On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    2^4 THE LEADER. • TNo. 312. Saturdav.

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Imperial Parliament. Monday, March Lofh....

    the arms were sent abroad for service ; and whether any steps had been taken to bring the parties by whom they ygetve supplied to punishment ?—Lord Pa n mure admitted the accuracy of the statement , and said that Ijlie mortars were supplied by Messrs . Grissel . In one of , them , which burst under the test , a piece of iron had been inserted behind the breed , so skilfully screwed in that the fraud was very difficult to detect . Thi 3 led to an examination of the other i » ur , _ which it was found had also been pieced with iron in the same manner , or were mad © of very defective . metal . The Arm had already been erased from the list of Government contractors ; but whe-: ther the Government had the power of proceeding against it by law was a point he had not yet been able to ascertain .

    AaRICtXI / TURAIi STATISTICS BILIi . * % Lor & Stanl ey of Aldebley moved the second reading of this bill , the provisions of which are to be carried out chiefly through the organisation of the Poor Law Board . He quoted various authorities to show the necessity which exists , even in the interests of the farmers themselves , as well of the country at large , for obtaining accurate returns of the annual account of wheat sown , of produce gathered in , & e . Such a system already exists , and ha s "been found to work well in various continental countries , and in Scotland and Ireland ; and it has been tried experimentall y in one or two > English counties , with varying succesa , great opposition having been offered by the faripaeis , wb-pima , ginedv that an inquisitorial attempt was ; being inade to arrive afc a knowledge of their affairswhichwouldbe lised

    ; tereafber , ei t her b y the Government for the purpose of increased taxation , or by th > landlords with a view to raiangrents . But no person Of' sotuia . ^ s ^ nsecpiiid for a ' moment think that at ay information obtained by Gpvernnlent b y such mpEtna would be likely to legato any such result , and the landlord , who does not now possess a correct knowledge of the state of cultivation and the amount of stock upon his farms must ; either be very ignorant iainself , or be very ill served by his steward . That such statisties iare particularly needed in England is sho vyii by the fact that the produce « of wheat in the county of Norfolk ; ^ ccordiug to Sir J . Walsham ' s estimate , is more than the wheat produce of the whole of Scotland , the excess being 1 > , 373 bushels , and Norfolk possessing 202 , 971 acres of -wheat , to 168 , 216 in Scotland .

    Lord . DtTN & ANNbiT , who objected to the compulsory -powers giveja by the act , thought there had not been isufficieint . j time for considering the measure . —^ -Lord Derby admitted the great importaiipe of obtaining 'these returns--ran importance with wiiich he had been so nit ^ ch impressed that ; immediately after his accession to power in 1352 , he had commended the subje ' ctt p the attention of the I 3 ake' of Richmond j and he . agreed , that compulsory powers are necessary . But he thought the returns should be more simplified and

    generalised ; and he aoubted whether the Poor Law Boards would be found the best machinery b y which the system could be worked . He should prefer the returns to be made to the petty sessions of each district . —Lord Colchester also supported the bill , which was objected to with reference to some of its vd ^ fcails , by the Earl of Elxenborough , t he E arl of Habpwioke , and Lord W / yNTFORD . No serious opposition , however , was ofFeredj and the bill was read a second time .

    The Com m on s did not meet in sufficient numbers to forpa a House .

    Wednesday , Mardi % Htk . HBFQRMATOBT SOHOOIfl ( SOOTJ ^ ANU ) BII & . Xjx the House of Commons , on -the order for the second reading of this bill , some opposition was offered by Mr . MAcrarRB , Mr . Bowyeb , Mr . Ajddhrmjy , Mr . Kennedy , and Sir Stafford Northootjbvou the ground that no provision was made for the separate education of Roman Catholic children , and that the schools would be used as instruments of proselytism . —Mr . DRUMM . OND . waa surprised at a Roman Catholic ( he alluded to Mr . Maguire ) objecting to prosel ytism ; but he added that he had no faith in reformatories , and he t houg ht the only successful course with resp « cb to juvenile criminals would bo to place them in hulks afc seapprta for education . for the army and navy . — $ ir George Grey , Mr . Black , and the Lord Ajdvooatk defended the bill , which was read a second time ; .

