The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-10 00:00:00

tory, and show that treaties were not made
to be broken. (Hear, hear.) A commission had been ap-
pointed to settle the Alabama question, and the Fishery
question between the United States and British North
America was also under consideration. The correspon-
dence on the Alabama question would be laid before the
House, and in the statement of facts therein he hoped a
basis for satisfactory settlement would be found. Spain
had always had the sympathy of this country,
and he trusted that what was taking place in
that country would tend to a stable Government.
The hon. member then went on to say that there was
much in what he had read, and in what had occupied the
greater portion of her Majesty's Speech, to prepare the
House for an increased expenditure, and in making this
statement he might refer to the remark of a previous
Prime Minister, that the best means to secure peace was
to be prepared to resist aggression. To be prepared, then,
we must have a great military force, for it was
clearly the fact that the great nations of Europe were
armed, not only for their own protection and the protec-
tion of their country, but in order if it was necessary to
strike a blow elsewhere. Whole classes were devoting
themselves to military study—literature, trade, everything
was made subservient to military arrangements.
We could not but derive many lessons from
what had taken place on the Continent,
during the past year, and one of those lessons
was that young soldiers were as good as old soldiers—
(" no, no ")—and we had likewise learned that it is neces-
sary that our officers should be men who were well trained
in military discipline and military science generally.
When the war broke out we saw the soldiers
of France moved from one quarter to another
to join their regiments, and the same applied
with respect to stores, which had to be removed from one
side of the country to the other. In Germany, however,
the case was different—indeed, widely different ; the men,
while being organised, were not told to make king
journeys, but were assembled at the nearest large town,
where they found stores and arms ready for them,
and officers not only ready but able to command them.
(Hear.) He knew we were a most economic country, but
we must be prepared to meet further outlays. We had
an army under its own officers, a corps of pensioners
under their own officers, a militia under one class of
officers when embodied, and under another class when dis-
embodied, the yeomanry and volunteers were similarly si-
tuated ; there was only one staff officer to about 20,000 men,
and even this arrangement was not in force a year ago.
(Hear, hear.) This was the reverse of satisfactory; and,
holding these views, he need not say he was glad to see
that paragraph in the Queen's speech, which said that a
bill would be brought in " for the better regulation of the
army and auxiliary land forces of the Crown." The hon.
member then alluded to other measures that were fore-
shadowed in the Queen's Speech, and expressed a hope
that the legislation of the session would lead to better
government at home, and to the security of our position
abroad. He concluded by moving the address.
Mr. Monur seconded the motion, expressing his belief
that it was a general conviction throughout the country
that the Government had done all in its power to prevent
the enlargement of the area of the war, and to bring about
a restoration of peace.
Mr. DISRAELI, on rising, was received with cheers from
both sides of the House. He said it was little more than
six months since that Parliament was prorogued under
circumstances of great anxiety, and they had re-assembled
to encounter a state of affairs which all admit were com-
plicated, and not devoid of danger. At the termination
of the last session, Europe was on the eve of a war which,
looking to its consequences, might perhaps be described as
the most important event of the century. Her Majesty's
Government then indicated their policy, which was one
of neutrality, a just and wise policy. (Cheers.) There
was a mysterious pause just before the commencement of
hostilities to suggest that our policy should be an armed
neutrality. The First Lord of the Treasury said that
that would be a serious thing, and that was why he (Mr.
Disraeli) recommended it. (Laughter.) To have inter-
posed successfully it was necessary to use an instrument
of equal temper to that opposed to them. The tendency
of an armed neutrality was to prevent rather than bring
about war, and when there was an opportunity it insured
the acceptance of a just and temperate settlement of the
terms of peace. Having alluded to the previous results of
armed neutralities, he remarked that, in this case, the
Government were placed in a peculiarly favourable posi-
tion to test the opinions and policy of the Emperor of the
French. He gave them credit for obtaining the with-
drawal of the Prussian Prince as a candidate for the
Spanish Throne, but that only gave them an additional
claim on the Emperor, which they ought to have exercised
to prevent the war. Had he refused to listen, they should
have protested that the Emperor was insulting the dignity
of England, and that, as he had thus disparaged her
efforts, he must abide by the consequences. If this had
been done, backed by an armed neutrality, he did not
believe there would have been war. The right hon. gen-

