New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-17

stter ruin Of the army, the helplessness OIL Oil sod
svcry one connected with the sduinistrstion oil
u wsr, the outcry In the country fe1 BY the
lAstIihes Of The T,mss. the evident determine
SiSp Of John Bull W know for once who was to
blanc, or 1t leas. TO wreak bin wrath upon sose
enc or aDother-all this must have proved 70 the
Cabinet that the tine had arrived when they
nust pa. their house in order. Notices OF threat
sping qaes,lons and motions were given 10 abun'
dance and at once above ell, the notice Of Nj.
ROetuck's threatening motion for omnistee
70 inquire into the conduct Of the war, and OF al
parties who had any responsibility In it, admihi'-
tfatiop This brought matters 10 40 i'sae at on'e'
Lord John Russells political scent made it at once
clear to bin that this motion would be a1oPteo
In spite Of minortiss; and a statesman IKE hih'
Who boasts Of more minorti than years could not
veil afford ~ be again oatvoted. Acc"'a'"s"'
Lord John Russell, with that spirit OF pu'ihhnim-
ity and pettfosgiDg meahness' "h'c" "',sio'o
x.,;,, HE ,ptire career, through cloak OF I'm
.or.snt takAtyity and constitutional Precedent
ism. tAouaht discretion the better part OF
sslor and decamped from Office without giving
his colleagues even moments notice. Now, al
though be 10 n man who can hardly expect 10 be
missed anywhere, yet it appears that " all the
"talenn" were entirely upset BY bis sudden re-
treat. Tie press Of Great Britain unanimously
condemned the little statesman, but what Of
that All the press and all its condemnatons
could not set the ministerial "higgl edy piegledy"
sp again; and in this state Of dsorgaozation,
with the Duke Of Ne gcastle resgning the War
Office, and Lord Palmerst6n not having taken
posstssion Of II, the Cabinet had to meet M.
Roebucks formidable motion.
Mr.. Roebuck Ia a little lawyer, who would be
lust az funny little Wing as Lord John Russell,
and quite AZ inofensve, had he only been moresuc-
cessfuI in bis parliamentary career But the CO
aesant bri. ness baNister, and present parliament
AIRY spouter, has failed. with all his sharpness and
activity, to amass any political capital worth
speaking Of. Though generally sort Of secret
and confidential understrapper to any Wing Min
istry, he never succeeded 10 reaching that posi-
ton which insures Place, the great gOL Of all
Brit,h Liberals. Our friend Roebuck blighted
In his blsndest hopes, under estimated by his
own party. ridiculed by his opponents, gradually
felt the milk Of human kindness turning sour
within bis bosom, and became, by aud by, as in-
vidious, unsociabls unpleasant, provoking little
cur 40 ever barked on the floor Of House Of Par
lament In this capacity he has served, Ia
turns, oil men who knew how to handle hun,
without ever gaining claims upon the gratitude
or consideration Of any party; and nobody knew
how to make better use Of him than our old
friend PalmerstOn, whose game he again wa.
made to play ON the Goth ul.
Mr. Roebuck's motion, AZ IL actually stood,
could hardly have any sense In an assembly like
the British House Of Commons. Everybody
knows what clumsy, lazy time killing things the
Committees Of the Commons are; aninvestig alton
Of the conduct Of this war by such committee
would be Of no practical use whatever for its re-.
suits would come many month too late to do
Any ROod--even If any good did result from the
inquiry. II is only In revolutionary, dictatorial
assembly like the French National Convention Of
1893 that such committees might do any good.
But there the Government itself 10 nothing but
such cOmmittce-its agents are the commission
srs Of the assembly ITSELF and, therefore, in such
an assembly similar motions would be super1uous.
Yet, Mr. Sidney Herbert was not entirely wrong
In pointing out that the motion (surey quite un-
Intentionally ON Mr.. Roebuck Part) had a some
what unconstitutional chara ,ter and In asking,
with his usual historical accuracy. whether the
House Of Commons intended sending Commission
ers TO the CImcs, the same ~ the DIRECTORY (sic)
did 10 General DumOuriex. We may as we'll OBJ
serve here that this ne precious ronology
makes the Directory, INSTITUTED 1891 send
Commissaries TO Dumouriez, whom this latter
General had arrested aid delivered up to the
Austiians as early as i7a2-thst this chronology
10 quite Of . piece with the confusion Of
time and space reigning in all the operations of
Mr.. Sidney Herbert and colleagues. To return
10 Mr.. Roebucks motion, the informs!ity alluded
10 served rs pretext to q great many candidates
for place. not to vote for it, and thus to remain
free 10 enter into any possible combination. And
yet, the majority against Ministers was so crush
Ing
The debate itself was characterized particular
ly by the different departments Of the Govern
mont quArreling among themselves. Each Of
them threw the blame upon the other. Sidney
Herbert Secretary at War, said it was all the
fault Of the transport service; Bernal Osborne,
Secretary of the Admiralty, said it was the
viciously rotten system at the Horse Guards
which was at the bottom Of all the mischief; Ad-
niral Berkeley, one Of the Lords Of the Admiral
~, pretty distinctly advised Mr.. Herbert to pull
his own nose, &c. Similar amenities passed In
the House Of Lords, at the same time, between
the DuAe Of Newcastle. War Minister, and Wis
count Hardpge, Commander. In Chief Mr.. Her
berts position, it Is true, was rendered extreme