The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-01 00:00:00

230
218

these political refugees had fled, was threatened by France;
and it was by the mediation of this country that we pre-
served those refugees from being given up to the countries
they had quitted, and preserved the independence of S wit- •
zerland. (Cheers.) About this time a most important
event occurred in Europe. Before we acceded to office
the coup d'etat took place in France. It was per-
fectly clear that the head of the French Republic in-
tended to revive the Empire, and every great Power
which signed the Treaty of Vienna objected. to that re-
vival, because they were bound by that treaty not to re-
cognise the Napoleon dynasty. I say, then, we had that
critical question brought before us, and we decidad that
the Napoleon dynasty was most unpopular in this country,
and we refused to listen to the suggestions of Austria and '
Russia. We world not postpone or procrastinate, and -e-e
recognised Napoleon 111. (Hear, hear.) It is that speedy
and cordial recognition by England of the present Emperor
of the French that clinched the French alliance, and trans-
formed that great man and ruler, who entertained un-
friendly feelings toward this country, into the cordial and
sincere ally hem,: since shown himself to be. (Applause.)
We were then very much attacked for the course we then
took. 'We were described as truckling to Fr ince ; but a
allow me to tell you that we did not take that course until
we had previously obtained a declaration from the present
Emperor of the French that he would recognise all his pre-
decessors of all dynasties, and all their public acts, since
lels. (Cheers.) Therefore we wens careful of the in-
terests of Europe, a hile at the seine time we pursued a
in
noltibe impendingcyvhic
hprepered for us that powerful alliance which •
struggle proved of so much advantage. •
(Cheers.) You will excuse me for adverting to these im-
portant Lets, because it was at this place that I made my
pledges as to the course I should pursue ; and it is not for
ostentation, but for the purpose of showing the fulfilment
of the pledges I made that I enter into these important
explanations. (Applause.) At the same time I told you,
when legal reforms were much mentioned, that we were
determined to carry all those legal reforms of the
necessity of which we were perfectly sensible. And
did wo not redeem our pledge ? Tiie very first thing
we did was to effect a complete reformation of tho
Court of Chancery. Three bills were brought in by
Lord St.. Leopards of a most efficient and stringent
nature. We put an end to reference to the offices of the
rilasters in Chancery, which had been described as sinks of
iniquity. We demolished and swept all those offices away
by the Chancery Procedure Act, and we gave you a pro-
'cedure in equity as efficient, expeditious, and inexpensive
as any in common law. (Hear.) That was a great reform
—the greatest legal reform ever elected in this country.
(Applause.) We also prepared a bill, and gave notice of it,
for a complete reform of the Ecclesiastical Courts, and it
was not our fault that we did not introduce it to Parlia-
ment. (Hear, heir.) Permit me also to say with respect
to the foreign politics of this country that there are many
subjects I might dwell on as coming under our bands
during the eventful year when we held the reins of power. .
There were two questions on which I claim the best re-
ward which a public man in England can possess—namely,
the approbation and respect of his constituents. We have
had a great deal of excitement with respect to the war
with Persia. It is a subject of great controversy whether
the Government of this country ought to have engaged in
that war without assembling and appealing to Parliament,
and whether the course pursued by this present Adminis-
tration has been ajust one • but I will not now enter into
that question. It is generally thought if the city of Herat
is in the possession of Persia our Indian dominion is in
danger. I may mention the general opinion without enter-
ing into the controversy. Now, recently, that city having
been captured by Persia, war was proclaimed, or rather
undertaken against Persia, without the knowledge of
Parliament. Very considerable expenses have been in-
curred, and though we are told that peace has teen
effected, it will al ways be a question whether the course
pursued in respect to Persia has been just and politic. Let
me remi*l you that when the Government of Lord Derby
was in office the very same circumstance occurred with re-
spect to Persia as at the present day. The Shah of Persia
not only menaced, but besieged, attacked, and captured
the city of Herat. According to the political doctrines of
this day our Indian Empire was in danger. What was
the course we took? Did we invade Persia and make war
without cognisance of Parliament ? (Hear.) Did we in-
volve this country in immense expenditure? Very dif-
ferent was the course we pursued. We had an efficient
representative at the Court of Teheran—Colonel Shell.
