The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-01 00:00:00

TUE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1864

terested in the difference between Denmark and Germany
without an armistice. I understand that the noble lord
made an announcement to, that effect, and that the propo
sitiem had been accepted by the French Government. I have
myself_ great distrust of Conferences pendcsle lite. It seems
in the nature of things that these efforts should be generally
fruitless, and sometimes productive of great disadvantage,
however .bona fide may be the intentions of those
who go into the councils under such circumstances. It
stands to reason that nothing can be more difficult than to
come to a decision upon events perpetually changing;
and if we study the history, not only of this country,
but of general diplomacy, we shall find that in nine times
out of ten, where conferences for peace have been carried on
during war without an armistice, these conferences have
failed ; because, though there may have been the greatest
anxiety on the part of all present to come to a pacific solu-
tion of affairs, yet when they have arrived at some basis
which promised a satisfactory result a strong place has,
perhaps, been taken, a battle fought, or some individual
who exercises a leading influence on events—a Minister or
a Prince--dies; the whole materials are changed in their
aspect and character, and, with all the efforts exerted to
bring the matter to a conclusion, failure has generally been
the result. But in the present case I confess that I have
more than an abstract objection to a conference pendente lite,
because we have experience of the influence of the present
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under circumstances
of an analogous character, and they are not of a favourable or
flattering nature. (Laughter.) Nine years ago there were
conferences held at Vienna at a time of war, and without
an armistice, with the view of bringing about peace under
circumstances which many considered not unfavourable.
The noble lord, now Foreign Secretary, but not then filling
that office, was, from the force (of circumstances, without
any occupation at the moment. (A. laugh.) He was, there-
fore, chosen by the noble lord the Prime Minister to manage
the negotiation at the Conference Of Vienna, under the
conditions to which I have referred. I need not remind the
house—for it is part of our history—of the amount of indis-
cretion and disaster which was accomplished under these
circumstances. (Hear, hear.) I believe there is no page
in the annals of onr time—at least of the last 25 years—to
which we can look back with less satisfaction. (Hear.) The
noble lord was sent to the Conference to negotiate a peace
without an armistice. He came back to this country to re-
commend to his colleagues that they should accept a peace,
under conditions which were kept completely secret. Sus-
picions were excited in the House of Commons. I myself
was requested by my friends to bring forward a motion
calling the attention of the house to the ambiguity both of
expression and conduct on the part of the Government in
regard to the proceedings which were then taking place.
The Government were vindicated on that occasion by a very
far ee majority—not less than 100 expressing their confidence
e
eotietions of the noble lord and the conduct of her
in the nee
• .are, The noble lord himself appeared in
Majesty's Minis,_
the house and made a -e re powerful speech in favour of
carrying on an uncompromising war against Russia. 1-et
afterwards the secret came out that at :hat very period he
was recommending a peace under conditions which the
disgraceful.
House of Commons, at least, deemed very'
(Hear, hear.) These negotiations at a Conference peedelde
lite led to a change of Ministry in France, and to other cir-
cumstances of very great importance. As far as the Eng.
lish Government were concerned, although they had a
majority of 100 on the vote of confidence before the Whit-
suntide holidays, yet after that brief interval they were in
such a position that the noble lord who conducted thenego-
tiations could save the country only by an ignominious
retreat. (Cheers.) Therefore, speaking both generally and
particularly, there is nothing very encouraging to the
country and the House of Commons in learning that Con-
ferences are to be held with a view of terminating the de-
plorable hostilities in Denmark, and that they are to be
conducted without the preliminary and salutary condition
of an armistice. (Hear.) Besides these objections to the
course which the Government are about to pursue, there is
another reason why I think it my duty to request some in-
formation on this point from her Majesty's Ministers. I dare
say hon. gentlemen have all of them more or less examined
the papers respecting the Schleswig-llolsteinquestion which
we so anxiously urged the Government to produce, and I
doubt not they have observed that the noble lord, who nine
years ago conducted so disastrously and fruitlessly the Con-
ferences at Vienna, now, as Secretary of State for the
Foreign Department, impressed with the difficulties which
every day surround him with regard to the Danish ques-
tion, made a proposal to the French Government. I need
not go into the despatch of the noble lord in September of
last year. It is a despatch very characteristic of the writer,
who, having to encounter very great difficulties, suggests
every feeble expedient that can be imagined. Affairs might
be settled by a Conference; they might be settled by pro-
positions; they might be settled by identic notes, by single
notes, by joint notes, by all that diplomatic rubbish (laugh-
ter) which characterises, to use the happy language of the
noble lord the Primo Minister, a Government of antiquated
imbecility. (Laughter and cheers.) What was the answer
of the French Government ? I have no doubt that hon.
