The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1836.

his Majesty to show that he did not acquiesce in such perfidious
proceedings.—( Heal', hear.) His Majesty, in his Speech,
referred with feelings of satisfaction, in which the whole coun-
try participated, to the existing intimate alliance between
England and France. In this respect the Speech from the
Throne was the echo of the Speech of the King of the
French. But there was no echo to the address of the Cham-

I;:n7OfDeWieSln favour of Poland. The preservation of
the national character of that brave and unfortunate nation
met with nothing but unavailing sympathy, while our credit
as a nation for generosity, as well as true policy, alike re-
quired that we should become their vindicators. His Ma-
jesty had called for an augmentation of the naval force of the
country, and some people could see in this the first step in a
series of measures for checking the aggrandisement of Rus-
sia. But he should like to know more positively in 'what
direction these ships, when equipped, would proceed ? What
confidence had they that they were not intended for the coast
of Spain, or America, or any other part of the world--in-
tended, perhaps, only to sail to the port of Malta, and, after
a few evolutions before it, return to the dockyard ? Like the
Right Honourable Baronet, he deprecated the horrors of
war, but he was also sensible of the mischief that would
accrue to our commerce by the extension of Russian power.
Wishing to avoid the expenditure of blood and treasure
which must be entailed by a warlike cotitest, when engaged
in too late for easy success, he should like to see war pre-
vented, by being offered when such expenditure might be
saved, in consequence of success being certain. He could
not be content unless the Ministers of this country gave some
assurance that they would repress the encroachments of Rus-
sia. But he perceived nothing in their conduct in any degree
calculated to encourage a hope of such a course of conduct.
In the Speech put into the mouth of his Majesty by his Mi-
nisters, in that part alluding to the foreign policy of the coun-
try, an opportunity might have been given for some significa-
tive expression on this subject. In concert witli► our allies,
France and Austria, equally interested in suppressing Russi6.n
encroachments, measures might be adopted equally necessary
for the welfare of this country as for the general peace of Eu-
rope. He was unwilling to do any thing to embarrass hts
Majesty's Ministers, in whose general policy he cordially con-
curred ; still he did not think the wishes of the people would be
satisfied, unless some demonstration were made towards check-
ing Russian encroachment. If he did not persevere in his in-
tended motion of amendment, it was not from any fear that he
should not meet with the support of the House, but that he
would not injure the cause by embarrassing Ministers ; and in
relinquishing his intention he retained his full right to call the
attention of the House to the subject on an early future occa-
sion. With this feeling he had thought it his duty to place a
notice on the books to that effect, when he trusted he might
anticipate the co-operation of the Government in fixing an
early day when this important subject might undergo a full and
fair discussion. The Noble Lord concluded by giving-notice
of motion for Tuesday, the 16th of February—" To Call the
attention of the House to the effect on British interests of
the position Russia has occupied and the policy she pursues."
Lord PAL ME RSTON said that if his Noble Friend had
abstained from putting his amendment on the grounds he had
stated—if, as a person supporting the present Government, he
(lid not choose to produce division among the Liberal party on
that day, the first of the Session—he ( Lord Palmerston) did
not think that what had passed since he entered the House, or
the grounds on which the other amendment had been pro-
posed, would tend to alter the confidence expressed by his
Noble Friend, or to change the opinions of any other Hon.
Member. When he saw the House about to divide on the

question, whether Ireland was to be governed in the same
manner and in the same spirit as the other portion of the
United Kingdom—whether those principles of constitutional
freedom which had been applied with so much success to Eng-
land and Scotland, and which had given the people of those
countries so much satisfaction, were to be withheld from Ire-
land—when his Noble Friend saw this, and saw the Liberal
party on one side ready to advocate the measure of strict jus-
tice—and saw on the other every species of opposition to it
—he thought he had reason to congratulate himself on the
course he had taken respecting his amendment. He (Lord
Palmerston) should address himself briefly to a few of the
points of his Noble Friend's observations. His Noble Friend
had said that in his opinion his Majesty's Ministers ought to have
advised him to speak in a more decided tone, and in a manner
more clear and explicit of the foreign relations of this coun-
try, and of the policy to be pursued by the Government in re-
spect to the independence of Turkey. If his Noble Friend,
however, would take the trouble of glancing back at the seve-
ral Speeches from the Throne, on occasions similar and dis-
similar to the present, he would perceive at once that such a
course had no precedent, and that it was by no means the one
usually taken. Speeches from the Throne did not explain
what course of foreign policy was in contemplation—they ad-
verted merely to matters past—subjects to be proposed in the
commencing Session—or affairs still pending. When, there-
fore, his Noble Friend stated that the. Speech from the Throne
should have asserted the course of foreign policy to be pur-
sued, and especially mentioned what it was intended to do
with regard to the independence of Turkey, he (Lord Pal-
merston) should answer him by referring to the former
Speeches from the Throne on that subject, in which it was
recognised and asserted in the clearest and most explicit
terms. On the 29th of August, 1833, at the close of the
Session of Parliament, the King declared in his Speech from
the Throne—

