The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-20 00:00:00

lATPEkTAi, ARLIA-;.TENT.

1100 SP ter,
COMAIONS—(YESTERDAY.)
MD"rOURNED DEBATE ON MR. ROEBUCK'S
MOTION.
(Continued from our third edition of yesterday.)
.I'he ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Well, then, I must
Le° urea* I cannot understand the course that the lion-
'rable member for Sheffield intended to pursue.
t.nought the attack that bad been made
Upon the
, noble lord at the head of the Government
:4_(l pen
anything but fairly dealt with. He had not
the it a present position in which he was placed, hut
rc
sid t been forced upon him by the country and the err-
tawn:ances that had taken place ; and was it justice, he
_il_d ask, to visit-which was the object of the present
"011-the pins of the late Government upon the
?•prhitt,lio noble lord at the heal of the Government ?
t,rft h: n. and learned gentleman then proceeded to refer
report of the Sebastopol Committee, in which it
^6l tated that the eulpab lity for much of what was
rt_fr`red by the army was charted up to the late Lord
Ho That,l he of the
e. d continue( , was the opinion .
learned member for Sheffield ; but now that
the illustrious general had fallen a victim to his devotion
Kettles public service, the honourable and learned
rndian came down to the '',erne and passed
torn• ta 9 eulogiuna on the merits of the departed
torn
finding that the late noble and gallant
e.nse ral could no longer be hell
responsible for his alleged
deeds the hon. member for Sheffield turned round
&ail charged those misdeeds upon the Government. He
cfmtended that to turn round upon a Government which
lad now for so long a time prosecuted the war success
mull
tand triumphantly, simply up
some statements
tathe in report of a Parliamentary committee, was
iliexpedient and unjust. (Hear, bear, and cheers.)
14,!.! quite considered that when the right hon. member
T 7 dertfordshire brought on his motion it was under
,ireennastras
+es which gave him a perfect right to do 50.,," noble baronet perceived that there were counsels in
the Cabinet which were calculated t pr ,duce timidity,
lof rhea' ()f inspiring c tnfi lence and energy in the conduct
war; ant the noble lord, therefore, broueht fer-
oo-nr`: "'3 Antetion with a view of doing away with these
Inotiosekri Rut when the objectobjectagainst whom his
at oneew4B directed retired fr.,in office, he withdrew it
, (Hear, hear.) The motion before the house
prPiPne,'a,reu motion. to him to be founded upon a very different
'M
•ie PI t- he meant party feeling and factious Opp,.
J n
•ustice and he did hope that the house, out of a sense of
uoc,a, e e
equity, and fairness would give it a decided
(Ch.)
eho r• WHITESIDE was disappointed at the speech of
20 Attorney General. He was in hopes to have heard
(etnlethieg from the learned gentleman upon the subject
wh•
ich the present motion affirmed, and what it con-
If:• leaned: but inetead of that the hon. and learned gen-
ri an had only come forward to support his celleanues,
tr;'" uPholdtheir actions. The hon and learned member
by 60 went othn to decry the course that had been pursued
the. Ad
ministrati
rinlon with respect to the entity in the
on the ea, and referred to evidence that ha I been adduced
„ sow. subjeote He protested a.gainst the censure
had been cast by the noble ins rq tits (Granby)
%pee se
0 Hou.se of Commons and the English people,
eLwas eesrry to see that he had an ally-the
If rightl: n• 'gentleman the First Lerd of the Admiralty.
bens of spoke the sentiments of the whole mem-
tni of th e house when he said that the Sebastopol Com-
seat„tee'' leeport had been drawn up by a noble lord who
ti led to the highest confidence. The great ques
14'u rolved lay in a nutshell. Was, or was not the
arrived rd correct in the conclusions to which he had
eel;, as embodied in the report ? He admitted the
it lord might shake off the responsibility of this rno-
but there was a responsibility to posterity and to
nyvii conscience from which he could not be absolved.
ton
J. RUSSELL-I rise to speak on this
great ques-
n without any wish to diminish or to undervalue its
tre't importance-(hear)--still less to deny or avoid any
Therefore
which I may have to encounter. (Hear )
;111..er,e_f°re I cannot accept, and I hope my noble friend the
tst Lord of the Treasury will not accept the excuse made
034tobseitiolenarned Attorney-General-(loud cheers from the
)-Placed upon the ground that when the cir-
ftir"tanc" in question occurred ho had accepted the post
It iSecrettry of State for the Home Department. (Hear.)
