The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 29, 1854.

NOT IC E. CONSTANTINOPLE. The
Lw3ture accompanying the GRAND MOVING DIORAMA
of CON' AN TINO LE is now delivered on Wednesdays and Satur•
days by Ai*. J . H. STOQUELER, whep the progress and localities
of the Nirar will be more particulirly explained; and on, the other
d'qs, ati usual, by Mr. CHAR—ES KENNEY. Avery clear and
excellent Map has been added to the illastrations.—Daily at Half-
past Two and Eight. admission, Is.
EGYPTIAN HALL, PICCADILLY.

COLOGNE CHORAL UNION.-HANOVER
SQUARE ROOMS. Mr. 'MITCHELL respectfully announces
that the above distinguished Society will give a Second Series of
11,10RN:fxG CONC b:RTS at the Hanover Square Rooms, which are
fixed to take place on the following days—Monday' May Wed-
nesday.' May 10 z Friday, May 12 ; Monday, May 15; Wednesday,-
May 17 ; and Friday, May 19. Director, Herr FRANZ WEBER,
The Repertoire of the So,lety now comprises more than One Hun-
dred and Twenty Morceaux, many of them entirely new. The Con-
certs will be arranged as ,ttst year —commencing At Half-past Three,
and terminating about five o'clock.
Tickets of Admission—Reserved Seats for the Six Concerts, Two
Guineas ; ditto, 'Single Tickets, 103 6d. ; Admission to the Body of
the Room, 5s ; which may be had at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library,
33, Old Bond-street.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.—On TUESDAY
ENT KING next, May 2, several Private Gentlemen intend
givirg an to, M TEUR PERFORMANCE at this Theatre, under dis-
tinguishe d patronage. The proceeds will be devoted to the funds of
the Ceritral Association in aid of the Soldiers' Wives and Families
ordereed to the East. The entertainments will' consist of THE
LADI ES' BATTLE WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A
NA and THE FAST COACH. During the evening, an Address,
wri.Cten expressly for the occasion, will be spoken, The orchestra
w,-.0 he compl• te, and entirely composed of gentlemen amatears, who
have kindly volunteered their services. Private boxes, and stalls
and tickets, may be obtained at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library, 33,
Old Bond-street.

ATTRACTIVE NOVELTIES.
ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
PATRON—H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.
The SF:AT of WAR, showing the principal places on the DANUBE,
KALIF AT, WID DI N. 0 lURGEVO, SEBASTOPOL, the entrance
to the BLACK SEA, BATTLE of SI NOVE, and DE.TRUCTION
of the TURKISH FLEET, and other scenes (kindly supplied by
the proprietors of the " Illustrated London .News"), EXBIHITED
in a NEW SFRIES of DIS4OLVING VIEWS.
LECTURES by J. 11. PEPPER, Esq . on the CHEMISTRY of our
DAILY BRE tD, in special, relation to that made by the NEW
a
'-PRI> riss\-at ta.b344.11YL /ilk Amialotrstr.; daily it. 700.
oitiioci; ; mkt in. thelopreaaink. on tiWICANZAt.;TURR and
DP);'4IRATION of PAVER. \tv.
, sEc Tv Kg toplir. BacHflp ;, EI. ' ,s. RIOITY, and
aistkk..EI;EVTRIC Li HT. Exhipition"Ot es; li siileilickl.of E
faskult Vessels.. c.. &c.
Open ;forniturs 'end Evenings. AdMission, Is.; &hoots and.
ehildr,n tinder Ten scars of age, Half-price. ' •

* HE . AILIATEAM SHIP for AUSTRALIA.
Jut( , 1864.,,The Magnificent Screw Steam-ship LADY
JOCELYN, I 00 tow, another of the fine fleet belonging to the
General Screw*team '.llpoing Company, will be despatched with
her Majesty's Malls fOr.,-,'Adelaide, Port Philip, and Sydney, on the
-4th June next. ' This trnly noble ship has maintained her high
re-
ptration fdr rapid sailing- and vunctuality, and as a sister ship so the
,Argo, which has made th 4 quickest voyage to and from Australia of
any ship up to this time. ‘, The Lady Jocelyn has been emplo3 ed
carrying the Mail,. to anctfrom England and Calcutta, and after a
visygge of about 27,000 miles, calling at s-ven ports outward and
eight homeward, has reachlid Plymouth two days before her time,
and from her super or sailing,and steaming qualitids, it may be fairly
-assumed that she sill makathe run to Austra is in 60 days. Rates
of passage from 30 to 100 sigmas. Full particulars as to Freight
and Passage money at the_Company's Offices; 1, Adelaide-place,
London-bridge.

