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    ' •««• communications in reference to negotiations which we ' re ' still' proceeding . Notwithstanding that , he explained the steps by which such negotiations had ached their present position , and stating that a note , orkrinally French , and adopted by the Powers , had heen accepted by Russia , and had been transmitted to the Porte . His lordship expressed a hope , that as such note contains nothing derogatory to the honour of the Sultan / it would also be accepted by him . He deprecated further discussion at the present crisis . Lord Beaumont complained that , instead of repelling Russia , England was endeavouring to induce the Sultan to give up a portion of his rights . Lord Hardwickb regretted that a more quick and determined " course bad . not-been taken .

    Lord Clanbicaede said , he was glad to hear that there was a probability of a peaceful solution of the difficulty ; but observed that the real question was the terms upon which that peace was to be ^ obtained . He should want to hear in due time what compensation was to be made to Turkey for the invasion of her territory . . Lord Ellenboroughs approved of the policy of England in regard to France , but hoped that those who were urging a war with Russia for the independence of Turkey would weigh well the character of such a conflict , which would be war in Circassia and in Poland . If the negotiations ended peacefully , it would give him a higher opinion of diplomacy than he had hitherto had .

    Lord Aberdeen regretted the discussion , though admitting that a desire for further information was natural . Vigorous measures / had been recommended , but if the measures which Government had taken were successful , he should be perfectly satisfied . He assured the House that the terms which had been agreed to contained nothing detrimental to the interests of Turkey . _ Lord Malmesbury then withdrew his motion .

    From a brief reply given to Mr . Layard by Lord Palmerston , it would appear that Lord John Russell will . make his statement on Monday . ^ _

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    THE INDIA BILL IN THE LOKDS . . Some amendments have been made , at Lord Ellenborough ' s suggestion . One provides that when the Directors delay , or finally refuse to sign an order for transmission to India , the commissioners of the Board of Control can sign and send it , and that it shall have the full force of law . Another allows the appointment of military as well as civil servants , to the legislative council . A third makes a minor regulation to allow senior members of the council to preside in the absence of the President or Vice-President . And a fourth

    expunges the clause abolishing the Company s salt-monopoly , ( a clause inserted at the instance of Sir John Pakington , ) on the ground that the abolition would endanger the Indian revenue . " There are not the means in India of creating a new tax as a substitute for the abolition of another , and besides there is a great indisposition in India to pay a new tax /' An army of proposed amendments , brought up by Lord Ellenboroucui , was repelled , without a division . The suggestions all tended to extend and strengthen the power of the Crown , in opposition to the power of

    the Company . One would allow Ministers to nominate for the Directors , men who had served less than ten yenrs in India . The moat important was a proposal to enlarge the Court of Proprietors , and therefore improve that constituency , by the addition of all retired officers , civil as well as military , who have served twenty years in India . The increase in the salary of the President of the Board of Control , was approved of by Lord Ellenborougii , who hinted that the best mode of expending the additional sum , would bo by receiving at his table all distinguished officers , who returned from India , every year .

    THE MILITIA . Statistics of the Militia , and comments on the conduct and necessity of the force , were made , on Monday evening , by Mr . Sidney Herbert , ( proposing a vote of 478 , 740 ; ., to defray tho expenses of the body , ) and by other members . Tho number now enrolled is 62 , 000 , but tho whole vote is not for tho present militia : 100 , 000 ? . is for tho old militia stall " , and the * ' non-efleetivo . " The efficiency of tho regiments bus heen

    borne testimony to by tho most competent officers who lmyo inspected them , and who have expressed their Hurpriso nt tho degree of efficiency they displayed . It w » till more important to note tho universal good conduct evinced by largo bodies of men at an ago when it might bo deemed that where- such numbers wore congregated together there might bo some disturbance . In « v « i \ y part of the country tho civil authorities have borne testimony to tho excellent conduct of tho men . Thin vote stirred up tho Pcaco party , who , through Mr . Bright , ridiculed tho idoa of preparing for war .

