The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-13 00:00:00

played by the noble lord the member for Tiverton I
(Lord Palmerston) could be justified.
Lord PALMERSTON said the observations of the
hon. and reverend gentleman—(roars of laughter)—
seemed to call for a reply. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. COBDEN rose to order, as the noble lord had
made use of an expression which was not justified by the
rules of the house. He should not misinterpret the
noble lord if he said the expression which the noble lord
had used was intended to be personally offensive ; to. say
the least, it was flippant and undeserved. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON would not quarrel with the
hon. gentleman about his own words. (Hear, hear.)
But the hon. gentleman the member for Manchester had*
been displeased with the circumstance of his having been
chairman at the dinner given. to Sir C. Napier, and the
hon. gentleman had been kind enough to express an
opinion upon his conduct on that occasion. Now, all
he had to say in reply to this was, that any opinion the
hon. member might entertain of him, either personally
or inhis political capacity, was a matter of the most perfect
indifference to him. (Cheers.) He was further con-
vinced the opinion of the country with regard to his
conduct could in no way be influenced by the hon. gen-
tleman, and he therefore treated the hon. gentleman's
sneers with the most perfect indifference and contempt.
The hon, member had read no doubt with great
pain the opinions of the gentlemen at that dinner, and
was probably of opinion that this country ought to sub-
mit to any degradation rather than submit to war,
The hon. member thought Sir C. Napier was too old ;
well, circumstances and time would show ; but if the
hon. member would get himself elected a member of the
Reform Club. A cry of " He is a member." (Laughter.)
He was a member I Well, then he was a most unworthy
member, but when there was again a dinner to a dis-
tinguished officer, he (Lord Palmerston) would be
happy to hear his speech • and to discuss with him the
propriety of peace or war.
Sir T. HERBERT rose to ask the First Lord of the
Admiralty, whether certain words attributed to him in
a speech delivered at a dinner given in the Reform Club
to Admiral Sir C. Napier, have been correctly reported,
which appeared in the Times of the Bth of March, viz.,
" We, as Reformers, may be proud that the honour of
the British flag in the Euxine and the Baltic is entrusted
to two such champions as Admiral Dundas and Sir C.
Napier."
Sir J. GRAHAM said if the house thought it fit to
pursue this inquiry further and entertain this subject
deliberately, he should not hesitate to answer the ques-
tion. He believed the words which the hon. baronet
here real were correctly reported, and he (Sir J. Gra-
ham) had nothing to retract and nothing to explain.
He was invited as a guest of the Reform Club, and it
did appear to him not improper to congratulate the
members of the tclub en two of their most distinguished
members being appointed by different Governments to
fill two such high commands as those of the fleets in
the Euxine and the North Sea. (Hear, hear.)
Sir W. MOLESWORTH defended the part he took
in the Reform Club dinner. He had never belonged to
the school of the hon. gentleman the member for Man-
chester, and he never would, for he believed that school
contained much that was selfish and narrow-minded.
Mr. SPOONER thought the noble viscount (Lord
Palmerston) was wrong when he said the hon. member
for Manchester (Mr. Bright) stood alone in his opinions
on this question. He thought the country was with
the hon. member for Manchester on this subject, and
he thought the country ought, instead of feasts like that
at the Reform Club, have public fasts on the approach
of a war.

Mr. DISRAELI thought they were making too much
of this matter. The right hon. baronet was said to have
given Sir C. Napier anr,hority to declare war, but it was
well known that the gallant admiral never obeyed orders,
and perhaps it was only a just inference that in this
case the gallant admiral would adhere to his former
rule, and do his bast to preserve peace instead of
entering up.in hostilities. (Hear, hear.) The only part
of the right hon. baronet's pipe that he complained
of was the 'part which heaped vituperation upon the
character of the E nperor. of Rassia. While we were
still at peace with Russia it was unwise in a British
Minister to indulge in such language, but he could not
forget that so:ne months ago -the right hon. gentle man
spoke in a similar strain of the Emperor who was to
be onr ally in the coming war, and perhaps as in the
the case of the potentate in this instance, twelve months
would change the Emperor from an enemy to a friend.
Mr. SPOONER suggested that a day should be set
apart for a solemn fast before we entered into war with
Russia. (Hear.)
Mr. COBDEN said, if there was one man in the world
whom he should have the least suspected of attending the
dinner at the Reform Club, and delivering the speech
which he did there that man would have been his right
hon. friend the member for S )athwark. (Hear.) Tact
speech was at direct variance with all the opinions
which, he had supposed, for the last fifteen years
the right hon. baronet entertained, and the right hon.
baronet should be the last man to speak of his hon.
friend the member for Manchester in the acrimonious
spirit which he had displayed to-night. He indorsed
every word which had been uttered by his hon. friend
the member for Manchester, amid believed the speeches
which Ministers made at this dinner was not only un-
becoming their position, but likely to be seriously detri-
mental to the interests of the country. (ajar, hear.)
The subject then dropped. •
COLONIAL APPOINTMENTS.

Mr. G. MO3 ,viahed t) pat a q ilation to Lard
Rumen, relative t: the rep►rtrl axy)int n‘nt of Mr.
Stonor t b 3 a Paiine Julg: at 3lhourne. This gen.
tlernan hal twice been reported aglinit As gailty of
bribery, and he th MOt th4t eir3 unitan' ei ought to have
deterred Government from giving him the ap,»intalent.
Mr. F. PEEL ju4tih3l the appointment, but a .1-
mitted that the Colonial-office was not aware of the
circinnitanca referral t) by the hmourable gentleman
when the appointment took place.
[LEFT SPEAKING']