The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 11, ISM

-
times, often on behalf of crowned heads and against

peoples; but he held that England, if she would re-

tail] her position as a first-rate Power, m exert

a moral influence on the questions of European con-

terns which affected her interests. To that how-

ever, she must be prepared to incur h ',lvy expenses ;
and that expense, he believed, Englii men would

not grudge. The Government possessed the best I
information of what took place on the Continent, 1
and could alone know the state of foreign arma- 1
ments. In 1861, Mr. Cobden wrote a pamphlet,
entitled " The Three Panics," in which he tried to
persuade us that our armaments were too large,—
infinitely larger than those of France ; and he
quoted returns to show what the French armaments
were. Now, curiously enough, an official report of
the state of the French navy at that time, to which
anybody could refer, had been published, and he
would quote a few facts from it. In France they
had a system of what were called " supplemental
credits"—that was to say, a certain estimate
was taken for tha year for the fleet, the
manning, the building of vessels, and the rest; but
beyond that, the Minister had the power of drawing
extra credits, which did not appear in the estimates.
Now, in the House of Commons the mistake had
been made of taking the French estimate alone,
without the supplemental credits. But the real state
,esn;t:isticnoreadteitd,
number actually; armed,suppi
supplemental
of things was as follows :-1861—Vessels estimated
£8,349,918; men on shore, esti-
mated, .L 4,999,948
for, 171;
actual number, 8,113; excess,
m34'28751: ;a 4t2sse9a';
excess, 16, estimate,474 ; total 2 6)
L 3,350,000 ; total,
3eBx6c;e s
sa.cotvuearl
estimate, number,
20,328 ; excess of expendituref in dockyards,
L 1,800,000. He mentioned theset be,acts to show how
careful our Government ought
a responsibility and how heavy
for the defence of° the country rested
upon them. In Europe the elements of disturbance
were to be seen on almost all sides. The French
Emperor had proposed a Congress for their settle-
ment, and Englishmen, being a practical people,

always looked to see whether any project that was

proposed to them was likely to promote or defeat
its end. Having given every consideration to the
Emperor's scheme, her Majesty's Government,

acknowledging the good intentions of his Imperial
Majesty, had yet come to the conclusion that a Con-

giess wouldnot practically attain the object in view.
The argnments of Lord Russell's despatch on that

head were, he thought, unanswerable. The good

sense of the English people had at once seized the
drift of those arguments and recognised their force.
Secret diplomacy had often been denounced, and in
diplomatic negotiations a certain amount of secresy
was indispensable to their success; but in this case
the official despatches were submitted to the public,
and on the whole, approved by them, almost as soo❑
as they were written. It Russia would not give up Po-

land under pressure of the three Powers, she would
not do so under the pressure of a Congress. Austria
would not give up Galicia, nor would:Prussia givt
up Posen. Neithcr was France likely to give up
Savoy and Nice, whatever might be the decision of