gentlemen are perfectly familiar with the answer of the
French Government, communicated by the English Charge
d'Affaires to Earl Russell, It is No, 126, I think, in the
papers. M. Drouyn do Lhnys speaks with a very intimate
knowledge of the character of the Foreign Secretary. M.
Drouyn do Lhuys had been his colleague at those celebrated
Conferences at Vienna, where he negotiated a peace with-
out an armistice, and had lost, his eminent post in conse-
quence of the arrangements ho then made with the noble
lord. M. Drouyn do Lhuys had also been infrequent com-
munication upon many very important questions with the
noble lord daring the last year or two. Well, what was the
answer of the French Government ? I am sure hon. gentle-
men are familiar with it, for it is really the key to the whole
of this voluminous correspondence, part of which we have
already received. The French Government reply—All
this is very well—these propositions for conferences, for
identic, joint, or separate, notes, these mesas of conveying
to Powers, pursuing a course which we think impolitic and
unjust, our Reuse of their misbehaviour ; but we have not
forgotten that, under your influence and in your company,
we have taken theso measures only recently in regard to
Poland, and what was the result ? It ended in the humi-
liation of both countries—to use M. Drouyn de Lhuys' own
words, which I quote from memory, "in impairing the dig-
nity both of France and England." (Hear, hoar.) There-
fore, say the French Government, we will have nothing to
do with these propositions, we will not interfere with these
things; the Emperor is resolved on this; unless you are
prepared to proceed further and enter into a course of action.
(Hear, hear.) What more legitimate question, therefore,
can we ask, especially before we go into Committee of Sup-
ply, which is the business of to-night, than this—What is
the exact position of this affair ? (Cheers.) If, as the noble
lord tells us, France has listened with favour to the proposal
of a conference, and is ready at last to co• operate with us in
that direction; is it not our first duty to ascertain from the
noble lord on what conditions the assent of France has been
given, and whether the noble lord has agreed with the
French Government to go further and to enter into a course
of action in order to effect a common object in Denmark?
(Hear, hear.) That is a question of vital and urgent impor-
tance. I will assume, however, for the moment, that the
conditions of France have been mentioned and complied
with, that France and England at least have determined to
enter Into a course of action. I say it is also a matter of very
great interest and importance to the House of Commons to
know what that action is intended to effect, and what ob-
ject we are to accomplish, As far as I Can form an opinion,
having listened to n varietyofistatements in both houses from
Ministers of the Crown on this question of Germany and
Denmark, there seems so much inconsistency, so mush con-
trariety, not only of views but facts, that at last I feel quite in
a cloud, and am at a loss to understand if the Government are
going to act, it is that they intend to do. (Hear.) If I am
to believe the noble lord, there is a great and common ob-
ject upon which the Powers are agreed and decided, and
that is to maintain the integrity and independence of Den-
mark. (Hear.) Everybody, according to the noble lord, is
in favour of the integrity and independence of Denmark,
and nobody more so than the Austrian and Prussian Go-
vernments. (A laugh.) It is a great point, especially in
conferences pendente life, that there should be one question
upon which all patties are agreed; but then, unfortunately,
very different meanings are attributed to the phrase ;—"
independence and integrity of Denmark." If, for example,
by maintaining the independence end integrity of Denmark,
you mean a union between the Kingdom and the Duchies,
subsisting merely by the personal tie of being ruled by the
same sovereign, I for ono should say that that, so far from
being an arrangement to secure the object in question, would
produce constant disunion and ultimate anarchy. (Hear.)