b• rnY latslief that every member of Lord Aberdeen's Ca-
'net ie
h,,e 'and must remain, responsible for the acts that
(Reae--,5° long as he remained a member of the Ministry.
tie, ; pr.) This is a great question-a question of jus•
while ,°f because there can be no doubt that
que 410": eminently a question of justice, it is not a
'minocot fth,j: Justice ce only. (Rear, hear.) The House of
reisd dirl'efl'.in its deliberative capacity, holding the scope,is
P_rea eeiaeSeortfirth' its vote the men ant measures of this
:ught always to consider, tiret -what the
'the effect of the c• se re uires ; anti next, what may be
vote jat. is rquested to affirm, in view of
bet
general interests of the country. I remember well,
thi?.ang told v
- man who was a distingnished member
and(f
iwn
athtso use at the time of the Walcheren expedition,nsm
no friend to that expedition-I mean
iser h• rnan no less distinguished for his Itser.tucsisttliinan,
la talent, and who was not friendly the e
•e!'inent--I remember he told me that he thought the
.6eisiti to by the House cf Commons au th. e sub.
het t. come
for , the Walcheren expedition was a decision in con•
th-nlitY with the wishes of the country. ; because, though
ee° eonntry found much to blame in the character and
uet of that expedition, and of. the ministers who
plane
and carried it out, still that it was the opinion of
esiati.tcnintry that the ministers were eareying n the war
tleinu;vignue and effect on the whole, and that it weuld be
"Tht"mis to the interests of the country to dismiss them
c'tue• I say this as an example fur the course taken.
til-nee.l.louse of Commons having a proper notion of its
111„"Inns• (Hear.) In the first place, as I have said,
13,-11 can be no doubt that this is a question of justice
roan
at it as a question of justice, I must be
(„-nlitted remark on the manner in which the hou. and
(tirri'ea mein') e• for Shade' t stated his case to the house.
3
• or stt.) Nothing can exceed the gravity and importano
'cie decision at which the hon. and learned memb.et: asks
kZlinuse to arrive. (Hear.) According to his ovnio.n-
The-siii will not now stop to dispute or discuse it-Attie a
ee,;(ni to disqualify from power-to exclude from o cer.
then in this house who may have promoted or ca
M;e4n.Y great measure of what is called Liberal policy.
the a enddiesent.) The followers of Earl Grey in catryinip g
Reform Bill' the followers of Sir Robert Peel in.cariy
th; ',llree-trs.de are alike denounced anti disqualified by
Lo.) "• and learned gentleman's motion. (Hear, and
For an hon. and teemed
That
gentleman, who at least
eie(‘fes'es liberal opinions, this is a great step.
atnu" but men whose opinions are opposed to Cfat,h,
eoirpeciPation, to reform, and to free trade-term
soo high,
and ee9es)-be the characters of all others ever
on..
telo neeir talents ever so great, shoal,' be qualifiedfor con-
the thoe'ising e affairs of this great country is the object
wishes
siuto
effeeTja• and learned gentleman proposes anal wis
n.ohe,
"' (Hear.) ' Well, if the issue is to be eo great
I~hould have thought that the hon. and learned g.entleb-
ts,44,,would have cautiously kept within the strict•linel
.f
• t• -g`" and accurac • that he would not have °vet stet et a
-,6.0ne of they charges ; and that, in callin, on the
to come to a decision on them, he would 'nobt
uptretsa,
etesLale unfairly against those whom he was a
„,-c:"; (Hear.) k.ed yet I cannot but observe thato in
"vakin t the- statement of the hon. and learned
tentie 8 313CES
Mali is anything but a fair or correct one. (Hear.)
%instaot nce of is inaccuracy has been noticed b.y may
friend member` for Carlisle. In givitib a
lett4l4on fLord Raglan's letter, my right hon. friend
thite,, rem
%Ili outs as the house will rein'ember, that. the hoe.
It Warned gentleman omitted that part referring to the
exili:ednitaiZr iescence of the Emperor of the French in the
hylklthr. ROEBUCK.-I quoted from the reports drawn up
Lore,, 'noun ber for Tetnes.
t• RUSSELL.-The hon. and learned member
tor:- f'.lo have hail it iu the evidence--(cbeers)-and there.;
eehr: 'a mercy, if not in justice, he should have givers to tfcarcut.
