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    v296 The l^eader and Saturday Analyst. [...

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    PARLIAMENTARY JUSTICE—DOVER AND NORWICH....

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    Coalitions And Alliances. Mr. Beight Has...

    it levels to 'the '¦ . ground all considerations of i * ight and wrong . Our foreign policy ought to favour the political rights-of the Italians vaiid . Hungarians ; -so'far " as it is able to affect them . It ought to do what it can for the defence of Protestant principles against the despotism which seeks to crush them by brute force ; and yet these are things that cannot fail to draw upon us the envenomed hostility of absolutist sovereigns and Jesuit priests It is impossible , in either public or private life , to do right without incurring . the anger of those whose evil deeds are repressed ;

    and not until robbers and murderers are willing to support an holiest and effective police need we expect to win the friendship of evil-doers by sustaining causes which are righteous and just . " We quite agree with Mr . Bright in deprecating intimate alliances with foreign Governments , but we differ entirely as to the chief reasons for avoiding them ; and if our countrymen are to be kept out of the dangers they will entail , something higher must be laid before them than . mere , appeals to the . selfishness of the pocket and the morality of the till . «•* . .

    When Lord John Manners complimented Lord IohK Kvsse-lI / for the declaration we have , cited , he ^ gave vent to the delight of his party at the prospect of making England lead a new coalition against revolutionary France . This , as we have again and again explained , is the scheme of the Jesuits and the hope of the various princes . of Germany , who feel that , without external aid , their little thrones will gradually sink or be summarily overthrown . If this were no more , than a Tory and a Jesuit idea , it would have little chance of success but there are Liberals—or people wild ' . ' fancy themselves Liberals—who day by day hold out to this country the most alarming prospects , and endeavour to make it appear that we must either join a coalition against France , or see our wouldrbe allies disposed of one by one ,

    and finally bear the whole brunt of an assault against ourselves . We fear * that Lord John RtrssELi / s speech will tend to strengthen this notion ; but a little cool reflection , will show , first ! , that it is by no means certain that England must take a part in a general Continental war , if such a calamity should arise , either at the beginning , in the middle , or at the end of it ; and in the second-place , it is far from being apparent that we could gain any strength by allying ourselves with decrepit Governments , founded upon reactionary principles . If , for example , France and Germany should quaiTel , it would be more difficult and more expensive to sustain the Austrian Empire and the German system * than to defeifd our own coasts , and protect Belgium against any act of conquest and annexation .

    It is rumoured in some quarters that Lord John Russell is permitting hirnself to l > eestranged - from "France in consequence of a strong pressure exercised by the German party in our court ; and another report , to-which , some credit is attached , is to the effect that Austria is again attempting to negotiate an alliance with France and Russia , to secure assistance through her difficulties , in consideration of her joining in scheme for the division of the property of the incurable ^ sick man in the East . " There is very likely some truth in tins story ; but the success of the negotiation is far less probable than its existence , and it would be extremely foolish for England to » , become eii *^ tangled in alliances to guard against perils which inoy never

    arise . Stripping these alliance questions of national prejudices , which should be suffered to die out , and of diplomatic disguises which conceal their real character , England ought to leave France and the great continental powers to settle their questions of territories and supremacies as well as they can . To join Russia is to ¦ con * deinn Poland ; to join Austria is to condemn Italy mid Hungary ; to join the Thirty-One princes and the Fdur Free Cities of Germany , is to endeavour to perpetuate interests and dynasties

    winch are incompatible with the , welfare of the German race . If we stand aloof from the mti-igu . es and wnrs of governments which are founded , upon principles we condemn , ' we may mitigate the calamities they bring upon their subjects and the world at large ; but by intimate alliances we can only become abettors of their despotism , and accomplices in their efforts to prevent the progress of liberty and stay the inarch of mind . During the time that Lord John Russell has been minister for foreign nflairs , there is proof that he lias exerted n beneficial influence upon the councils of France , and he will do more , good

    by continuing ; a firm nnd friendly remonstrance against what is bad , than l ) y threatening to act with other powers to establish a counteipoiso which French ambition will bo stimulated to overthrow . K the Continent runs a race of despotism , Trance is likely to win , beccmsp her despotism is less stupid than thnfojF naoat other powers . Lot those other powers , when they please , change the race for one of liberty , and they will then need . nothing from England moro expensivp thnn a good example to assist them in their career . Stroud has had the -good sense- to repu ? diate the conduct of 3 VIr . Hobs ^ a ?? . Mr . Kinglakb abandons

    his motion on Savoy . Our warehouses are full of TYench silks ; wine is on the road , and our iron-masters , potters , and cottonspinners , are getting ready to establish something more useful than a diplomatic connexion with our nearest neighbours . Let these peaceful influences work , and no harm will be done to the great interests of humanity by proclaiming that England will not fight for despotic interests or incapable courts .