" THE E PRESS," No. 52, This Day (Saturday),
contains, among others—Mr. Gladstone's Last Financial
Scheme—Conduct of the War—Railway Legislation—lnquiry into
Conventual and Monastic Institutions—Oxford University Bill -
America and Cuba—The Earl of Cardigan, his Regiment, and his
Cr tics—Our Turk in London to his Friend at Home —Tennyson's
Mariana (a new version) -A Newspaper Placard—Literature :—Dr.
[iungentr's Julian and the Priest and the Huguenot—Standard
Poetry—Cowper's Works—Autobiography of an Indian Army Sur-
geon 'r. Doran 's Table Traits, with Something on Them—Mr.
Gwynne's Nanette and her Lovers—Notes on Railways—Correspon-
dence—Mr. italkes and the Chester Registry—Parliamentary Reports
--Theatraa—toother with.all the News of the Week.
" THE PRESS" is published every Saturday, at the Office, No.
110, Strand, price 6d. May be had of all newsmen, and at the
railway stations. Money orders to be made payable to Mr. Alfred

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS--(YESTERDAY.)•
The Lon]) CHOTCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.
Lord CAMPBELL gave notice that, on Monday the Bth
of May, he would mov the+ second reading of tea` hill to
.prevent unauthOrised intercourse with-foreign countries.
Their lordships then adjourned.

= HOUSE Or COMMONS--(IESTERDALY
The SPEAKEt took the chair at four o'clock.
`PRIVATE' BUSINESS.
The fotoieing bills were read athird time and passed
Abergavenny Improvement ; Buckingham and Towcester,
Road ; Guild of Literature- and Art ; Rossall Sea Wall'
South Staffordshire Railway; West Hartlepool Improve 4
Merit. '
The following bills were considered, and ordered. to lie
on the table :—Ayr and Maybole Junction Railway ; Hors-
monden and Marden Roads • Saint Atawes Port, Harbour,
and Pier ; South Shields Roads.
The Cornwall Railway Bill was read a second time, and
'ordered to-be committed,
ekftie„,symaz. a ,proollti_BwETlTbir. IO014NS2:.
Or t „from Nri
Ross, against the inspection of nuirild'ffes ;` 11±
Walmsley, from Leicester, against public-houses being
opened on the Lord's day ; also a petition praying that the
universities may be thrown open to all classes o her Ma-
jesty's subjects ; by Mr. D. Seymour, of Hull, complain-
ing of prosecutions by the Stamp-office against a paper
published by him, and praying for the repeal of the Stamp
Act ; by Mr. Pollard Urquhart, from Westmeath and
Longford, against the inspection of nunneries ; by Lord D.
Stuart, from the inhabitants of Carnarvon, expressing
satisfaction at the energy displayed by her Majesty's Gover-
nment in respect of the ar • by Sir J. Trollope, from the
Board of Guardians of Boston, against any alteration in
the law of settlement ; by Colonel Blair from various
places in Ayr, against the Scotch Education Bill ; by the
Lord Advocate from the Free Synod of Stirling and va-
rious other places in Scotland, in favour of the Scotch
Education Bill ; by Sir A. J. Cockburn in favour of the
Bribery at Elections Bill, and a petition from the Town
Council of Cambridge with a similar prayer ; by Mr. W.
Patten from Lancaster, against any alteration in the law
of settlement, as regards Irish and Scotch paupers; by Mr.
Blackott from Newcastle-on-Tyne, praying for the admis-
sion of Dissenters to the universities ; by Mr. J. Ball, 2
petitions from the county and borough of Carlow, against
any inspection of nunneries.
TRANSPORT OF THE FORCES.
Sir J. WALSH wished to ask whether, considering that
the combined action of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, is
essential in modern warfare, and that the period required
for the transport of the two latter arms is the measure of
time of all effective military operations, her Majesty's Go-
vernmeut are prepared to adopt any plan by which steam
power may be generally applied to the conveyance by sea
of these two branches of the service.
Sir J. GRAHAM said he thought his best course, in
answering the hon. baronet, was to state to the house
what the Government had accomplished since the Bth
February by the means, such as they were, at the dis-
posal of the Government. They had sent to Turkey,
since the Bth of February, 830 officers, 21,119 men, 2,259
horses. They had sent in addition 2,300 lbs. of provisions,
and of commissariat and ordnance stores, 8,300 tons. They
had employed 92 transports, 20 steamers, and 70 sailing
vessels ; and considering the distance which this force
had to be moved, and the short time, as already stated,
within which the work had been accomplished, and the
number of men and horses that had been moved, he was
confident that at no former period of the history of this
country, had the same amount of work been performed in
so short a time. (Cheers.)
METROPOLITAN LETTER CARRIERS.
Mr. T DUNCOMBE asked why the report of the com-
missioners appointed last year by the Treasury to investi-
gate the complaints of the district letter carriers of the me-
tropolis has not been laid upon the table ; and whether any-
thing has been, or is likely to be, done towards the removal
of the grievances of which they have so long complained ?
Mr. HAYTER said no commission had been appointed
to inquire into the complaints of the letter carriers, but a
commission had been appointed to inquire generally into
the subject of the delivery of letters in the metropolis, and
the report of that commission would shortly be laid on the
table.

