New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-26
MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS.

| MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS.
LORD BEACoNsFIELD EXPLAINS WHY HE ORDERED
THE FLEET TO GO TO CONsTANTINoPLE-LCRD
| CARNARvOy STATES WHY HE RESIGNED.
| LONDON Friday Jan. %, 1873.
! In the House of Commons this afternoon, Sir
! Stafford Northcote Chancellor of the EXchequer, re-
plying TO question put by the Marquis of Harting-
! ton said that it only this morning that formal
communication from Russia containing the basis of
peace was received. In consequence of a private
communication last evening, the fleet. which on
Wednesday was ordered to the Dardanelles, was Or
dered to stop mt the mouth thereof lie not
authorized to say whether any Minister had re-
signed. The vote TO be proposed ID 1G,OOO,0OO
lie not aware of the conclusion of an armistice
OF Of the signing Of preliminaries for peace.
! Ia the House Of Lords this afternoon, Lord Bca-
consfied, in reply to a question propoundcd by the
! Earl of Sandwich, said. that it fact that i'll
structons had been given to the feet TO proceed to
! the Dardanclles and ConStaninople. At the same
! time. the Government prepared to telegraph 10 the
| European Powers including Russia and the Porte,
/ that In the course the Government had followed
there was not the slightest deviation from the policy
of neutrality they had from the first announced.
lie maintained that the British fleet went to
the Dardaneles TO defend British subjects
and British property and take Of British inter
ests in the straits. Since the Government had ar
rived at that resolution they had become acquainted
with the proposed conditions If peace, and, having
| examined those conditions. the Government were
of the opinion that they furnished a basis for an
armstice. Therefore they had given directions to
the Admiral to remain in Besika Bay. They had
not, under these circumstances circulated through
out Europe the Geographic dispatch To which he
had referred.
The Earl Of Carnarvon rose to make personal ex-
PLANTATION lie said that in order to justify his con-
duct he wished TO state the reasons which had led
him to place his resignation of the Colonial Secre-
aryship in the hands OF her Majesty. That step he
had taken, and this AFTERNOON the Quccn was gra-
ciously pleased to accept it. lie could not imputc
blame to any Of his colleagues, but circumstance had
arisen which rendered it incumbent on him to take
the course he had named He dssented TO the res0lu
ton for sending the fleet TO the Dardanelles, and
also TO the supplementary vote which the Chancellor
of the Exchequer had proposed TO take on Monday.
He considered that such vote ought not to have
been mootcd until the terms of peace had become
known. On January he had occasion TO address
deputaion. II would be remembered that he made
a speech in which he expressed his views with re-
gard TO the state Of affairs in the East. On the fol-
lowing day, in the Cabinet, the Prime Minister
demned severely the language he used. He Lord
| Carnarvonl took time 10 consider the course he
should take under the circumstances, aud there
was no public disavowal Of the language which had
been used hc felt justified in rendering his resgna
4 ton. He maintained that he had not IN any way
lmisreprescnted the intentions Of the Government.
When. continued Lord Carnarvon, the Earl of
Beaconsiicld condemned his language 10 the depu-
,ation of January .. he after taking time TO
slider his course, handed 10 the Premier a written
statement of the position lac lord Carnarvoul bad
taken upon that occasion, and there the matter, for
the time rcstod His lar guagc not being publicly dis
avowcd he felt justified, and still considered himself
justified in believing that lac could not have seri-
ously misreprcsenttd the opinions of the Govern
Inrnt. The Cabinet on January -, discussed the
dcsuability of sending the hcc;o the Dardanclles,
and he expressed decided opinion against the pro-
posal. No, decision was then arrived at,
send the fleet He thcTeupon wrote to the Premier,
reminding him that he had previously requested that
his resignation be submitted - The Queen as soon
as the fleet was ordered TO the Dardanellcs.
WHY LORD CARSARvoS DELAYED.
I.oid Bcaconsield's reply led him to believe
that the intention to send the fleet
abandoned, and stated that his resignation
would not be submitted to the Queen.
| and should at any rate be reserved until
there important difference between him
/ Lord Canarvonl and his colleagues. These COM
municatons passed on the day after the opening OF
| Parliament. A few days afterward the proposal
| 10 send the feet was renewed. and decided aiIlna-
| lively. lie thcreupon Immediately wrote to Lord
Bcaconseld that. believing that the circumstances
| were not changed To the extent to render such
! step necessary he saw 10 altefna-
! tive but to ask the. submission Of his
RESIGNATION TO the Queen He today rccslyed L3rd
! his resignation. Although the order TO the Admiral
TO proceed to the Dardanelles had since been
f%Gant' , he eo4 4ou not bEsp ock 81
! agreement of opinion upon the proposal but
because OF some superyenng accldcnt. No one re-
/ joccd more than he at the countcrmanding of the
! order there laI
| wide divergence between himself and the Cabinet.
| Iiis object in making this statement was to show
! that lie had not acted precIpitately or capri
| ciousiy, nor had Lord Beaconsiied hastily
snatchcd at his resignation when first offered. lie
objected TO moving the fleet because II followed by
| active measures 1t would be departure from the
| neutrality 10 which the Government was pledged;
also because it would be unfortunate that me Meet
should bc moved at the most critical point oi the
| caoiaions, and dangerous to place the hect III
position where at any moment the contingencies OF
! war might lead into difficulties we could not
fOTcsce or measure.
TIE pRrMIRR's COURSE DANGEROUS.
In adopting such course, il seemed we were
changing an attitude of observation for of men
ace. He did not swcrve i'll the slightest from the
opinion he expressed on January 2. that il was Eng
lands right to have IA voice IL the final settlement,
as far European interests were concerned.
but he saw, no intention OF disputing
separating himself from his colleagues, but theie
were some questions with such mighty issues re-
garilng the happiness ana ives OF others, tIlat II
man must be guided in them by his own inclina-
tons IL was wrong that one man should reject the
action of government majority; equally wrong II
onc in the desire of n compromise, should be drawn
into measures of which he fisapproved.
Lord Camaryon, on taking his Seat, was much
cheered by the Opposition.
THE PREMIER's EXPLANATION.
The Earl of Bcaconsicld said that after listening
to Lord Carnarvons speech one was at loss to un-
derstand why he resigned. lie reminded
laying down British interests, had declared
A. ooo,No1;on - nf;nonla wOuld