The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-17 00:00:00

THE PERSIAN WAR.

Mr. ROEBUCK rose pursuant to notice to move his
resolution condemnatory of the war in Persia being un•
dertaken and prosecuted without the sanction conveyed
by a vote of the house. He said, I wish, Sir, the resolu-
tion I am now about to move had fallen into more able
hands than mine, for it appears to me that never in the
whole history of the House of Commons was 'a more im-
portant subject submitted to its consideration. Sir, we
are now about to consider the conduct of an Adminis-
tration with regard to the House of Commons, and I am
prepared to say, Sir, that this conduct has been such
that, if a'lowed to pass without comment, it will go far
to jeopardise the authority of this house and t diminish
its influence with the country, on the very matters
which are peculiarly within its province. It may be
said that the prerogative of the Crown is to declare war
and to make peace. With that proposition, Sir, I
entirely coincide ; but I say that this house
has p. privilege with regard to that prerogative which it
ought not to desert. (Hear.) The Crown may declare
war when it pleases, and if the Crown can carry on that
war without application to the House of Commons it is
perfectly justified in doing so ; but the moment it comes
to this house to ask us to enable it to maintain that war,
through the agency of money, then the whole war and
everything connected with it become subjects of consi-
deration for the House of Commons. It appears to 'me
that this is peculiarly the mode by which the House of
Commons has arrived at its present position, and, if
England is now distingui•hable from the nations around
her by one thing more than another it is by this very
power of the House of Commons. To that power
we owe our liberty, to that liberty we owe our laws,
and to those laws we owe our happiness. If that
power should ever be diminished, than, indeed, the
just influence of this house will be diminished
also ; and the charge I bring against the noble
lord at the head of the Government is this—that he,
being a so called Liberal, has done that with regard to
the House of Commons which no minister has ever yet
dared to do—that the two Pitts, in the plentitude of
their power, did not dare to do what the noble lord bee
done. And what is that t I will shortly describe what I
conceive to be the conduct of the noble lord. He has
laid upon the table of this house a book containing papers
regarding our relations with Persia. Those papers begin
as early as the year 1851, and the very first of those
papers refers to the Persian conduct with reference to
Herat. In proceeding io the investigation of those pa-
pers we soon learn that the British Government supposed
that the Persian Government had designs upon Herat
which were inimical to English interests. From 1851
to 1857 negotiations were carried on with the Persian
Government, and not until December, 1856, did the
English Government think it requisite to take such steps
with regard to the Government of Persia as should
lead to war. In December, 1856, this house was
not sitting, bnt in that month the Governor-General of
India issued a proclamation equivalent to a declaration
of war. No means were taken to call this house together,
and things went on. War was declared against Persia,
and then began a system which has led, as I believe, to
the disasters we are now suffering in India. (Hear.)
Our lorctoi were taken from India and directed against
Persia. lam told—l do not know how correctly—that
the Government was warned on that occasion that de-
nuding India of the forces of England woul I endanger
the very existence of our Indian empire. I must call to
the recollection of the house and of the noble lord the pro-
phecies—if I may so call them—of Sir C. Napier many
years ago upon this matter. He pointed out to the Go-
vernment of India, and through the Government of India
to the Government of England, that there were causes
which should alarm all foreseeing Ministers with regard
to the army of India, and he took steps which bethought
precautionary to prevent mischief arising on that occa-
sion. Those steps incurred the displeasure of the then
Governor General, Lord Dalhousie... Sir C. Napier 're-
signed, but his warning remained. Lord Dalhousie re-
turned home, and Lord Canning went to India. lam
told—l do not know how ccrrectly—that the demands
made on him for forces to be directed towards Persia
raised in Lord Canning's mind such alarm that he com-
municated that alarm to the Government of this coun-
try, and not only did he do so, but I am told that the
Commander-in-Chief did the same, and that the Govern.
ment of this country was fully aware of the danger likely
to arise if India were denuded of troops. I appeal to this
house, if there be a shadow of truth in that statement,
whether this was not a very important matter. This
house has been called together on less important occa-
sions ; for let me say for this house that the empire o
India is in fact the empire of England—(heat)—that we
should not a low our empire in India to be destroyed
without making every effort which the people could
make to preserve it, because if conquered in Asia we
are reduced to nothing in Europe. (Hear.) This,
then, was a very vital question to the empire of Eng-
and, and if the Commons of Parliament were to be
called together in an extraordivaly manner, that was an
occasion when they ought to have been so called toge-
ther. But the noble lord, having that confidence in
himself which a long series of successes in life has enabled
him to obtain, disregarded altogether the xistence of
Parliament, and determined to wage war upon his own
account. He therefore directed that troops should be
sent from India to Persia. They were sent. War was
undertaken. War was prosecuted. A battle was fought,
and the Persians were so reduced that they thought of
peace. Peace was concluded in March, 185 r. In Feb.,
to this house. The noble lord, still holding o _
1857. this house met, but no communication was rotandaet
course which has distinguished his career—lnduuit 131.
fident in himself, and prepared to conduct the
peace. And
Commons—deter-
minedjjloineof
cota.
matter without the House
ons, toan
d
conduct
the first real intimation that we have had of these trans-
actions is the bill which is this night to be presented.
What is that hill? We learn that it amounts in the whole
withoiett
itonliftea a
to 1,800,0001. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with
that dexterity which belongs to all Chancellors of the
Exchequer, began with 500,0001., .but the last paper laid
on the table shows that our share of the bill will be at
least 900,000/. But it does net stop there; 900,0001. is
only an instalment, and I believe it will be found 'that
the expense of the war with Persia will amount to at
least two millions of money. If ever the Hume of Com-
mons had a right to complain it is upon this occasion. A.
war has been undertaken. A war has been prosecuted.
Engagements have actually beau taking place between
our troops and those of Persia. Peace has been concluded