations is at present. If
I may allude to what has passed in another place, I un-
derstand that there is now no longer a hope of inducing
Russia to accept tse-prepositions made by the Western
Powers, and which propositions were, as I understood,
assented to by Austria. It appears that the Western
Powers proposed to negotiate on the four poin ts laid down
on the Bth Aug. as the basis of negotiations, and your
lordships will recoLect that the four points were rounded
on the following principles. The first, with respect to the
protectorate of the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia,
insisted that the protection of these provinces should be
under the five powers instead of Russia alone. The
second point insisted on the freedom of the Danube.
The third, as explained by the noble lord and M. Drouyn
de l'Huys, insisted that the preponderance of Rus-
sia in the Black Sea should be made to cease. The
fourth point had regard to the protection of the Chris-
tian religion and the Christians in the Ottoman empire,
and provided that the five Powers should protect them
from all interference. I conclude that at Vienna the
conference began on the first point, and I ask my noble
friend whether Russia has agreed to this first point, and
has entered into the same views on it as England and
France 1 I wish to ask, secondly, whether on the
second point my noble friend has met any difficulty on
the part of Russia ? I understand, from what was said
by the Minister in another place, that it was on the
third point that the negot'ation broke off. It appears
that the proposition consisted of two alternatives.
The plenipotentiaries of- England, France, Austria,
and Turkey proposed as a mode of making to cease
the preponderance of Russia in the Black Sea—a
principle which had been admitted and accepted by
Russia--either that the amount of the Russian naval
force in the Black Sea should henceforth be limited by
treaty, or that the Black Sea should be declared neutral
ground entirely, and that all ships of war of all COllll-
- should be excluded from it, so that it should be
henceforth a commercial sea only. It appears, there-
fore, that there were two alternatives offered to the
Russian Government, and that the Russian Government
had refused both, and have made no counter proposition,
The proposition made _by England arid France had been
refused, and we are now engaged in a long war. Though
I deeply regret that some means has not been ftiund to
secure an honourable and a lasting peace, when I con-
sider the propositions that have now been explained, I
cannot say that I regret the negotiations have been
broken off. With respect to the second alternative, that
of making the Black Sea a commercial and a neutral one,
that is, perhaps, rather a Utopian view, but I cannot con-
ceive that the first alternative originated with France or
England, and I must regard it as an Austrian proposi-
tion. If the proposition to limit the Russian fleet in the
Black Sea was made simply as stated in the noble vis-
count's speech, I cannot conceive what guarantee there
would be for its maintenance. If each of the four
Powers should have a certain number of ships in the
Black Sea as well as Russia, the treaty might be made
effective, but I do not see any material guarantee for the
observance of this stipulation. Even supposing we had
consuls in the Black Sea, would not Russia in a few
years gradually but surely exceed the number agreed to,
and it your consuls reported that such was the case, do
you believe that, after a few years, this country would
make such a breach of agreement a cause of war ? There
was no security whatever for the observance of the stipu-
lation. As far therefore as these propositions could be
met he saw no reason to regret that Russia had not ac-
ceded to them, for eventually her power would not
have been diminished. There was another ques-
tion. On the Bth of August, when the four points
were laid down, it was agreed that Prussia was to be
one of the protecting powers. Considering what the
couduct of Prussia had been, he asked whether it was
now contemplated that she should be one of thos.-
protecting powers ? It appeared to him that, with the
animus which Prussia had shown, should these D mu-
bian provinces find fault with any oppression, her vote
would not be found on the side of the Western Powers.
I think I have a right, also, to ask my noble friend
whether he will not be prepared as soon as possible to
lay before the house longer and more detailed explana-
tions than be is likely to give to the questi,ms I have
now put 1 We have had no official correspondence, no
documentary evidence, and no positive information rela-
tive to the negotiations which have been going on. The
country has now a right to explanations, now that these
negotiations have ceased, and now that we are going to
enter on another campaign-41-le country has a sight to
heinformed for what we are going to fight, for what we
are about to make war, and what the Government re- -
gard as a sine qua non to a treaty of peace. (Hear.)