Are we to adopt the alternative that Europe is to interfere,
and by force of arms to render the inhabitants of Holstein
and Schleswig loyal and contented subjects of the King of
Denmark ? That is a solution not consistent with the prin-
ciples of British policy, nor, to my mind, perfectly in har-
mony with the .spirit of the age in which we live, (Hear.)
Hence this is a situation which requires much explanation.
It is possible—for i wish to view the question in both lights,
in order that we may, at this anxious moment, elicit some
information from her Majesty's Government—it is possible
that France has generously consented to attend the Con-
ferences without exacting those conditions which the French
Minister in the autumn said were a sine qua non. What
will happen then? In my opinion, what probabl y will
happen will be that a great deal of time will be wasted, and
then the spring will at last arrive. When the spring arrives
that Power which, from our continual blundering, has
had the opportunity of assuming a position of so much
forbearance and co much moderation, and of offering,
through the Emperor, so many conciliatory messages will,
perhaps, be called upon to settle these disputes, some of
which are to be brought before this very Conference. I
cannot doubt that under the circumstances the Eurperor of
the French will probably be very successful, People will
Le so vet y rJeed, Governments will be so very exhausted—
they will have appeled so often in vain to England for a
solution of these difficuttiees, that they naturally will turn to
one who, to use a common phrase, .51.11 find himself master
of the situation. (Hear, hear.) 1 do net ier,,t7d to say
that the Emperor of the French will act in a very feroatoe,er
manner under the circumstances. No doubt in this civi-
lised ago France, like every other country—France, too,
Particularly enlightened—w,ill feel the advantage of ruodera-
ecsial of the Con-
tion eyeu itathaernßbihtiionne.,
perhapsPerha tttee
ratificationthe federation
,r;:f
eeneidered question the Saarlonis long and anxiously
frontier tileuzht a ZfficiC4C !etapelpaiiou for the

extreme anxiety which the Emperor of the French will
naturally feel in settling disputes which we ourselves have
assisted so much to complicate. (Hear, hear.) What will
happen then ? There will be a great noise in this house,
and probably in other Houses of Parliament, upon the mat-
ter. If we find some arrangement of the map of Europe
similar to that in the case of Nice and Savoy, we shall hove
screaming despatches and terrible invectives— terrible in-
vectives, like those that have not yet succeeded in expelling
the Pope from Rome or the Austrians from Venice, but
which are recognised for their power and for the appropri-
ate manner in which they are always introduced in the
discussion of public affairs. (Laughter and cheers.) But
I should like to:know what will be our position under those
circumstances. I know the noble lord opposite will say to
me—" You make these remarks upon the Government in
the difficult position in which we are placed, but you
never make any suggestion of what you would do if you
found yourself responsible for the conduct cf affairs in
the same situation." (Ministerial cheers.) I should be very
sorry to be in the position in which the noble lords finds
himself--(cheers and laughter)---and I cannot but believe
that if we had been upon the Treasury bench instead of the
noble lord and his colleagues, we should not have been in
the situation which Ministers now occupy. (Cheers.)
That, indeed, is the whale matter. You can see the sole
cause of the present imbroglio in the answer which the
French Minister has made to the plaintive representations
of our Secretary of State, It is quite clear that if her Ma-
jesty's Government had not taken that unwise course with
respect to the affairs of Poland—if they had not entrapped
France into a false position, and when she was in a false
position made no effort to extricate her from it—if there had
not been that consequent estrangements bete. eon the two
Governments, France and England could have prevented
those events which have occurred in the North of Europe.
