The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The house met at five o'clock. There was not a large
attendance of peers at that hour, but the parts set aside
t', members of the House of Conimons were crowded.
Every available space in front of the throne was also
filled with strangers, and there was not a seat unoccu-
pied near the strangers' gallery. In the galleries im-
mediately over the throne there were between thirty
and forty peeresses and daughters of peeresses, and other
distinguished ladies.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, CANADA.
Lord DERBY gave notice that when this bill, which
worked an entire change in the conAitution of Canada,
and which stood for co2imittee on Thursday next, came
on, he should move its postponement until next
session.

LORD ABERDEEN'S EXPLANATION.
The Earl ofl ABERDEEN—My lords, I have taken a
somewhat unusual course upon the present occasion, but
perhaps your lordships will not think it altogether unjusti-.
fiable or unreasonable that I should be desirous of availing
myself of the earliest opportunity to remove the misappre-
heosions which have taken place, and which have led in
consequence to great misrepresentations of some observa-
tions which I addressed to your lordships in the course of
the last week. My lords, I could wish that those who ex-
press an- opinion upon the observations in question would
take the trouble to read the report ~f• that sp,e,ch. T have
done so myself ; and although I declare that I have no-
thing to retract or to contradict, rieertlieless I readily ad-
mit that, from the imperfect manner in which I always
address your lordships, there may probably - there may
undoubtedly —bsereason for some explanation, and some,.
further development of that which I had intended to ad-
dress to the house, with a view to bring fully and clearly
before your lord-hips the views and opinions which. I en-
tertain upon the subject to which my observations referred.
My lords, I feel that I .can do so with great ease, and, for-
tunately, in a very short time—otherwise, from the indis-
position of the moment, I should' not attempt to address
your lordships upon the present occasion. (Hear.) My
lords, the despatch for which I intend to move was first.
referred to in this house by the late Lord Grey, very shortly
before he became Minister. It has been mentioned at other
times, both here and in the House of Comm ,us. It has
been moved for but withheld for various reasons. It was
likewise referred to by myself not very long ago, and I
have now resolved to produce it, because I understand
there has proceeded from a very high authority in another
place the astounding declaration that I have recently
claimed the honour of framing the treaty of Adrianople.
(Hear.) Now, my lords, the production of the despatch
in question will show you how far I was instrumental
in framing that, treaty, and what was my opiuion, and
the opinion of the Government whose organ I was on
that occasion, of that unfortunate awl disastrous treaty.
My lords, it has been said—or, at all events, it has been
interred from what I said a few days ago—that I re,
garded the treaty of Adrianople with approbation, or. at
least, with iudflercnce. Now, my lords, the fact is, such
was the impression produced by that treaty—such was the
alarm excited by its conclusion - such were the supposed
dangers which we dreaded to the existence of the Turkish
empire, that. the whole policy of the British Government
was changed on a most material point in_cOnsequence of
that treaty. I have, already, I think, referred in this
house to the fact, which your lordships well know, that
at the beginning and during the progress of the Greek re
volution, Mr. Canning never contemplated the existence
of Greece as an independent kingdom, neither did the
Duke of Wellington ever contemplate the - existence of
Greece as an independent kingdom, but solely as a vassal
state under the suzerainty of the Porte, somewhat similar
to the provinces of Wallachia and Meldavia. When,
however, the treaty of Adrianople was signed, it appeared
to me, and my noble friend at the head of the Govern-
ment at the time agreed with me, that the condition of
the Turkish empire was so perilous in itself that it would
be extremely unwise to create a state and to place it under
thu protection and suzerainty of an empire 'which itself
was exposed to extreme peril, and whose existence was
prolonged for a time only. Therefore we agreed to pro-
pose to our allies to convert that vassal state into an inde-
pendent kingdom. Our allies agreed with us, and the
Porte at last assented to our proposal. Hence the exist
ence of Greece as an independent kingdom is duo to the
impressions produced upon us by the terms of the treaty
of Adrianople. My lords, what I have now said shows at
least what were our impressions; and although they may
be thought by some to have been erroneous, I can as
sure your lordships that at the time they were un-
questionably honest and sincere, I fully admit that
the apprehensions which we then felt have turned
out to be greatly exaggerated. However disastrous
the treaty of Adrianople, and however mischievous
its conditions, neverthe'ess we have the experience
of the last 25 years to assure us of the continued existence
of the Turkish empire ; and more than that, we have had
proof of the vigour, of the energy, and of the courage and
perseverance with which the troops of that empire have
maintained the integrity and independence of their country.