(ell; are accused the benefit of what he knew to be h
bae,e7k) But the hon. and learned gentleman accuses the
fr th-uiBr6 of Lord Aberdeen's C +billet with being a
ks
°4-1,'"(lon with some few exceptions. I will spea by
ate'l.4l- 'le of this charge. The hon. and learned gentleman
!ie;l " let them di like sheep. They suffered undert
nht:el "11°u-there was no opportunity of taking them o
their .0 cover them-cold, rain, snow, tempest beat upon
je..
thile!ll'ads, and the Government of her Majesty were
the'n'g their ease while these gallant men were enduring
!4leZtrenee of suffering." Here the helm will perceive
-etelle anti learned gentleman tried to make his
heri4-* and actually. did so, on the ground that while cold,
tor,4l°,l'. and tempest decimated the army, the. members f
Were Aberdeen's Government, with oneexception stated,
4°t at their post. Now, what is the fact 7 Thelptrhore-
ktl'Ori f Parliament took place last year on theh 2was of
tr4te and from that to the I.sth of October t erer h
of
übent, and ;ill vile ready. Was it before the t„
s 0.,4,,r that "cold, hunger. and tempest" afflicted the
•wrii.!,„ Were dwindlet from our posts after thatid,ay,
tl u 3.-" ',le armyd away ? The hon. and learnet, Lmat-
-4 ak4 knows well enough we were not. But knowing that
ket,c.,ertain period of Lord Aberdeen's Government
lug
6,;1eT6 of that government were notin London, and knows;
4,44 ;ere
a 12:that for a certain period cold, hanger, and tempest
,4ted tur troops, the hon. anti learned gentleman, with
nth,' Perverse ingenuity, attachsei the two periods to (tc
tloribi:ud Produced a false application of both
.factsne
nlitii,t4)r the sake of pure justice -as a cherge against those
ll'irelterl• But this is not all. The First Lord of
ithe
ral o,3''howed the house that it was impoesible toe gene-
learn-B;4l'e against the Ministry made by the hon. and
reem;sl gentleman could he, as he had stated that certain
It trli eja"f the Administration might be exempted from it.
irnto,lt be true that certein members of the Cabinet more
art,,,;''tately connected with the supply of the wants of the
l'6BCihjmnul I be more culpable than otners, but it was im-
Tre„ e that the Secretary at War, the First Lord of the
blare:Yr and the First Lord of the Admiralty could be
entide a". if the other members of the Cabinet were to be
ti
for the ill-per formance of their duty. I say,
;10,1 .3 for ;• 4e, that anxious as the hon. and learned gentlemanlif'4'tice, he has misconceived his case-he has so bilS-
Reern,tnettlf, he has so indulged in the sort of pie:satire he
420_1° have in accusation and making charges, he was so
tTiefwr :till: the opportunity of throwing blame, he has
Isky ejT abundance-1 will not say of venom-I will not
taano• Poieen-(laughter)-but of vituperation, that he
from applying it, even though it does not
rectla•
rai;fiYthie-
, 6in favour of his case. I could not help
4(1.1,1ite-rg. the speech of the hon. and learned gentlema.n.
, ) The lion and learned gentleman always dis-
-4,llnirable
a strong mein his speeches. (Laughter.) He begins with
• graung dinm
- effect his e, e places in strong language and.
charge before the house ; he efnedtsswtoithseapn.
Port that peroration ; but with regard to ,t .
Pert
to ellatge, which ought to be abundant, and with
(lleaard.)-°.,,argnineats basedgon those facts, there are none.
• ruidai ',IC speeches have no substance ; they want a.
1,.e. (Laughter.) There are the head and the claws °I
6 bird
ntrew
cutupf PrOY-(langhter)-but the inside is nothing but
I'Peeeh bter.) Such was especially the case with. the
(Lhonand
4tiehter. ) • learned gentleman the other night.
na me, have looked at the precedente in such cases,
onrgel,C4;_ tO See how others in the same predicenueut.a4
!.4,111,1e4 to7red• I read the speech of Mr. Puuseuley,t
eteNr
th 4 ready the
the honourable and learned gentleman, au
speech and charge of Lord Porchester on thee tlio's°'" of the Welcheren expedition ; and I see
the foe,,ei.n!nt men took pains to mardial their facts
house'o to 'cue iation of their arguments, in asking the
4le me te, a couclu.ien. (Hear, hem. ) Has e
flenn ar"ed gentleman done so ? He has not. Hew s
efeet Or ng over with indignation that ho could not stoop to
e. k_r it
over
Indigation, no doubt, may make good
NM ilk
40 rabstitnit for arrant; tad the kou•

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