THE BLACK SEA FLEET.
Mr. DANIEL O'CONNELL asked the First Lord of
the Admiralty if Catholics serving in the Black Sea fleet,
or in the Baltic, or on board any of her Majesty's ships at
present in commission, are compelled to attend Protestant
divine service, when read on board, either by a chaplain,
naval instructor, or other officer ; and, if such be the case,
whether the practice of compelling them will be allowed
to continue, when Catholic soldiers are not in any case
compelled to attend Protestant service ; whether the Ad-
miralty will consider of allowing Catholics on such occa-
sions to assemble on the forecastle apart from the rest of
the ship's company, under charge of a warrant or petty offi-
cer of their own communion.
Sir J. GRAHAM said this subject had already been
discussed in the house once this session, and he stated then
what the Admiralty had clone in the matter. Divine ser-
vice was constantly celebrated in the fleet, according to
the provisions of the Act of Parliament, and he was not
aware that the Roman Catholic sailors in the service had
made any objection of their religious wants being neglected.
There was consequently no intention whatever to alter the
law in this respect, though it was right that he should add
that he was now in communication with the admiral and
commander of the fleet, upon the subject of giving Roman
Catholic sailors increased facilities for observing and per-
forming their religious duties.
Lord D. STUART asked the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty whether it be true, as stated repeatedly in the public I
papers, that subsequently to its having been notified to the
"Russian Government that the English and French fleets
had received orders to enter the Black Sea, and to require
and if necessary to compel every Russian ship they might
meet with to re-enter a Russian port ; and notw'thstand-
i.ng that notification, that Russian ships of war have crossed
the Black Sea, and have removed a considerable number
of Russian troops from the coast of Circassia to the Crimea,
without experiencing any impediment whatever in the per-
formance of that important operation from any of the
ships of the allied fleets?
Sir J. GRAHAM was not aware of any occurrence in
the Black Sea to which the question could refer, except it
was the case of the Samson. which, on visiting the Cir-
cassian coast on the 16th of March, found a few small Rus-
sian steamers engaged in the destruction of a number of
aClitercarnsasitaivneFichratsn, atnodotrhdeerEntgleimsh commanderh neahreasdt no other
port, war not having then been declared by England.
against Russia, though a notice had been sent to the
whether the
go-
vernor of Sebastopol, that in the event of Russian ships
venturing out of port they would be compelled by the
combined fleets to return into port.
SERVIA.a.
Russell,
Porte and the Government of Servia have
leonsented that
T ocLupieL. by Austrian
Lord D. STUAAURSTTII'aIskAedALNoprd

troops?
Lord J, BIISULL said that no Amitrian troops at pre,

sent occupied Servia, and moreo* Austria had declared
that she would not think herself jnstified in the occupying
of Servia unless the Russian, troops should. enter Servia, I
or in case of a Servian insurrection. _