(Cheers.) It is obvious, then, that we were under the
most exaggerated ahtrin for the consequences of the treaty
of Adrianople. Now, my lords, Ido not mean to say, al-
though fortunately we were somewhat mistaken as to the
amount of the danger to be apprehended from the treaty
of Adrianople, that that treaty was not, in the highest de-
gree, dangerous and pi ejudicial to the interests of Europe.
(Hear, hear.) I have never said so, either here or else-
where. My. noble and learned friend (Lord Lyndhurst)
called it, I think, an "unfortunate" treaty. My lords,
that is not a word sufficienLly strong to describe the char-
acter of that ti eaty. (Hear, hear.) True, my lords, I
have said that, disastrous'as the treaty of Adrianople was,
Russia has made no great territorial acquisitions in cense
quence of that treaty. I said so as the _simple truth. I
was induced to say so, perhaps, at the moment, in conse-
quence of a declaration, most exaggerated and unfounded,
that my noble and learned friend had made, that
sian empire had doubled its territory in Europe in the
course of the last 53 years. That I hold to be completely
incorrect, and, with the recollection of the treaty of Adria-
nople before me, I certainly did refer to it in proof that, no
such extension of territory had taken place as that asserted
by my noble and learned friend. But, my lords, although
I knew perfectly well, and indeed I think there can be no
doubt of the fact, that no considerable extension of terri-
tory has taken place in consequence of that treaty, never-
theless I was not at all the less aware of the importance of
the acquisitions that have actually been, made since 1829.
I know perfectly well the importance of the acquisi-
tiens which Russia has made with respect to the
.navigation of the Danube, and I am equally sensible
of the importance of the posts which she has acquired
in Asia. Although small in extent, those acquisi-
tions, •from their character, are of the highest political
importance. My lords, as the despatch fur which I in-
tend to move is long, and will be iatmediately upon the
table of the house, I will not fatigue your lordships by
reading it in extenso, but I must trouble you with a single
extract, to show that, although I.dwelt strongly the other
evening upon the limited extent of the territorial acquisi-
tions made by Russia, I did not in the slightest degree
mean by that to invalidate the political importance of the
acquisitions actually made by Russia. The passage is ex-
pressed in these terms :—" It may not be easy to accuse of
want of generosity the conqueror who checks the uure-
slated progress of success, and who spares the d fenceless
capital of his enemy. Nevertheless, the treaty in question
—certainly not in conformity with the expectations held
out by preceding declarations and assurances—appears
vitally to tilled, the interests, the strength, the dignity,
the present safety, and future independence of the Otto-
man empire. The modes of domination may be various,
although all equally irresistible. The independence of a
State may be overthrown, and its subjection effectually
secured, without the presence of a hostile force or the per-
manent possession of its soil. Under the present treaty
the territorial acquisitions of Russia are small, it must be
admitted, in extent, although most important in their
character. They are commanding positions, far more
valuable than the possession of barren provinces and de-
populated towns, -and better calculated to rivet the fetters
by which the Sultan is bound." [A Peer —" What is the
date?"] The despatch is dated the 31st day of December,
1829. My lords, the extract I hive read shows that the
small extent of the acquisitions made by Russia did not,
blind me to the impoetance of their character ; and, there-
fore, when the other night I dwelt upon the absence of any
very great territorial acquisitions, of course it is with a
view to contradict the assertion of my noble and learned
friend, and to state what may be termed a geographical
troth, but without the slightest reference to the undoubted
political importance of those acquisitions which have
actually been made. My lords, the conclusion of the treaty
of Adrianople was the commencement of a change of policy
on the part of Russia. It is highly probable that if that
treaty had been made by the Empress Catherine, great ac-
quisition of territory would have taken place. But, as I
have said, at that time Russia comtnenced.a change of
policy which has been carried on to the present day with
ever increasing vigour, and which accounts, to a certain
extent, for the absence of those territorial acquisitions
which in other circumstances would no doubt have been
made. That change of policy consists in this—Russia,
instead of pursuing the policy which was followe 1 in the
preceding century, has, since the conclusion of the treaty of
Adrianople. looked to the . extension of her political in-
tuence.rather than to the acquisition of territory. (Hear;
hear.) A very prudent and politic change it has been.
We have all heard that •
" Satan's grown wiser than of yore ;"