The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-13 00:00:00

aria( in between this country and Russia, and that that
question I was surrounded with great difficulties. This
ques might be divided into two distinct phases—
the p eriod when peace was possible, and the period when it
was i 2 npoisi Ile. Unfortunately her Majesty's Ministers did not
percei vo that the Emperor of Russia, after the passage of the
Pruth , hat pledged himself to a certain policy, and had under-
tafxen' a great task, from which he could not recede without
mat'el • WA,' injuring his influence in the East. (Hear, hear.)
Our Cloviarnrnent then unfortunately placed themselves in the
hand. of Austria, instead of pursuing an independent course.
The first step of our Government, after the declaration of war,
was t o send troops to Malta, and then to Gallipoli, after the
Empei sar of Russia, had revealed Ills policy. From Gallipoli
the trc 'ops were sent to Varna, against his (Mr. Layard's)
earnest ; remonstrances. At Varna the troops were decimated
by dise &so. From Varna they were at length sent to the
Crimea,
, where no provision was: made for them not even a
single d epot to fill up any vacancies that might, occur in the
ranks. It was probable that had the British forces proceeded
at own to Sebastopol that fortress might have been cap-
tured ; b at: Lord Raglan was prevented from pursuing the
Russian aitt ny after the battle of the Alma, because there
were no.
ins of conveying. the wounded except by mlaambu-
lances, the management of which' had been entrusted to
old pen sior .ers, whom days of active service had lone.
since 1), tssa I, and whose sanctum was the beersho P°
and all of whom were affected by delirium tremens'
lm mce was not one was able to enter on the duties
The sense
for which he had gone. out. And with regard to the medical
officers, VMS it not notorious that after the battle of Alma
from 600 t,, 10 wounded Russians were left to the charge of
one man, Ii r.: Thompson, who had since died, attended by his
diman named M'Grath—a name that deserved
servant, an Li
immortality'. i iut, after that battle, one would have thought
that the att enti am of the Government would have been tho-
roughly roused ~to the critical position of our army in the
Crimea. lic•wcve r, the fact vms, our army was not prepared
for a siege of sltell magnitude.: He remembered reading a
speech delve re I seine time ago by a noble friend of his re-'
lative to the e normous amount of ammunition supplied to
the army. No w, in reference to that statement, all he would
say was, that a upposing the siege continued to be carried on
as it was on tl re first day when our fire could scarcely keep
down the Russi an batteries, all that enormous supply of am-.
munition wouli 1 have been exhausted in six days, while the
whole number •of guns comprising our siege train, including
the mortars, on ly amounted to 60, and these were opposed to

almost inexh an slible resources. Last summer it was said
that the Austrian Government occupying the Principalities
would preyeett the Russians from reinforcing their army,
and what eras the result of that trust in Austria? Why,
that four corpsof the Russian army were transported into
the Crimea, ;and our army had •to fight the battle of
Inkerman. Arid what had happened in the Baltic ? He was
one of those who did not wish to depreciate the services which
had been remfe:red to their country by the fleet, but he could
not help pointing out how, after having destroyed the forti-
fications and decerting the place, a proclamation was issued
to the inhabnant s calling upon them at their risk. not to
enter into relations with Russia. Now the only tendency
such a policy comic' have was to divert Sweden from join-
ing our alliance. Ire fact throughout all the proceedings the
great want of our Go vernment is a definite policy. (Loud
cries of " hear, hear.) It was the same in Greece, where we
interfered to prevent Turkey demanding an indemnification
!or all the injury done to her Christian subjects on the
frontier of Greece. It was the same in Circassia, and the
same in Persia, in both of which cases no means had been
taken to secure co-operation against Russia. So that now,
at the end of a year, the only result obtained is that our
army has got a footing in the Crimea, and nothing else has
been done towards the settlement of this great 'question.