" The hostilities which had disturbed the peace of Turkey
have been terminated ; and you may be assured that my atten-
tion will be carefully directed to any events which may affect
the present state or the future independence of that empire."
And on the 4th of February,lB34, the Speech of his Majesty
at the opening of the Session contained the following para-
graphs in reference to the subject of his (Lord Palmerston's)
Noble Friend's observations :

" The peace of Turkey, since the settlement that was made
with Mehemet Ali, has not been interrupted, and will not, I
trust, be threatened with any new danger.
" It will be my object to prevent any change in the rela-
tions of that empire with other Powers, which might affect its
future stability and independence."
The Government of England had already on these two dis-

tinct occasions declared its determination io watch over and
guard the independence of Turkey in a manner so explicit as
to render all further allusion to it unnecessary, unless events
had occurred since the close of the last session of Parliament
which threatened its existence or stability. No such events
had, however, occurred : no necessity therefore existed, and,
as it was the determination of the present Government to
pursue the same same course of policy towards Turkey and
its relations as had hitherto been pursued, it was perfectly con-
sistent, and therefore perfectly justifiable, not to allude to it in
his Majesty's Speech on this occasion. With regard to
Poland, he could not agree with his Noble Friend's inference,
that the silence of the King's Speech on the subject was to be
considered as implying any intention on the part of the, Govern-
ment of England to acquiesce in the infringement of trea-
ties respecting that kingdom, at present or hereafter. When
his Noble Friend looked, therefore, at the question in that
light, and when he considered the general tenor of past
Speeches from the Throne, he (Viscount Palmerston) was
quite sure he would not find anything in the present
Speech to complain of, or any just grounds for diminish-
ing the confidence he felt and expressed in the exist-
ing Administration. As, however, his Noble Friend had
said that it was his intention to bring the subject of
his withheld amendment before the House on a future
occasion, he (Viscount Palmerston) should not trespass on
the time and patience of Hon. Members, but would reserve
his further observations on it for that opportunity ; but he
could not refrain from making some observations on what had
fallen from the Right Hon. Baronet opposite, in the course of
his speech respecting the course of foreign policy pursued by
Government. In doing so, he should previously state that he
had heard with great pleasure some of the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet's remarks on the subject. They did him great credit ;
they proved his profound knowledge, and they proved every-
thing which could be expected from one who had filled the
high station once filled by the Right Hon. Gentleman. They
did him honour as an individual, and were gratifying to him
( Viscount Palmerston) as the expression of opinions of one
who had held the highest office in the State, and who might
be called on to hold it again.--( Hear, hear.) It was pleasant
to him (Viscount Palmerston) to perceive that, however the
parties into which that House was divided might differ in the
main on most matters, there were still some on which all
could agree, and more pleasant still to know that he had a
connection with those causes. He was glad, for instance, to
bear the Right lion. Baronet express his satisfaction at the
intimate alliance which existed between France and this
country; and he was also glad to hear him say, that the
continuance of that alliance contributed -greatly to preserve
the general peace of Europe. He was glad, further, to hear
him say that he looked forward to that union, as the means of
creating a more extended commercial intercourse with that
country ; and he was particularly glad to hear him cheered
by those Hon. Members around him. It had fallen to his
(Viscount Palmerston's) lot to be taunted by Hon. Gentlemen
on that side of the House, when he had expressed.his well-
grounded conviction of the importance of that alliance to this
country. He had been told on those occasions that it was a truck;
ling to France, that it was a derogation from the dignitY 0-
the nation, and that a system of independent national policy
was the only one which should be pursued, and the only one
which would be found of advantage. Now, however, the Right
Hon. Baronet had expressed different sentiments, and those
Hon. Gentlemen bad cheered him. This he (Viscount Pal-
merston) held as a good omen for England, and it would
prove to foreign countries that, whatever change might take
place in the domestic Administration of the kingdom, the fo-
reign policy would be unchanged. Thus, the feuds which
had long caused the separation of France and England would
now be changed into lasting friendship, and peace be where
there was formerly war. He concurred fully with the opinion
of the Right Hon. Baronet, that the present peace of Europe
was entirely founded upon the improved state of moral feeling
which had recently sprung up in the world ; not on any
deficiency in the pecuniary means of the several Powers. A
feeling had gradually grown up, that every pacific means
should be tried when differences of opinion arose between
Potentates or States before recourse should be had to the
last arbitration of and now, more than at any other pe-
riod of the past history of Europe, were there more well-
founded reasons on which to ground a hope that the existing
peace would be durable as well as general. This Government
might fairly take to itself some degree of credit for their share
in bringing about such a state of things. When they took
charge of affairs in 1830, no man could predict that peace
would be long preserved, such a loweiing aspect had all the
external relations of the country ; still less could one be found
bold enough to imagine that it would increase in stability from
day to day up to the present period. Yet so it was. In these
points be (Lord Palmerston) fully concurred with the obser-
vations of the Right Hon. Baronet ; and he had no hesitation
in expressing his pleasure at the. Right Hon. Gentleman's fair
approval of that part of the King's Speech. So far good. The
Right Hon. Baronet had, however, found fault with the Go-
vernment for what he (Lord Palmerston) had supposed should