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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd June 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 11

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      House Of C O M M O X S. Vote Of Censure ...

      pay , which had accumulated while they were in the hospital at Scutari , Mr . Peel replied that the Government could not pay the arrears , because , not having received proper returns from the paymasters of the different regiments , they did not know what was due to the men .

      MR . LINDSAY ASD THE ABMIRALTT . Mr . Lindsay then rose to repeat the statements which he had made at Drury . Lane Theatre with regard to the blunder of the Admiralty on the conduct of the Transport Service . He referred to the attacks of Mr . Drummond upon him with respect to his emigrant ships , and he explained the circumstances connected with that matter . He then referred to the statements which he made on the former occasion , repeated his statements ,

      and produced letters in confirmation of them . Taking the Transport system , he went into elaborate details and figures to prove that money had been wasted , showing that bad ships had been taken up at a high rate of tonnage , when magnificent vessels could be got at a much lower rate . He concluded with a strong remonstrance against a member of the Government endeavouring to " filch from him his good name" by impeaching his veracity , or accusing him of having been guilty of " virulent untruths . "

      Sir C . Wood in reply urged that Mr . Lindsay had very ingeniously mixed vp fact with fiction . He showed that a statement of that gentleman , that Sir de Laey Evans had said that 3000 horses were wanted for the Second Division in the Crimea , and no tonnage could be found for their conveyance , was quite incorrect . The Admiralty had at this moment transports for the the conveyance of 5500 horses . He then , in a very elaborate and detailed manner , dealt with the statements of Mr . Lindsay with regard to the sending of the Robert Lowe transport from Portsmouth to Newcastle for an alleged twelve tons of combstibles , showing that the ship in question belonged to Mr . Lindsay himself , and that she was sent to Newcastle to take up certain cj'linders weighing seventy tons , intended to

      blow up the sunken ships at Sebastopol . With regard to a vessel which Mr . Lindsay said was ordei-ed from Woolwich to Deptford , in order that the engineer might walk on board , he showed that the reason she could not be moved was that her engines were unfit for service . Referring to Mr . Lindsay ' s emigrant ships , he went into details to show that of a number of those ships professing to have been elaborately prepared for passengers to Australia , only one had taken any passengers at all , and she had broken down before she got to Portsmouth . In the same minute manner the right honourable gentleman dealt with every fact and statement of the noble member , and produced , by the singular aptness of the answers to them , a great effect upon the House .

      Sir De Lacy Evans explained that Mr . Lindsay had mistaken the purport of a conversation he had with him in the House with reference to the tonnage required for horses to be sent to the Crimea . After a few words from Mr . Lindsay on one point relating to the vessel which he wished to be sent from Woolwich , to Deptford , the subject dropped . THE RECENT NKWS FROM SEIJASTOPOL . Mr . Craufiiud inquired if any further intelligence had been received from yebustopol by the Government . Lord Pammkkston snid the only despatch that had been received was that the purport of which had been made public , but if any further despatches came in during the night , they would be instantly communicated to the press ,

      The House then went into Committee on the Scottisli Education Hill with which tlu-y were occupied till a late hour .

      Jxjne 23, 1855.] The Leabee. 599

      Jxjne 23 , 1855 . ] THE LEABEE . 599

      The French Account Of Our Revkksk. Paris...

      THE FRENCH ACCOUNT OF OUR REVKKSK . Paris , 1-Yiduy , Juno 22 , 7 . 30 a . m . The Monitenr announces that the Government received yesterday ( Thursday ) , almost simultaneoualy , two telegraphic despatches from General Pelisaier . The first , dated June 17 , is as follows : — " Tho combined movementh ngreed upon with our nllicH are being carried out . To-d / iy the Turks and the brigade ) of Chasseurs made ji re . eonnoissaneo towards Akhtijir . ( Jcneml Bosquet , occupies tln < 'JVlieriMiya . To-morrow , i \ i dnybrenk , in eoncert with the Knp ; lish , I nttne . k the ( Jrand Kedim , theMuliikoir Tower , and the batteries connected with them . " The other despatch is dated June IS , and contains tho following

      :--" TUo attack of to-dny was not niiceesMful , although our troops , who showed Tory Kraut intrepidity , K » j » " < J a partial footing in tho MulukolV works . 1 was obliged to order u retreat in tho parallels . Tho retreat took place in order , without our bmiitf harassed . ^ It is not possible for ma to-day to state our precise loss . " A despatch from Huchari'st , by wny of Vienna , rcassortH tho statement that an expedition has boon undcrtukcu against l ' erckop .

      I General Andrijanow , acting substitute of the Het-[ man of the Don Cossacks , 'has published a proclamation to the inhabitants of the banks of the Don , ordering the organisation of a sort of Landsturm . Fears are expressed of the enemy " ravaging the coasts , " and the men are exhorted to take up arms in defence of the country . There is a tone of excitement and hurry in the address . General Rudiger has published an order of the day to the corps of Grenadiers and Guards , in which he gives them instructions how to proceed in case of an invasion .

      Notices To Correspondents. During The Se...

      NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS . During the Session Of Parliament it is often impossible to find , room for correspondence , even the briefest . CoHiinunications should always be legibly written , and on one side of the paper only . If long , it increases the difficulty of finding space for them . We cannot undertake to return rejcctedcommunications .

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      Saturday , June 23, 1855.

