The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-17 00:00:00

when they differed with bum (Lord Lyndhurst)—not
very long since reproached the Government fof not hav-
ing interfered more in the affairs of Naples than they had
done. (Cheers.) The noble earl said that, having
gene through the 45 pages of the correspondence on
the tar le, he could not make anything out of it. But
if the Government were so much to blame in this met-
ter, how was it that within the six weeks during whist
the House of Lords had been sitting in comparative
idleness, the noble earl nor any of his friends had
brought the subject forward. (Hear, hear.) How was it
that the noble earl had chosen to reserve it as a vehicle
for a few pungent sentences uttered on the eve of the
dissolution for mere election purposes. (Cheers.) If the
noble earl had thought it prudent to call attention to the
subject in a regular way, his noble friend the Secretary
for Foreign Affairs would have been prepared to prove
to their lordships that the steps taken by the Govern-
ment in reference to the affairs of Naples were fully jure•
tified, that they were taken in conjunction with our ally
the Emperor of the French, that they had not only been
justified, but rendered necessary by the state of Italy—
and that this result at all events had been produced,that
there was scarcely a government in Europe which La I
not followed up our remonstrances by remonstrances of
a like character. With regard to the rest of Europe the
noble earl had been prudently silent. He had not re-
peated what he or those around him asserted on one oc-
casion d .riag the present session, that our relations with
France were loosened, and the alliance in danger. If he
had, he (Earl Granville) would have been prepared to
show lam that the relations between the two countries
w ire never more firm or friendly than at this moment,
and he might mention that the last communication the
Emperor of Frame made to our Ambassador at Paris
was to express the great satisfaction he felt tbat in China
his troops would be found once more cc-operating with
the forces of her Majesty. (Hear, hear.) Then, with.
regard to Austria, our relations with that power were o
th most friendly character; and though the Government
claimed no merit on that account, it was nevertheless an
agreeable coincidence that while our relations with
Austria were thus improving, the Emperor of Austria
should be engaged in inaugurating a more liberal system
of government in his Italian dominions. Next with re-
gard to Russia, he believed both sides of the house were
satisfied with the final arrangements entered into with
that power. He was entitled to infer this, inasmuch as
not a single word had been said from either side
against that peace which had secured all the objects
for which we contended. In reference to the Per-
sian war, the noble earl had confined himself to vague
and general remarks. But in the other house the leader
of the opposition had denounced that war in the strongest
terms, declared that the demands of the Indian Govern-
ment on the Government of Persia were based upon the
most contemptible of motives • that its only justification
was to be found in the turbulent and aggressive diplo-
macy of the Government, and he intimated that it was
in some way c innected with our desire to extend our
possessions in India. On a recent occasion, however,
a noble earl who sat on the same side with the noble
earl, got up, and, with t‘-at honesty which always die-
tit g ished him, declared that that war was just and
necessary, and that if the engagement which had been
given by the Shah of Persia to respect the independence
of Herat did not exist, it would be still necessary on the
part of the British Government to teke measures to pre-
vent Herat from falling i, to the hands of Persia, and he
at d d " that the quarrel had not been with Persia as an
independent power, but with Russia, under whose dic-
tation Persia acted. Not only were the operations
against Herat carried on during the war with Ru sin,
when they were calculated to act as a diversion, but
they were carried on after the war with Russia had
ceased, arid he took the treaty just concluded with
Ferukh Khan as c imel)neental to the treaty of Paris,
and as showing that Russia for the present adjourned bin
designs on India ; that she had rec)nsidered her posi-
tion, and had found that her interests demanded that
there should be a good understanding between her aed
England in Europe, which could never come to pass so
long as she was carrying on operations in the direction
of India which must be objectionable to England. He
(Earl Granville) had no hesitation in saying that it was
by the firinnessand discretion of Lord Pelinerston, aided
by the ability of Lord Clarendon, that those two trea-
ties had been concluded, by which every question of dis-
pute with Rus-ia upon those points on which the people
of this country were most susceptible, and by which
they were once more placed in a position to renew
those friendly relations with that great power which
it was for the interest of Europe should be main-
tained, had been adjusted. He now came to the Chi-
nese question, and upon that point he should certainly
follow the example which the noble earl had set, when
ha said he would avoid renewing the debate which had
already taken place in their lordships house in refer-
ence to that subject. If the noble Earl was satisfied with
the verdict their lordships had by a majority double that
which delivered the adverse decision in a, • her place,
pronounced, and which he believed would be ratified by
the country. He would not, therefore, follow the vari-
ous topics which had been raised in the debate in both
houses, but would merely observe, in reply to the noble
earl, that neither he nor any of his colesguea had ever
pretended that, when papers were presented to either
house of Parliament, no opinion was to be expressed on
them. The Government did not complain of that ; but
when a decision was pronounced in one house of Parlia-
ment which they did not think justified by the facts, and
which was directly adverse to the decision come to by
the other house of Parliament, they felt that it was "la-
ces ary to appeal to the country for the final judgment.
