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Leader (1850-1860), 24th February 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 170, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      cessityof checking Russia , whether she be a weak power impudently asserting pretensions to which she has no claim , or a strong power contemplating the absorption , of Austria as welt as Turkey —of Europe as well as Austria . He \ will be seen by his speech thoroughly to understand the- necessity of reorganising , not o ^ jralh ^ forse Guards , * to » t our whole system of militargrsond civil Go-wwnment , with its aristocratic d « % }' , and itspoKtfeul scrofula of patronage . Theresa : no man who , looks more like the maaJfor tho . i * nne than ftfis same Robert Lowe .

      Lord Debby has been holding a meeting at Lord Egmnton ' s housa , to gather his scattered forces and reconcile bis foilowors * o kiuiself . Practically , his speech amounts to a penitent assui'ance that he will no more consort wtfch Gfc adstone or G&aham , but will be faithful to the Tory colours ; and the sulky meeting , it is said , relaxed its frowns under the playful cajolery of the earl . One man of the faction might now find in a national party the opportunity for taking a leading place in the country ; but Mr . Disraeli seems to retain a sentimental fidelity to that Quarter Sessions class in which his county ambitions have

      buried mm . The Ministerial crisis throws a broad shade ^ -rer the -proceedings in Parliament , although they have been of first-rate importance . The Gommons have laid before them the navy estimates and programme , the-army estimates and military programme , the military reforms intended by Government ,, and the whole subject of blockade brought forward by Mr . Cojcliee . In this place -we can only state the results . The army will be increased to a total of 173 , 000 , exclusively of the

      Indian army . The M ilitia will be pressed forward Ao its full amount . The total estimates will be raised to 13 , 700 , 0002 ,, and 60 , 000 will be recruited during the present year . , The navy will furnish two . fleets in the Baltic and Black Sea , moved entirely by steam . The forces in men will be raised to 70 , 000 . The total estimate is 10 , 700 , 000 ? . Commissions will be sent out by Government to enquire into all the abuses of Transport , Commissariat , and Medical Departments , and Staff incapacities , with authority to remedy abuses . "With regard to the blockade , the result of Mr .

      Courier ' s > ^ 9 . <; atement jonJhje ^ one ^ Mde j ^ an ^ of ^ r ., Cab » wexi *' 8 on . the other , is , that the blockade has been enforced as soon and as extensively as it was really expedient ; that Russia has suffered from restriction upon her trade ; that to adopt more stringent measures towards neutrals , or prohibition of Russian produce at home , would injure ourselves and allies with a minimum of injury to Russia ; and that the question of the transit trade through Prussia must be handled on political and military grounds , with respect to the responsibility of Prussia as a power in Europe .

      In the House of Lords the Earl of EudenxtoitouaH took the occasion for anew bill to facilitate . the enlistment of older men and discharged soldiers , to point out the extension of the campaign necessary to the vigorous prosecution of the ¦ w ar , particularly tho employment of . Indian artillery and irregulars which oan be spared . He advised a diversion in Georgia by means of a Turkish army with ., European , officers , rendering effectual the . hostile operations of Schamyx , and the Circassians ; ondXtord Habbowmy . pointed to similar recruitments , by calling out " the oppressed nationalities . " These are good sounds to hear in Parliament .

      From abroad we have , really , scarcely , anything to raporfe- > n 6 thing to say , except that the signs of movement continue without material change . From , the Crimea , down to tho 9 th instant , jthey aen , d bettor accounts , with assurances that something must . happen' shortly . From Germany , testy notes by JBaron Mantjeuffbx , and asauraneea that * / treaty between Prussia and the

