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    Sfe ! 2 ^ ^ « S ^ 5 M ^« f before them the supposed inability of this country to defend SS 5-- ( S « w ) -to magnify the resources of your supposed assailant , and to point out how easy would be fK ^ for ,. if not the subjugationof this country ( though ,

    thank God , the most violent have not yet spoken of eubiujjation ); but to speak of that invasion , accompanying it with details of the fearful amount of horror and oloodshed which , under any circumstances , must attend it , and then , in the same breath , to assail with every term of obloquy , of vituperation , and abuse , the public and private character of the man who wields that force which you say is irresistible . ( Cheers . ) I am sure , my lords , that whatever unfavourable impression may have been made on the public mind of France by the unjustifiable censures of the public press , that impression may be removed to a great extent by the frank expression of opinion , such as you have now receivedin this and the certain that in

    other house of Parliament ; and I am making use of these expressions I speak the opinion of every well-judging and well-meaning friend of his country . ( Cheers . )" But still he thought that , as the " ruler of France " might not be able to restrain , his subjects or his army , we ought to be prepared for any emergency . Moralizing on the state of things in Paris * he put in a word against the projected Reform Bill . He said that if you destroy the influence of the " territorial possessors of the land , " noble and commoner , you may produce a Republic , you may produce a despotism , but you are sure to render a constitutional monarchy impossible , and thus " take away the best and only well-regulated security for the liberties of the country . ' * On the Cape he spoke very reservedly , criticising the second appointment of a

    commanderin-chief during the war , and declaring his intention of waiting for information . On Ireland he was equally reserved , " regretting" the failure of the special commission , and trusting that extraordinary 'powers would , if needed , be applied for . The New Zealand paragraph was similarly treated . An indication of the policy of his party escaped him in handling the reform paragraph . He did not believe that throughout the length and breadth of the land there were 500 reasonable men who regard it as a matter of the smallest importance whether the measure is introduced or not , or who have the least desire in the world for Parliamentary Reforn > . The noble lord made that announcement altogether hastily and unadvisedly , not because the state of the country required a revision of the parliamentary representation , but because he desired to throw out a vague bait to divert an apprehended decision of the House against

    him . " I hope that the Government does not propose to disturb the existing balance between the different classes of the community , or to give to the populations of the large towns , already powerful , undue predominance over the country voters , so as to destroy that element which constitutes the security of the Crown and the true liberty of the subject — the permanent influence of the land . ( Hear , hear . ) It is not , then , on the extent of the bill so much as on its principles that will depend our course

    of proceeding . If we find that the measure is designed merely to remove anomalies and abuses in details , without concurrently doing substantial injustice to any class of the people , the Government will experience from us no factious opposition ; but if its object is to extend still further democratic power , at the expense of those just conservative influences on which the safety of the country depends , then I shall oppose the measure , as one of the most dangerous tendency , to the utmost of my power . "

    Lord Grey ' s reply was far tamer than the tamo attack of his old antagonist . His speech consisted of weak retorts or amiable concurrence . The pith of the speech was on the relations not of this country , but the press of this country , to France ! " The next topic to which the noble earl had addressed himself was the state of France , and again he ( Earl Grey ) had the pleasure of being able to express his unqualified concurrence in every word that had fallen on that subject from the noble lord . Ho entirely agreed with him , that it was the duty of this country , and of every individual in an independent capacity , to abstain from any interference in the internal politics of that great and powerful nation which was near us . He had ,

    with fhe noble lord , perceived with great concern , and he would odd , with indignation , the tone adopted by n largd portion of the prcsa of Una country . ( Hear , hear . ) The denunciations of the I ' rince at the head of the Government of France , coupled with the untrue representations of the defenceless condition of this country , were the height , not only of imprudence , but even of something far worse . He rejoiced that the noblo earl had comu forward and stated his utter repudiation of tho language such as he had described , and ho believed he had the authority of his colleagues for joining in that repudiation ; ana they would all , he believed , echo those sentiments , which he trusted would have tho effect of diverting tho incalculable mischief which might have resulted from tho language ho had alluded to , and which had been held by a great portion of tho newspaper press pf tkia country . It would be underttood in Franco

    that , however those newspapers ¦ ' might expressi the Sons and feelings of the writers in them , they did noTeJ ^ ess the opinions or feelings of any V ™* . or powerful party in the country , or % n that Home , or % n Parliament . ( Hear , hear . )" Lord Grey thought ithere was no likelihood of war , but we should make ourselves secure . Still , following the course of Lord Derby , he threw the blame of _ the Cape war on the policy of that noble lord when Colonial Minister . In New Zealand great improvements had been made , and Parlia ment was now called upon to fulfil the original intention of bestowing representative government on that colony , lie vindicated the free trade policy at great length . And , lastly , he alighted on the reform paragraph ; and the sum of his observations was , that the Reform Act needed some amendment , but not so great as to " disturb the settlement of 1832 . "

