Washington sentinel., 1855-02-13

THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT AND THE
ENGLISH MINISTRY.
English pride and English prejudice have at
last Il - before the stubborn facts which
establish tne compIQe failure Of their arms in
the Crimea. Parliament seems inclined, from
its recent action, to visit its vengeance upon
the ministry for gross incompetency and .cul-
pable neglect in the administration Of the war.
Lord John Russell, wise as the rat in the
adage, who deserts the falling barn, has ten
dered his resignation, which has graciously
been received by her majesty. His "aunc
diniittis" is not exactly in the language Of the
ancient Simeon, for the burden of his song is
NOW lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
for his eyes have not seen thy salvation in the
| Crimea"
For the benefit of our readers, we make the
following extracts from the proceedings of the
two houses on the 25th and Goth ultimo in re-
| gard to the conduct Of the ministry:
"In the House of Lords, Thursday, Jannary
25th, Lord Lyndhurst gave notice that on Fri
day, the 2lst of February, he would move the
following resolution:
THAT in the opinion of this House the ex-
pedition to the Crimea was undertaken by her
MaJestys government with very inadequate
means, and without due caution or sufficient
inquiry into the nature and extent of the resis-
tnnce TO be expected from the enemy; and that
the neglect and mismanagement Of the govern
ment in the conduct of the enterprise have led
to the most disastrous results"
On the following day Lord Aberdeen, in a
speech of some length, apprised the Lords of
the resignation of Lord John Russell, stating
his personal knowledge that for more than two
months the noble Lord had expressed his dis
satisfaction of the mode in which the war had
been prosecuted. In the course of these re-
marks, Lord Aberdeen read the following letter,
which throws some light upon the motives
which actuated Lord Russell in this step:
"CHEsHAM-rLAcE, Jan. %, 1855.
"MY DEAR LORD ABERDEES.-Mr Roebuck
has given notice Of a motion for committee
to inquire into the conduct Of the war. I do
not see how this motion is to be resisted but,
as it involves censure upon the War Depart
ment conducted by my colleagues, my only
course is to tender my resignation of the Office
which | have the honor to hold before the
Queen, with the expression Of my gratitude for
Han1 Majesty 8 kindness for many years past.
remain, my dear Lord Aberdeen,
Yours, very truly,
| ~. RUSSELL
Lord Russell's vindcaton Of himself con-
tanned in the following extract of his speech
before the House Of Commons, strikingly illus.
trates the condition of the army in the Crimea.
He had promised that there were but two posi-.
tons which the ministry could assume to
acquit them of the censure which they had re-.
ceived. The first, that the state of things
charged by the enemies Of the administration
did not exist; and secondly, that if it did, it
could not have been prevented by their action;
that every means of human ingenuity and wis
dom had been resorted to by the ministry to
avert the catastrophe. In reply to these two
grounds of apology, he says:
"No one can deny the melancholy condi-
ton of our army before Sebastopo Loud
cries of hear, hear. The accounts phich ar
rice from that quarter ereTg reek are not orly
painful, but horrible ana heayrrendlng, lhear,
hear; and | am sure no one would oppose for
a moment any measure that would be likely
not only to cure, but to do anything to miti-
gate those evils. [Cheers. Sir, must say
that there is something, with all the off cial
knowledge to which have had access, that to
me is inexpicable in the state Of our army.
Cheers If / had been tod. as a reason
against the expedition to the Crmea last year,
that your troops would be seven miles from the
sea, seven miles from secure port-which at
that time when we had in contemplation the
expedition, we hardly hoped to possess-and
: that at that seven miles distance they would
be in want OF food, Of clothes, and of shelter,
to such degree that they would perish at the
rate Of from ninety to one hundred day, !
should have considered such prediction as
utterly preposterous, and such picture of the
expedition as entirely fanciful and absurd.
Hear hear. We are all, however, free to
confess the notoriety of that melancholy state Of
things. Hear, hear II was not, therefore by
denying the existence Of the evils that could
hope to induce this House to reject the propo-
sition Of the honorable and learned gentleman;
but had further toreaect that was in position
not to give a faint No 10 tie proposal-not to
express in vague and equivocal language a wish
that the motion should not be carried or to use
any evasion with respect to the letter of its terms
with view to defeat the motion. Hear, hear.
1t was my duty-a duty which, trust, have
ever perIOrmeu Wnen III lnaL sltuatlOn-tO
stand in the front Of the battle, and manfully
to take my part in opposing the appointment
Of that committee. Hear, hear. Then, sir,
had to consider whether might not give the
second reason for refusing the committee to
which have alluded, viz: that measures had
been taken, that arrangements were in progress,
by which those evils would be remedied, and
by which the administration of the war would
be vigorously and, as was to be hoped, success
fully prosecuted. Sir, should have been more
disposed to give that reason, because it is obvi-
GUS that the concession Of committee on the
subject--a committee sitting for weeks, per.
haps for months--would be fatal TO the eff
cheney Of those military purposes which it would
chiefly affect. There was, therefore, the
strongest inaucement, if possible, to put for
ward such or objection to the inquiry which
the honorable and learned gentleman proposed
to make; but, sir, found upon reflection that
il was impossible for me to urge with effect