    " Admiral Dundasi received the French officers on board of his ship , and were himself and the English officers entertained at dinner on board of the French ships , and that they drank tho health of Queen Victoria and of Louis Napoleon , Emperor of the French , with so much cheering that ft was difficult to hear the artillery . I want to know , under these circumstances—when the two nations are on such friendly terms , and when , with respect to another ^ matter in dispute there seems a probability of no war arising out of ifci-whether Government consider it necessary to go on increasing the militia force , and to fill it up to the whole complement . Having got over the panic of last year , and

    discovered that we have made fools of ourselves , we may now venture to let the wave subside , and the country may , perhaps , feel itself sufficiently secure to allow this portion of our force to fall into decay , as it did before ; by which the expense of its maintenance will be saved . It is said that the militiamen make very fair soldiers after twentyone or twenty-eight days' training . ( A loud ' Sear , hear , from Colonel Sibthorp . ) I am not going to dispute it , because I am not a judge —( a loud ' No 'from the gallant colonel , followed by great laughter)—but if men can be made fair soldiers in so short a time , it will not be necessary to take them for years before you require their

    services . The noble lord the member for Tiverton has turned out to have been wrong as regarded last year ; he may be wrong also as regards the future , and 60 , 000 invader s may not come over at all ; so that the constant expenditure of 400 , 000 ? . or 500 , 000 ? . a year may be avoided . Unless they are certain that this expenditure is absolutely required , and this force absolutely necessary , we will fail in our duty to the country if we vote it ; and for my part , I do not hesitate to say that I regard the whole matter as an imposture , got up in order that the public might be deceived and robbed . The only result is to diminish the

    power of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to remit taxes ; and there is a far greater probability of the evils of war when nations pursue the mad system of maintaining great rival armaments . I would suggest that , in the present friendly state of our relations with France , seeing the President of the Board of Control no longer makes speeches to his constituents at Halifax discreditable to himself and injurious to his country , it might be proper to make representations to the French Government before any long period elapsed , for the purpose of seeing whether both nations could not agree to reduce their armaments to some extent . "

    Mr . Sidney Herbert pointed out that although remarkably efficient after 21 days training , yet the militia could not be considered as efficient as a regular army ; and Colonel Sibthorp reminded Mr . Bright that the militia were also wanting tokeep Manchester and similar places in order .

    THE PUBLIC MONEY . The " supply" to the Crown from the public purse was continued by instalments on Monday . And as each sum was granted , remarks were made by economical members , or comments on the services to which the grants are devoted . Mr . Hume objected to Government paying fees when they gave a new honour to one of their servants — to 2000 Z . for the outfit of Lord St . Leonards as Lord Chancellor—a usual vote , and to the large expenses of the commissariat . Suggestions for the extension of agricultural statistics were made by Mr . Sullivan and Sir John Shelley . On the vote of 835 , 512 £ . for the Post-office packet

    service , Mr . Cowper explained the conclusions of the report made by the Government commission . On the vote of 200 . 000 Z . for the late Kafir war , Mr . Adderly forcibly expressed his hope that in future the colonists would be left to defend themselves . He disapproved of the abandonment of the Orange River territory as depriving the colony of a good frontier . On the part of the Government , Mr . Frederick Peel defended tho abandonment of tho Orange River territory , as it is desirable to contract our possessions in Asia , and said that if unfortunately war should again break out the responsibility of carrying it on will be transferred to tho settlers themselves .

    On tho vote of 50 , 000 Z . for tho Naval Coast Volunteers , Mr . French : objected to the exclusive use of rum in tho navy . British spirits should bo used instead of colonial produce . Mr . Fitzgerald seconded this objection . Sir James Grahaai defended rum as healthy , and pointed out that it would be unwi . se of tho Legislature to interfere with tho nets of tho Executive . The vote then passed . Tho religious instructions in our prisons was brought under tho notice of Lord Palmerston by Mr . Ltjoas ,

    who showed that there is a want of Roman-catholic ministry in many English prisons . Tho consequence is , that Roman-catholic prisoners , anxious to obtain the clergyman ' s certificate of good conduct , iieceHsiiry for any mitigation of their puninhinent , frequently act as hypocrites , pretending to bo Protestants . Lord Palmkrston promised that there- should bo a perfect equality in future . Roman-catholics as well as Protestants should he supplied with religious instruction by m ' mintors of their own creed .