    The remaining speakers were Lord Brougham , the Duke of Richmond , the Earl of Yarborough , the Earl of Malmesbury , and the Earl of Habrowb y , the sole peer who raised his voice in defence of the press , declaring that it had faithfully and accurately represented the country . The address was agreed to , and the House adjourned . The only point of interest on Thursday was a speech from the Duke of Wellington on Sir Henry Smith and the Kafir war . The occasion for its delivery was the presentation of the answer of the Queen to the address . The Duke of Wellington said ,

    "My lords , I was unable to address your lordships two nights ago , when you ' voted the address to her Majest , in reply to her most gracious speech ; and the motion now before us being that her Majesty ' s reply be printed , I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to express my sense of the policy of General Sir Henry Smith , the Commander-in Chief of her Majesty ' s troops at the Cape of Good Hope . ( Hear . ) Sir Henry Smith is an officer of too high a reputation in the service to require any commendations from me , but having had the chief command in several important military operations which have been carried on under his directions , and having been recalled by her Majesty , it is but justice to him to saythat I , who am his commanding officer ,

    en-, tirely approve of all his operations—entirely approve of all the orders he has given to his troops , and the arrangements he made for their success . I approve entirely of the conduct of the troops and of their officers in all these operations . ( Cheers . ) I am fully sensible of the difficulties under which they laboured—of the gallantry with which they overcame all those difficulties , and of the great success wbich attended their exertions ; and it is my firm belief that everything has been done by the Commander-in Chief , the officers , and the troops , in order to carry into effect , as far as possible , the instructions of her Majesty's Government . ( Cheers . ) My lord , I may be allowed to remind you , that I have had the honour of commanding her Majesty's army under

    three Governors-General , and of superintending the conduct of different military operations in the same part of the world . I am sorry to say that I have observed some palpable errors in all these operations , and it is no wonder that my gallant friend , Sir Henry Smith , should have committted some errors , as others have done before him . My lords , these operations by the Kafirs are carried on by the occupation of extensive regions of what is in some places called"jungle , ' and in other places ' bush , * but , in reality , ' thickset '—the thickest wood that can be found anywhere . The Kafirs retire to these fastnesses with the plunder , on which they subsist , and they atteck their assailants at great odds . They move away with more or less of celerity and activity—sometimes saving

    their plunder , which , however , is frequently taken from them . But , my lords , their successes are wholly attributable to these bushes , which our troops do not , and could not occupy—they would be useless to them , and they could not live in them . On their withdrawal the enemy occupies them again , and the same operations have to be undertaken once more . The consequence is that , to my certain knowledge , some of these fastnesses have been attacked and carried , not less than three or four times over , and that on every occasion with great loss to the assailants . My lords , there is a remedy for this state of evil . The remedy is , that when a fastness has been stormed and captured , it should be totally destroyed by the captors . I have had experience in

    this kind of warfare , and I know that it can only be ended by opening roads into the bush , and this will inevitably be a work of time . The only mode of subduing such a country is to open roads , so as to admit of the movements of regular troops with tho utmost facility . Accordingly , I say that it is absolutely necessary that roads should be opened through each of these fastnesses . I have communicated with the Secretary of State , and I have recommended a course which , I believe , he has ordered to be adopted . The only thing to bo regretted is , that that course has not been taken sooner . I know these measures will occupy a great length of time , and will occasion considerable expense ; but I have

    no doubt that tho next news will prove that the course adapted on my recommendation is the right one . ( Cheers . ) But the truth is , the war at the Capo has come to that point that , unless such a course is pursued , there can bo no , pence in that part of tho worldthere can bo no enjoyment of tho social comforts of civilised life . The whole of the native population haa revolted , and we cannot hope that depredations will not be carried on . The Kafir chieftains , each of them at the head of ten or twenty or more thousands of men , have established themselves in fastnesses within the boundary of her Majesty ' s territory , and there can bo no peace until those fastnesses arc accessible to the smallest body of her Majesty ' s troopB . ( Cheers . ) I say , then , this pyetcm , if Adopted in the Cane , will , » mply repay tUe

    expense , and give back to the colonists the peace and blessings of civilized life . ( Cheers . ) Unless this expense be incurred—and I do not think it can be equal to that of onecampaign—there will be no peace , no cessation to the inroads of armed bodies in that part of the world , and on end to a conflict which belongs to the most destructive of all kinds of war . ( Cheers . ) " . .