He was not a person of our own political opinions, but I
am bound to say that he was an efficient man. We sent
to him the most energetic but conciliatory instructions.
We told him to go to the Shah of Persia, and Impress upon
him that if he persisted in the course he was pursuing we •
would adopt measures of earnest stringency. We required
him.to give up Herat, and to return to his own dominions.
or we would invade his country, and take measures which
would render a repetition of his offence impossible. What
did the Shah do? He retired from Herat, and conceded
all we required, without our incurring those great ex-
penses which have now been incurred in respect to the
Persian expedition, and without our entering into a course
which I doubt whether the spirit of the constitution
would justify. We succeeded in effecting all the present
Government had done without turmoil and expense. I
say this in justice to a colleague of mine, who, because our
Government unfortunately did not possess a majority in
Parliament, was at the time made the object of ridicule
and abuse—l mean the Earl of Malmesbury. He was, how-
ever, one of the most liberal and of eient secretaries of
State this country ever had, and he it was who carried on
the negotiation I have alluded to with Persia. (Applause.)
Another great act which I am bound to bring under your
notice, has reference to a mission we sent to South America
to open the great rivers— the Paraguay and the Parana—
which were never before open to our commercial enter-
prise. That mission completely effected its purpose,
and those great rivers were opened to our merchants, and
great benefits have already accrued, and incomparable ad-
vantages will still accrue therefrom to the commerce of
this country. (Cheers.) Having touched on the Foreign
Department as conducted in those days, and on the legal
reforms we effected, permit me now to say that in our colo-
nial affairs there was at that time one most critical emer-
gency arising out of the gold discoveries in Australia. All
the refuse population of the world immediately poured
into our colonies, and by the law as it then stood every
ounce of gold discovered became the property of the Queen
of England. Here were the seeds of discontent, difficulty,
and disaffection. (Hear.) Yet, by a bill we introduced
for regulating the casual revenues of her Majesty, and by
the despatches of Sir J. Pakington, all that disturbance
was settled. The principles on which this new develop-
ment of wealth should be regulated were ado:dishier Asti.
blished, and the prosperity of those colonies is at present a
subject of pride and congratulation to every Englishman.
(Cheers.) I have touched on those measures which we
passed, and there were some we proposed for which I my-
self, as the organ of the Government, was responsible, but
which we unfortunately did not pass—the financial mea-
sures of the Government. (it. cry of "The Coons ens
turned you out.") No, they did not turn um out, and they
did not wish me to go out ' - but I said then as I say now,
that I never will submit to be a Minister on sufferance.
(Cheers.) lam prepared to say that all those measures
were measures conceived for the advantage of the commu-
nity and the multitude; and the excellence of those mea-
sures can be proved by the simple test that they have been
either passed by our 'successors, or are demanded by the
public voice. (Applause..) We proposed a great change-
-1 the reduction of the tea duties. Was there ever a
measure brought forward more calculated to increase
the happiness and comfort of the people, and at the
same' time to stimulate industry ? Well, our successors
accepted that measure and carried it into effect. There was
also the measure to bring into the Exchequer the gross in•
stead of the net revenue of the country. Before that period
there was a sum of 5,000,000/. or 6,000,000/. which really
never came under the control of the representatives of the
people, and the measure to alter this arrangement has been
passed. Another great measure we proposed was that in the
regulation of the income tax there should be made a differ-
ence between precarious and permanent incomes. I ask you
now, what subject ia there which at the present time ex-
cites more interest, and whether there is not a great demand
by the public voice for such a distinction to be established ?
