The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The House met at five o'clock.
Earl of HA.RDWILK presented a petition from the
Marine Society, praying that, in the event of the tax of
2s. now levied on certain fishermen in the Thames,
which formed part of the revenues of that society, being
repealed, the interests of the society might not be lost
sight of.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented a pe-
tition from 5,414 clergymen of the Church of England
in favour of retaining religious element in the national
schools in Ireland.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a potition from resi-
' dents at Hampstead against the bill before the house
for the enclosure of portions of the heath.
CHICORY.
Viscount TORRINGTON presented a petition from
the merchants and planters of Ceylon, praying for the
appointment of a committee to inquire into and to report
upon the adulteration of coffee. Inconquence of the
operation of the present Treasury minute, the consump-
tion of coffee had greatly decreased as compared with
the period when the mixture of chicory with coffee was
prohibited. The public were sufferers from the present
system, because they got an inferior article without
great
cause to complain of it, as it prevented the honest trader
competing with the dishonest one.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said there was great
with
culty in reconciling the interests of the revenu
those of the trader and consumer. Whateitverwgasrounnedt
of complaint the public might
thaer,
the
'Board of
any want of activity on the .
aedt there
Inland Revenue, because, yeardurinPgaretirheemlaseters
bad been 6,337 inspections bythheing
a falling off in
prosecutions. So far from therethe
existing regulations, the
the consumption owing to te
senveerael
eyeesairdserpeasdt,thaantd
asin
consumption had increased
t.ferer.
this year more than any b
the present system had workedo well it ought not to be
disturbed.
3 NAGEMENT OF CROWN ESTATES.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE moved for the ap-
pointment of a select committee to inquire into the ma-
nagement of the Crown estate of Kilancour, in the
King's county,
occupation of a portion thereof by the Rev. F.
M‘Mahon, P.P. of Kinnitty.
• The Earl of ABERDEEN said the transaction
affected the administration of the Crown lands, and
therefore he had no objection to the appointment of a
• committee, but he did not think the case had any in-
- trinsic importance.
After a short conversation the motion was agreed to.
BLOCKADE OF THE WHITE SEA.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE presented a peti-
tion signed by nearly all the merchants and bankers of
Hull, praying for a rigorous blockade of all the Russian
ports. The petitioners stated that the depression of
trade in their town caused by the war had been very
much aggravated by the uncertainty which had prevailed
on this subject. The ports to which the petitioners more
particularly alluded were those of Archangel and Onega.
When about six weeks ago it became commonly rumoured
in the mercantile circles that a determination bad been
come to not to institute a blockade in the White Sea, it
was stated to him by a friend well versed in commercial
affairs, that it was stated that the merchants of Holland
had received a distinct intimation from an official source
in this country, to the effect that such would be the
course adopted. He (Lord Clanricarde) replied that there
must be at least one great error in that statement ; for
it appeared to him impossiblethat the Government could
have come to any determination to forego so important
a right. About ten days afterwards, however, his
friend came to him again and with something like
triumph in his countenance stated that in Holland
the merchants were chartering large numbers of ships,
and sending out large orders, to Archangel and Onega,
where it was expected that the tradeduring the summer
would be at least as favourably circumstanced as usual.
He thought that these facts required some .9api ana-
ton. The traders in Russian commerce had only two
courses open to them on the breaking out of the war,
namely, either to send for them to other countries pro-
ducing the same articles, though at a greater cost, or
to apply to neutral countries to procure them from
Russia itself, for of course no certificate of the origin of
the articles would be required. But it was of the un-
certainty that the petitioners complained When a
number of ships had sailed from her Majesty's ports
three or four weeks ago, it was expected that those
ships were intended to institute a blockade, and he was
really very much surprised when the First Lord of the
Admiralty stated in answer that there was no present
intention to commence suck a blockade. Only two
days ago a deputation waited on the right hon. gentle-
man, and he was said to have stated to them that an
order in council to blockade the waters of the White
Sea had been signed, but that it had not been issued,
and that he would say when it would be published. He
(Lord Clanricarde) quite agreed that it would be unwise
either for her Majesty's Government or for any other
Government to !announce beforehand the course they
• intended to pursue ; but the question was, whether it was
fair to our own merchants to intimate to other countries
what was the step they intended to take ! He bad
• in his hand letters from St. Petersburg and Arch-
angel, stating that large orders had been imme-
diately sent to the latter place as soon as it was
known that the English were not going to estab-
lish a blockade in the White Bea. But, besides
this, he wished to draw the attention of the
Government and their lordships to the impolicy of not
taking'this step. He had it upon very good informa-
tion that within the last three weeks at least 400 vessels
had been chartered for the port of Archangel ; and that
on one particular day no fewer than eight had cleared
out from Hull and two from London. And what had
been the effect of this state of things ? The Emperor
had required a loan and had been able to raise it on very
advantageous terms in Holland from the customers who
had now the trade of the White Sea. It was evident
that the war would be a most profitable business for the
Datch, and they would thus have a direct interest in its
continuance. But if the Government wished to bring
the contest to a satisfactory and speedy termination,
they must attempt it by throwing a pressure upon the
Russian people, as well as by endeavouring to destroy
the RusOan armies. (Hear, hear.) The war, to far,
had been glorious to the allies, and especially to the
Turks themselves. It was impossible not to admire the
wonderful ability, and the astonishing bravery with
which all their operations had been carried on ; hat they
could scarcely hope that the blows which had been
struck on the banks of the Danube were likely to brim.,
them much sooner to the termination of the war. The
most despotic of tyrants, however, did not dare wholly
to despise the will of their subjects, and it was, there-
fore, by bringing a pressure upon the Russian
people, that they might hope most speedily to termi-
nate the struggle. (Hear, hear.) Let them only
feel the pinch of war, and it would not be by false
bulletins that the Emperor would be able to conceal
from them the real facts of the case. (Hear, hear.)