(Cheers.) Therefore, those frequent taunts, that we criticise
the conduct of Ministers but do not say what we would do if
we were in the same position, really come to nothing, because
I believe that her Majesty's Government have themselves
brought about the difficulties with which they are unable
to deal. (Cheers.) When we are asked whether we are ad-
vocates for war in favour of the integrity and independ-
ence of Denmark, my answer is, that I cannot say what the
policy of England ought to be with respect to going to war
for the integrity and independence of Denmark until I am
acquainted with the engagements which her Majesty's Go-
vernment have entered into. But irrespective of that point
—which I reserve—l assert that if our affairs had been
managed with due firmness and conciliation, with straight-
forwardness, and with common sense—(cheers)—the inte-
grity and independence of Denmark would never have been
endangered. (Continued cheering.) There need have been
no question of war to preserve the integrity and indepen-
dence of Denmark, That is the real issue before us. I can-
not, I repeat, give an opinion as to what should be the ulti-
mate course of this country, because Parliament is not at the
present moment fully in possession of information upon the
subject, and because we do not know what engagements
her Majesty's Government may have entered into with the
Danish Government, what expectations they have held out,
and under what understanding, verbal or written—(hear,
hear)—all parties may have acted. (Cheers.) Nor am I
tc,o sanguine that we shall find that information in the papers
which have bean promised by the ouvenimout, and which
are now appearing instalments. I wanted those papers, not
so much for the information they would give us as for the
information they omitted—(a laugh) —but because, let me
remind the house, it has twice happened with the present
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that at critical periods
in the history of this country, when he has been obliged to
furnish Parliament for its depision with volumicouspapers,
the question has been decided, not on the papers which were
laid before Parliament by the Minister, but on papers which,
in consequence of their publication, appeared abroad. (Hear,
hear.) That is a very remarkable thing to have happened
twice to the awe Minister, In 1853, when alarm first broke
out respecting probable hostilitfee with #tissitb Which ended
in the Crimean war, we had papers enough, as I told the
house the other night. On the first day of the Session the
present Lord Russell appeared at the bar, and gave us that
surfeit of State papers which the noble lord seems to delight
in, and to hops may bafff a the ff.nderfftancllng of the Honse
of Commons. He gave us 800 pages within 48 hours. What
was the consequence ? You had questions from all parts
of the house ; you had answers from Ministers ; you
had debates end discussions; .but the house remained
as it remains now upon the Danish question, unable
to fix the Minister, but with a deep conviction pervading
both sides that they were not masters of the real merits of
the case. (Cheers.) The noble lord in one of his:speeches,
with a great want of precaution as it afterwards turned out,
denounced the policy of Russia—the ambitious, irrational,
and unexpected policy of Russia—for which the Govern-
ment of Lord Aberdeen had not been prepared. What oc-
curred f There appeared in the official journal of St. Peters-
, burg a statement that, whatever might have been the errors
of Russian policy, one thing was quite clear, that her Ma-
jesty's Ministers from the first had been aware of the inten-
tion of the Emperor of Russia, and had approved the prin-
ciple on which he had acted. • (Cheers.) A member of this
house having some other information, made such an appeal
that the noble lord the Secretary of State was obliged to pro-
duce the confidential communications of the Emperor of
Russia with Sir H. Seymour—(cheers)—from which it ap-
peared that at the very moment of the formation of the Go-
vernment of Lord Aberdeen the Emperor of Russia, with
the utmost frankness, had explained his views to the Eng-
lish Minister. (Cheers.) Nay, not only had that occurred,
but the Secretary of State had answered that confidential
communication with such a total ignorance of the merits of
the question, with such a total want of appreciation of the
exigency, that he made an admission of the right of the Em-
peror of Russia to interfere in the Turkish dominions as
protector of the Greeks, although it afterwards turned out
that the very treaty under which that right was claimed
gave no sanction whatever to the pretension, and must have
been perfectly unknown to the Minister, who had perhaps
neither the time nor the opportunity to examine it before he
gave the solemn verdict of the British Government upon its
value and importance. (Cheers.) I should have thought that
was enough for a Secretary of State to have done to entitle
him to the lasting confidence of his Sovereign and of Parlia-
ment; but what happened in those verynegotiations atVienna
which terminated so fruitlessly ? I can remember no period
when there was so much anxiety, so much disturbance and
disquietude in the mind of Parliament as when those negotia-
tions were going on at Vienna. Her Majesty's Government
then was not constituted precisely as it is now. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, for:example, did not then sit on the
Treasury bench to denounce a statement of facts as "fire-
works." (A laugh.) On the contrary, the right hon. gentle-
man was perfectly alive to the importance of the question
then before us—(hear, hear)— and he was pressing the Go-
vernment—though fora different object•—in order to obtain
the truth which was withheld and concealed from this house.