      Western Powers is about to be concluded . Fr om Paris , ^ hat Lord JoHX ^ as gone forward on his mission to Viet ** * wwi that the Emperor talks of setting ^ out for . Jtba Crimea between the 10 th and 15 th ^ f next month—which nobody believe * . Br . e « a siots are proclaimed in Liyaifool and Loriion . afaimense sa » mbe * s of tibe 'RMikingclaewas are thrown wot of employment iby the season . XA « y are satffering . horribly ! % » e of the , -ifote * s « i 3 y have keen -really hunggevuteedy perso « s ^ sexasperate « iby gwuaine sufferis ^ There is too much reason to suppose , however , that idle vagabonds have usurped the name of the people , have raised insurrectionary flags , and have created 4 k rktt * owler to snatch * not only bread but cash , from the till as welt as the oven . The riots , of eourse , bare beenpttt ttoflrn- ; bat it would » ot have been so easy to put down the gigantic mass of want , if the giving of the frost had not brought a hope of relief for trade as well as labour . Lord Clanbicabdi : has published a letter in the Daily News , contradicting the calumnies circulated against him , a propos to the late trial in the Irish Court of Chancery . Lord Ci ^ axRICAkbe is correct in saying that he had not sufficient locus staudi in that court for his share of toe cause , to be freely investigated . He does no * avail himself of his locus standi , however , in the Daily J&ews . to produce that disproof of the inferences against him , which would finally dispose , of the calumny . . But , in the personal history of the week , the foremost event of interest is the death of Joseph Hume . He has gone at the age of seventy-eight , although a few years since he . seemed as hale and as able to continue work as a man of forty . Joseph Hume had lived two lives ,. and the accumulation ofyears helped to bring contradictions of the presumptions continually made regarding him . As a surgeon , and an official under the East India Company , he acquired a considerable fortune , which was not diminished in later years , and he had attained to affluence and independence befox-e half his life had closed . His public life then commenced , and he did not marry until the same period . New to England and to politics , he began life at forty , as youths often do , on a side different from that to which he ultimately attached himself He was a Tory . But the inveterate desire for improvement which made him afterwards the Parliamentary reformer , theT advocate of " the working-class—in tlieir education and their recreation , as well as in their release from the tyrannical combination laws—made him become a Liberal and something more . He viewed most subjects in the material form ; could not rise to theoretical politics ; but always desired to make things better by the rule of common sense . From this want , so to speak , of general faith in politics , —being only in public affairs a practical Christian , belonging to no sect—he was the auxiliary of more than one party , the leader , of none ; and , although his support was desired by every Liberal Ministry , he was not invited to brave , on the Treasury Bench , the retorts which some imitator of hia criticism might have levelled at his official finance . Few men , except O'Connell , have been more abused by friends as well as foes ,, and no man is more generally regretted .

      Untitled Article

      THE PUBLIC HEALTH . ( From the , Registrar » Ge » eraV $ Repot t , ~ ) In the week , that ended on Saturday tho deaths of 1475 persons—namely , 7 . 41 males and 734 females , were registered in London . The mortality which , since tho cold weather sot in , was highest in the last week of January , has in the subsequent weeks exhibited a decrease , but it is still much above tho ordinary amount . Tho numbers in tho last flvo weeks have run thus : —1549 , 1680 , 1604 , 1546 , and 1475 . The mean temperature in the iarao periods has been 28-9 , 29 * 3 , 89 3 , 30-9 , and ( last week ) 25-4 . Last week tho births of 903 boys and 912 girla , in all 1815 children , were registered in London . In tho ten corresponding weeks of tho years 1845-54 tho average number was 1461 .

      Untitled Article

      TinBPH&mt —MINISTERIAL EXP . LANATION . O ^^ tonlJtogr , i on . the motion for going into committee on tfee-ArmjjrsPatimates , Miv IjsJflSA-lBB ^ took the opportunity to refer to the present state otf _ aHfcirs . ' . He said , although his remarks would haocefee « n more appropriate if given on the propogecUm « lion of' Mr . Roebuck , the fear of a compro mise ' indueed Msn to seize the first occasion . But it was not mappro . pikrt £ , qo « 9 « kwapg his great sympathy with the g aaafary am ? -afce army , " « nd the fact that nearly seven . ast f a half roftlli « ps were-4 © be voted for its support . The same sum was voted last jjsear , and the army left the shore in splejjdid condition , and highly disciplined . Nevertheless , it had absolutely wasted away . Mr . Layard felt quite disgraced in his own eyes that he had