a Congress. But if these questions were raised, how
could animosities be avoided, ending most probably
in war? No country had less to fear in going into
a Congress than England ; none less of selfish inte-
rest to seek. Selfish feeling, also, was utterly alien
to the decision which the British Government had
taken in this matter. He was surprised that their
Italian friends had jumped so quickly at the proposal
of a Congress. Of all the countries which had most
to lose from a Congress Italy was the first, because
the majority of the Catholic Powers would, no
doubt, have decided that Rome should remain in the
hands of the Pope against the wishes of the Italian
people ; and Venetia, also, would have been worse
situated than ever. (Cheers,) He wouli not at-
tempt to explain the Danish question to them, be-
cause, perhaps, he did not quite understand it him-
self—(a iaugh)—but her Majesty's Government had
there likewise endeavoured to persuade the con-
tending parties to come to an amicable understand-
ing, and to respect treaties, which after all must be
the bases of all peace. He trusted that that warning
voice would be heeded, and that a fruitless war,
perhaps involving untold calamities to Europe and
to the Powers immediately concerned, would be
averted. (Hear, hear.) He approached the subject
of Poland with feelings which he could not well
describe. History scarcely furnished a case more
deplorable, more horrible, or in which the Powers
had been more helpless. A policy almost of exter-
mination was being carried out in that unhappy
country, enforced relentlessly against young and
old, woman and man. The contemplation of it natu-
rally made an Englishman's blood run cold. (Cheers.)
But with all their sympathy for that downtrodden
race, the English people felt that they would not
be justified in going to war for them. Short of that
the Government had done what it could in their
behalf. He wished it could have done more. The
opponents of the Government said in one breath
that it had done too much and that it had done too
little, saying at one moment " Why did you say you
would not go to war ?" and at another, " You gave
encouragement to the Poles." These two things
were irreconcilable. If the Government said at
once that it would not go to war, how could it have
given encouragement to the Poles ? Some argued
that it ought to have done nothing ; but if at the
time the insurrection broke out her Majesty's Go-
vernment had not remonstrated with Russia, as it
was warranted by treaty in doing, would it not
have been visited with the reprobation of the
country ? Sad as was the position of Poland, he
did not despair. The history of nations showed
that great crimes always brought about their own
punishment. The result of the great deportation
of the Polish people, instead of destroying disaffec-
tion in Poland, would be to carry disaffection else-
where ; so that the cruelties now committed by
Russia might ultimately bring about their own
punishment. For the policy of strict neutrality
pursued by the Government in regard to America
he confidently claimed the approval of the country.
That policy could not be carried without extreme
difficulty, as was exemplified by the case of the iron-
clads. It had been often asked why our merchants
should be allowed to supply munitions of war to
one of the belligerents and not allowed to supply
ships to the other. The answer was very simple—
the law prohibited the bale of ships, but did not
prohibit the sale of munitions of war. The Govern-
ment had endeavoured to enforce the law to the
uttermost, but without straining it one tittle.
'hr,,e, Government was bound to protect the
ri
4taof British merchants ; but on the
eise,, ,
duty resting those merchants had likewise a
eigt
e'ititzing on them as honourable and up-
ought te,;'.4B. For the sake of private gain they
being plot:rxpose their country to the risk of
He now turnea.lo Near with a kindred nation. (Hear)
Cheetham, the
tfhrom the West to the East. Mr.
, era;itt.man of the Manchester Cotton
morning told him that the
cAosusnotcriyatiwonhich
haalutat:
most to supply the defi-
ciency of that article i:e
been most liberal to theer markets, and which had
was Turkey. The anz,,,:lti_vator and the buyer,
whioilfevthat Power had also
an extent
contemplated, and its Gottn_nelia,te could not have
forward for the first time a meat wereex. putting
improved to
the world the state of their ree,4135 h
and
'biting to
ture. He mentioned these things ill d
4nswee:pendi-
attacks made upon him by Mr. Goidw,n
Smith
the
prostituted the chair l'ith, of
Oxford, who had pros. of History
of
dirty arena pert), at
by mingling in the rife.
with w
Coming to China and Japan, he read . astonish-
ment Mr. Cobden's statement that we
had gout
to
those regions in the spirit of Cortex
inevitable
irr°'
our only object being " loot," and the
re.
s masters et
.ult of our policy being to make u
China. The truth was that our policy now con-
sisted in avoiding quarrels with the provincialgo-
ye/Tors of China, and in having recourse to the
Central Government, with the view to a right un-
derstanding with it, treating it as we should any
civilised nation, admitting our own obligations to-
wards it, and expecting from it, in turn, respect for
our treaty rights. In regard to British officers en
tering the service of the Chinese Government, they
were to all intents and purposes Chinese officers
while they continued in that employment. The
''am t! practice had been followed from time imme-
Tno
empire was very
al. Peter the Great, whose
much in the same state as China ro
his fleet, his , w was, organised
sexy,and his civil administration,

with the assistance of Englishmen, Frenchmen, and
Germans. An Englishman at present held the

post of admiral in the Turkish navy. We bad an
enormous trade with China, and the Taepings, a
ruthless horde of marauders, threatened its destrue-

tion by seizing the treaty ports. We had interposed
to protect our trade, and that was the entire extent
of our interference. Our exports to China had risen
from ,027,000 to £5,431,000 in six years. Here
walas asttement of the trade with Hankow since that
place had been taken from the Taepings and opened
to our commerce.