What happened then, We had despatches and papers laid
before us, as at the period before the commencement of the
Crimean war, and as at this moment; for the noble lord is
always ready to produce papers enough to confuse the par-
liamentary mind, and to prevent members from complain-
ing of the want of ample information from the Government.
But it appeared to us on this side of the house, as well as
to many hen, gentlemen opposite—among the rest the
Chancellor of the Exchequer—that those papers indicated
great ambiguity of conduct, and that some secret had been
withheld from us. I myself brought the matter before the
house, but was defeated in a full house by a majority of 100,
who voted confidence in the intentions of the present Secre •
tary of State and in her Majesty's Ministers. We dispersed for
the holidays. In consequence of some of the statements made
in the house, the Prime Minister of Austria (Count Buol)
published a confidential circular in which he stated that the
noble lord the present Secretary of State, who had come back
to England and made a ranting speech in favour of a vigo-
rous prosecution of the war, had previously settled with him
what he thought reasonable terms upon which peace might be
concluded and in tact had returned home for the express pur-
pose of recommending and sanctioning that peace, (Cheers.)
Under these circumstances what became of your majority
of 100 ? The noble lord only saved his colleagues by a pre-
cipitate and ignominious retreat. (Hear, hear.) Thus, then,
twice—once at the commencement of the troubles with
Russia, and once in carrying on the negotiations with Aus-
tria, you find that the House of Commons, with the most
ample materials supplied by their own Ministry, have never
been able to arrive at the truth, and it is with the forced
publication of documents by foreign Governments that the
secret policy pursued has been revealed. Let us, then, look
at the
onthosepresentn
position. We have many papers before us.
There are none that have met my eye yet which throw any
light engagements
rumoured' about that her Majesty's Government have en-
tered into with Dgmear eknto which it is, I will only say,
,
but still rumoured by persons of
bvery great
ling about a uv,
ohrodri t
s. Ishall
`When
e n
talkn ot
of
fe
engagements,answered
i bsn ui
not-
t
talking of solemn and formal treaties, which can of course
be appealed to ; but I want to know what have been the
expectations which we have held out to Denmark. (Hear.)
What
moral
t has
obligation, boen
the
encouragement that we have given her ?
What has been the advice we have offered ? What leas been
h
can explain
re
whole
a at
courseleast
, that
ofDanish w
we
policyav e a
incurred,tthe
which
present
moment or from the commencement of these troubles ? Sir,
w e w
before I made these inquiries, that the
holydays were near at band, and I don't suppose that before
tad e
b publishedy sumo
lof wein d ties
the holydays we shall find out this, But I have great con-
fidence in the revelations which the holydaye bring forth.
