The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-16 00:00:00

CIRCASSIAN TRIBES.

Viscount RAYNHAM asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether her Majesty's Government were award of
certain outrages that had recently been committed by Rus-
sian troops on the Circassian tribes of the Eastern shores of
the Black Sea, with which were -combined an insult to her
Majesty—and, whether her Majesty's Government were
prepared to support those clauses of the Treaty of Paris
which provide for the-free navigation of the Black Sea in
the cases of certain vessels which were about to trade with
Circassia.

Lord PALMERSTON replied that the Government had
received no report of the alleged outrages; but ao many
gross acts had been committed by Russian troops in various
parts of the world that no doubt the facts stated by the
noble lord were correct. (Hear, hear.) No question with
respect to the navigation of the Black Sea had arisen since

the treaty of Paris, and he apprehended that it was too
clear to lead to any misconstruction of its terms.
WHITSUNTIDE IHOLIDAYS. ADJOURNMENT

OF TEE HOUSE.

Lord PALMERSTON said it would no doubt tend to
the convenience of the house if he stated that he intended
to move on Tuesday that this house at its rising that even-
ing adjourn until the Thursday week following. According
to the usual practise the house would not meet on Wed-
nesday next; he apprehended therefore, it would not be
worth while to meet on Thursday next in order to adjourn
the house after another night's sitting. (Hear, hear.)
SUPPLY —REGIMENTAL QUARTERMASTERS.
Sir F. SMITH, on the motion for going into Committee
of Supply, rose to bring under the notice of the house the
necessity of improving the condition of the regimental
quartermasters of the army; and to move for correspon-
dence relating thereto.

The Marquis of HARTINGTON could not promise
any alteration of the present system, bat had no objection
to produce all the papers, save such as it would be improper
to lay on the table in accordance with the regulations of
the service.

After a few words from Col. OuNNE and Sir J. FERGUS.
SON, the motion was withdrawn.

CHINA.

Mr. LIDDELL rose to call the attention of the house to
events in Cbina, with a view of obtaining an expression of
opinion from the house upon the course of policy pursued
in that country, and to move a resolution. He had taken
up the question as an act of public duty, because he felt
that the time was come when that house ought to review
what had occurred in China--when they ought to inquire
and scrutinise closely what was now going on in China,
and to gravely and deliberately weigh the responsibility
which he thought necessarily attached to our position in
that country. It was a long time since they had had a China
debate in that house, and • during that interim very groat
events had occurred in that country. There was a great and
growing interest felt in that country in matters relating to
the conduct of our foreign affairs, and we had adopted, as a
general principle—which had met with the approval of the
country—non-•intervention as far as possible, We had pur-
sued it towards America, but not so in China. There we
had pursued a totally different policy, and had actively inter-
fered in the internal affairs of a friendly State by force of
arms, to prop up a weak and corrupt Government against
the efforts of its own subjects, who were bent on subverting

it; and that in behalf of a Government that we had done
more to weaken and degrade than any other nation in the
eyes of its own subjects. The hon, member then read ex-
tracts from the despatches of Consul Meadows and Mr.
Parkes in support of the opinion that the Government of
China was effete and corrupt, also citing the acknowledg-
ments of Prince Kung to the same effect; and he next pro-
ceeded to describe the progress of the rebellion. He admit-
ted he was sceptical as to the cause of the rebels being in
any way connected with the cause of the Taepings. All
that he desired the house to recognise was, that the rebel-
lion was an established fact of 11 years' standing, and that
the rebels had held Nankin, the ancient capital of the em-
pire, for ten years. In 1853 they organised a most re-
markable military movement. They marched two armies
from Nankin against Pekin, which was 1,600 miles dis-
tant, and had those two armies been able to form a
junction, Pekin, in all probability, would have fallen
into their hands, He knew it was a very difficult task, after
all that had been said and written on the subject of the
rebels, to get up in that house and attempt to justify their
conduct. Well, he did not intend to do so further than to
remind the house that China had been in a state of chronic
anarchy, and that civil war was ever accompanied with
dreadful scenes of bloodshed and rapine. Besides, it must
be remembered that one of the most disgraceful features in
the Chinese character was their disregard of human life.
However, it was important to consider what was the feeling
of the rebels towards the English. The hon. member read ex-
tracts from the despatches of Consul Meadows, Mr. Parkes,
and Consul Harvey to prove that originally, at all events,
their desire was to cultivate the most friendly relations with
the English. If a change subsequently took place in that
feeling, it was attributed to our conduct towards them ; but
at the same time he must say, that throughout the whole
of the blue book he did not find a single instance recorded
of the Taepings having intentionally injured British life or
property. In their advance upon Shanghai, to which they
were induced partly by the language of the u..iseionaries, and
partly by the promise of exp:eted treasure, they were mowed
down by English guns planted on the walls of the town, and
it was that circumstance which sowed the first seeds of hosti •
lity towards the English in th 3 minds of the rebel popula-
tion. The hon. member then proceeded to argue that an ad-
vance up the river Yang-tee was entirely premature, as long
as the rebels were in possession of the country along the
banks ; and that according to the admissions of our own cop-
suls.an immense increase had taken place, in consequence, in
the illegal traffic carried onin the district, This was the very