The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-01-03
lf1E DAILY DlSPAl Ch
NsONrsDAY noanlNa. JANUARY 5, isss.

"WEDNESDAY MORNING. JANUARY 5, 1855. i
DEBATE IN PARLiAMEsT.--The English
journals contain veluminous accounts of the
debate on the war, in the British House Of
Lords. The Earl Of Derby made one of his
ablest and most telling speeches, in which
he paid just and emphatic tribute to the
splendid intrepidity Of the British troops in
the Crimea; but animsdverted with energy
upon the want Of foresight exhibited in the
management Of the war. from the very com
mencement Of hostilities. He announced
that from the very first to the very last.
there was apparent, in the course pursued by
the government, total want Of prepare
tion-a total want of prescience; and they
have appeared to him, from day to day. pro-
viding for each successive exigency after it
arose. and not before it arose. TOO late, !"
exclaimed Lord Derby, have been the fatal
words applicable to the whole conduct Of
Her Majesty's Government in the course of
the war. He spoke in detail of the made
quAcy Of the English force for its object, the
Encouragement of the various departments
Of the army, the appointment OF man re-
ported to be incompetent to command the
Prince, the vessel which contained all the
clothing for the army, and which was lost,
&c. &c. He then fell afoul Of the Baltic
Heet and reminded the House OF the injunc-
ton that was given to the seamen on board
that fleet-''to sharpen their cutlasses and the
day was their own All that they had done,
said Lord Derby, was to crumble down half
finished fortress, which they were not able to
occupy The Government sent out, in the
first place, said Lord Derby, a feet of such
superior metal and of such overwhelming
force, that it would have been an act of mad
ness for the Russian feet to meet them In the
open sea; and, in the second place, they sent
out fleet Of such a draft of water, that it
was absolutely impossible for them and the
Russian feet to come into contact The re-
suit was, he continued, that our feet in the
Baltic has all along been- condemned to
state of ignominious inactivity, reminding
one Of the story Of the duel between Sir Rich
ard Strachan and Lord Chatham:
Lord Chatham With his long sword drawn,
Stood waiting for Sir Richard Strachan;
Sir Richard, IonglL to be at him,
Stood rating for the Earl OF Chatham"
Lord Derby predicted, knowing the char
acter of that great man, tNicholas,) for he is
a great man. no peace will be obtained I'm
less by c0nquering hun. In regard to the
treaty with Austria, he would withhold his
satisfaction until he learned the nature and
probable effect of its stipulations. So far, he
Id
the cause of the want of success, on the part
of the allies; in illustration of which, he re-
ferred to her occupation of the Danubian
principalities, and covering the Russian re-
treat Referring to the statement in the
Queens speech, that she had concluded a
treaty with the United States of America, by
which subjects of long and difficult discus
sion, had been equitably adjusted, his Lord
ship said at must of course be matter of
satisfaction to us to know that any subjects
of difference-and especially of long stand
lug differenee-with community connected
with us by the ties of blood of language, of
laws, and NTH vhOm, upon all occasions,
trust 1t wsH be the desire, as / am sure 1t as the
snrerest, Of thss country to keep mp the most
close and intimate connections, hare Gecn od-
justed."
The Duke of Newcastle defended the 60
vernment from the Earl of Derby's charge
of want of foresight and preparation. He
said the preparations of men, stores and am
munition were immense and minute. The
force transported to the Crimea was, English
$4,000, French $4,000, Turks 5000. The Duke
mentioned the singular fact that recruiting
was most brisk when success seemed some
what retarded. In reference to the siege of
Sebastopol which, he says. commenced on
the 18th of October, he readily admit
ted that the siege acas likely to be more pro
tacted than the government at first expected.
II candidly oson,' said the Duke, "uhether It
be any shame to the government or not, that
ace dad hope and beiteve that long before the
time at which zoe are nor assembled, the for
tress could hare fallen and if we were over
coufdent-though we were supported in our
opinion by men of great experieHce-we err
ed together with the public at large, both in
this country and in France" In regard to the
quality of the reinforeements sent, the Duke
said they were not yet sufficiently trained,
and, but for the exigencies of the service.
would have been reserved for the next cam
psign. In reference to Russian reinforce
ments, the Duke said: Undoubtedly we did
not expect that Russia's power of reinforcing
her troops before Sebastopol was as great as it
approved to be; we did not doubt her pow
er-we were aware of that-but we did not
suppose that her army could move from
Odessa to Sebastopol with such marvellous
rapidity. You, my lords, will be surprised to
hear that. through the extraordinary exer.
sions of the Russian general, and by means of
an unlimited number of horses and cattle
the movements of the army were so rapid
that believe in one day march of AZ miles
was effected. may be imprudent in ma
king these confessions but | wish to deal
frankly with your lordships." The Duke
stated that, since the month of June more
than 10000 men have been sent from Great
Britain to the East, about ., 800 of whom
have gone within the last few weeks. The
whole number, including officers, sent by