" Hankow, 1862.—Total value of trade, 1862, £6,189,951,
showing an increase of £3,011,482 10s. over previous year.
Of tonnage—Aggregate, 290,536, of which British 128,478,
showing increase of 1,061 vessels and 196,103 tons over
previous year. At Shanghai, again, the duties collected
in December, 1869, were £122,000; in December, 1861)
4281,500,"

That increase to our commerce had been most valu-

able at a time when our cotton trade was paralysed.
He now turned to Japan—a subject which no doubt
would give rise to many important discussions. Som©
200 years ago, the Japanese admitted Earn-

pesos, chiefly Catholic missionaries, into their ter-

ritory, Religions dissensions, afterwards springing

up, the Government thought the Christians were op-
posing their authority, and a massacre took place,

when many of the missionaries were slain and the

rest expelled the country. From that period until
very recently there was scarcely any intercourse be-
t ween Japan and the outside world. He did not

know whether in these days any nation could com-
pletely isolate itself from the rest of mankind, but

that was not the question. But it was the Russians
and Americans who first broke through the isola-
tion of Japan by obtaining treaties from its rulers
on behalf of their traders ; and he maintained
that our Government, under those circumstances,
had no alternative but to establish similar rela-

,ions with that country. Had they refused
:o do that they would have been told that

whenever there was a fight they were sure to put
their noses into it—(a laugh)—but that when trade
only was concerned they would do nothing to secure
for our merchants the privileges enjoyed by Russians

and Americans. Well, Lord Elgin had negotiated
a treaty with the Tycoon, placing us on the same
footing as those other nations. We commenced no
aggressions on the Japanese, but simply established
ourselves where we had a right to be. Sir R.
Alcock had scarcely taken up his residence in J, pan
before the British Legation was attacked, one inter-

preter and two foreigners murdered, and severs:

other persons dangerously wounded. We, however,
made allowance for the difficulties of the Japanese,
who asked us to defer going to certain ports
to which we were admitted by treaty, and they sent
a mission to the British Government to make that

request. We received their embassy with every
mark of friendship, and not only granted their re-
quest, but prevailed on other Powers to do the
s me. The treaty gave foreigners the right of tak-
ing exercise on the high road to Jeddo. One day
three Englishmen and a lady were riding there,
when they fell in with one of the Deimios, who
appeared to have hated foreigners, and who conse-
quently gave orders to his followers to attack these
innocent strangers, who had drawn up on the side
of the road to avoid his party. The lady and the
other gentlemen escaped with their lives, but Mr.
Richardson was most barbarously murdered. For
these outrages we demanded reparation from the
Japanese Government, together with the punishment
of the chief by whose orders they were committed.
The Japanese Government made an apology and paid
over a large sum of money, but said they could not
punish that independent Daimio, who did not re-
cognise their authority, but must leave us to deal
with him ourselves. Our only course then was to
tall them that if they could not control him we
would punish him ourselves. If we had not done that,
and any further outrages occurred, the Japanese
Government could easily have again urged that they
were powerless to coerce the wrongdoer, and British
subjects might have been murdered with impunity.
Admiral Kuper was accordingly ordered to go to
K.agosima and punish the Prince of Satsuma. Re
dress having been refused, our squadron took
possession of three steamers belonging to that
prince. Much misapprehension existed as to the
conduct of the Admiral on that occasion. It had
been said that having seized these three steamers
he flaunted them before the Japanese, that they
naturally fired on him, and that he had no right to
put himself in the way of making them fire upon
him. Now, the bay or harbour of K.egosima was
very narrow, or not more than 4,000 yards wide at
its broadest part. It was blowing a gale, and the
P..dnairal went into the bay to get out of the gale.
lie seized the vessels, and could not get out
again without passing the batteries, which fired on
him as he came out. What could he do under those
circumstances ? If he had allowed the Japanese
to injure his vessels and kill his men without re-
senting it, everybody would have said he bad acted
a part unworthy of a British officer. Moreover,
the Japanese would immediately have said that the
English fleet had been beaten, and there probably
would have been a general massacre throughout
Japan. He was therefore bound to return the fire.
The castle of the Prince was immediately in the
middle of the town. A Japanese town it should be
remembered was built of lath and plaster. A cen-
flegration ensued—a great calamity which no one
deplored more than her Majesty's Government. He
was not there to defend it for a moment; but it was
impossible to return the fire of the batteries without
running the risk of setting fire to the town, built of
such inflammable materials. It was moat lamentable
that a large number of innocent people should have
been exposed to that misfortune, and it was
most unfortunate that an English fleet should
have been the cause of it ; but the thing was
inevitable, and they ought to give some credit to our
naval officers, and wait till they had had an oppor-
tunity of giving an explanation of their acts. Hon-
ourable men at a distance from England, discharging
difficult and responsible duties, ought not to be con-
demned hastily or accused of cruelty and barbarity
until they had had a fair hearing. (Hear.) The Go-
vernment were not responsible for these things, but
there were other persons really responsible. He,would
speak with tenderness and respect of British mer-
chants, but the greatest difficulties of the Govern-
ment in these matters originated with our merchants.
Great houses like the Lindsays, the Sardines, and
others would not do anything calculated to involve us
in war ; but the moment the Japanese ports were
opened there rushed thither a swarm of adventurers
who thought the only use of a British Minister or a
British fleet was to enable them to secure their dis.
honest gains. These adventurers went there, looking
upon the people as their lawful prey, and did things
some of which might make men's blood run cold.
The blue-books showed how they put forward ficti-
tious and monstrous claims in unreal and even in-
decent names. When these men, who were a dis-
grace to the English name, got into trouble, the
first thing they did was to call on their own Govern-
ment to defend them. If they were not listened to,
they raised a loud outcry, and wrote home com-
plaints against our official representatives. The
British merchant was entitled to protection for his
lawful, but not for his unlawful trade. (Cheers.)
Our countrymen were bound to respect the native
population among whom they lived, to act like honest
traders, and abstain from injustice and fraud.
(Cheers.) He had recently come from Italy, where he
felt proud to see that the sympathies of Englishmen
had not been thrown away, and that that great
Country was making the most extraordinary pro-
gress. England certainly never stood higher than at
this moment in the estimation of the world. Her
influence was never greater, because she sought to
commit aggression upon none and envied none. She
d .1.0 see every country enjoying peace and
tprosperity, and her independent position placed her
in the very front rank of nations. It was often said
that that was i
same
their political opponents would
vernment,
and
that
nhno degree due to the present Go-
that the Governmeeas they
uppottl didt was censured and con-
did. Now, everything
do exactly the
t(or rittotnt recognising the
They were blaniedsi and by the Opposition
dcr-em,.;sn.ed by their
P
and for stop ping the
South,rams. Ought he
not to infer from that that their opponents wouldh
pursue the very opposite course,an dpl•
nge e
country into war with the United States ? He be-
lieved thet on that and on many other questions the
present Government acted better than their opponents

