The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-27 00:00:00

WAR WITH RUSSIA.,

The Earl of ELLENBORO UGH said it appeared from
the last information from St. Petersburg that 12 Russian
frigates and corvettes were in preparation for sail-
ing on the breaking up of the ice in the Bal-
tic, and he wished to know whether the Go-
vernment proposed taking steps for the purpose
of preventing them leaving the Black Sea ? The noble
earl pointed out how easy, unless this were done, it
would be for this fleet, in five weeks' time, to go
round by the north of Scotland and Ireland and capture
unsuspecting British merchant vessels, he also mentioned
the various parts of the worli in which Russian men-
of-war were stationed, and said it was not unlikely that
as soon as war was declared against that country that
they would pounce upon that portion of our shipping
which was not under the protection of convoys. He
considered that not an hour ought to ho lost in adopting
measures to stop the Russian fleet leaving the Baltic.
The Earl of ABERDEEN thought that his noble
;friend who had been accustomed to conduct military
operations of great importance and extent, could
scarcely expect him to give an answer to the question.
(Hear.) He hoped his noble friend would give the
Government credit for showing the same activity and
-watchfulness which belonged to himself. He (Earl
Aberdeen) declined to give any reply to a question the
answer to which could only be useful to the power
against which we were proceeding. (Hear, hear.) He
begged to say to their lordships that henceforth he
should consider it his duty to answer no question re-
specting prospective'military operations of that descrip-
tion. His noble friend had with more or less accuracy
described the position of the Russian naval force in
different parts of the world ; but he made a grievous
error in saying they were not watched. (Hear.) Fur-
ther than this, however, he did not think it necessary
to enter into this subject. He trusted the house would
see and feel the propriety of the reasons which induced
him not to reply to the inquiry of the noble earl.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH did not think he
was justified in giving the Ministers credit for activity
and watchfulness. (Hear, hear.) As regarded all finan-
cial and political questions, he believed the Go-
vernment were fully equal to their position, but
as war ministers they were utterly untried, and when
he looked to their conduct in respect to affairs in the
East, and saw their desire to persuade themselves that
the coming war was a little war, though in reality it
would be the greatest in which we had ever engaged,
he could not dive them credit for watchfulness and ac-
tivity. (Hear, hear.)

The Marquis of 14.A.NSDOWNE agreed that the war
would not be a little one, but denied that the Govern-
had ever looked at it in any other light.
After some further discussion the subject dropped.
REFORM OP THE COMMON LAW.

The LORD CHANCELLOR rose to explain the pro-
visions of bis bill for further amending the proceedings
in the courts of Common Law.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.)
The SPEAKER. took the chAir at four o'clock.

PRIVATE BILLS.

The following private bills were read a second time
and ordered to be committed :—Aboyno, Ballater,
and Tarland Road ; Ballymena, Ballymoney, Cole-
raine, and Portrnsh Junction Railway (No 1) ;
Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, and Portrnsh
Junction Railway (No 2) ; Bannow Reclamation ;
Belfast and County Down Railway ; Birkenhead Docks ;
Blackburn Improvement, &c. ; British Guarantee Associa-
tion ; Buckingham and Towcester Road ; Caledonian
Railway (General Terminus, &c.) ; Canterham Railway •
Deptford Gas ; Downpatrick, Belfast, and Dublin Rail-
way; Executor and Trustee Society ' • Festiniog Railway ;
Glasgow Suspension Bridge; Great Western, Shrews-
bury and Birmingham, and Shrewsbury and
Chester Railway Companies (Traffic Arrangements) ;
Inverness and Nairn Railway ; Kingston upon Thames
Gas ; Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport ; Lancashire and
Yorkshire ; East Lancashire ; and Manchester and South-
port Railway Companies ; London and North Western and
North Staffordshire Railway Companies ; London and
North Western, and North Staffordshire Railway Com-
panies (Traffic Arrangements) ; Londonderry Bridge ;
Louth Waterworks; Oxford Poor Rate; Rossall Sea
Wall ; Scottish Central and Scottish Midland Junc-
tion Railways ; South Shields Roads Stroud,
Painswick, and Gloucester-road ; Sunderland Gas ;
Tacumshin Embankment ; Thirsk and Yarm-road ; Tor-
Moham and Saint Mary Church Gas ; Tralee and Killer-
VILMER presented a petition from a place in Kent
t the alteration of Oaths Bill.
PETITIONS.
practitione BRAY presented a petition from the medical
which the brethrensubjected to
of the profession in the Royal Navy
are
Mr H.
ford, Bramley, p CREAM presented petitions from Brad-
Riding of YorksLcliseey, and Cleckheaton, all in the West
, most numerously signed, against
Popish aggression;
all in
from Bradford, Bowley, Clock-
beaton, Horton,
the Wsst Riding of Yorkshire,
most numerously signel,
neries. praying for an inspection of nun-
of news
Mr. M. GIBSOers N presented a petition from 9 proprietors
pa p , p raying
for the abolition of all taxes on
newspapers.
Mr. FIUME presented a petitio!frum Hull, very nume-
of the third com-
rously signed, praying that the re
missioner at the late Bribery, &e.rertommission,
which sat
at Hull, be printed, in order that the Cue may be fully
understood.
CHARITY COMMISSIONERS AND SCHOOLS.
eot, the
Lord J. MANNERS wished to ask Sir Geol.
questioniti
19gttGrey, by
what authority, and with what obj
is inserted in theform of inquiry as to Endowed
British, Infant, and other schools ; and the 20th queostrol,
in the form of inquiry as to endowed Grammar 2.01,01:
by the Charity Commissioners ; and whether these qu„s
tions are addressed to Roman Catholic and Dissenting
Schools, or only to those of the Church of England.
Sir G. GREY said the authority under which those
questions were inserted in the forms were contained in sec-
tions 9 and 10 of the act pa,s;ed last session, by
which the charity commission was established. With re-
gard to Roman Catholics none of those questions could be
applied.

RUSSIAN SHIPS CHARTERED BY BRITISH
MERCHANTS.

Sir W. CLAY wished to ask Lord .T. Russell, first,
whether Russian ships chartered by British merchants to
bring corn from the Black Sea, and by a firman of the
Sultan (issued after his declaration of war against Russia)
permitted to pass the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, will be

also permitted to pass unmolested by British men of war,
in the event of war occurring between Great Britain and
Russia ; secondly, whether the Government will use its
good offices with the Government of France to ensure for
the vessels so circumstanced a safe conduct from French
cruisers likewise?

Lord J. RUSSELL said the question was one of great
interest and delicacy, but it would be desirable that any
such applications should be addressed to the proper office
in writing. Some Russian ships chartered by British mer-
chants have, on application by Lord Stratford to the Sul-
tan, been allowed safe passage through the Bosphorus and
Dardanelles, and care would be taken to carry that out.