When the noble earl talked of the absence of factious op•
position he must say he thought in this respect there was
a marked difference in the course taken by the two
houses. Their lordships would recollect that the noble
earl, when he brought forward the subject, solemnly ad.
jure 1 them to cafe, aside all party considerations, to as-
sine() a judicial position, and decide the question upon
principles of humarii y and justice, hut unless rumours,
which were very prevalent, were altogether false—and
so confidently, and without authority had these rumours
been promulgated, that until they were contradicted,
which hitherto they had not been, he could not refuse
them credence—the noble earl had held a very different
view as to the manner in which the subject ought to be
deaf with in the other house, and bad, both by word of
mouth and in writing, applied a pre,sureia 'ividually and
collectively upon his supporters to compel them to vote
against the Government. The noble earl had alluded to
a subject which had been much canvassed in the course
of these discussions as to a coalition said to exist
between himself arid others who did not gene-
rally ajoe with him, and quoted a speech of the late Sir
Robert Peel in favour of coalitions when formed on jus-
t (table grounds. This, however, was somewhat con-
t. ary to the line of argument taken by the noble earl's
representative in the other house, who also quoted a
speech, showing that Englishmen generally were not in
favour of coalitions; and he remembered on one occa io
one of the rno. t distinguished members of the Conserva-
tive party (Lord George Bentinck) saying that nothing
was so etar,g-.!rous to the character of public men as when
political
ssuch
coalition o p p o
o, n.
wnenfandr(intoasgotmmhea
Cnecaviiechlrsteiduietlsraach:
r:tee coalesced—more
assurance—stillo.
epo:m r
wi
stepping
gaTa especially.sacsetite nno oonntnbehol
tetet,hl otp.
ede oawn
irrdrdthooi
versoipower.inneef.
nthih:aetiluthoanhe
Opposition.
r:
;he:
osoheiauet assuredljasioetrni,
i
when t hat noble lord teas the bead of the great Conser-
vative party—he would not for a moment venture to in-
sinuate a doubt of the correctness of that statement ;
bit w en that noble lord cl al enged the Government in
somewhat of an offensive manner to say whether they
did or did not believe in t to existence of a factious c
hination of parties who did not usually act together,
entered it t ) for the purpose of turning out the Govern-
ment, and talked of the foul calumnies prevailing cn the
subje ct while entirely adhering to his faith in the noble
lord's high honour and strict accuracy, and without
meaning the slightest discourtesy, he must, in answer,
say, that from some f sets which had come to hie know-
ledge he did believe that there had been something of the
sort which the noble earl denies. First, as to whether
it was 1 kely that any ;hing of the kind had occurred.
When the Government was offered to the noble earl, in
1851, he said there were certain a ifferences which did
not enable him to take office with the gentlemen referred
t, as having formed part of the coelit oe in the present
instance; but upon this point he might vote a sentence
f om the Latin grammar, " Da mortuis nil nisi bonum,"
and say no more. Nevertheless, the noble earl did take
offs-, and during the period he h 1,1 it he entirety
failed in two successive Parliaments in obtaining the con.,
fidenee of Parliament. In 1855 an opportunity was
again offered to him to form a Government, and be stated
ae the reason why he declined was that Lord Palmer-
ston—that Lord Palmerston, be it reco lected, in whom
the noble lord could now place no confidence whatever
because of the events of 1848 and 1850—would not join
him. (Cheers.) Ie 1855 the noble earl thought the whole
question of whether he could undertake the conduct of
the Government or not rested upon the possibility of ob.
taining Lord Palmerston'e assistenot—not in a subordi.
nate position, but as the leader of the Commons of Eng,
land—(cheers)—and not only that, but, as hie noble
friend behind him reminded him) as his Minister tier
Foreign Affairs-- to "meddle," " dictate)" and " Inter.
fere."

' I The Earl of DERBY'—That is utterly And etititelt
, ! erroneous. The pritioq 911410rorffr datifetafy wits belief,
and
I woul,),
...'never have been, offered by me to Lord
Palmerston. (dear, Irwin i
Earl GRAN V 114413 accepted Oe (kali!, and Would
a=annsfs O M the coin dente which the (Al ,eitil bad ill
the noble loth *AS, MU tlettii*oliflltende which Would
Plate 1n 111 s fottide ad. the Owe+ which *ai Usually vested
to the leader of the nouso of Olnimons. (Cheers, and a
laugh.) Such, howetcra *Crte the Clicilm,trces of the
off-3r, a.li l sttdh *as the ckpinidn the noble earthed held
or hotil Palreu-atoti. 1:1-1) was not aware that the pAfty
q(the tiohls ea!l had received any &Atli accession of
sll'lngth or talent duce 1855, and thetefore he thouglt
it was by no means unnatural that the noble earl should
;vial to enlist the Aid of A "entlemab of high Charamer,
ghat attainnietits, And,paileh aperier 65 is the butinOris
r'llCtoychtiiebi ti,M rarliamett like Mr. Gladstone.
t near.) And so far from obj cting to such a combine-
tio.;--though he should natured:s, regret t i OM any man
of character and abl ty leavii g the Liberal rank he -a
would, he thought, be great advantage to the; country if
the noble earl could succeed in strengthening his party
by the adhesion of a gentleman who in all they did, and
in every vote they gave, would feel that they might in
con: equence be called upon to take part'n the Government
themselves, (Cheers.) Well, what happened at the cern-
mencemtut of the present session ? The session bad no
sooner opened than the leader of the Ooposition in the
of er house and Mr. Gladstone were found to be in the
most friendly relations with each other. Speculations
were put forward and questions were asked in t!se public
papers upon the + uhkct, to which it was replied that he
(Mr. Gladstone) could not help it, if the leader of the
Opposition came to Lira to solicit his co-operation, in
matters upon which th,y both felt alike. That view,
however, be believed, was deprecated by the other std.,
fur these observations were not confined to the liberal
and radical papers, and an article appeared in the Press,
1 .