The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-29 00:00:00

THE NAVAL REVIEW.

Mt. PEACOCKE a•ked the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty whether the wine and refreshments furnished to
the persons on board the Pacific,_at the late naval re-
view, were coral Acted for and provided at the same rate
as those for the Tr twit and Perseverance?

Mr. OSBORNE said the Pacific was chartered by Mr.
Qoatermain, at seven shillings and sixpence per
head. The Transit and Perseverance were not so
supplied, but the officer of the mess was told to
provide a cold collation and some of the best sherry that
could be obtained for the Houses of Lords and Coin-
,rnons. (Laughter.) That arrangement W 34 not well
carried out. (Mar, hear.) 'rile Ilituala7a was con-
tacted for at ss. Ed. per head. There was no par-
ticular contract for the Home:: of Lords aed Commons.
IRISH CONSTABULA.RY.

Viscount CASTLE ROSSE asked the Chief Secretary
for Ireland whether the Government intended to intro-
duce any measure, during the present session, to enable
them to alter Vie relative proportion in which that por-
tion of constabulary force charged upon the consoli-
dated fund was at present distributed among counties
in Ireland ; or to apportion the burden of supporting the

advocates no aggressive policy, but lie says it was the
first duty of Em:land, by,the aid-cf judicious counsels
and by the employment of judicious -judicious agents, to attach
Persia to her interests—to develope ber resources, to
strengthen her army, and so to obtain an influence
over ber Oovernmeht by the adoption of wise
measures that might constitute her a formidable barrier
against the aggression of Russia in the Eat. The
Whigs adopted that view, and the memorable expedi-
tion to Affgbanistan was justified upon the principle
which it involves. Acting upon that principle, Slr Jobn
Cam Hobhouse—wbose scholarship I have often had
reason to admire, and who was well acquainted with the
affairs of the East--wept the length of contending that if
Russia sought to obtain influence in Persia and to secure
Herat—a city of great importance from its position in
Central Asia—this country would be justified, with a
view to the protection of India, in declaring war against
the Czar. Sir J. C. Hobhouse makes some further ob-
servations upon the subject, which I shall read to the
house :--

" The intervention which I particularly allude to was
the intervention on the part of the representatives of the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg, which was totally incompatible
with the very safety of India. Count Simonich advised the
advance upon Herat. Hon. gentlemen are now so familiar
with the importance of that city and state from its posi-
tion in Central Asia, that it is unnecessary for me to dwel
on it. This, however, I must state, that the best autbo
rities had laid it down as amindisputable fact, that that
city and its immediate dependencies are the most import-
ant of all the cities and states of Central Asia, and that
the master of Herat is in a position, both in reference to
Persia and to the Affghan States, to hold the balance, if
he has any considerable power, between the parties who
might contend for empire much further, and with much
greater proximity to India. But Celia Simonich did
not confine himself to giving advice. At the very time
that the British minister, in consequence of instruction
from Lord Palmerston, retired after fruitless endeavours
to prevail upon the Shah to relinquish his intentions,
Count Simonich remained in the neighbourhood, and ac-
tually, it might be said, superintende,i the siege, and an
officer a distinction who had been in the Russian service
assisted at the siege, and I think I recollect, was killed
there. But it did not stop there. The intervention of
Russia did not stop with the mere appearance of the Rus-
sian ambassador at the siege of Herat. Forsooth a treaty
was entered into—it will be found in the papers before the
house- by which in the most summary way the lawful
Sovereign of Herat (the teal representative of the ancient
dynasty) was to be dethroned, and his dominions were
given to one of the princes of Candahar, a brother of Dost
Mahomed. By that treaty an entire change was to occnr
in the whole of that important part of Central Asia ; and
who does the House of Commons think was the guarantee
of that treaty ? No less a person than the Russian am-
bassador, and rhold a proof of it in my hand."
That was a very strong argument to maintain in this
house, but still he justified a sanguinary war upon that
ground. lam now going to quote a letter, which was
not in the published papers, but which is completely
confirmatory of these opinions. It is a letter which was
sent to me by Lord Auckland, and which Sir A. Burnes,
after his retirement from Cabool, wrote to Sir W.
M'Naghten, an unf rtunate but not undistinguished
countryman of my own. It is in these terms :---
" Jan. 3, 1838.

"It is clear thar the British Government cannot, with
any cre(iit or justice to itself, permit the present state of
affairs in Cabool to continue. The counteraction applied
must, however, extend beyond Dost Mahomed Khau, and
to both Persia and Russia. A demand of explanation
from the Cabinet of St. Petersburg would, I conceive, be
met by an evasive answer, and gain for us no credit; be-
sides the policy of Russia is now fairly developed, and re-
quires no explanation, for it explains itself, since that Go-
vernmeut is clearly resolved upon using the influence she
possesses in Persia (which is as great there as what the
British commaud in India) to extend her power eastward.
It had better, therefore, be assumed at once that such are
her plans, and remonstrate accordingly."
Now no political writer I have been able to consult, and
no experienced officer of the Government, has ever yet
argued that you could consider this question with re-
-1 ference to Persia or to Asiatic Turkey alone. Their in-
terests are not merely incidentally but substantially con-
nected, and all the authorities upon the subject argue
with irresistible force that the past history of Russia
shows that when she wishes to make war on Persia she
leaves Turkey at peace, and that when she wishes to
make war on Turkey she leave: Persia at peace, because
the combination of both might be inconvenient to her in
the execution of her plans. The noble lord opposite
knows better than I do what passed after the peace of
1814. A promise had been given by Russia to restore
the territory she had takea from Persia; and Lord Cath-
cart eedeavoured at St. Petersburg to obtain the fulfil-
, ment of that promise. But Russia evaded the obliga-
lion on the ground that she never restm ed
what she bad once obtained. She afterwards said to Per-
sia that the Araxes would form a convenient boundary
between her and that state, and insisted that it
should be adopted. I heard an hon. gentleman a few
nights ago ask the noble lord at the head cf the Govern-
ment whether ho had talon any means to have the road
completed between Trebizond and Bayazi:3, for the pur-
pe,si of promoting the interests of commerce in that re-
gion. If the lion. gentleman who put that question will
run his eye along the map from Trebizond to Erzeroum,
and from Erzeroum to Bayazid, and from Bayazid to-
wards Persia, he will find lie will arrive at the town of
Hee, which is the entrance for our manufacture.; into
Persia. The road employed for purposes of commerce
runs through that town. There is no fort between it and
the Caspian Sea ;' but there is one a 'little above it at
Abarrabard, where Russia has placed a strong fort. That.