. _
THE TROOPS AT GALLIPOLI.
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR rose to ask the Secretary at
War whether his attention has been called to the follow- 1
ina statements contained in a letter published in the Times
of 26th April, purporting to corns from their own corre-
spondent at Gallipoli, underdatoof 10th April, respecting,
the provisions made for the rece on of the British troops
there ; and whether he can give y explanation with re-
spect to the accuracy of those sta tnents, and whether any
steps had been taken by her majesty's Government to
prepare for the reception of the British troops at Gallipoli
—and, if so, what those steps were ?
Mr. S. HERBERT entered into a somewhat lengthened
statement in reply, similar to that given by the Duke of
Newcastle in the House of Lords last night. He defended
the precautions taken by the Government for sending out
everything to supply the wants of the troops, and
read an extract from a letter- from Mr. Commissary
Smith, explaining the extreme difficulties of procuring
fresh provisions, &c.,. in Turkey. The most zealous co-
operation was given by the Turkish Government and their
officers, and with regard to the particular quarter at Galli-
poli in which our troops were stationed, he (Mr. S. Her-
bert) had seen private letters from officers at Gallipoli,
who declare that they prefer the Greek quarter of the town
to any other, on account of its sanitary advantages. (Hear.)

SCOTCH MILITIA.
Col. BLAIR asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, whether it is the intention of the Government
to enrol the Scotch Militia this year ; and whether he can
state at what period of the year the men will be required
to assemble for exercise?
Mr. S. HERBERT said it was intended to bring in a
bill for the purpose ; and if the house assented to the bill,
the enrolment would most likely take place in the autumn.

