The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-26 00:00:00

PRIVATE BILLS.

A large number of private billo wore brought i❑ by
Mr. BROTHIZTON, and read a first time.

APPEARANCE OF THE HOUSE.
When the SPLUCIA took the chair the attendance of
members was not more than usually large, but as the
hour of public business approached (half-past four)
the benches on both sides began to fill rapidly. The
subordinates of the Government were early in their
places, while Mr. Halter, " the whip," was here, there,
and e►erywhere, chatting with members ; no doubt upon
the passing ministerial changes, and sounding them upon
the view they were disposed to take of Lord John
Russell's resignation, or the motion of Mr. Roebuck.
The strangers' gallery, the Speaker's gallery, the distin-
guished strangers' gallery, and the seats beneath
them were choked up with visitors, as were also
the seats usually appropriated to peers. The two side
galleries were filled with members, particularly the one
facing the Treasury benches—while judging. from the
sound of voices which came from that immediate
quarter we should may the ladies' gallery was not with-
ont its fair share of occupants. Mr. Disraeli, attended
by the leading members of the Opposition, came in
about 20 minutes past four o'clock, and soon after-
wards Lord John Russell, accompanied by Mr. Vernon
Smith, came in and took a seat on the third
bench behind the Treasury bench, being the bench
which Sir P. Baring, Mr. Labouchere, and the other
members of the old Whig party out of office had already
appropriated to themselves. Some shirt interval
elapsed before Lord Palmerston, Sir J. Graham, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir G. Grey, and the
other members of the Government holding seats in the
Cabinet came in, but by this time both sides of the
house had become completely thronged, as there was
evidently a manifest impatience to hear the explana-
tion that had already been promised, and no doubt
was looked forward to out of doors with equal anxiety.
The Secretary of War was not in his place, which led
to several questions connected with the war being post-
poned until Monday.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S
EXPLANATION.

On the motion that the order of the day be read for
the purpose of postponement,
Lord J. RUSSELL rese and said—Sir, at the
request of soy noble friend at the head of her Ma-
jesty's Government, I have postponed until this
day the statement which I wish to make with re-
'petit to my resignation of the office which
I lately had the honour of holding—that of President of
the Council. I will go at once, Sir, into the matter,
fearing that the statement I have to make may be
longer than I could wish. (Hear, hear.) On Tuesday
last when I was present in this house an honourable
and learned gentleman, the member for Sheffield, gave
notice of a motion for a select committee to inquire into
the condition of the array before Sebastopol. Sir, of
course I had thought it probable that some member would
move for an inquiry of this kind. I hal not, however,
fully considered the course which I had taken, that of
course depending very much upon the nature of the mo-
tion and the quarter from whence it came. The hen.
and learned gentleman the member for Sheffield, evi-
dently from the position he hal already taken could
have no hostility to the Government—(hear, hear)—
and I conceive, therefore, that in making that motion
the hon. member could have no other object to attain
than that which we all must have in view, namely, the
vigorous prosecution of the war. (Hear, hear.) Now,
sir, with respect to the power of inquiry, it is
the most valuable privilege of this house. This
house has the power of dictating the measures
which may be taken for carrying on hostilities ; but
by the power of inquiry it corrects abuses, it refines
mal-administration. A motion for inquiry, how-
ever, may be resisted upon two grounds—the
one that there are no evils existing of sufficient
magnitude to call for inquiry ; the other that
sufficient means have been taken to remedy these evils,
and to prevent any resort to the inquisitorial powers of
the house. (Hear, hear.) Now, with respect to the
first of these reasons it is obviously impossible
V) say that evils do not exist. (Loud cheers.) No one can
deny the melancholy condition of our army before
Sebastopol. (Opposition cheers.) The accounts we
read from that quarter are not only painful, but
horrible and heartrending—(hear, hear, hear) —and I am
sure no one would nana fo, at moment in sanctioning
ae:," Step which might lead to a mitigation of those evils.
(Cheers.) Sir, I must say there are some things in con-
nection with the war known to me from the official
knowledge to which I have had access which to my mind
are inexplicable. The state of the army is inexplicable
to me, for if I had been told as a reason against the
expedition to the Crimea last year that our troops would
be only seven miles from the sea—only seven miles from
a secure port—and yet in want of food, eh:thee, and
shelter, to such a degree as to cause them to perish at
the rate of DO or 100 in a day, I should have considered
such a prediction utterly preposterous. (Hear, hear.)
We all, however, know the melancholy result, and it
was not, therefore, by denying the existence-of the
°vile that I could hope to induce the house to
reject the proposition of the honourable and
learned member for Sheffield ; but, el:, I had further to
consider whether I was in a position not to give a
faint no to the proposal—not to express in vague
and equivocal terms the wish that the motion
might not be carried, or to use any evasion with
respect to the letter of its terms ; but it was my
duty—a duty I trust I have performed —to con-
sider whether I was in a position to stand the brunto
of the battle, and manfully to take my part in o
the appointment of such a committee. (Rear, hear.)
I found, on reflection, that it was impossible for
urge with effect, and according to my own cease:et:
that objection to the proposal. The house will, I hope'
permit see to refer to some circumstances personal to
myself, although they hardly come within the scope of
tit. statement I am making. (Hear, hear.) 'When
the 3 office of the Secretary of State for War was
separated from the office of Secretary of State
for the Colonies, Lord Aberdeen thought it right
to propose to the Duke of Newcastle to keep which of
the two offices he might desire, and the Duke of New-
castle, with commendable ambition as I think, replied
that having exerted himself in fitting out a very large
expedition, said he should like to remain at the
head of that department in which he had the direc-
tion and general managementt of that expedition. Lord
Aberdeen consented othat wish,fen to. ndhliswalosradlssiolipa
thencon.
eurring party to that appointment.
end
el,
to f
etshpeecsinesnsyiotnhothsee
proceeded to state that at the
various members of the Governm ,
who were members of that house, dispersed, as they
usually did, to different parts of the country for the
pur-
pose of recruiting their physical and mental energies afterVh") fatigues of the session, a course he considered quite
necessary. Tie was one of those who had so gone from
home, and although in an office which precluded his tak-
s r N. ing an active part in the conduct of the war, scarcely a
- , day passed in wh:ch he did not write a letter to and re-
, le „..eie -e-e e cane one from his hon. friend the Secretary of State for
tr --`. . (-.-
%pa:... - A
5, . .
,X,--..1 i
.1, Tlegn Affairs with respect to the occurrences which
fti.ii
~..
.0444',-,... daily taking place. (Hear, hear.) It had been said
*
e 1, ~,,44,f--1/4-I‘`, AA .le had gone lecturing ahem. the country at

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