The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-21 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of
public business.

ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN ON THE NEUTRALITY OF
ENGLAND.

Mr. Deputy WHITE rose to move :

" That a dutiful and loyal address be presented to her
Majesty expressive of the deep regret of this Court at the
commencement of hostilities between Austria and France
and Sardinia ; and its deckled conviction that the best inte-
rests of England will be consulted by the observance of the
strictest neutrality consistent with the security and honour
of the nation."

In framing that resolution he had not been un-
mindful of the right which the Corporation pos-
sessed to approach the Throne and express its
opinions upon matters affecting the policy of Go-
vernment—a right not without its responsibilities,
and which ought only to be exercised upon ques-
tions of the highest importance. Occasions of this
kind but seldom occurred, but the commencement
of hostilities between Austria and Sardinia and
France affected the interests of England, and Made
it a duty incumbent upon the Court, on the part of
their fellow-citizens, to express an opinion as to the
course which should be adopted on so important a
I crisis as the present. (Loud cries of " llear.")
No .loubt Lord Derby, at the Mansion-house, and
Mr. Disraeli and Lord Stanley, on the hustings,
and more recently a Royal proclamation, had de-
eland in favour of neutrality ; but the speeches of
Cabinet Ministers were liable to be misunderstood
—a mistake to which the united expression of the
people of England in favour of non-intervention
could not be subjected. (Hear, hear.) It was a
principle from which nothing would induce them
to depart but the necessity of the defence of their
liberty and honour. In order to give proper force
to their declaration of neutrality, it was necessary
that they should clearly understand the principle
expressed by the term, and the more clearly they
defined it the less likely they were to become com-
promised in the quarrel, and the less would be the
injury inflicted upon their commercial and indus-
trial interests. It was an important step calmly to
consider the danger which menaced them, since
the depreciation of public securities, owing to the
outbreak of the war, amounted to no less than
£150,000,000. (Hear.) Then, again, they saw
that every day other vessels were preferred to Eng-
lish vessels, on the supposition that England would
probably become involved in the war, and the sup-
position that America would not. Mr. White then
continued as follows :—We find that Austria
has attacked Sardinia, whether wisely or justly is
not now a question for us to discuss, and France
has allied herself with Sardinia to resist the attack
and to liberate Italy from the domination of the
Austrians. If they prove successful, and Italy be-
comes free, we, as freemen, shall welcome her as
another nation born into the family of liberty, but
no one will say that this in any way directly or
indirectly involves the necessity of our intervention.
But the danger will arise, it is said, should the Aus-
trians be driven out of Italy, when the desire of
revenge for injuries by Piedmont, and the impetu-
ous valour of the French, flushed with victory, will
carry them beyond the Alps, and lead them to in-
augurate afresh the career of the first Empire. Now,
I have no fears of the kind ; 50 or 60 years have
passed away since that time, and experience in-
structs nations as well as individuals, and " history
is philosophy teaching by examples." I would
deduce my reasons for thinking that will not be the
case from more recent events, and feel that I have
arrived at a correct conclusion. In 1848, it will be
remembered, Louis Philippe was suddenly driven
from his throne, and became an exile in this coun-
try ; our alarm at that time was so great that Con-
sols fell 10 or 12 per cent. French armies in idea
were seen marching to the Rhine, and a reign of
terror was immediately to be inaugurated; but these
fears were not realised, the prophecies of the savans,
lacking fulfilment, were forgotten, and after a few
convulsive throes France settled down under the
present Government. Still more recently, I would
instance the Crimean war, when two of the Powers,
France and Sardinia, were allied with us tl arrest
the aggression of Russia against Europe. There
can be no doubt that if France, at the taking of
Sebastopol, had felt disposed to enter upon a
career of glory, the course fully lay open to her,
for nothing could exceed the eagerness arid pre-
paredness of this country to continue the war, but
we did not find it so. France had achieved glory ;
the burdens of war were heavy ; Russia was hum-
bled, and there was an irrepressible desire on her
part for peace. But I will suppose that the
French have crossed the Alps and have again en-
tered Vienna in triumph, would that be a cause for
our intervention ? I decidedly answer " No." We
can have no sympathy with the oppressor, and Aus-
tria must pay the penalty of her misgovernment ;
but it may be thought otherwise by the confedera-
tion of Germany with Prussia at its head, and they,
fearing the power of France, may declare against
her, and the war become almost European in its
character ; but let Germany count the cost and the
risk well before she embarks in the enterprise, and
having determined upon the conflict, let her with
her million men in arms rely upon herself, and let
her not think for a moment that England will take
part in the strife. Whatever may be the regrets of
this country, she will not interfere so long as her
neutrality is respected and her honour and security
unassailed. But for these events to transpire much
time must elapse. and these results will be long
working out; and what during this will be the con-
dition of England, impregnable by her insular po-
sition, strengthening daily in her moral and mate-
rial power ? She will be enabled to fulfil the proud
and glorious mission which I believe awaits her—
that of mediator when the combatants, prostrate
and exhausted, shall seek her peaceful intervention,
and England will achieve for herself the glory—
that of being the arbiter of an honourable and last-
ing peace to Europe. (Cheers.)
Mr. C. REED seconded the motion. He said there
could be no question in that court that it was the
duty of England at the present moment to observe
a strict neutrality. The question had been asked
what they had to do with the war in Italy. Eng-
land held a very peculiar position at the present
time. Until the present time there had scarcely
been a war among the principal powers of Europe
without the participation of England ; but now she
found herself omitted, and it was the duty of the
country to see that nothing was done which would
be likely to commit them to take a share in the
struggle now being made in Europe. (Hear, hear.)
The contest was one between rival despotisms,
which, with liberty on their lips, sought in that
struggle to promote their own supremacy. With
must ru sita
tj
regard to the proclamation of trio Queen, every
one
o;iebeuitnhtehesapw,r,ininciptliemotfnnoeurteraasloitn why
the Ih
con-
tained
the Court should not proceed with their address,
but behoved rather that it threw upon them the
duty of supporting the Government in the course
which they had so publicly adopted. Ile consi-
dered the proclamation as her Majesty's answer to
thei voice of d
thee
d
demanded
voice of the people mu,t have a still further
thpaetopplee peace who,
should
hearing. They had heard of drifting into war •,
they had drifted into the Crimean war; they had
drifted into the Affghan war ; and, without great
care and circumspection, they might yet drift iota
war. (Cheers.) Ho was • •
an European anxious,
therefore, that the Court should adopt tare address,
so a ress,
so as to do all they could to prevent any Govern-
ment from drifting the country into the present
war. They had been told that they must respect
the treaties of 1815, but every contracting Power
had broken those treaties except England, and
why, therefore; he asked, should engage