    MUNIC ) IJ ? Ak REFORM ( eaO'lJJC . ANJD ) B [ I < I .. Mr . i Ewart . moved the second reading of this bill , to whioh the Lo-iu > . Advocate offered some objections , and pled ged himself , if the till were withdrawn , to bring in a m ' easiure during the present session on the ,, subject . —Mr . EJwaiw ? oonseafced to withdraw tho W- " V ¦¦ ¦ ' , ' " / . ,. BANKRUPTCY ( SCOTLAND ) BHX , < ' i ! $ ! Q fcORPAdvopatb . 3 » moving the second readiW w' ^^ . ^^ JW ^ s tftied that its object was to oon-| gttr * % * t - b - 3 j ¦

    ander Hastib , ( approving of the measure ) , the bill was read a second time . PROTECTION OF WOMEN . Mr . DiLliWYN moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act 16 th and 17 th Victoria , for the better prevention and punishment of aggravated assaults upon women and children . It appears from returns that that act had not worked satisfactorily , and magistrates had assured him that the power to inflict corporal punishment was necessary . He believed that the kind of punishment now inflicted had a tendency to prevent offenders being brought to justice , because the wife , by the imprisonment of her husband , had to choose between starvation and the workhouse . What he proposed , therefore , was to repeal the aot of 1853 , re-enacting its provisions except the second clause , substituting for it one by which every person convicted of an assault upon a woman or child , would be sentenced to a leas extent of imprisonment , but , during confinement , bs once privatel y whi pped . After a brief discussion , leave was given . Thursday , March 13 th . TORTURE IN INDIA . In the House of Lords , the Earl of Albermarle laid on the table the resolutions he intends to move on the 14 th of A pril , relating to tho practice of torture b y the native officers of revenue and police in the presidency of Madras . THE TAKING OF KARS . In answer to certain inquiries made by Lord JElIjENborough on a previous evening , and- repeated by him on Thursday , Lord WoDEHOtJSE said that there was no letter from Lord Panmure stating that General Williams ought to have the direction of the supplies of the Turkish army , the word " Panmure" in the blue - book being very probably a mistake for " Clarendon . " ^ General Williams guaranteed the payment for supplies , referred toon Monday ni ght b y Lord Ellenborpugh , on his owa responsibility ; no authority having been given to niin to guarantee funds pip supplies . The payment spoken of by the noble earl was made by Tahir Pacha , as appeared from an enclosure in the same despatch . The return of the time and manner of payment of the-Turkish loan had been laid before the House of Commons , and could , of course , be laid before the House of Lords if required . The correspondence with regard to Schamyl , alluded to in the question of Lord Ellenborough , stood thus r —Lord Stratford had written privately to General Williams requesting him to endeavour to obtain the release of the Russian ladies taken prisoners by Schamyl : to a letter written . "in consequence of this communication , Schamyl replied that before he had received the general ' s letter he had alread y set the ladies at liberty . There had been a correspondence with a view _ generally to obtain the co-operation of the Circassians in the war , but the Government was not in aposition to produce it , as thereby individuals mig ht be compromised . —After some further observations by Lord EiiLEHBOROUdH ( who objected to the Government ' s disinclination to state the number of troop s recentl y employed against Sebastopol ) , the subject dropped . MARRIAaE WITH A DECEASED WIFE ' S SISTER . The Earl of St . Germans laid on the table a bill on marriage with a deceased wife ' s sister , explaining that it differed in an important point from the bill on the same subject he had introduced in 1852 . . " The Mutiny Bill , the Marine Mutiny Bili ,, the 'CpNsoMDATED Fund Bill , and the Drainage Act Ajdvanoemjsnt Bir * , were read a , third time and passed . Lord Brougham : moved four new resolutions , in addition to those h « submitted last week , on judicial statistics ; and they were laid on th . e table . EDUCATION BILE .. In answer to the Earl of Shaftesbury , Edrl Grah-VII . LE stated that the Government would not for the present press its Education Bill , as it was desirable to afford time for the consideration of the resolutions rec e ntl y moved by Lord John Russell on the subjecb . The House then adjourned . ATTAQK ON THE REDAN . In the House of Commons , Mr . French gave notice for Friday to ask whether any official inquiry had been ordered as to the causes which had led to the failure of our ti-oopa in the attaok on the Redan on tho 8 th of September last . METROPOLIS . LOCAL MANAGEMENT AOT . A conversation of aome interest arose upon a question put by Lord Chelsea , whether tho Attqrnby-Qeneiul had not given it as hia opinion that , under the Metropolis Local Management Aot , all oxiating vestries are superseded , and their powers transferrcd to tho vestries constituted under that not . —The Attorney-Gbnmuai , admitted that « uoh was his opinion ; but ho Added that grave , doubts exist upon the question . PRUSSIA AND THE CONFERENCES , Mr . Disbabm put a question to Lord Palmeuston aa to whether it ) wfts true that' Prussia had been invlted to join tho Conferences at XJaria ; that tho invitation had been accepted ; and tliat the Prime Miniator of Prussia was about to assume tho duty of