Letters had been received two days previous from the
Sea of Azoff, stating that the trade of that sea had not
been in the least interrupted ; and the remarks he had
made would also, to a certain extent, apply to that part
of the world. We should undoubtedly have to consult
our allies ; but he confessed that it was inconceivable to
him how the White Sea remaining open could be any
less prejudicial to the commerce of Franca than it was
to our own. (Hear, hear.)
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the noble lord had
not dwelt much upon the particular object for which he
apprehended this appeal bad been made by the petition-
ers to the house, namely, the effect which this blockade
would have upon their own interests. The functions of
the executive in such a matter were of the most delicate
nature ; and that delicacy was much increased when
they had to consult an ally whose interests were as
much, if not more, concerned than their own. He had
no objection to confirm the surmise of the noble marquis,
that it was in consequence of the engagement into which
the French Government had entered previous to the
commencement of the war, that had prevented their
agreement with the English Government with respect
to instituting a blockade ; and he did not think that
we could commence a blockade while our ally was
under an engagement not to institute one. Commu-
nications, however, had been held with the French
Government on the subject, and the last correspon-
dence showed a considerable alteration in their views
upon this subject, which he thought might before long
lead to an alteration in the policy both on their part and
(i
onre. (Hear, bear.) • But the noble mariu s was
mistaken if he thought that the mercantile
world at
large were unanimous as to the desirability of blockad-
ing Archangel and Onega. So far, for instance, from
theca lock e
blmtation to which he had alluded wishing for a
Etade its object was to remonstrate against the
bare possibility
yassiganzich a Step being taken ; and the
reason the
his noble friend had
said,
that the 400 ships which, as
, had been chartered for Arch-
angel, and of which at least three-fourths were for the
export of grain from that port
,vere to bring away Rus-
sian produce which bad alread,
thAt the greater part, if not,n otlt'eueviertil paid for. They said
with
hellosf the trade of
A rchangel was carried on
foreign capital, and that the goodsi3tivirhehiciaeitaie, 400
ot
shipswith
having been
were to brie g away
wouldb jeeta thusof ne be
with their
money, belonged not to Russia, but to the subjects of
other nations. The resultt otof
ian
jbulorcktadees
not to damage Russia, bu
trat, and probably friendly, powers . h
With respect toil'
the statement attributed to the Firest Lord of the Ad.
miralty, he (the noble duke) was utterly at a. loss to eon_
ceive what part of the right hon.
gentleman
gentlemanoutleman' s
cout% 70aer
.
could have been so tortured by any
ing the deputation, if, indeed, the noble marquis re.
ceived his information from them at all. In the first
place, unless he (the noble duke) was greatly mistaken,
no.order in council was necessary ; and such an order
had not, could not, and would not therefore be signed

at all.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE—Not an order in
council, then, but an order for a blockade.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE—WeII, the right hon.
getiltleman certainly could not have said that any such
order had been signed. He might have said that he
could state when such an order would be issued, and
whatever the. right bon. gentleman did say, was no
doubt consistent with perfect propriety. With respect
to the policy of this blockade the opinions expressed by
the, noble marquis did not greatly differ from the views
which he himself entertained ; and although the noble
marquis might not altogether approve of the general
conduct of the Government, he thought that he (Lord
Clanricarde) might repose some confidence in the Go-
vernment as to the particular moment at which such a
step ought to be taken. He could assure the house that
if they had hestitated hitherto to institute a blockade in
the. White Sea, it, had not been from any apprehension
of ioing too. ;much harm to Russia. (Cheers.) His