in a 'war for the maintenance of treaties by which
she gained nothing, while the other great Powers
shared the spoil ? The great Napoleon expressed
his surpise at the saying that England yielded
everything and took nothing for herself. England
was content to take 50 years of peace, and Napo-
leon did not comprehend that the victories of peace
might be more renowned than 50 years of war.
(Cheers.) It was said that they would fetter the
Government. They would do nothing of the kind;
but they had. a right to say that they would have
no meddling diplomacy, no unnecessary complica •
tions, no undue manifestations of force on our part
to excite tlw, jealousy of other Powers. The war
might produce liberty in Italy and a wider spread
of the Word of God. If so, he should sincerely
rejoice ; but still he saw no justification for our in-
tervention on that ground, and he hoped, therefore,
that the Court would adopt the resolution. (Cheers.)
Mr. BLAKE hoped to be acquitted of any
want of loyalty towards the Queen when
he expressed his disapproval of the motion
before the Court. Statesmen of all parties and
the people in all directions had already declared
decidedly in favour of neutrality, and, after her
Majesty's proclamation, nothing further seemed to
be required in that direction. In fact, it would look
like a desire to question the sincerity of her Ma-
jesty to go up to the Throne with an address on the
subject. • (Hear.) Such an address would rather
lessen than increase the force of the proclamation,
and he should, therefore, move the previous ques-
tion as an amendment. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BARKLY seconded the amendment, remark-
ing that if the Emperor Napoleon intended to go to
war with this country, he would do so at his own
time, and .that an address would weigh neither with
the present Ministers nor their successors.
Deputy DAKIN thought they might very properly
go on with the address since all felt the evils of
war, even it. its present restricted proportions, and
unless the people of England spoke out decidedly
the war might soon take a wider area, and effect a
more sweeping destruction. (Hear.) As to the
proclamation, everybody knee that it was the pro-
clamation of the Ministry rather than of the Queen,
and it was necessary that the nation should speak
out, so that any Ministry that might be in power
might know that they would gain no support from
public opinion if they rushed into the calamities of
war instead of seeking the blessings of peace.
(Hear.) There could be no more fitter body to
express its opinion on such a question than that
ancient corporation, and he hoped the amendment
would be withdrawn, and that they might unani-
mously adopt the motion. (Hear, hear.)
Several members advised the withdrawal of the
amendment, and Mr. Blake expressed his willing-
ness to acquiesce, but Mr. Barkly, his seconder, re-
fused to sanction it, and the amendment, on being
put to a show of hands, was negatived by an over-
whelming majority.
A committee being then appointed, withdrew to
prepare an address founded upon the motion, which,
upon their return to the court was, as is usual in
such cases, read with closed doors.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