It was during the Whitsun recess, I think, that Count
iltsol
courseconfidential
of
time circular,w we
have
and
someshall
surprised
remark-
able documents published by Denmark, or some statement
person in authority there 0114 will throw
that light on the present position of Europe which, in say
opinion, is now extremely wanting. If we gain that infor-
mation, I have no doubt it will produce the beneficial re-
suite which always pay be experienced by arriving at the
truth. At present I can only c 47-7-and it is my duty, in
the want et that information, to remind the house of the
position in which the country is now placed—that that
position is most unsatisfactory. 'Whether we may have
entered into conditions with France, accepting her con-
ditions vot,ailly, or whether Fraoce is entering into
this Conference 'withont may con4i;•;ene, it ei impossible to
suppose that before the eummer pities away something may
not occur which will be both inconvenient and 'mortifying
to this country. (Hear, hear.) I hear nothing from her
Majesty's poyernent to guide, to enlighten, to animate the
Jingo taad tllo,co ptry ioho oFotpnt pauient, Who drivers
.

have lost the road, the reins h Ivo fallen from their hands,
the horses are wild, and now we shall hear their answer to
any inquiries. (Cheers.)
Lon' PALMER.STON, on rising, was received with
cheers. He said,—Sir,— fhe right hen, gentleman never is
SO groat—never in his own opinion is so successful as when
he has an opportunityof attacking an absent man. (Cheers.)
He was pleased the other day to take advantage of my tem-
porary absence--(" Oh," and cheers)— I having been de-
tained somewhat later than usual by public business that
could not well be postponed : and now he takes that which
suits him still better—viz, the opportunity of attacking my
noble friend in the other House of Parliament. lam here;
but my noble friend cannot be. (Hear, hear.) But the right
hon, gentleman chooses with wonderful dexterity and with
somewhat of, I will say, simplicity of mind—(laughter)—
the ground of his attacks. Ho has been absent from his
place for the last three or four days. He has been studying,
pondering over, getting by heart, making extracts from, and
turning dog's-ears down in the papers presented upon
Danish affairs—(a laugh)—and finding little or nothing in
them—(cheers from the Opposition) upon which to found
an attack on my noble friend—(counter cheers)—he ran-
sacks Hansard, ha turns over the pages of the Annual Reg is-
ter, he goes back to the blue-books of 10 years ago for the
purpose of founding a charge against my noble friend as to
what happened at Vienna in 1853. Well, sir, I congratu-
late my noble friend that the right hon. gentleman has found
the ice so hard in Danish affairs that he has been obliged to
go back 10 years for his topics of accusation. (Hear, hear.)
Why, sir, my noble friend performed with ability and
fidelity the duties which were imposed upon him at that
time at Vienna. (" Oh 1" and " Hear, hear.") By the
admission of the right honourable gentleman he did his
utmost to bring about a peaceful solution of the then pend-
ing questions. Unfortunately, the proposals which he and
M. de Lhuys agreed upon failed, and war ensued, not by
their fault, but by the fault of others. My noble friend went
on that occasion as far as it was possible for him to do in the
performance of his duty, in concert with the representative
of France, for the settlement of those affairs, and that at-
tempt on his part is now made a charge against his conduct.
(Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman has talked to-night
of "diplomatic rubbish." Why, sir, there is such a thing
as Parliamentary rubbish—(cheers and laughter)--and that
we are very often doomed to receive from those whose genius
and ability ought to qualify them for better things. (Hear,
hear,) But the right hon. gentlem in says that the Govern-
ment are in whatsho thinks very,unfortnnate:circumstancoa,
and he seems to regret that he and his friends have not had
the management of those affairs. " Very different," he said,
"would be the condition of the country if we had the ma-
nagement of matters." Very different indeed I—(cheers)
if we are to believe in the sincerity of the line of argument
taken by gentlemen on the other side of this house. What
are the circumstances in which we have placed the country?