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
Mr. LAFFAN asked Lord John Russell to explain the
reasons which have led the Government, in making ar-
rangements for the conduct of the Ordnance service during
the absence of the Master-General, to pass over Sir John
Burgoyne, and appoint a junior officer of the Ordnance
corps to be Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance.
Lord J. RUSSELL declined to state any reasons for the
appointment, but th:: elaima Sir J. Bure.,--
been overlooked.
GREEK CHRISTIANS.
Mr. COBDEN asked Lord John Russell whetlie
Government contemplated laying before Parlament -,41Y.
papers relating to the insurrection of the Greek Christians
in Turkey, and explanatory of our present relations with
the court of Athens? The hon. member made the usual
formal motion for an adjournment, to enable him to enter
into a lengthened statement upon the subject of the trade
of Turkey, and to explain that several Greek houses who
were mainly concerned in that trade had been expelled from
Turkey because, although born subjects of the Porte, they
Lad become naturalised Greeks.
Lord J. RUSSEL-re—ln answering the statement of the
hon. gentleman, I will say at once that the Government
hope shortly to be able to lay before Parliament papers
relating to the insurrection of the Greek Christians in
Turkey, and explanatory of our relations with the Court of
Athens; but to one er t cvo statements that have been made
by the hon. gentleman I wish to refer. The hon. gentle-
man refers to the statement that has been made on my
part, that the insurrection in Turkey of the Christians had
been fomented, and :n fact very. much owed its origin to
the attempts of the Greek Government to raise that insur-
rection. Every paper I have seen from persons who have
authority from her Majestey in that quarter, whether it be
from our Minister at .ithens or the Lord High Commissioner
of thelonia.n Islands, or whether it be from Consuls Saunders
or Blount, every one cf those statements shows that the Greek
Government have been most active in fomenting that
insurrection. (Hear, hear.) In the last despatch I read
from 12Ir. Wyse, he says that the Foreign Minister of the
King of Greece did complain of some phrase that had been
used by the French Minister at the Court of Athens, and
that he stated it was no use to complain of particular terms,
became, in fact, it was notorious that the Court of Greece
had done its utmost to foment that insurrection ; thatithe
persons who were employed high iu the service of the King
of Greece, whether in his household or in the military
service, had been the most active persons in crossing the
frontier, and in endeavouring to raise the Christian popula-
tion against the Sultan. He mentioned various other facts to
the M.nister for Foreign Affairs of the King of Greece, and
it does not appear that they were at all denied, but there
was a general statement of the sympathy that must be
naturally felt for the Greeks in Turkey (Hear, hear.) Ido
not mean to deny that of the Christians in Turkey many
of them are averse to the Mahometan rule ; but what I
state ie that in a great many of the villages that have risen
in insurrection„ there was perfect tranquillity. Although
they were not content with Mahometan rule, there was no
desire to rise in insurrection, or to take up arms against '
the authority of the Sultan, until persons in fact authorised
by the King of Greece, who lately held his commission
and came from Greece, were active in raising and fomenting
that insurrection. (Hoar.) As to the part our ships
abroad have taken on this subject, I own at once that
some of her Majesty's ships have prevented vessels carrying
arms and ammunition going from Greece is order to assist
the insurgents, and such vessels have been stopped. (Hear,
hear.) The hon. gentleman nexi, refers to the order that
all the subjects of the kingdom of Greece in the Turkish
territory should leave that territory. That was a de-
tision the Sultan's Government, vat* perfectly competent
to make, and the comparison of that order to the le-
r vocation of the edict of Nantes i 4, I must say, an un-
happy one. (Hear, hear.) The persons to whom the revo-
cation of the edict of Nantes applied were subjects of the
King of France, and they were ordered to leave France for
the reason history gives us. (Hear, hear.) But those per-
sons were not the subjects of the Sultan, merely differing
from him in religion, but they were persons who were the
subjects of a foreign power, and of a foreign sovereign, who
was doing his utmost to raise an insurrection and rebellion
in the provinces of Turkey. (Hear, hear.) Whether that
measure taken by the Sultan be expedient or not is quite
another question. (Hear, hear.) The reason, for taking
that step has not been communicated to her Majesty's Go-
vernment. We have been informed that the measure has
been taken, and all the Secretary of State said on ;
the subject is, that we doubt the wisdom of the policy
that dictated it. (Hear, hear.) But it is a step that
the Sultan was perfectly competent to take, and there
may be reasons of which we are not aware that dictated
this step ; but at all events the historical parallel which
the hon. gentleman used is not applicable. (A laugh.)
With respect to the papers to which the hon. gentleman •
