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

arisen ieetweea this . country and. Russia, and that that
question} was
,finrrounded with great difficulties. This
question might be divided. into two distinct phases
I
the period when peace was possible, and the period when it
• was impossible. Unfortunately her Majesty's Ministers did not
perceive that the Emperor of Russia, after the passage of the
Pruth, 6d pledged himself to a certain policy, and had under-
taken a great task, from which he could not recede without
materially injuring his influence in the East. (Hear, hear.)
Our Government then unfortunately placed themselves in the
hands of Austria, instead of pursuing an independent course.
'The first stop of our Government, after the declaration of war,
was to send troops to Malta, and then to Gallipoli, after the
Emperor of Russia had revealed his policy. From Gallipoli
the troops wore sent to Varua, against his (Mr. Layard's)
earnest remonstrances. At Varna the troops were decimated
by disease. From Varna. they were at length sent to the
Crimea, where no provision was made for them, not oven a
single depot to fill up any vacancies that might occur in the
ranks. It was probable that had the British forces proceeded
at once to Sebastopol that fortress might have been cap-
tured ; but Lord Raglan was prevented from pursuing the
Russian army after. the battle of the Alma, because there
y
were no means of conveying the, wounded except b ambu-
lances,- the management of which had been entrusted to
old pensioners, whose days of active service had long
since passed, and. whose sanctum was the beershop,
and all of whom were affected by delirium tremens.
The consequence was not one was able to enter on the dnties
for which he had gone out, And with regard to the medical
officers, was it not notorious that after the battle of Alma
from 600 to 700 wounded Russians were left to the charge of
one man, Dr. Thompson, who had since died, attended by his
-servaet, an Irishman named M`Grath—a name that deserved
'immortality. But, after that battle, one would have thought
that the attention.of the Government would. have been tho-
roughly roused. to the critical position of our army in the
Crimea. However, the fact was, our army was not prepared
for a siege of such magnitude. He remembered reading a
speech delivered some time ago by a noble friend of his re-
lative to the enormous amount of ammunition supplied to
the army. Now, in reference to that Statement, all he would
SV was, that supposing the siege continued to be carried on
as it was on the first day whoa our Ilre could scarcely keep
clown the Russian batteries, all that enormous s-apply of am-
munition would have been exhausted iu six days, while the
whole number of guns comprising our siege train, including
the morhars, only amounted to GO, and these were opposecl to
almost inexhaustible resciurees. Last summer it was said

that the Austrian Covernmmt occupying the Principalities
would prevent the Russians from reinforcing their army,
and what was tho result of that trust in Austria? Why,
that four corps of the Rus.ian army were transported into
the, Crimea, .and our army had to fight the battle of
Ink erman, And what had happencl in the Baltic ? He was
ono of those who did not wish to depreciate the services which
had been rendered to their country by the fleet, bat he could
not help pointing out how, after having destroyed the forti-
fications and deserting the place, a proclamation was isFued
to the inhabitants calling upon them at their risk not to

outer into relations with-ltussia. Now the only tendancy
such a policy could hava was to divert'Sivaden from join-
ing our alliance. In fact througheut'all the proceedings the
gr.at, want of our Government is a definite policy: (Loud
cries of " hear, hear.) It was the same in Greece, where we
Interfered to prevent Turkey demanding an indemnificat:on

for all the injury done to her Christian subjects ou .the
frontier of Gret3ce. It was the same in Circassia, and the
same in Persia, iu both of which eases no means had been
taken to secure co-operation against Russia. So that .now,
at the end of a year, the only r3sult 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 al:owcd 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 S3COUCI expe-
dition out there, He conceived that peace was utterly
impossible at the present, 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 tilt 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 at 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 brig 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
lwe found 100,000 men on our flank-0,000 attacked us at
Inkerrnau. Of those we were told that there was not one re-
giment that had been engaged /in tho battle of Alm. 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 10,001 made a sortie upon our left,
and at the same time the batteries of Sebastopol were play-
jug upon us. 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 th house for a moment think that the Czar, when his
honour, his empire, and his throne were at stake, would for
a moment roles his efforts in the sustaiument 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
ths; 24th of September, when tho troops were landed in the

Climes, when. ihe Russians had sunk eight ships of the line
at the mcn%th of the harbour of Sebastopol, there was a report

that several Of the Russian ships of the lino had actually left

Sebastopol. We were so ignorant of their movements—
although in sight of their harbour—that au order was issued

for our vessels to prepare faction, and to follow the enemy
out to sex. In respect to the trail 3of Russia, the only trade
OA was stopped was the corn trade. The trade in linseed,
and othoßussiau articles ,was still carried on in Constantinople.
We inu.uotoonceal from ourselves the fact that we are in a

critical positions present. Fresh troops were daily coming up
to the aid of Russia, and fresh attacks were made upon us. But
Ire shall ultimately succeed, for the honour of every English-
man was pledged to our success. The moment that Russia
gem that the capture of Sebastopol is inevitable, they wid
withdriew their troops. They may leave a portion of them at
Porekop, Taut Choy will take the remainder to Asia. General
Bihiloff had 100,000 men in the neighbourhood of Persia. He
(Mr. L.) warned tho 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
marsh of the Russians into Persia. The moment that Russia

obtained possession of the provinces in that quarter, it was im-
possit)to that we could expect the Czar to treat wlt'i us. The
gigantic power of Russia extends from Kamichatka to the
Whits Sea—it is advanced and strengthened every yzar. The
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
hueleand 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
Meet 1 Why, in forty years the whole state of things had
changedyand 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 appoint 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
there to the loss of their well-earned reputations, by
placing them• in positioes where they could net discharge
their duties with credit either to themselves 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-
cided policy, greater calamities than those we had already
experienced must inevitably occur. He believed that out of
the whole smasher who had perished by disease, we might
by common precaution have saved one-third. Ile entreated
the Government to adopt some policy, and let the limo and
the country 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. He was of opinion that tho war
had not been prosecuted with sufficient vigour.
Mr. DISRAELI—I agree with my hon. friend in the sur-
prise he has 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, he 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 says 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 ho
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 form an opinion on the course of human life, from the
past of an individual, I think the hon. member for Aylesbury
will he remembered by posterity when a great portion of
thehoar)
existing Cabinet will be altogether forgotten—(l
tomg-solf have
—even though his neighbours or his enemies f rieetr'to an-
swer his very interesting speech. I should not my
ybb;
felt particularly anxious to address the house t
it might give
occa-
sion had I not thought, from something whicho dropped in
the course of this debate, that silence on my pbea •
interpretedg
rise to misconstruction of my motoifves,or
the Government. I
into acquiescence of the conduct of
the nces-
did not expect, and I witnessed w
t participate rue the
site, that I should have felt it my lu great:. regret'
' (.1* Lent which I thought
debates in this new session of I ar
again the •
principle
ended in the last, and to vindicate once
of discussion iu this house. Remembering the
of freedom
state of the country—remembering what last occurred in this,
f
I may term it, agitated chamber—remembering that the Al-
tura fate of this great empire was then
at stake—remember-
ing tho 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 tho deep emotions by which they were
moved—remembering these things, I say, I was greatly sur-
prised, I must confess, that Government should have advised
the Queen to assemble Parliament at this unusual period, and
then give orders to their creatures that all discussion should
be not merely deprecated, but sxrested. (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 Cannionfie I Can Mil !Auderotand. difficulties aro