Why, we ate at peace—(cheers) ; we are prosperous ; wo
have been occupied in communications with all the Powers
of Europe in endeavouring to settle differences without war,
(Hear, hear.) If we were to be led by the language of those
who sit opposite, and especially of the right hon, gentleman,
we ought to have made war against Russia for Poland—
(hear, hear, and murmurs)—we basely abandoned Franco
cn the Polish question when she was ready to make war
with Russia. That is the charge against us, if we are to be-
lieve the right hon, gentleman's arguments to-night; and
he said "France proposed you should make war with Ger-
many about Denmark, and you shrunk from accepting her
proposal." Well, the right hon, gentleman would not have
shrunk from that, I suppose. (. laugh) I say, sir, that in
my humble opinion, and without, I am sure, begrudging
any success, official or otherwise, which the right hon, gentle.
man and his friends may be anxious to obtain on these seats
here or elsewhere, the country is just as well served by those
who are now in office as they would be, according to the
doctrine of the right hon. gentleman, if he and his friends,
occupying ow places, had acted up to the reasonings they
have used on this grave and important European matter.
But the right hon. gentleman says he is uninformed on
this subject, and he asks the Government to enlighten his
mind. Why, sir, some people like to run away with half
a story, and tied it far more convenient to express an opinion
on that half than to wait and know the whole, being fear-
ful that when they know the whole the conclusion they
wish to arrive may not follow so legitimately from the pre-
mises laid before them. The right hon, gentleman cer •
tainly puts the house in a very embarrassing situation, be
cause when no papers are given he says, " How unfairly
you treat the hous3; you leave it in the dark without any
documents or information; we are unable to arrive at a
conclusion." Then, ho tolls us this evening that "If you
give the house 800 pages of information the house is then
more unable than ever to come to any definite conclusion."
(Laughter.) How we are to please the right hoe, gentleman
it is really very difficult to say. If we give him no papers
he complains of the absence of papers; if we give him the
papers, he says ho is unable to digest them and come to any
rational result, Well, it is a natural fault with some minds
that they are so constituted that they either do not choose
to come co a conclusion, or they are unable to do so. But,
one way or the other, it is quite clear that it is of no use
giving the right hon, gentleman the papers, because he says,
with or without them, ho is equally unable to understand
anything with regard to our foreign affairs. (A. laugh.) But
the right hon. gentleman, I assume,was speaking for other,,,
and not for himself, for of course I have a higher opinion of
the acuteness of his mind than to believe that if even ten
times 800 pages at a time were offered to him he could not ar-
rive at a clear and defluite conclusion upon them, according
to his own opinion, (Hear, and a laugh.) But I think he is
quite right in the course which he now pursues. In com-
mon with the rest of the house, he has had delivered to him
papers coining down to the latter end of last September.
It was evident that those papers could only contain a por-
tion of the communications which had passed between this
and other Governments upon the Danish question, but the
right hon. gentleman thought, and he was quite right, that
it was more convenient to got up and to make, upon im-
perfect information, a flourish about the conduct of the
Government upon the Danish question rather than to wait
until he should receive the papers to-morrow, which will
bring those communications down to a later period. I can
only say it would be a long story to toll the right hon.
gentleman what are all the contents of the mass of papers
which he will be able to read for himself to-morrow; but I
say let him wait, and let the house wait for these mere
before coming to any conclusion--(hear, hear)—as to the
course we have pursued, either in accepting proposals
or in answering proposals, or in making proposals to
other Governments. (Hear, hear.) Let him wait until he
gets the whole statement, which he will receive in the course
of a few hours,'and then he and the house will be better able
to judge what the course of the Government has been. Our
object has been from first to last to endeavour to conciliate
differences—(hear, hear) —to bring together parties who are
holding opposite and apparently incompatible opinions, to
endeavour to modify exasperations, and to obtain a peace-
able settlement of that which threatened to be the cause of
European war, (Hear, hear.) Why, the charge which the
right hon. gentleman brings against my noble friend is
that ho was too abundant of suggestions for the attainment
of these ends. That having failed with ono suggestion he
proposed another, and that is what is called "diplomatic
rubbish." My noble friend is fertile in experiments, (beer,
hear, and laughter.) Not succeeding in one suggestion La
proposed another; that other being unsuccessful, he pro-
posed still another, hopeful that he would eventually attain
the desired end. (Hear, hear.) Instead of that being urged
as a charge against my noble friend, it is really a compli-
ment paid to him by ono who is at the same time endeavour-
ing to run him down. The right hon. gentleman asks
whether we acceptol the proposal of France made at one
period, and whether we made at another period a different
one. I ask him to have the kindness to wait only a few hours,
when he will have the whole correspondence in his hands,
and I am satisfied that in a week's time, and when he again
gets np on the question of going into Committee of Supply,
with all the knowledge in his head which he has not got in
his head now, we shall not have the same language from his
lips which we have heard from him to-night. (Cheers.)

