The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 9, 1861.

4,000,000 soldiers under arms in Europe alone. It
was well known that in this country we were build- '
ing iron-cased vessels and spending £11,000,000 in
fortifications. And not only that, but the surplus
of £1,923,000 which had been talked of would be
swallowed up in supplementary estimates. And
what this was to lead to Heaven knew, but that it
would lead to enormous bills and more taxation he
felt quite satisfied. Besides this, we had nearly
£30,000,000 spent upon our army and navy. If
they could not keep the country free from invasion
or the bugbears now circulated with that amount,
what amount would they ask the country to spend ?
These were surely not the fruits to be expected from
a policy of non-intervention. Instead of unnatu-
rally exciting the people with false alarms they
would di) wisely to look more closely at home, for,
if this policy were carried too far, they would per-
haps one day find themselves compelled to use the
armaments they were creating. There was nothing
so easy as to inflame men's minds with stories of
battles and to wake national prejudices ; and, God
knew what the issue would be, except that he felt
confident in the ability of his countrymen to resist
invasion. But they would have the national debt
doubled, and that would eventually reduce the
nation to a state of bankruptcy. It was all very
well to say that Russia was an object of suspicion,
and that Spain must be watched ; that France
should be regarded with distrust, and Italy be an

object of sympathy; that they should avoid, as the

most costly experiment they could indulge in, hav-
ing what is called a spirited Foreign Minister. Ho
had not a word to say against Lord John Russell,
but ho wished to caution the country against the
policy which invariably ended in the spirited
Minister dipping vary deeply into the public purse,
and could only lead to increased expenditure and
debt. He was of opinion that we were unjust in
our suspicions with respect to the French Emperor,
who had, he thought, manifested a disposition to
cultivate the good graces of this country, as he had
shown by the recent reforms he had effected in the
commercial tariff, in spite of the strong opposition
of the Protectionists, who were more powerful there
than in this country. He had also paid a special
compliment to this country by abolishing the
passports from England. Why, then, should
we be hounded on day after day ? He was
also what was called a peace•at-any-price man,
and he gloried in the volunteer movement ; but
he deprecated the attempt to inflame the pas-
sions of the people by continually pointing to
France as a bugbear, because he would not be a
party to the increase of taxation, knowing that the
30 millions spent on the army and navy were quite
sufficient to keep the country in an effectual state
of defence. After bestowing an eulogium upon Mr.
Cobden, who had merited his country's gratitude
for the part he took in relation to the French Treaty
of Commerce, and praising the independence and
self-abnegation which led him to decline honours
and rewards for his important services, the hon.

member proceeded to review " the state and pros-
pects of what was called the Liberal party"—a sub-
ject which, he confessed, he felt some difficulty in
handling. His opinion was, that the Liberal party
were a set of confirmed invalids. (Cheers and
laughter.) To be sure, invalids sometimes lasted
longer than healthy men—(laughter)—but he
thought change of air would do them good, and
that if they went on the other side of the Speaker's
chair there would be a better prospect of renovating,
their principles and refreshing their creed. (Re-
newed laughter.) But what was the cause of this ?
In 1859 the Whigs, it would be remembered, were
reconciled and a Ministry was formed, Messrs. Vil-
liers and Gibson, who represented the more advanced
party, being admitted, like poor relations, to seats
at the lower end of the Cabinet table. (Laughter.)
Then it was said of this great Whig party that
there were no outside men who were fit for office.
If it were true, the reason was to be found in the
exclusiveness of the party, whose system had always
been to admit none but near relations and connexions
within the charmed circle. Whiggery had now be-
come at a discount, and by breeding in and in had be-
come effete, so that if they were now to advertise for
a pure thoroughbred young Whig they would have
as much difficulty in finding one and rearing him as
they would with an infant gorilla. (Much laughter.)
The Whigs, like certain Eastern potentates, having
no issue of their own, had adopted the Peelites—
(laughter)—and the children of theiradoption would

no doubt supersede the original race. He was sure o

one thing—that Mr. Gladstone would be the Grand
Vizier of the party and that he would stand no rivalry
on the floor of the House, because he was a states-
man worthy to lead the reform of our expenditure,
which he (the hon, member) was certain he would
do if he were only backed up by the country.
(Hear.) The speaker next referred to the recent
Ministerial changes and appointments. The death
of Lord Herbert and the elevation of Lord J. Rus-
sell to the Upper House had necessitated a recon-
struction of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister came
under the appellation of " a wonderful man," and
had a wonderfully youthful turn of mind, as was
evidenced by his extravagance and the money he laid
out in fire-arms, fortifications, guns, and shows ;
all these were the errors of youth, (Laughter.) He
was, then, a most able man, but a most expensive
Minister, and would, no doubt, go on spending
money as long as the public were content to allow
him. The reconstruction had been a sort of hocus-
pocus. The Cabinet was formed on a narrow and
exclusive basis; but that was the original sin o
Whiggery, and, true to his policy of annexation,
Lord Palmerston had filled the vacancies with per
sons who were not supporters of the Government.
He contrasted the mongrel Whig party with that
of Sir R. Peel. The latter had founded and left
behind him a school of statesmen who were h end-
ing his name down to this day, whereas the Whigs
were a small coterie unable to propagate their own
principles. The hon. member deprecated the ap-
pointment of Sir G. C. Lewis to be War Secretary
as a most unfortunate selection, and contended that
Lord Grey would have been the fittest man to carry
out the retrenchments and reforms that were needed
in that important department, or Lord De Grey and
Ripon ; but they said " No, it was necessary the
Minister should be in the Lower House." Well, if
that were so, they should have selected Sir C.Wood,
who was an excellent administrator. In transfer-
ring Sir G. Lewis from the Home-office to this post
they were acting like the Americans, who made
their best lawyers generals of division, and it was
now seen with what results. (Hear.) It reminded
him of the language of lago

" Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
Moro than a spinster ; unless the bookish th3orick,
Wherein the tongued consuls can propose
As masterly as he; mere prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership."
Then, too, Sir George Grey, who had retired from
ilk-health, was resurrectionised back into life and
placed in the Home-office, while Mr. Cardwell, a
glutton for work, was transferred from Ireland and
consigned to the comparative obscurity of the
Duchy of Lancaster, where he had nothing to do.
He did not, however, disapprove the appointment of
Sir Robert Peel to the Irish Secretaryship, and be-
lieved that the responsibilities of the great office he
had undertaken would restrain the impulses of this
erratic but clever young man. He also approved
the appointment of Mr. Layard as Under-Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, and hoped he would meet his
I deserts, but feared he would have to await a con-
siderable time. The Liberal party had acquired
somewhat of a mongrel character ; the fact was that,
through having lost their natural leader andta n k another, they were in a state of distraction. Theire
followers being somewhat discouraged, and the
Ministry divided by their opponents, he believed
that, unle,ss some energetic steps were taken by the
Government to meet Parliament next session with
measures entitled to public approbation _measures
not only for spending, but for cutti6.- down and re-
forming the expenditure—the would be taken
out of their hands, and they
-would be consigned to
the outer darkness of 0,-
,00sition. (Cheers.) But
he did not despair -ot,
hear.) He 0-
which in J • -..pu;;ht yet
the
theLi be
olda l Lciabuesrea.l b( al inenaer;
words ,ord Grey's time was inscribed with the
h- , a Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform," would
-
-4 once more unfurled. He should be found at his
1
post, and he trusted that when the time arrived
they would again send him to do his duty in the