    CJIAJUTAKITK TRUSTS . Tho details of this Bill were again discussed on the third reading . Mr . Lucas , on behalf of the Roman Catholics , said , that the exemption of their trusts wan unrequited : " their strength and iutorest donmnd a

    common right and a common law . " ' Instead of exempting them , they should be placed on a proper footing . Lord John Russell agreed that some change in the law relating to these trusts is wanting , but it is impossible to frame one this session . Mr . Headlam advised a complete revision of the law of mortmain . At present it is difficult to settle property for benevolent purposes , such as infirmaries and schools . : A clause enabling '' one of the commissioners to sit in the House of Commons , was moved by Mr . Uutt , and supported by Mr . Bonham Carter , Mr . John Ball , and Mr . Thomas Chambers . It was opposed by the Government and several independent members . It was rejected by 113 to 32 .

    Oxford , Cambridge , and Durham Universities are excluded from the operation of the Bill . Lord John Russell attempted to bring in Durham , arguing that the two Other Universities are excluded because they were recently the subject of inquiry , and are to be made the subject of separate legislation . But the attempt was defeated by 70 to 65 . Encouraged by this success , Mr . Thornely , Mr . Heywood , Mr . Chambers , Mr . Blackett , and Mr . William Johnson Fox ( friends of the London University ) moved that it also be exempted from the operation of the Bill . Lord John Russell opposed its exemption . London University is but the head of a number of schools affiliated with it and scattered all over the country . The amendment was lost by 79 to 64 .

    THE MALT-TAX . A resolution for the reduction of this tax was moved by Mr . Ball on Monday . He made amends for his strategetic silence on his former attack by a tolerably long speech , in which he argued that a reduction was the proper consequence of Free-trade , and a fitting boon to the farmer and the labourer . He did not ask for the remission of the five millions of taxation , but for such a relaxation of the stringent rules of collection as would benefit the producer and not entail a loss upon the revenue . In consequence of the severe competition to which the farmers are now subjected from

    the operation of the system of Free-trade , and to their not being able to malt their own barley , they are not able to give their labourers any beer to sustain them at their work , and the latter are thus driven to the public-house , to the destruction alike of body and soul . It is the more important that we should take some measure which may tend to increase the quantity of foo / l in the country , becrfuse the present harvest will unquestionably be both inferior in quality and small in quantity , while there is but li ttle grain in warehouse , and the supply of cattle and sheep is most inadequate to the demand . " Our labourers are now discontented

    and dissatisfied , and threaten to emigrate ; and I therefore hope that the House will not decline to take a step which will be a most powerful means of keeping them at home , and which , by enabling the farmers to increase the supply of meat , would tend to spread content and plenty through the land . " Mr . Cayley , in seconding the motion , recommended Mr . Gladstone not to attempt to reply to the really unanswerable speech of the honourable gentleman who had just resumed his seat , but to take into consideration between this and the next session the best mode of carrying into effect the suggestions which had been laid before him .

    Mr . Gladstone was jocose in reply . He had answered Mr . Ball's speech " by anticipation , " and referring to his former speech against time , he said , though it was not becoming in a member to praise his own speech , yet ho wns well satisfied with the results of that speech . " It is admitted , indeed , by tho honourable gentleman that if he had obtained a division before that speech was delivered , he would have had a majority ; such being tho force of my reason , simplicity , nnd ingenuousness , that Unit speech changed the fate of tho day , nnd put the honourable gentleman iirto a startling minority . " ( Great laughter . ) Mr , Spoonkr was " disgusted" with " this levity ;" nnd after a few remarks from Sir John Siikllky and Mr . Ball , tho motion was negatived without a

    division . TRANSPORTATION . The new measures taken by Government in consequence of the abolition of transportation , were oxplnined by Lord Valmkrston , who stilted the geiumil theory of nil punishments , and set forth the plan of tho Government as already explained in fho House of Lords . The chief feature in tho new arrancfemenf h is tho

    institution of nn imprisonment at home , and a release according to good conduct with a ticket of leave- -in lieu of the transportation for fourteen yenra nnd Under . Mr . Walpole . suggested that instead of thus abolishing all transportation under fourteen yearn , tho Government Bhould , in individual wises , commute- punishments for imprisonment into tnuiHportation , na far as colonies for tho reception of convicts could bo found . Ho nlao approved of putting tho convicts to imblio works , ouch

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    August 13 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 771

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 13, 1853, page 771, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1999/page/3/