Austria had allowed Russia to send enormous reinforce-
ments into the Crimea. It, however, now appeared that
we had concluded a treaty with Austria. He should like to
know the terms of that treaty, for he confessed he had
great misgiving as to the policy of Austria. If we even
succeed in getting the Crimea, Russia might still refuse to
accede to our terms, and oblige us to send a second expe-
dition out there. He conceived that peace was utterly
impossible at the peesent moment, because any terms we
could now offer Russia she could not, in her position, with
honour and dignity accept. It therefore remained with us
to determine what our policy really was, and how the war
was to be carried on. He did not believe that the Govern-
ment were alive to the immense difficulties in which we were
placed. He believed that their policy hitherto Was to meet
emergencies at the moment—they did not look beyond the
moment 4t hand. (Hear.) The Russians will shortly have
nearly 200,000 men in the Crimea. (Oh, oh.) An hon.
member said " No," but he was told some time ago that
it was impossible for Russia to bring up any reinforcements.
In the camp of the Crimea we were acting as if it were im-
possible for Russia to bring up any reinforcements—that it was
not only physically impossible for her to do so, but it was im-
possible on account of the position which we were told that
Austria had assumed.- Now what was the fact ? In one night
we found 100,000 mete on our flank-60,000 attacked us at
Inkerman. Of those we wore told that there was not one re-
giment that hadebeen engaged tin the battle of Alma. Well,
then, there were 40,000 men at Alma; so that those two
armies amounted to 100,000 ; 25,000 men attacked us
at Balaklava, and 10,0 p made a sortie upon our left,
and at the same time the batteries of Sebastopol were play-
ing upon ns. He would ask the house to make up the ac-
count of those different armies, and they would find that it
would come nearer to 150,000 than 100,000. Having re-
moved our fleet from the Baltic, Russia can now send the
troops she had stationed in that quarter to the Crimea.
Did the house for a moment think that the Czar, when his
honour, his empire, and his throne were at stake, would for
a moment relax his efforts in the sustainment of the present
war ? We are carrying on the war upon a new system. We
had made an absurd attack upon Odessa—(hear, hear)—while
we have left the great granaries of Russia untouched. Up to
this moment there was no blockade in the Black Sea. On
the 21th of September, when the troops were landed in the
Crimea, when the Russians had sunk eight ships of the line
at the mouth of the harbo\ur of Sebastopol, there was a report
that Several of the Russian ships of the line had actually left
Sebastopol. We were so ignorant of their movements—
although in sight of theii harbour—that an order was issued
for our vessels to prepare for action, and to follow the enemy
out to sea. In respect to the trade of Russia, the only trade
that was stopped was the corn trade. The trade in linseed,
and other Russian articles,was still carried on in Constantinople.
We must notconceal from ourselves the feet that we are in a
critical position at present. Fresh troops were daily coming up
to the aid of Russia, and fresh attacks were made upon us. But
we shall ultimately succeed, for the honour of every English-
man was pledged to our success. Tho moment that Russia
sees that the capture of Sebastopol is inevitable, they will
withdraw their troops. They may leave a portion of them at
Perekop, but they will take the remainder t..) Asia. General
Bihiloff had 100,000 men in the neighbourhood of Persia. He
(Mr. L.) warned the country that next year the most fatal
results may be anticipated from the presence of the Russian
troops in Asia. Now we had done nothing to prevent the
march of the Russians into Persia. The moment that Russia
obtained possession of the provinces in that quarter, it was im-
possible that we could expect the Czar to treat with us. The
gigantic power of Russia extends from Kamschatka to the
White Sea—it is advanced and strengthened every year. Tho
question of Poland was the real question. It was in Europe
that we must check the advance of Russia. In Asia, it
was useless to attempt it. It was only by establishing an
independent nation in the centre of Europe, that we
could at all hope to prevent Russia pushing forward her
ambitious views in the midst of Europe. (Hear, hear.)