      not , last year , mxwe boldly and ; ftuly expressed his con-. yictions , b « t h * . had-bejeix influaacoi by- a variety of considerations . Then came Mr . Hoebuck ' s motion , which was carried by a majority of two to one , the feeling throughout the country being so strong that they would miss the pleasure of the society of many members of the minority in future Parliaments . The challenge was accepted . Suddenly the Government went out , and for many days no new administration could be formed . After some days had elapsed Lord Palmerston succeeded in forming an administration . What , then , did the y see ? They found that administration almost identically composed of the same individuals as the late Government . Under ordinary circumstances , perhaps , in the

      straits to which the country was reduced , such an administration might have been accepted without much remark , b » t when they were ealled upon to trust to that Government the conduet of one of the greatest wars in which this country had ever been engaged- —when they were called upon to vote large sums for the support of our army reduced to but a fraction of what it had been —when they were asked to vote confidence in the Government , it behoved the House to inquire what that Government was , and what it had done to merit the confidence of the country ? It was said ,-the same men did not fill the same offices now as heretofore . It was true ~ some changes had been made , but others which might have been desired had not been made . They

      should , then , consider how far those members of the Cabinet who had been retained were deserving of the confidence of- the country . The House was told a few nights since by Mr . B . Osbprne that even he ( Mr . Layard ) had not dared to attack the right hon . baronet at the head of the . Admiralty . It certainly ^ was surprising to hear such a challenge after what had passed on two occasions in that Houso upon , two of the most important . subjects which could be mentioned—the question of blockade and the question of the transport service . Had not the question of blockade been managed by the Admiralty in such a way as to cause immense mischief , and was J . t not one of the causes of our present difficulties ? As to the transport service , had not hon .

      members risen over and over again to declare the utter confusion and almost hopeless condition of the transport system ? He did not wish to say anything against Lord Raglan , but , when challenged ^ it-was- the dutyof every member to discharge his duty to his constituents and the country without any false delicacy . There had been serious mistakes made , which had arisen , as he Jaad always said , and conscientiously believed , from the mismanagement of diplomacy . The management of the melancholy conferences at Vienna was a perfect disgrace to the diplomatic body . If a bolder diplomacy had been pursued , he doubted whether wo should be in the present state of war . With regard to the diplomatic service , many appointments which were made in it were not

      worthy of the oountry . He reminded the House of a transaction between a member of the diplomatic service and a noble lord who had retired from that service , whereby tho noble lord who had filled the highest post in the service , but who was from his ngc past service , was appointed to a mission by what the country called a "job . " . That was not to bo passed , over in silence . He ( Mr . Layard ) had frequently asked whether a blockade existed , and was' always told it did ; but months afterwards the Government admitted by a new order that there had been no blocka . de . Then it was stated that there were only 12 , 000 left of our army , when a right hon . gentlemen immediately answered that the number was 80 , 000 ; but afterwards it was admitted that the former was the more correct number . The Government , however , refused to , show , any document to support tho

      assertion . The country would not bo satisfied with such a mode of dealing with tho subject when they saw that our army / was starving—that our men were feeding on -Freuioh bread and clothed in French garments . But somo member of tho Government told them the army was revelling in luxuries and perfectly protected froni the weather . The country was not satisfied with thoso statements . Respecting the Foreign Enlistment 1 ) 111 , nil members of the Uouso wore called upon to swallow their declarations mado upon the hustings , because they were told the bill was one of tho utmost importance , mid must bo passed at once . Lord J . Russell ( then tho loader of tho House of Commons ) made a speech of two hours ' duration , to provo that tho bill was warranted both in principle and by precedent . Ho ( Mr . Layard ) did not vote on that hill , and ho believed that there wero members

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      170 THE ., - . -Ii ' -E A PER . [ Saturday ,

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      IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . - ¦ ¦ .. if ¦ ' "¦¦ ' ' ¦ ¦ i i

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 24, 1855, page 170, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2079/page/2/