      SATURDAY , JUNE 23 , 1855 .

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      There Is Nothing So Revolutionary, Becau...

      There is nothing so revolutionary , because thereis nothing so unnatural and convulsive , as the strain to Keep things fixed when all the world is \> y the verylaw of . its creation in eternal progress . —De . Akkold .

      Hereditary Government. The Administrativ...

      HEREDITARY GOVERNMENT . The Administrative Reform movement has at least shown our noble contempt for logic . The leaders are profuse in their professions of love for the aristocracy , but they cannot tolerate a privileged class . They cherish the hereditary princip le of Government with all their heart , but they must insist on having the offices of state filled by merit . This , without exaggeration , is the burden of their speeches . They wish , the governing class to have a fair start for the offices of Government , but no favour . Let the privileged , they say , stand upon their personal merits , and we have no doubt they will hold their

      own . "Wo have not the slightest desire to pull down the Peerage , but only to put all upon a level . The intelligent foreigner might think that there was something hypocritical or ironical here . We assure him that there is nothing of the land . All is as honestly inconsistent as it is when a llauical contemporary calls upon the Crown to interfere , and ,

      upon the Crown interfering in the only possible form , receives it with insinuations about German despotism and slaps upon the face . Mr . IiiNDSAY intimated in one of his speeches that , so far from hating the titled classes , lie would gladly himself accept an hereditary coronet for his services in abolishing family influences , and wo have no doubt that he would bo us good as his word .

      People must fairly lace tho question , whether tho hereditary principle of government is worn out or not . 'Wo say this from no puerile craving for republican formula )—from no abstract hatred of an institution which has everywhere played an important part in the education of society—much less from any mere personal antipathy to the English aristocracy in particular , whose history , on tho contrary , we have maintained , and do maintain , to bo a proud one for the nation . K tho direct consequence of aristocracy , wluc ; h no thoughtful man can doubt family inllueuce in goveriuent tobo , lmsbecomo intolerable to the country , it is hig h tim e ,

      it ' we would avert civil conflicts and contusion , to consider tho position of tho aristocracy itself . It is rig ht to do bo in tho interest ol the aristocrats , as well as in tho interest ol tho nation lit largo . If thcro is one thing more abject and miserable than another , it is tho strugg l e of power to prolong its existence beyond the destined term . lucre

      is yet time for a quiet transition , and f or the incorporation into the new institutions of all the "best men who have risen under the old . But the solution of the political problem cannot be deferred even for an hour . We have been happy hitherto in the comparativ e l y tranquil and gradual character of our political development . The spirit of feudalism in England died a natural death . The Bastille was razed ; the Tower stands a reminiscence and a show . But if we would preserve th \ s blessing , it is by foresight and discussion that it must be preserved .

      To "us it appears clear that the hereditary principle of government , in both its manifestations , is virtually condemned . We have jealously stripped our monarchy of every remnant of political power , the Tories outdoing the Whigs in their determination to prevent the slightest revival of royal influence : and no sane man dreams that any part of what has been taken away will ever be restored , though frantic radicals may make protestations and appeals , which , directly their appeal is answered , they belie . Nothing remains of the sovereignty of the Tudors

      but a social supremacy which is somewhat overtopped by the fine ladies of London , a Court Diplomacy , and an Erastian Church . But that social supremacy is the keystone of a false system of ostentatious luxury- ^ that Court Diplomacy cost us the French War —that Erastian Church turns tlie _ religion of the country into an organised infidelity and hypocrisy . Introduce open negotiations and the Voluntary System , and you will take from the Monarchy the last rag of political significance . And how long do people expect the nation will cling to Vienna Conferences and a Church which belieres and teaches its

      creed in half a dozen different and contradictory senses ? Kay , the very breed of royalty itself may become extinct , if justice should ever overtake the petty Russianising despotisms of Germany . Aristocracy is in pretty much the _ same condition . Where its influence was directly felt , it has been abolished . The Lords are allowed to be coy about Jews Bills and Marr i a ge Bill s , but they must register , however reluctantlyany edict which has really been

      , passed in ' tho Lower House by tho will of the nation . To call them a check on precipitate legislation is absurd ; since they are no check in the case of any important question . Social aristocracy and official aristocracy still remain , and we pay heavily for them both . Social aristocracy entails upon us separation ot classes , pride , servility , and luxury , without any compensating advantage ; for it is ridiculous to think that our nobility Iccep up any standard of manners or of honour higher

      than that which prevails among other educated men . To hold together the estates ok tho Peers , we submit to primogeniture and family settlements , and absolutely deny to those Mho till tho land tho possibility ot ever owning it . Against official aristocracy the country is now breaking out into one vast clamour , which , though it may not carry its motions in ll . o House of Commons though it may even be beaten by overwhelming majorities , will never bo put down again ; and if the dilators do not themselves see tho real tendency of their agitation , that ia no reason whj cleaivr-sig hted men should refuse to see

      ' if Providence has really spared mankind tho moral and intellectual effort of choosing wise and good rulers for themselves , by ordaining , and commanding us for over to pre-Horvo , a system of hereditary sortilege it is well : but in this case the theory ot divmo right is true . If , on the other hand , hereditary government is not an everlasting law , but au i ns tituti o n whi c h aocioty n ds , indeed ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 23, 1855, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23061855/page/11/