He warned the public against rushing into extremes. The
present was not a war of temporary duration. The demands
upon English charity would continue. Do not let them,
therefore, waste their money in jams, marmalade, and things
of that sort, which, after all, were not necessary. All their '
money would be required in process of time, so let them .
husband their resources, and they would by and bye find
them of real benefit to those upon whom they desired to con-
fer their favours. It was all very well for the Secretary-at-
War to say the army was better provisioned now than it was
in the Peninsular war. But had we not made progress since
then 7 Why, in forty years the whole state of things had
changed, and an army which was in no better condition than
that would be no credit to the commissariat. This was. not
the moment for wavering, and he said boldly we must alter
the whole system, and cut down with the knife; It
was useless to appoiut gentlemen to high , command
simply because they had served' with distinction in the
Peninsula. He admitted they were as fine and gallant
men as ever existed ; but such appointments only exposed
them to the loss of their well-earned reputations, by
placing them in positions where they could not discharge
their duties with credit either to themsOves or to the
country. It was physically impossible, indeed, that they
could do the work required of them. He warned the
heuse solemnly, that, unless they adopted a definite and de,
tided policy, greater calamities than those we had already
experienced must inevitably occur. He believed that out of
the whole number who had perished by disease, we might
by common precaution have saved one-third. He 'entreated
the Government to adopt porno policy, and let the house and
the wintry know what that policy was; and especially he
appealed to Lord John Russell, as leader of the great Liberal
party, to induce the Government to adopt a policy which,
although it might not perhaps reconcile the conflicting opi-
nions of a Coalition Ministry, would be more in accordance
with the dignity, the honour, and the interests of the empire.
After a considerable pause, during which no member of the
Government seemed inclined to rise,

Colonel DUNNE contended that'the army in the Crimea
was not properly reinforced, and complained that instead of
remaining at Varna until the month of September, it ought to
have proceeded to Sebastopol before the land defences were
constructed and completed. lie was of opinion that the war
had not been prosecuted with sufficient vigour.
Mr. DISRAELI—I agree with my hon, friend in the sur-
prise ho ins expressed that her Majesty's Ministers do not
think it necessary to make some reply to the speech of the
hon. member for Aylesbury. (Hear.) The hon. member for
Aylesbury is not a supporter of those who sit on these
benches. ' (Hear, hear.) Indeed, ho almost ostentatiously
informed ;the Lord President of the Council that he was pe-
culiarly attached to him. (Laughter.) I have no wish to
tamper with the allegiance of the hon. member for Aylesbury
to the Lord President of the Council; nor can I reciprocate
the animosity which he safs he feels towards the other section
of the Cabinet. But whatever that hon. member may say, I
should, when the opportunity offered, certainly give every
attention to the remarks of a gentleman so much master of
his subject. (Hear, hear.) I should not, moreover, forget
that in his individual instance a man of genius was addressing
the House of Commons—(hear)—and remembering that he
has just come fresh from the scene of that memorable action
which fills the minds and touches the hearts of the people of
this country, and that he rose in his place to make serious
charges against the Government, the fact that he has not
been answered by any member of that Government is not one
which will reduce the hon. member or the gravity of his
charge one iota in public estimation. (Hear.) For so far as
I can foim an opinion on the course of human life, from the
past of an individual, I think the hon. member for Aylesbury
will be remembered by posterity when a great portion of the
existing Cabinet will be altogether forgotten—(hear, hear)
—even though his neighbours or his enemies forget to
an-
swer his' very interesting speech. I should not myself t
felt particularly anxious to address the house on this occa-
sion had I not thought, from something which dropped in
the courp of this debate, that silence ou my parte might give
b
rise to misconstruction of my motives, or interpreted
into acquiescence of the conduct of the Government. I
ernment.
did not expect, and I witnessed with great regret, the neces-
sity, that I should have felt it my duty to participate in the
debates In this new session of Parliament which I thought
ended in the last, and to vindicate once again the principle
of freedom of discussion in this house. Remembering the
state of the couutry—remembering what last occurred in this,
I may term it, agitated chamber—remembering
fu-
ture fate of this great empire was then sAbering that the
stake—remember-
ing the thrilling events which have occurred since then—re-
membering that the people of this country, when Parliament
was assembled, looked to it, if not for redress, at least for
some sympathy with the deep emotio,,s by which they were
moved—remembering these things, I say, I was greatly sur-
prised, I must confess, that Government should havcadviasendd
the Queen to assemble Parliament at this unusual period,
then give orders to their creatures that all discuesion should
be not merely deprecated, but arrested. (Hear.) That they
should attempt—rashly attempt—to govern the country for
as long a time as they could without applying to the House
of Common's, L can woll understand. Their difficulties are