The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-01 00:00:00

The CHAIRMAN said that three short years had not yet
elapsed since he became the humble instrument ie their
hands of introducing-to the constituency their able and
talented representative Mr. Layard—(cheers)—whose
varied and extensive knowledge and whose great indepen-
dence of. character, combined with undaunted energy,
formed a sufficient pledge that he would prove abundantly
worthy of their choice.. That was the first political occa-
sion on which Mr. Layard bad appeared there in public
since he stool before them in that hall a candidate for their '
suffrages. It must be admitted on all sides thit.Mr. Lay-
ard's conduct had been such as to call forth expressions, of
the warmest admiration, not exclusively from his own im-
mediate supporters, but even many of those who were for-
inerly-opposefl to him, by their presence there to-day,
offered a silent recognition of his qualifications for the Thos
portant trust confided to his care at this momentous crisis.
(General cheering.) Mr—Layard was anxious to explain
his reasons for the course which he had pursued in Parlia-
ment, and without detaining them further he would at
once call upon the hon. member to proceed with his address.
Mr.• LAYARD then presented himself and was very
warmly received by the meeting. After afew preliniinary
remarks expressive of his gratitude to a constituency who
had left him to pursue his political career unfettered by
pledges, and from whom he had always received the utmost
consideration and kindness, the hon. member said—Before
going into politicid questions let me '(rive you a little chap-
ter of My own autobiography, which it is necessary for me
to trouble you with since I have been placed in a some-
what invidious position. If I were addresaMg the. House
of Commons, and not a local -tengifirency, ho't
think it necessary to explain any private or personal mat-
ters ; but if a member of Parliament has been the victim
of misrepresentations; it is his duty to set himself right with
his constituents. (Hear.) I refer to a matter which has
been much talked about in the gossiping world, and which,
if I may judge from some paragraphs in your local news-
papers, is not unknown to you—l mean the unfortunate
affair between Admiral Dundas and myself. (Hear.). As
the think looks upon the face of it, it would appear as if I
were to blame • but when I show you what has really
occurred you will be of opinion that, although I have, per-
haps, been guilty of some little indiscretion—though that,
I think, is doubtful—l have done what I thought right, and
what, I hope, will meet with your approbAion. I happened
to go to the East with a gentleman whose friendship I then
formed, and with whom I have since been on terms of the
greatest possible intimacy. He is a gentleman well known
in London, of high influence, of very great ability, and of
high character. -When he quitted me two or three days
before the battle of Alma he asked me to write to hiria
very freely upon what was passing in the Crimea. I com-
municated with him as a friend, and not as a gentleman
connected with the public press. So far as the paper is
concerned with which that gentleman is connected—the
Times—you will not forget that on my entrance into public
life I had a little fight with that newspaper. I was not in
the East as a reporter, and I had no political connection
with that journal. I wrote to that gentleman freely, but
by an unfortunate mistake, for which he was not to blame,
something I wrote appeared in that paper. That letter
contained some reflections upon Admiral Dundas which I
did not mean should appear before the world. When that
letter was published I did what every gentleman in my posi-
tion, and every man of honour ought to do. I said that
I was sorry that anything written by me should appear
to convey reflections against the private character of any
man, and that I was willing to explain that against
the private character of Admiral Dundas I had no reflec-
tions to make. I have never seen him—l should not
know him from Adam. I have never been on board his
ship—and what I said involved no breach of confidence
on my part. (Hear.) I only said whit I thought, and
what every one was thinking of the public character of a
man commanding a large branch of the public service.
That offer of explanation was not accepted, and various
threats were made, but I would not give way. I said I
would not retract what I said and thought upon Admiral
Dundas's public character, but that I was willing to ex-
plain everything that might seem to reflect upon his
private character: That offer was accepted, the terms
were arranged, and you have seen the correspondence in
the paper. I still retain my opinion of the public cha-
racter of Admiral Dundas. It is not a favourable, and
I will not conceal that it is a strong' opinion. (Hear,
hear.)• I wish now exactly to explain to you my pre-
sent position. You have heard that the Government
have offered an office to me which I have declined to
accept, and that I am still unconnected with the Govern-
ment. Some time before I became representative for
Aylesbury I had returned from the East. I was a mem-
ber of the diplomatic profession, and Lord Granville offered
me the post of Under-Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs. I accepted that office, and served for a short
time under Lord Granville in the Foreign-office. The
Government cf which Lord Granville was a member—
Lord J. Russell's Government—was of short duration,
and they went out about three weeks after I had been in
the Foreign-office. Of course it was my duty to go out
with the Government. Lord Derby, however, who suc-
ceeded, behaved to me in- the most handsome and honour-
able manner. He made me an offer that I should remain
in the Foreign-office until his son returned from India,
and ho said he would then either give me a position in
public life equal to that which I then held, or, if not, that
ho would give mo a diplomatic mission upon the conti-
nent. That was a very handsome offer on the part of
Lord Derby— (hear)—which I might have accepted with-
out compromising my political character. I could not,
perhaps, have joined Lord Derby's Government, but I
might have taken a diplomatic mission abroad, and ser-
ved his Government for a time under the circumstances
I have explained. (Hear.) All my political friends
thought I ought to have accepted that offer. Lord J.