    V296 The L^Eader And Saturday Analyst. [...

    v 296 The l ^ eader and Saturday Analyst . [ March SI , 1860 ,

    Parliamentary Justice—Dover And Norwich....

    PARLIAMENTARY JUSTICE—DOVER AND NORWICH . DOES the House of Commons really wish to put down corruption at elections ? Pins it any conscience that practically stirs it to activity in the matter ? Or are we to regard its occasional manifestations of repressive energy as but spasmodic twinges , which , at rare intervals ,. afford ' no real indication of settled purpose or sense of judicial obligation ? Recent proceedings drive menj however unwillingly , towards . the latter conclusion . Where the

    party interests of those who happen to be in power dp not clash with tlie reprehension of bribery , or the political punishment of those who bribe , it is possible to persuade Parliament to say and do that which is right . But where a seat or two may be secui-ed for supporters , it is marvellous to see with what infirmity of vision the judicial eye of Paiiiafnent becomes sudclenlyafflicted . No matter how strong the proof niay . be , there are always candid partisans ready to come forward and declare that no sufficient case has been made out on which tlie House can

    be called upon to act ; and committees have so great a facility in the art of making inconclusive and imperfect reports , that there is seldom wanting some broken link on which to hang an evasion of penal action . . ' The cases of Dover and Norwich aptly exemplify the inconsistency of Parliament iii this -respect . '' .. - The retimi of the two sitting ' members for Dover , as every one is welt aware , was mainly secured in 1859 through the active interposition of Mr . Church * vakd , who was . then , as he had long been , a familiar of the Admiralty under various Administrations , and who , when- Lord Derby wanted to make sure of the l'pturn ot ¦

    two friends ¦ for-,, the ; borough , exacted the concession of a ¦ highly advantageous % lail Packet contract as an indispensable preliininart . The contract was made in due time by the Treasury , Mr ! Disba-Teli and Sir Stafford Nohthcote taking especial care to talk and act throughout as if they were really ignorant of the political services to be rendered by Mr . Ckukchwart > . All that related to that part of the matter was negotiated at the other department , a hundred yards higher up in the street . How could any privity or concert be proved between the negotiators at the Admiralty and the contractors at the Treasury ? And if none could be proved , why should -any be assumed or asserted ?

    Sir John Paki ^ gton was . naturally anxious to promote the return of his friends to the . new House of Commons , . and , in tire innocence of his Conservative heart , did what he conld for them at Dover by speaking to the influential Mr . Om . " RCB \ VAUD , whom he ' happened to know ^ and who happened to have considerable influence there : and simultaneously the simple-minded Sir Stafford Noktiicote happened to find himself'in official communication with this same Mr . CiiuivciiwAnn respecting- an exceetlini'iy beneficial bargain , which the last-named gentleman

    was impatient to close with the Treasury . Who , but some sourm-inded caitiff , wo \ ild suspect that between the two proceedings any corrupt connexion existed ? What , in point . off . net , could bo shown beyond the mere coincidence iiv point of time ? -A committee of the House of Commons , however , thought otherwise , and the whole of the facts were laid before them , anil resolved by a majority of eleven to four , that the Treasury'had not been Warranted by any considerations of the public interest in making the concession of terms which Mr . Ciiuhohward hail required . That was lnst session : this session an Election Committee was

    appointed to try the merits of the Dover petition j and by then * report they seem . to have ignored , or at least to have found ft verdict of " non proven , the charge of administrative corruption , in which the members ' of the late Government were involved . Emboldened by this decision , ( about ns bncl a one ns was ever pronounced even by an Election Committee , ) Mr . Churchward's friends ' in . the House of Commons tried on Tuesday last to obtain a vote mondatorv on the present Government to

    carry out the contract entered into by their predecessors . Cnp-Uxin Leycesteh Veunon introduced the subject in a speech odmirnbjo for its intrepidity of assertion and coolness of tone . H © was supported . appropriately by Mr . WjiItjbside , Sir r . Kkixy , Mr . Maxins , Lord Lovatni ; , and the inculpated ex-First Lord of the Admirnlty and ex-Secretary of the Treasury } and one hundred and seventeen members were found ready to vote with him on u division . On the other hand , Ministers , while professing ! : to abstain from leading the opinions of fho House on the question , spoke decidedly agninat the contract , o »

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1860, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31031860/page/4/