alludes, we shall be ready to produce them. I am very sorry
to say that these papers will show, whenever they are pro-
duced,
that great atrocities are committed, both by the
irregular troops in the service of the Sultan, and by the
insurgents who have risen against the Mahometan rule.
At one side we have those irregular troops destroying Chris-
tian villages and leading the women and children into •
slavery ; on the other hand, we have Christians going
against the Mahometan inhabitants of a perfectly tranquil
village - -persons not in arms, and not employed other-
wise than in the pursuits of peace, and destroying those
Mahometan villages, and rooting out and extirpating the
inhabitants. This is one of the most melancholy spectacles
—this is one of the consequences that was to be expected
from the attempt of the Emperor of Russia. (Hear, hear.)
It was obvious that when he pretended to be the protector
of the Christians in Turkey, he would raise up on the one
side and excite the fanaticism of the Mahometan popula-
tion, and on the other side would arouse the desire for
independence which exists amongst the Christian popula-
tion the subjects of the Sultan. The creation of that civil
war was one of the consequences of that most unjustifiable
aggression of which there is scarcely an apologist to be
found anywhere, except perhaps the hon. member for the
West Riding. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT took the same view of this question as the
honourable member for the West Riding, and insisted that
the demands which Turkey had made upon the Government
of Athens were as unjustifiable and impolitic as her expul-
sion of Greek naturalised. subjects. Neither he nor his
honourable friend were the advocates or supporters of the
Emperor of Russia; but both of them deprecated the
language which the noble lord had held out towards
that potentate as well as the Government of Athens.
Turkey required that Greece should put down the
freedom of the press—a most indefensible demand ; and
yet her Majesty's Government were upholding Turkey in
that demand. He denied that the Government of Athens
was responsible for the Greek insurrection, as it was called,
and if the noble lord would consent to lay the papers on
the table without curtailment or omission whatever, he
was satisfied they would bear him out in that state-
ment. We had entered into this war for the
protection of Turkey, but the vast majority of
her inhabitants were Greeks ; and the fact was, we were
now resisting the rights of the very people whom we pro-
posed to protect. The fact was, the Greek element was
the great difficulty of this question ; and he must tell the
noble lord that it would be got over neither by his abuse
of the Emperor of Russia nor the sneers which he indulged
in at the expense of his hon. friend the member for the
West Riding.
Mr. LAYARD said that, with regard to the Greek mer-
chants in this country, the hon. member for Manchester
had made a statement which deserved a public contradic-
tion. He had told the house that a large number, indeed
almost the whole of the Greek merchants in this country
were native born Turkish subjects, but were trading as the
neutralised subjects of another power. And it was no doubt
true that these men, in consequence of the privileges they
enjoyed under the tolerant government of the Sultan, were
enabled to enjoy the protection of other Governments.
Why, if a Turkish subject went to Odessa, and while per-
forming quarantine—without even landing—obtained a
Russian passport, he was able to return as a Russian sub-
ject. But what use had these men made of the advantage
they enjoyed under this protection ? They refused top ay
the common local dues that the Porte had a right to rai o
from its subjects. They refused even to pay the taxes for
lighting and cleansing the streets of Peru. And he would
invite the hon. member for Manchester to ask any British
merchant resident nt Constantinople whether their gross
abuse of their privileges was not most injurious to British
trade, and had not ended by almost ruining every British
house at Constantinople. Having enjoyed these advantages
was it extraordinary that they should also be exposed to
the disadvantages that resulted from their position ; or
that when the Sultan found them engaged in raising re-
bellions within his dominions, he should compel them
to be what they claimed to be—foreign subjects—and
should compel them to leave his territory ? The hon. gen-
tleman said that this measure would be attended with loss
to trade ; but the principal sufferers by it would he the
Turkish Government ; and this fact showed that they must
have been compelled almost by a necessity of their exist-
ence to expel from the country those from whom they
derived their chief revenue. He was surprised to hear the
hon. gentleman make some remarks upon the conduct of
Mr. Blount, our Consul-General at Salonica, who he stated
had almost taken upon himself the government of Thessaly.
The fact, however, was, that no man in Turkey was bet-
ter acquainted with the true state of the population than
Mr Blount ; that no man had done more to protect the
Greeks ; and that no man held a higher position in the
esteem both of Greeks am' Turks. The hon. gentleman
then blamed the Turkish Government for interferin with