(Applause.) I tell you further, I think that perhaps it is
impossible satisfactorily to establish a difference of that
kind ; therefore I am for getting rid of the income-tax with
all its odious inequalities. With your indulgence I have
endeavoured to give you some account of my stewardship
when I was a member of the Government, and in doing so
I am not aware that I have taken an unusual course, or
one which it was not my duty to pursue. (Applause.) I
have now to give you an account of what I have done as
your representative since I have been a member of the Op-
position, and through the indulgence of my friends, have
been intrusted with a considerable part in the management
of their affairs. After the fall of the Government of Lord
Derby the most important event that has occurred since I
was last elected.as a member for Buckinghamshire was, no
doubt, the war with Russia. Now, what was the conduct
of the Opposition when that war commenced ? lam bold
to say that they pursued such a course as was never before
taken by any Opposition. (Lund cheers.) We called our
friends together ; we said the country was in great danger,
that it was involved in a struggle with a continental Power
of colossal military resources ; and that the occasion was
not one on which common Parliamentary controversies
should be encouraged. (Loud cheers.) We said there
must be no struggle for political power while the country
was in such a,position, but that we must show foreigners
that, however we may criticise each other's conduct with
respect to domestic affairs, when the safety of the empire
is threatened we are all united. (Cheers.) We said that
we must support the Government cordially and completely
in the prosecution of a war which we believed to be most
necessary and politic, and that we must not only afford
them support by voting men and money, but by refraining
during the progress of the war— thoush it should last four
years—from introducing any motion which might enfeeble
the Administration or endanger its existence. (Cheers.)
This is not merely my own view of the conduct of the Op-
position, but Lord Palmerston has, to his honour, dune j us-
ti more than ones in the House of Commons, and very
recently on the hustings before his own constituents, to the
patriotic conduct of the Opposition during the war. But
has that always been the conduct of the Opposition ? Did
the Opposition pursue such a course during the great war
with France? On the contrary, the Government of that
day were harassed and assailed on every opportunity ; the
talents of our military leaders—even of the Duke of Wel-
lington himself—were decried and depreciated ; and no
hope was ever held out to England that the termination of
that struggle would be successful and glorious. Now, act-
ing in a different spirit, we did what we could to support
her Majesty's Government. We have opposed no mea-
sures which they brought forward with theview of pacing
great resources at their disposal. The only course we took
wasto stimulate their exertions, and the only objections we
ever urged were objections to the inefficient mode in which
the resources placed at their disposal were applied. (A
voice—" You knew the people were with them.") I
should be very sorry to find that the people of this country
were not with their Government when the nation was in-
volved in a severe struggle with a great military Power.
(Cheers.) I never thought of that ; I took it fur granted.
(Renewed cheers.) Now, gentlemen, let me make a few
rerearks'as to the course which we pursued when the Go-
vernment of Lord Aberdeen was broken up and Lord Pal-
merston took the reins of office. It is very possible I may
say things which will not be pleasing to many admirers
and followers of Lord Palmerston,butlwil. Bvo,
will say
andthing
here that I would not say in his Presence. (,
cheers.) Lord Palmerston is a very good-tempered man,
and I hope his admirers will be equally good-tempered.
(Laughter and cheers.) I advert to the facts lam about to
mention, not with the view of attacking Lord Palmerston,
but in order to explain and illustrate the conduct of the
Opposition, for which I am in a considerable degree respon-
sible. It is said that Lord Palmerston took the reins of
Government and carried on the war with very great effi-
ciency. Allow me to mention this fact—that the instant
he took the reint of Government be commenced negotia-
tions for an ignominious peace. (Cheers and some expres-
sions of dissent.) lam now stating facts, and lam quite
sure it is your desire, as it is your interest, have accurate
and precise ideas upon all these subjects. Lord Palmer-
ston sent Lord J. Russell to Vienna with instructions to
negotiate peace. I have heard, and I believe, that those
instructions which Lord J. Russell received to guide his
conduct at Vienna were drawn up by Lord Palmerston's
own band. -Indeed I think it highly improbable that the