    nogotiator . —Lord Paimerston declined , under existing circumstances , to answer the questions . THE NAPIER AND GRAHAM QUARREL . ^ Sir Charles Napier brought on bis motion for " a select committee to inquire into the operations of the British fleet in the Baltic in the years 1854-5 " He said that the long and loud complaints of the inactivity of the fleet at the commencement of the war obliged him , as a matter of justice to himself , to show that the fault was not his . He had served at sea for fifty-six years , under four sovereigns , had commanded fleets and armies , and thought he had done his duty fairly and justly and in a slap-dash manner and the

    only slur that was thrown upon him was by the late First Lord o'f the Admiralty ( Sir James Graham ) . He then entered into a statement of his case , in which he simpl y recap itulated the assertions which he has alread y g iven to the world in various forms , and which have appeared so often in . these columns , that they need not be here repeated . The reading of private lettera he justified by saying they were necessary to his defence , and that they related to public matters . — After a short pause , Admiral Walcott remarked that , as no member seemed ready to second the motion , he would do so , as he never saw a brother officer adrift without

    throwing a tow-rope to him . In no ungenerous spirit did he say that , whatever feeling of disappointment may be La the mind of the gallant Admiral , or the late First Lord of the Admiralty , both had incurred it . The fleet was not sufficientl y equi pped for the service in hand . Sir Charles Wood deprecated the reading of private letters— -a . practice which , would have a detrimental effect on the public service ; and , believing ttat no case had been made out for the appointment of a committee , he resisted the motion .

    Sir Jjlmes Gbaham then replied . Personally , lie should lie very glad if the committee "were appointed , as he desired the whole case to be investigated ; but he agreed with , Sir Charles Wood that the appointment would be injudicious . The reading of his private letters by Sir Charles Napier was a breach of trust ; but , having been done , it would necessitate Ms reading extracts from the gallant Admiral ' s replies , and it would be for the writer to object if he thought fit . [ Sir Charles Napier : " Read everything . " ] He had hesitated in appointing Sir Charles to the command of the fleet , on account of age , for the gallant Admiral had himself deelai-ecl , in pamphlets , letters , evidence before committees , & c

    that an officer above sixty is unfit for the command of a fleet , and he was certainly past that age . He had spoken to the House in high terms of the ' captains under Mm in the Baltic ; but there were letters in his ( Sir James ' s ) possession , in which Sit" Charles gave very decided opinions of the uufitness for command of some , of -them , though they wei'e in fact first-rate officers . Sir James read a correspondence connected with the appointment of Sir Charles Napier to the command , from which it appeared that he was distinctl y advised of the means to be placed at his disposal , and warned th & tj e < without good will and hearty concurrence , the Board of Admiralty and the commander of the Baltic fleet could not work well'

    together . " By reference to dates , Sir James showed that , if the Admiral had made a personal reconnaissance of Sweaborg ia June , 1854 , instead of resting satisfied with secondary evidence , it mi ght have been possible to have sent out the gun and mortar boats which , at the olose of the season , he recomraonded as the result of the personal reconna w ance he made in September . It was the absence of this early reconnaissance which caused much of tho ill-feeling which sprung np between tho gallant Admiral and the Admiralty . . Sjith regard to the attack on Bomarsund , he suoweoHJy tho Admiral ' s letters that he did ask for a force of 10 , 000 men The disagreement between Sir Charles and General

    Jones was nothing new . It had a parallel in tho quarrel which took place between Admiral Veruon and General Wentworth , on the occasion of the aiege of Carthageua . Lord Stanhope , speaking of Admiral Vernon , said ;— "He was undoubtedly a good officer , so fay as courage , enterprise , and experience , can constitute that character ; but he was harsh aud haughty to his inferiors , untoward with hia equals , mutinous and railing to all placed above him in authority . " ( Loud la / uffhtei \) Tho oharaoter given of him by Horace Walpole is , that ho was an unwise , brawling Admiral , whoso reputation was greater than his courage , and whose courage was far greater than hia skill ,

    ( Itcncwed laughter , ) Unfortunately , these quarrelo between admirals and generals were not itnfiequont in tho naval and military annals of tho country . Uoferjring to the question of ships attacking etono walla , Sir James read eonxo published letters of Sir Oharloa Napier to Lord Palmeraton , in 1888 , in -which tho writer saya that " few know what ships oa » do , whon well placed against stono walls . " Sir James concluded by Baying : —" Tho hon . ami gallant Admiral ncouaea mo of treason . If that is hia opinion , this disouaaion ought not to atop hero . ( Hear , heav . ) I hnvo confronted him thia evening . I am ready to confront him anywhere ; and I dofy him to prpvo tUo « oouw *

    2^4 The Leader. • Tno. 312. Saturdav.

    2 ^ 4 THE LEADER . TNo . 312 . Saturdav .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 15, 1856, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15031856/page/4/