~'' ;,~'i~;i
>~

the Greek press, which he said, was as free as that of,
Belgium. But the fact was that the Greek press was not'
free. He knew that, with regard to Mr. Blount, peti-
tions falsely purporting to come from villages in Thessaly,
and to be signed by the primates and chief men, were
inserted in th Greek papers, containing statements calcu-
lated to cause great irritation amongst the Turkish popu-
lation, and which were thus likelyM to lead not the massacre
of the Christians. Fortunately, r. Blou was able to
for War- to our ambassador •at Constantinople petitions
from the same people, containing statements of a directly
contrary character ; and they were thus saved from the
vengeance of the Turks. The fact was that the insurrec-
tion in the Turkish provinces was carried on by troops
in the Pay of Greece, and who were actually reviewed by
the King and Queen before they started from Athene. And
Mr. Blount went into Thessaly to show the inhabitants ,
the dangers they ran, if they took part with them, of being
treated as rebels by Timeey, while they were sure to be
the .first victims of the men who crossed over the frontiers
with the professed object of assisting them. To a certain
extent Mr. Blount had succeeded in restoring tranquillity
iii that province, and for that he deserved not blame but
praise. The hon. member for Manchester still talked as if
he shared in the old error that ten millions of the subjects
of Turkey had no sympathy with her ; and in order to sup-
port his views on this point he alluded to the feelings of
the population of the lonian Islands. No doubt the senate of
the lonian Islands were very anxious for the success of the
Greek insurrection, in order that they might gain their
own ends. But did the hon. gentleman know what was
t' Le first step taken by this senate elected by the ballot ?
They passed a law that uo man should be liable to pay his
debts for four years. (Laughter.) He remembered last
year meeting a gentleman of considerable rank in Greece,
and while talking about the lonian Islands, the gentleman
said, " You do not know how to treat them ; let them be
added. to Greece, and we should show you how to deal
with them." In answer to a question as to what would
be the course taken by the Greek Government, his friend
added, "we should turn three or four regiments amongst
them, and you would see the result." No sioubt por-
tions of the Christian population in Turkey would rise ;
but that population, generally, had no sympathy with
either Greece or Russia, and had no strong feeling
against Turkey. When he (Mr. Layard) had the honour to
address the house on the 30th March last, he stated, on the
authority of a private letter from Constantinople, dated
n thq s2(lieesf tieeetinsietk; 00%V:a liiiie ails iiin face; ton-
g ing.of 7- sreamere and 4 transports, had appeared on
t.il'A`coaSct of Circassia; and had carried off a large body of
tiooDs from the garrisons there in the presence of her Ma-
bilstt
jesty's steamer Sampson. This statement he had made on
the authority of a person engaged in the matter,
,and it
ee -cod so strongly with the statement in the Russian paper
that he could' not doubt that the facts were correctly
stated. Yet in another place, on the 6th April, the noble
earl at the head of the Foreign-office denied that the
Sampson had brought any such information. It appeared,
however, from the Russian journal, that there had been
three. proceedings. On one occasion several Sorts were de-
stroyed ; on another, a number of troops were removed,
but this operation being interrupted by.b.ad weather their
removal was (thirdly) effected on as subsequent occasion.
Theltussian journal stated that the operations of the Rus-
sian fleet onthe coast of Circassia had been crowned with
complete success, and had resulted in the addition of 5,000
tried and effective troops to, the garrison of Sebastopol.
The right lion. gentleman at' the head of the Admiralty
said that the Russian vessels were only coasting steamers.
He (Mr. Layard), however, had seen them, and he could
tell the right hon. gentleman that they were steamers
built in this Country, ' and that, although they were
called coasting steamers, they were really vessels-
of-war carrying the • same armament as her Majesty's
ships Devastation and Stromboli. He might indeed be
told that care vessels could do nothing,' as there was
at that time no declaration of war. Bu' he wanted to
know what was the meaning of the instructions which
they found in the blue books as early as October last ? By
them the admirals were directed not to allow any ship to
issue from Sebastopol, and were told to send her back if
she slid. This operation on the coast of Circassia, as de-
scribed by the Journal of St. Petersburg, was evidently a
directly warlike step, for if these troops had not been re-
moved they must have fallen into the enemy's hands. And
he contended that the English and French fleets were
bound to preVent any such step being taken by the Russian
admiral. .This affair and that of Sinope might cost this
country an . inconceivable amount of treasure and blood,
for not only had 5,000 men been by this means added to
the garrison of Sebastopol, but our moral influence over
the population of these provinces had been diminished by
showing them that the Russian fleet could if they pleased
come out of Sebastopol. He was surprised 'that the noble
earl at the head of the Foreign-office should have denied
the statement which he made on -a former occasion,
and ho certainly thought that some explanation on this
subject was required, for it was evident either that the
noble earl did not wish tho statement to go forth to the
public, or that the Government had not received informa-
tion which had reaohed the hands of private individuals.
The right. hon. gentleman (Mr. Sidney .Herbert) had
denied the correctness of the statements with respect
to the commissariat department which had appeared in
the Times. He (Mr. Layard) could easily believe that
those statements were correct, , but he was the last man
who would wish to throw blame upon the officers of the
commissariat and transport service. He was informed
that Mr. Commissary-General Smith did not go out till
March. Nov, as far back as January last, he (Mr. Lay-
ard) warned the Government that Turkey was not a coun-
try like England, and that preparations for the reception
and support of an army should be commenced some months
before its arrival. Every letter he received from the East
confirmed him in the opinion that in a very short time