The Eari of CLARENDON—I freely admit my obli-
gations to the house, and I beg to offer my be-t ac-
knowledgments not only to my noble friend but to your
lordships for the forbearance which has been shown, and
for the desire which has been evinced not to interfere
- with the negotiations which have been going on for some
time past. I am ready also to admit that my noble
friend is by no means premature in asking for the infor-
mation-he has require t this night on the subject, and
indeed if he had not given me the opportunity I should
have felt it my duty to state to the house the condition
in which these negotiations at present stand. It is en-
tirely true that the conference at Vienna has been ad-
journed sine die in consequence of the rejection by the
Russian plenipotentiary of the proposition either to re
strict the fleet of Russia within certain limits in the
Black Sea, or to reduce the Black Sea to the con-
dition of a neutral sea, only open for commereal pur-
poses. My noble friend has stated to your lordships
the character of the four bases of negotiations. These
bases were all frankly—it was said—accepted by the
Russian Government, and the third contained the
proposition that the preponderance of Russia in the
"Neck Sea should cease. My noble friend is also true in
!fat assumption that the bases were discussed in the order
in which they stood numerically' and to the first and
second Russia virtually aco.ded. When the third basis
came under discussion the represeetatteee of the Allied
Powers, to prove that they desired to consult her dignity
and feelings, proposed to the Russian representative to
take himself the initiative. The Russian plenipotentiary
acknowledged this courtesy, and asked for time to con-
sider what course he should adopt. That time was given
him, but in the meanwhile we tried to go on with the
discussion. The answer at last arrived, and it was that
the Russian Government had no proposition to make.
The representatives of the Allied Powers on the following
city brought lanyard their -p and the Russian
plenipotentiary asked for 24 hours' time,r and on Satur-
day last he announced the
took place
ece on s rejection of the
proposal. This only Saturday
present
last, and
that is all the information I have theat
rev
received
mo-
menta to communicate, except that we have
telegraphhic message stating that Lord John Russell
had left Vienna. (Hear.) With respect to the position
which Prussia will occupy, I can only say that the posi-
tion which she has occupied since the opening of these
negotiations, and has continued, has exempted her from
the conference and from all those arrangements. With
respect to the other point, as to the consequences which
might be expected from her in relation to the Danubian
provinces,
I do not think that at this moment it would
be convenient to enter on the discussion of that subject,
nor until your lordships are fully in possession of all the
information we possess, and which, I assure you, her
Majesty's Government will lay before you at the earliest
period consistent with a due regard for the public ser-
vice. (Hear.)
The Earl of HARDWICKE—I wish to know some-
- thing of the position of Austria at this moment. (Hear.)
We see that country in the position like a party in the
other house of Parliament, ready to play any game, and
' t avail itself of the support of one side or the other.
"is a position of great eminence, dignity, and power
which Austria has placed herself in—in possession of two
1:::13.!", and enabled to hold language of dictation,
414114,r:rive the support of England and France
land „I varisa, or the support of Russia against Er/g-
-lum:ding posi;!toce- (Hear, hear.) Holding that coin-
anexieey to
aseen,the country is looking with the deepest
cad give
s.os:st Information her Majesty's.
G The Earl
of
the
treaty
of Austria.
of CLA
aware of the terms REND°N—our lordships are
vernment of the 2d De.eemnes,
will depart from Y with the Austrian Go-
think that AustriaDeceoober, and I have no reason to
etoilpYrZysel
treaty. (Hear, hear.) a cs, the terms of that
last Austria appears to have tyhtabtooslla Ferilday
(silage as the representatives hel
Turkey ; and it was only inssaoeesesgtiaoTpl'eaPceann'sernte'b,.aianlld-
made on the bases agreed upon that Austria en to- be
called on to consult on the
principles laid down by the
tingeney has not yet arri con.
what course Austria will , say
for her decision. 'rive
The subject here dropi
THE CAMBRIDG
Tap LORD CHANC] • -sittal
of this bill pro finsea, to . which
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c, ' bad been suggested, and in of the
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