temen referred to the subject of Treaties, and said that

it was impossible Governments could repudiate solemn
engagements. Though they might consent to see frontiers
altered and Treaties thus violated, it could not be for a
moment argued that every important detail could be ig-
nored. (Cheers.) He next referred to the state of our
armaments, and declared that, in the face of events which
were taking place in Europe, inexcusable rashness had
been pursued in the reductions that had been made. He
also blamed the Government for the course pursued when
Russia repudiated the Treaty of 1856. (Hear, and cries

of " Oh !") He admired the manner in which the Foreign
Secretary had shown the fallacy of the premises, but the
conduct subsequently pursued by the noble lord ill-com-
pared with the firmness then evinced. Great sacrifices
were made to secure that Treaty, and it was not wise
lightly to relinquish it. Having attacked the Government
in other matters with regard to their foreign policy, the
right hon. gentleman concluded by saying that he was no
alarmist, but he could not resist the conviction that the
country was in a state of great peril, and that the utmost
courage and prudence were required to extricate it. He

however, moved no amendment to the address, feeling

. _
that it was of great importance that we should show
Europe and America an united Parliament on its reassem-
bling. (Cheers. )

Mr. GLADSTONE said the right hon. gentleman had
made charges of a most pointed character against the Go.
. . _ _ _

vernment, and he should endeavour to shew that for thee*
accusations there was not a shadow of foundation. He
(Mr. Disraeli) had built up a fabric which existed in his
own inexhaustible brain, and for which there was no
foundation in fact. He declined, at the present moment,
indeed it could not be expedient to give the opinions of
Government as regarded affairs between England and
America. The Government was on the eve of sending
out a Commission, with the President of the Council at
its head, and the House might rest assured that the wel-

'are of the nation would be fully protected. So far as he

had any means of judging of the state of the public
mind, ho thought that Earl Granville's answer to the
Russian note was recognised as a becoming and adequate
and manly answer. It was not a fact that the Govern-

meat had made an appeal to Count Bismarck; they had
taken their own course, and then communicated it to the
the Powers who were parties to the treaty of 1856. It
was said that if they had maintained an armed neutrality
they would probably have prevented the war. But if
they had maintained that neutrality, France might very
well have abided by the consequences in refusing to be
satisfied with the withdrawal of the candidature of the

---
German Prince, In saying to France,
in friendly terms,
that she was wrong in not accepting that withdrawal,
the Government had discharged the whole of their duty.
It would be unjust to say that the Luxemburg treaty had
been put an end to, considering that they had had from
the German Government an explicit assurance that
the objection which they took to the proceedings of Lux-
emburg wxs merely with respect to military necessities
alone. If they had not assented to the Conference, they.

would have done so with their eyes open to the fact that
no one Power in Europe shared their opinion, or could in
the slightest degree be responsible for their acts. It was

admitted that they had a powerful and efficient fleet. At
the time when Mr. Disraeli condemned the armaments as

bloated, the available army at home numbered 92,276

men, arid in 1870, when they were called "attenuated,"
there were 89,051, with a reserve in the former instance
of 3,500 men, and in the latter of 20,000. (Cheers.) He
hoped the armistice would lead to a durable peace,
though it would be rash to indulge in too sanguine ex)ec-
tations. Without subscribing- to any theory of mediation,
he would say that it would be unworthy of England if
she neglected her obligations to nations more liable to
suffer than herself ; and he fully admitted that the exer-
cise of that duty could never be separated from a due re-
gard to the efficiency of their military systemewhich he
defended from the charges brought against it by Mr. Dis-
raeli. They had been successful in securing the with-
drawal of'the candidature of the Prince of Hohenzollern,
and though they exerted their good offices to avoid the
war, they had been unsuccessful. They had partly suc-
ceeded in freeing Paris from bombardment ; and when the
Government learned of the dreadful condition of the
Parisians. on the armistice being proclaimed, they offered
both belligerents supplies of food and other necessaries ;
but he regretted to say that they had only last night re-
ceived the consent of both Powers. Three vessels had,
however, gone out that day. The speaker concluded by
expressing a hope that all parties in the House would
combine to bring about a final settlement of this question.
(On resuming his seat the right hon. gentleman was loudly
cheered. ) _

Mr. ISrewdegate and Sir James Elphinstone having
made a few remarks, and the address having been agreed
to, the House adjourned at ten minutes past nine o'clock.