we should find ourselves involved in far greater difficulties
than we had at first any reason to expect. He was afraid
that the country would find that preparations which should
have been undertaken months ago, and which would have
been if the Government had listened to the warnings of
those who know the country, had been far too long de-
ferred. If due attention had been paid to those warnings,
our troops would not now have been wanting the common
necessaries for the sick, or the means of covering. The
blame of this, however, rested, not with the officers con-
cerned in the management of our affairs in the East, but
with the Government at home. He perfectly agreed with
the right hon. gentleman that at no period had the country-
sent forth such a fleet and such an army, at so short a no-
tice, as those which we had recently despatched to theseat
of war ; but he must say that if the Government had taken
the precautions which they ought to have done last year,
they would not now bo exposed to complaints which he
feared were too well justified. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J.IGRAHAM said that the hon. member for Ayles-
bury had reverted to a subject which was raised by a ques-
tion put to him by the noble lord the member for Maryle-
bone, and which had reference to the conduct of the officer
commanding the Sampson on the coast of Circassia. The
hon. member confidently relied on the accuracy of the
statement which he had made on a former occasion, though
he (Sir J. Graham) had asked the house to suspend its
judgment until they had received the report of the British
officer as to what took place, and had, on the part of Go-
vernment, declared their willingness to lay on the table a
copy of the instructions which were given to the com-
mander of the Sampson by Admiral Dundas, and also a
full report of what passed on the occasion referred to. The
hon. member said that 5,000 men were withdrawn from
Circassia and sent to Sebastopol. Now, the only informa-
tion which the Government had yet received, and which
they were ready to lay before the house, was, that there
were two transports, one of which was boarded, and that
the two contained not more than 300 or 400 troops. The
statement of Captain Jones is express, that the steamers
were not vessels of war, but simply five small steamers
employed as packets between Sebastopol and Odessa.
The honourable gentlemen said that he had the advan-
tage of seeing them, but Captain Jones also had seen
them. He had only one ship of war with him, and yet
these five powerful steamers, as they were represented to
be, crept as close to the coast as they could, and in the most
careful manner avoided an encounter with one English and
one French steamer. So much for the statement in the
St. Petersburg Journal, which the honourable gentleman
believed. He must entreat the house to suspend their
judgment until they had seen the official report on the sub-
ject from a British officer of undoubted honour. Then
with regard to the orders that were given to the fleets.
The order of the Bth October, to which the hon. member
had referred, was one of a very modified description, and
only declared that the coasts of Turkey should be protected.
After tho attair of Sinopo—which he regretted as much as
the hon. member did, and which ho declared, in his hum-
ble judgment, to bo an eternal dishonour to the Emperor
of Russia, inasmuch as it was a violation of assurances
which had been given—a much more stringent order was
issued by the British admiral on the 24th of December.
By it protection was extended from the Turkish coast to
the Turkish flag, and it was directed that every Russian
ship of war, as contradistinguished from merchant ships,
which should be met by the English or French cruisers
should bo warned to return to Sebastopol, and that if she
refused force should be used. The affair in question took
place on the 16th of March, and as war was not declared
here until the 29th, and the news of it did not reach
Varna until the 16th of April, the transaction must be
viewed with regard to the orders of December, which were
then in force. Now, in the first place, it was to be ob-
served that whatever might be the character of the Russian
MERCHAlN:et;:ecolseleeur.hen
steamers, they were not met on the sea— they crept close to
the shore ; and as they were proceeding from one Russian
port to another, they could not be overhauled by the
British steamers without an infraction of the law of nations.
The transports could be overhauled. A question might
here have arisen whether the order applied to transports.
Captain Jones decided that transports should be treated
as men-of-war, and he treated them accordingly. He (Sir
James Graham) should be prepared to contend that the
orders issued by the admiral were defensible, and that the
manner in which Captain Jones executed them was quite
correct. But he would not then trespass on the house
furi,l3er in regard to a case which could not be satisfactorily
discussed until the papers were before them. In the mean-
tiere he entreated the house to suspend its judgment, and
not to believe a Russian account in preference to thereport
of a British officer. (Hear, hear.)
RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH
Mr. M. GIBSON wished to put questions to the.
Government on two points. The first question r(3
lated to the case of certain Russian merchant shipsl
captured on the high seas, and supposed to be lawal
prizes. He saw that a certain imperial decree w
to have appeared at Paris, which would render itasnesucees:
sary for the Government to release these p i_
therefore, wished to know whether such
really appeared, and whether our Government
sh could be
in it. It was certainly clear that if the
havebrought
be
einto
madethe
i;in English
o u our orders
ports,
esi it;
oa
ui ni lay
bet h oli
giveng h t
been given that all Russian vessels leaving our ports before
someii c mgi in
c'e7elt oLu
O fission
r d er snilliadst
May 10 should not be interfered with on the high seas by
'orennichheosar
mEnegplirsihnecirpilieis, esrism•
with respect to Russian vessels leaving a neutral port be-
tthheat},
fore that date. It would bo still more singular if we could
similar orders
take vessels leaving a French port before tbat date, be-
cause, if the French orders were similar to oui s, the effect
would be that the French cruisers could seize vessels
leaving French ports, and thus the professed effect of our
orders in council would be entirely lost. He wished, in
the second place, to call the attention of the Government