Mr. S. FITZGERALD said that no one who had listened
to the noble lord could have conceived it possible that his
speech was a reply to the right hon. gentleman--(hear)—
who had requested to be furnished with specific information
as to the Conference. The noble lord, however, had not
given the house the slightest information of any sort, kind,
or description, in reference to the proposal of a Conference.
The house ought to be informed of the present condition of
affairs. Had the Conference been unconditionally accepted
by France, and what was our position in regard to Russia ?
The noble lord, or some of his colleagues, ought to state
whether Denmark had accepted the proposal, and what was
meant by the assertion that Austria and Prussia had
accepted the Conference in principle. At the commence-
ment of his speech the noble lord charged his right hon.
friend with making observations upon an absent man ; but
did the noble lord mean to assert, that because a member of
the Government happened not to appear ho was to be privi-
leged from criticissa ? (Opposition cheers.) lion. mem-
bers on that side of the house were not anxious, as the
noble lord insinuated, to rush headlong into a war ; but
they feared the Government had brought the country to the
brink of war. He believed that we were in a most critical
position, and that the country attributed that critical position
to want of firmness, to vacillation, and the bragging lan-
guage at one time, and the subservient language at another,
on the part of the Government ; and he was certain that
the speech of the noble lord would not contribute to disabuse
the country of that belief.

The motion for adjournment was then withdrawn.
THE BUDGET.

The CIIA.NCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER rose and
paid7--Tn my absence a question was put as to the day upon
which the financial statement will be made. It is, perhaps,
rather early to fix a day, and it is certainly difficult to fix a
day definitely and finally; but it will not be before the re-
cess, as the recess takes place in March, before the financial
year has been completed. If it be convenient to the house
1 think we will ix it for Thursday, the 7th April—that is,
the Thursday after the recess.

The house then went into committee of supply, and re-
sumed the consideration of the navy estimates,
The votes for the number of men and boys, and for the
'wage3 of seamen were agreed to after Lonsideobo dis9ns•
sion, involving the chief poiuts in reference to naval admi-
nistration which formed the topic of debate on Friday
evening.

Igrt.IYLLIAMS (141tAbgtli) vamio Jais urgt tworAu9Q

this session and `reviewe•l the estimates, contending that
the expenditure was as usual extravagant and unnecessary.
On the motion that £IGS,(;OS be granted to defray the
salaries of the officers and contingent exnenses of the
Admiralty-nMee,

Mr. LINDSAY moved to reduea the vote by £5,200,
but after some discussion the proposition was rejected by
109 to 10.

On the vote of £71,276 for the scientific branch of the
navy,

Mr. A. SMITH moved to reduce the amount by £2,300,
for the School of Naval Architecture.
The amendment, however, was on a division rejected by
100 to 15.

Several other votes were agreed to, and the Chairman
reported progress and obtained leave to sit again.
The Vestry Cess Abolition:(lreland) Bill passed through
committee.
Leave was given to Sir R. PEEL to bring in a bill to
amend the law relating to bills of exchange and promissory
notes in Ireland.
The house adjourned at 12 o'clock.