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    Scenes in * he House , —Comedy is not uncommon in St . Stephen ' s , neither is broad farce entirel y exeluded . The " Committee . bn the Kitchen " was moved for on Wednesday ; Mr . French bitterly complained of the wine , insinuated that the tablecloths ought to be changed when there was a great change of guests , and suggested that good wine and clean tablecloths were infallible preventives for a " count out . " Mr . Anstey objected that there was no Catholic on the committee . The House laughed at him , but he said it was rather a serious matter , considering that a Protestant dinner on a Friday was not very acceptable . Lord Marcus Hill , who had precipitately left the house during the address of Mr . French , now returned with equal empressement , earning

    in each hand a bill of fare , of enormous dimensions , glazed and framed 1 in the manner usual in clubs aud coffee-houses . The noble lord placed the culinary programmes with affectionate solicitude on the Speaker ' s table , and having thus , as M . Soyer would say , " unfurled the banner of gastronomy , " proceeded , amid loud laughter , to vindicate the committee from the imputation of exorbitant charges . He had often heard it objected that the prices charged for refreshment in the kitchen were too high , but he did not think that there was the slightest foundation for the assertion . Two years

    ago he had caused the bills of fare now on the table to be drawn up . He invited attention to them , and challenged any member to prove that the charges were exorbitant . ( Loud laughter . ) He put it to the honourable gentleman , in candour and sincerity , whether there was anything so ruinously exorbitant in these : — A portion of soup Is . A mutton chop Is . A fish , boiled or fried ................ Is . A fried sole Is . A whiting . ........................ Is . . Salmon and lobster sauce ............ 2 s .

    Turbot , or cod ' s head and shoulders , on terms equally moderate . ( Roars of laughter . ) With regard to cutlets , if three were taken , thev could be had at the low charge of 6 d . each—( loud laughter)—and as for wine , there was no such cause of complaint on that head as the honourable member for Roscommonseemed to think ; for , though the honourable member might pay 6 s . a bottle for sherry , he * ought to know that there was sherry in the kitchen which he could have at 4 s . a bottle . ( Laughter . ) Mr . French : Much obliged , but I had rather not . ( Laughter . ) Lord M . Hill : There is no establishment in London where tea and coffee can be had so cheap . ( Laughter . ) The motion was then agreed to .

    New Members . —Sir E . Tennent for Lisburn , the Honourable A . Duncombe for the East Riding of Yorkshire , and Mr . R . Milligan for Bradford , were introduced on Tuesday , and sworn at the table . The Honourable Mr . Hardinge was also sworn as member for Downpatrick . New writs were ordered for Perth , Northampton , Kinsale , Greenwich , East Kent , and East Retford . For Perth , as Mr . Fox Maulebas been appointed to the Board of Control ; for Northampton , as Mr . Vernon Smith has accepted the War-office ; and the other boroughs to fill up vacancies occasioned by the retirement of Mr . Havves , Admiral Dundas , Mr . Plumptre , and the Honourable A . Duncombe , elected for the East Riding .

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    MEETING OF CONVOCATION . Wednesday having been appointed for the assembling of the Convocation of the Clergy , a large number of the elected and ex officio members attended at the Jerusalem Chamber , Westminster-abbey , it having been generally believed among the members of the body and the Church that the Synod would declared its sitting en permanence . The hour ot meeting was fixed for twelve o ' clock , but long before that time there was a very large assembly of ^ clergymen . A few minutes before twelve o ' clock his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury arrived at tho Chamber . He was attended by the Worshipful Sir John Dodson , Knight , Queen ' s Advocate and Vicar-General of the province of Canterbury ; Mr . F . H . Dyke , her Majesty's Proctor and Principal Registrar of the province of Canterbury ; Mr . F . Knyvett , his Graces Secretary , and his chaplains . Tho moat reverend Prelate was attired in his full archiepiacopal robes . Tho members of the Upper House present were—the Bishop of London , tho Bishop of Winchester , tno Bishop of Oxford , tho Bishop of Exeter , the Bishop of Chichester , the Bishop of Lichfield , and the Bishop of St . Asaph .

    The Lower House assembled at the samo hour . Among the members present were the Venerable Archdeacon penison . M . A ., the Archdeacon of-li « M »» the Archdeacon of Barhstaplo , tho Archdeacon oi Bristol , tho Archdeacon of Muidstone , tho Itevercnas J . Slany , Dr . Moore , Dr . Spry , Dr . Mill , G . £ Gillet , M . A ., D . C . Majendie , It . W . Huntley , ] b . Goddard , J . Yardloy , T . Mills , U . A . Woodgato , l . Randolph , and tho Reverend J . Harding . . As soon as the Archbishop had takon the ciiair , the Lower Houso was summoned to prayers , anu after the Church service had been read by tho Bia »» ° P of Oxford , the Latin prayor , praying exclusively « J tho Convocation , was read by the n » o 8 t 1 re ^ or " , "" chairman , whioh having been concluded , tho lowv * Houap left and proceeded to | t » ow « chamber ,

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    122 ® fr * & *** . it * [ Satordav ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 7, 1852, page 122, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1921/page/6/