would do, otherwise they would have no business
to be in office. The acts of Government were marked
by liberality and patriotism. In placing Mr. Stans-
feld at the Admiralty, in choosing a man like Sir J.
Lawrence as Governor-General of India—(cheers)
—and in their other appointments, he believed they
had earned the approval of the public. For these
and many other results of their administration of
public affairs he thought he could therefore con-
scientiously claim for them the support of their
countrymen. (Loud cheers.)
Several questions were then put to the hon. mem-
ber by persons in the hall, most of which were of
local interest. In replying to his interrogators, he
said that considerable progress had lately been
made in the abolition of the lash in the army and
navy, and that the destruction of the dwellings of
the working classes for metropolitan railway im-
provements had led to evils which called for serious
public attention.
A resolution thanking Mr. Layard for his address
and expressing approval of his public conduct was
then adopted by the meeting, amid loud cheers, and
the proceedings terminated.

If the Court is satisfied, we also are satisfied wii
sion.
The President—Then the application is withdrawn ?
The Prosecutor—lt is simply withdrawn because it is
irrelevant.
The President—Yes ; the Court considered it irrelevant.
'The Prosecutor—Then we simply withdraw it.
After a pause,
The Prosecutor—Will the Court allow me to ask one
more question of Ardessar before he goes ?
The Prisoner—BlaTl beg to ask the Court whether the
prosecution is not closed and the defence also ? How, there-
fore, is it possible to recall the witness ?
The President—We will see what the question is.
Colonel Pipon (Judge Advocate)—Am I to understand,
then, that the Court has decided that this matter is not
relevant to the charges?
The President—Yes ; the Court decide that.
The Prosecutor—The prosecution feel themselves bound,
under those circumstances, to withdraw the application.
Prisoner—With great respect to the Court, I must be
permitted to observe that the prosecution is conducting this
case in a manner in which no criminal case has ever been
conducted before. If Ard essar is recalled and rogues-
Coned, I must withdraw my statement that the defence has
been closed.
After a short pause,
The Prosecutor—We withdraw the application to recall
the witness.
The President—The Court is adjourned till 10 o'clock on
Thursday, the 17th inst,

ith its deci-