EXETER.

In compliance with a requisition, numerously
signed by the citizens, the Mayor (Captain Turner)
has convened a public meeting to be held at the
Guildhall, next Thursday, to adopt measures for
organising an efficient body of men in connection
with the Exeter and South Devon Rifle Battalion.
Captain and Adjutant Moore has issued an address
to the inhabitants, in which he gives some powerful
reasons in favour of young men who are engaged in
trade, &c., joining the corps. He says the existing
rifle battalion i n Exeter and South Devon was founded
under the sanction of her Majesty on the 26th March,
1852. There can be no doubt that three or four full
companies might be raised in Exeter among a respect-
able class of young men, who would find great ad-
vantage in it by improved health, and who, if not en-
rolled in the rifle corps, are liable akany time to be
drawn for the militia by ballot. If the employers
of clerks, shopmen, warehousemen, &c., would ar-
range so as to give their young men six or seven
hours a week for drill, it cannot be doubted that a
very numerous and valuable class of volunteers
would enrol themselves. In reference to the ex-
pense, Captain Moore states that the clothing,
accoutrements, &e., would cost £6 12s. 6d., and
that the corps has in store rifles sufficient to arm
70 men. Subscriptions might be received from the
public and applied in cases where volunteers are
unable to pay more than half the necessary ex-
pense.
FOLKESTONE.

A meeting was held in the Sessions-hall on
Wednesday 'for the purpose of considering the
expediency of forming a volunteer rifle corps in
the town and neighbourhood. The chair was taken
by the Mayor (Captain Kennicott, R.N.), who
opened the business of the meeting by saying that
on Thursday last he had received a requisition to
call a public meeting to consider the necessity of
taking steps for the formation of a volunteer rifle
corps. He was delighted to comply with that
request, and he was ready at all times to do what
lay in his power to promote the welfare of his
country. We were placed in such a critical position
at the present time that it became incumbent upon
all to do what they coald towards helping the Govern-
ment in any danger that might threaten us. He
rejoiced in the extent to which the patriotic feeling
had been called forth.

Mr. BROWELL considered the subject one that
demanded the, attention of all the subjects of the
Queen of this free State. He would propose :

" That this meeting is of opinion that in the present
aspect of affairs it is desirable to form a volunteer rifle corps
for the town and neighbourhood."

The resolution was seconded by Capt. Brockman,
and carried unanimously.
A committee of eleven gentlemen was then ap-
pointed, and thanks being voted to the chairman,
the meeting separated.