Russell alone expressed a contrary opinion. When I knew
that, I did not hesitate for a moment, and I rejected the
offer of Lord Derby. I felt that I could not join his Go-
vernment, since,upon many points, I differed from him
_ .

in opinion, but I might fairly have accepted his offer,
once,
ee al
Im
andab
ai tviteoon
t.
throwhi (e H
oepa
mirn,
yt hos
nee
la,
fr,la
sdWil Who ti,
since, as a diplomatic man, such a diplomatic mission was
almost the height.oatfn
however,ot
hesitatetoord retire j
say, being then without' a profession, upon the world.
Lord Derby's Government only lasted for a short time,
and Lord Aberdeen succeeded him. Lord J. Russell then
said that, having contested this borough and given up
office when his Ministry went out, I was entitled to a
position in the Government then formed, and the Under-
Secretaryship of the Board of Control was offered me.
That was generally understood in London to be the office
given to me. But a day or two afterwards Lord J. Rus-
sell sent for me and said, that a gentleman was unprovided
for whose abilities and long public services gave him claims
on tho Government, and he threw himself upon me to
withdraw my claims and to resign my office in favour of
that gentleman. I felt that if any man had greater
claims than myself, it was my duty to the Government
and to the public to give up any small claims that I might
have, and accordingly Sir Thomas Redington was ap-
pointed Under-Secretary to the Board of Control. (Hear.)
Lord J. Russell then offered me a consulship in Egypt,
which I declined on several grounds, but chiefly that
after a contested election it would have been unfair
to leave my constituents to fight another battle in the
election. (Cheers.) After that offer was made the
great question that is now agitating the whole world arose
in the East, and Lord Stratford de Redcliffe was sent to
Constantinople as Ambassador. He was anxious that I
should accompany him, knowing that I was acquainted
with the affairs of the East. This I did at great personal
inconvenience, and you knew enough of the circumstances
forfotmh or casearl to ai a
m enuto. w
Imwe
et
no
tabsent
almost
te
al ft formy ao
wa retx pp ee rnieud
thinking that I might be of some use, not so much to Lord
IS)nt rhalitef o. r dvir, t he
lot u, gvhe
rpi
oe
ur seo
qoa leleyt
tIo
no
this great topic, and upon some of them I differed from
exuiotntowtihthe
Lord Stratford. I found I could be of no further use, and
sly ea
dr
ohs ei n ncuocnhn, b
I returned to this country. I then took that line of which
you are all aware in the House of Commons, and of course
I could not then expect anything from the Government.
On refusing to accept the consulship in Egypt, Lord J.
Russell promised me the first place vacant in the Go-
vernment. It has been said that I am acting from
personal and disappointed motives, but you will see that
the course which I have conscientiously taken effectu-
ally prevented the possibility of my holding office, while,
if I had chosen to remain silent, the next office- that
fell vacant would have been mine. (Hear, hear.) How-
ever, I took that line from a conviction of duty, and
and have continued it fer two years. Lord Palmerston
succeeded Lord Aberdeen as_the head of the Government;
but, although there was nominally a change of Govern-
ment, yet, as the larger number of those who had formed
the previous Government remained in it the new and the
old Governments were pretty much the samething. (Hear,
hear.) On Monday week, a few hours before I made that
speech of which you probably have heard, Lord Palmer-
ston offered me the Clerkship of the Ordnance. Now,
having voted that I had no confidence in the Government
—that being the interpretation which the Government
chose to put upon that vote—they wore sufficient grounds
why I should not accept office under the men who
formed part of that Government. Secondly, I felt
that it is the duty of the Government at the present
moment to put the right men in the right places.
(Cheers.) I was not acquainted with the Ordnance,
and I thought I should be at once betraying my own
principles and my duty to the public if I accepted an
office in which I could not servo the public to the best of
my
.ability. I therefore refused that offer. On the fol-
lowing day those members of the Government with whom
I had more especially disagreed retired, and Lord Palmer-
ston began to form a new Government. Last Friday Lord
Palmerston sent for me and offered me the post of Under-
Secretary of War. Although I was not over anxious to
take that office, yet, having expressed strong opinions on
the war and on the conduct of the war, I thought, if I did
not accept office, I might expose myself to the imputation
of having been ready enough to criticise others, but of being
afraid of incurring any responsibility Myself. When there-
fore Lord Paltnersten offered me the Under-Secretaryship
of War, I made some few conditions—that I should have
certain influence, and that those views which I had ex-
pressed should be carried out, and. I thereupon accepted
office under Lord Palmerston. On the following day Lord
Palmerston told me that for certain reasons he could not
hold to that offer, anti that he had to withdraw it,
but in its place he, at Lord John Russell's request,
offered me the Under-Secretaryship of the Colonies. Now,
there was another offer which placed me in the same
position as that in which I previously found myself. I was
not acquainted particularly with the colonies. In a time
of peace I should have been glad to accept an office of that
nature, which would have made me more fit to be your re-
presentative and a more efficient member of Parliament.
But the present is a great national emergency, and it ap-
peared to me that I should be betraying my own prin-
ciples, and should be false to you, to my country, and to
myself, if I took an office for which I was not capable, if
there were one which I was more capable of fulfilling,
(Hear, hear.) At the same time, in declining this office,
I told Lord Palmerston that if I found his Government
merited the confidence of the people and my own confi-