The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-11 00:00:00

CONSOLIDATED FUND APPROPRIATION
BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of the Conso
dated Fund Appropriation Bill.
Lord MONTEAGLE said it was believed there was a
serious difference of opinion on questions of finance be-
tween her Majesty's Government and the Bank of Eng-
land. Now, as these differences of opinion concerned
the nation at large, he bad been induced to put a ques-
tion to the Government on the subject. He had put a
question to the Government in June last, in reference to
the litigation with the Bank on the imbject of deficiency
bills, which had not been answered on the ground of the
circumstances' then pending. Two months had now
elapsed, and he thought that an answer ought to be
given. He did not regret the liberality with which
the country had come forward with supplies, because
he thought it was indicative of confidence in the Go-
vernment, but wishing for more information, he now
desired to know whether Government would lay such
papers on the table as would serve to put the public
in possession of the whole subject-matter. It was
satisfactory to find that the additional 5,000,0001.
placed at the disposal of Government was to be sub-
ject to the salutary control which was applied to the
issue of public money from the Treasury. He wished to
ask whether Government and the governors of the Bank
had come to an understanding with respect to their re-
lative riahts, and if so, what that understanding was?
Earl GRANVILLE said the noble lord's question
had reference to the question put to him on the 21 of
June, and en that occasion he stated that sonic dinr-
ence of opinion had occurred between the Chancelfor of
the Exchequer and the Bank of England, but that as the
differences were somewhat of a private nature, it was
not. usual, except under peculiar circumstances, to pro-
duce the correspondence to Parliament. There had
been some differences of opinion between the Chancellor
of the Exchequer and the governor of the Bank of Eng-
land. These differences had been referred to the officers
of the Crown, and he had no other answer to give now
to the noble lord's question. The question bad been re-
ferred to the Crown law officers, they had been pressed
for a reply frequently, but they were not yet prepared
to give any official opinion. As soon as it• was given he
would give Parliament and the country the earliest in
formation on the subject.

CUSTOMS BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
THE WAR AND OUR ALLIANCES.
The Marquis.of CLARICARDE (who spoke very in-
audibly) said he now rose pursuant to the notice he had
given, to make some observations on the important sub-
ject of the state of the war in which the country was
engaged, and to endeavour to obtain from the noble earl
the Secretary for Foreign Affairs some further informa-
tion with regard to the alliances into which we had either
directly or indirectly entered with foreign powers. He
was not about to take any retrospect of the causes of
the war ; but before he made any observations relating
to the subject of the war, he wished to notice shortly
some attacks which had been made partly in Parliament
and partly out of doors on those persons who had
thought it right to criticise the conduct .of the war,
either by commanders abroad or by the Government
at home, which employed the forces sent out for the
purposes of the war. Such persons had been accused of
being actuated by personal motives in' expressing their
opinions, but of that he took no account ; that was
what all public men, and the best public men, were sub-
ject to, and must make up their minds to it, and the
persons who made criticisms on the conduct of the
war in their places in Parliament were not neces-
sarily to be supposed to be less patriotic or zealous
in the cause of their country than those who supported
all the measures of all commanders and all govern-
can s n
ments.de t
i tw u
as sal To suppose that no such criticisms were to
surpdreaeneddenunreasonable
otstvaseenospz ()ague d
Parliamentary d
tboe me
usage. It had always been thought
to be not only the • 1
privi ege but the duty of mem-
bers of •
Parliament to comment on the measures takenl
for carrying on a war. That course was takend in
during
l the
best Parliamentary times, and it had be
the continuance of as great wars as that
been done onehioui ring
were now engaged. No one would say that which
Pittrwe
was wanting in firmness, in zeal, or in sincerity,s
support of the Crown and the laws of this country,inwhen
we engaged in a war with the French .
Republic, and
were opposed to that
happily in alliance. nationo with which we were now
But what was the conduct of Mr.
Pitt during the administration of regard to the subject
of
18Mr. Addington, with
and which broke out in con 03 a war
?which
with th he entirely approved
•
first measures With regard to the two
fence of the country, as s e war—that for the de-
and the other, which w:otroitained in the Militia Bill,
rying on the war, the ineomeptrovide the means for car-
both of them. With regard ax, ha-took exceptions to to the in an amendment to the resolution come tax, he moved
vided upon it ; and, although he proposing it, and di-
was his influence in Parliament war beaten, yet so great
Bill was much altered. That was the the Income Tax
Mr. Pitt, and yet those who now e course taken by
the conduct of the war wereventuredassailed to criticise
were not willing to grant the as if they
however, to' the object of his motion, he Passing'
with regard to the new organisation of themod say
try of War, that up to the present time Minis.
parliament
had received no information which would
them to understand what departmental enable
ch
been made. It was true .that the
ecrselitge had
She
War had been relieved of the charge of t CoaTy
.for
but what were his actual functions or responsiallitT6si,
was not yet known to Parliament, and they knew no-
thing except that the commissariat had been placed in
his department. Ile (Lord Clanricarde) had heard that
that change had been made with satisfaction. Nothing
could be more absurd than that. the commissariat should
be placed in the department of the Finance Minister, who,
with his multiforious duties, could little afford to attend
to that branch of hie department. The duties of a corn.
missariat were certainly divisable into two great heads,
The first head embraced those of its duties which were
. especially military, tnat is to say, the furnishing of pro-
visions and stores for the troops in a campaign
and
matters of a similar nature for those on home service.
But • it was also the business of the commissariat to
provide for the payment of such provisions, and so on,
and it was his duty to supervise the bills drawn on the
Treasury for such payments-=a duty which ought to be
divided from the rest of its duties. It was not known
how this was arranged, but still he thought that the
turning over of the c ommissariat to the department of
the t Minister for War was a good operation, and he
trultod that Parliament would LIM puck an. explaaa•