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    conv « y to the House and to the country that our two countrymen were not freed by the exertions of the present Government . The noble Lord is wrong in the statement he made to the House . Both men were prisoners when we acceded to office ; and the first thing we did on coming into office was to communicate -with Mr . Lyons , to apply to the Government of Naples , and to interfere on behalf of our countrymen . The noble Lord says that one of them ( Mr . Watt ) had been fxeed , and was under the care of the English consul . How was he freed ? Why was he freed ? What were the conditions of his freedom ? That unfortunate man , under the treatment he received , and in consequence of the neglect of the noble Lord and his Government , was affected in his reason ; and , on the application being made by the

    English Consul , who behaved throughout these proceed , ings with great spirit and humanity , he was permitted to leave his dungeon and to enter an hospital or lazaretto ; but the condition was that the instant his health revived he was to return to his imprisonment and to take his trial . { Hear , hear . } As I had the satisfaction- of announcing to-night , in answer to the question of an honourable and learned gentleman , thes « two English subjects have left their prison , free and without conditions . " ( Cheers . ) Pursuing his analysis of Lord Palmerston ' s speech , Mr . Disraeli said that his assertion that certain persons had endeavoured to excite a war between Naples and Piedmont was founded on no slight evidence . The noble Lord had endeavoured to discredit the financial measures

    of the present Government , and had placed in opposition to its Budget the one which had been prepared , but happily not brought forward , by the ex > Ministers , of which , the great principle seems to have been ( as revealed by the late Chancellor of the Exchequer ) an increase of the income-tax . Then , with respect : to India , his observations at Slough were with regard to confiscation and the consequences of confiscation . " The consequences of confiscation are vengeance , and of vengeance massacre ; and I say that confiscation , vengeance , and massacre are the aggregates in the climax which makes me prefer the superior policy of mercy . That is the statement I made to my constituents , and I said— ' I leave it to you to choose between the policj * which we recommend—a

    policy of mercy , of religious toleration , and of respect for property—and the consequences of the Proclamation of Xoi'd Canning ; which policy , being one of confiscation , must lead to consequences directly the opposite . " ( Hear , hear . ') To that statement I now adhere . " With respect to the question of a cabal , the noble Lord Lad defined that word to mean only a small party ; l ) ut be . ( Mr . DLsraeli ) had always understood it to mean " a secret society of conspirators . " He did not allude to any party in the House of Commons , the proceedings of which are pul ) lic . He was certain he never talked of a cabal in that House . There might be members of the cabal there ; but he was sure there were members who had no seats in the House . He wished to know the meaning of

    th « se repeated attacks on his speech , and whether that was to be an adjourned debate . He took it for granted there wa 3 not to be a division ; divisions were no longer fashionable . ( Cheers . ) The noble Lord , the member for the City of London , had said that the object of his demonstration on the previous Friday night was to put the Liberal party of the country in an intelligible position aB opposed to the Government . " If the noble Lord the member for the City is a Liberal—if he sympathizes with the Liberal party—he was justified in showing to the country that there is a great Liberal , party with which he is connected , and in contrasting their opinions with those held by the occupants of the Treasury bench . { Hear hear . ) But I do not seo how anything of this can apply to the noble Lord who has addressed us tonight , because I cannot perceive that in sentiment , or fueling , or interest , there is anything in common between

    that noble Lord and the great Liberal rarty . ( Hear , hear . ) I must take the discussion on Friday night ami the present discussion together , for it is only from th combined observations made on both occasions that I can understand the scope of these movemonts . I understand that questions are soon to arise which are calculated to test the character of the liberal opinions held by the noble Lord . The great Liberal party in this house are in favour of vote by ballot . Are the noble Lords the member for the City of London and the member for Tlverton in favour of that menauro ? ( Hear hear . ) The great Liberal party are in favour of the total abolition of church-rates . ( Hear , hear . ) Are her Majesty ' s Into Government in favour of that measure ? ( Hear , hear . ) The great Liberal party arc in favour of the measure of the honourable member for Surrey ( Mr . Locke King ) . Are her Majesty ' s late Government jn favour of the new Franchise Bill of that honourable member ?

    ( Hear , hear . ) All I know is that thoy opposed it on principle , and offered , grave arguments to influence the opinion of the House in opposition to it . ( Hear , hear . ) The great Liberal party profeas to bo in favour of oconomy . Were her Majesty ' s late Government in favour of economy ? ( Hear , hear . ) It is my painful duty to know what has been done in that respect by the lato Government , and I must say thut a moro extravagant , reckless , and profuse Government I never knew . ( i , oiid cheers , The great Liberal purty aro in favour of tho publicity of documents . Aro her Majesty ' s lato Government in favour of the publicity of documents of importance ? Thcro never was a Government in this country

    that exercised so much reserve in affairs of state as her Majesty ' s late Government . ( Hear , hear . ) The only charge against her Majesty ' s present Government is that they produced a public document ; but no one could ever say of us that we intercepted a letter . ( Loud cheers . ) There . is another subject on -which the great Liberal party have shown great interest—that is , the Conduct of the Executive Government . They demand that the conduct of the Executive Government should be temperate and moderate . But what has been the conduct of the late Executive ? It i 3 the first

    Governmentthat ever carried on a war without the sanction of Parliament . ( Hear , hear . ) And if I look to the other great branch of the Executive—the exercise of patronage—is it not notorious that their exercise of patronage has outraged all the sense and spirit of the country ?* ' ( Cheers . ) Mr . Dnraeli concluded by saying that , whatever differences there might be in that House and in England between the great Conservative and Liberal parties , there is one bond of union : " both are resolved on this—that , not only there , but throughout the country , they would not any longer be the tools or the victims of an obsolete oligarchy . " Sir George Grkv denied that there waa anything unfair on the part of Lord Palmerston in demanding explanations of gross imputations of misconduct cast upon ; he Administration of which he had been the head . It

    was humiliating to see a gentleman of Mr . Disraelis talents driven to such unworthy shifts , and attempting to explain away indiscretions in such a manner . —Sir John Pakington entered his protest against what appeared to him to be a most unpardonable waste of the public time , and against the unfair use made of tne language of Mr . Disraeli . The passage in the speech at Slough regarding our relations with ! France when the late Government quitted office was substantially correct . He was in a position and at liberty to say . that on more than one occasion the late French Ambassador to this

    country , Count Persigny , remonstrated against the policy of this country , and stated , in plain terms , that if it was not changed it would be impossible for friendly relations between the two countries to continue .- —Lord John Russell , could not agree that these discussions were a waste , of time . When Supply was asked for , it was the proper time to call for an explanation of the meaning of imputations made by a member of the Government . The explanations given by Mr . Disraeli were unsatisfactory , and the whole policy of tho Government , oscillating between Toryism and Radicalism , was of a nature to p . erplex and dissatisfy the country . ¦

    Mr . . Whixesidk said the noble Lord , the member for the City of London , had complained that the present Government sometimes went too fast , sometimes too slow ; probably he best liked the pace of an old constitutional Whig . ( Laughter . ) Some persons , however , thought that the noble Lord was occasionally himself scarcely fast enough , for sometimes he did not move at all . ( More laughter . ) The letters of Indian newspaper correspondents showed that the . events which had occurred subsequently to the issue of Lord Canning ' s Proclamation had justified to the fullest extent the judgment formed of it by Lord Ellenborough . The late Premier had spoken of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ' s after-dinner speech ; but other persons spoke after dinner as well as that right lion , gentleman , and

    many present would remember a speech made last November at the Mansion-house , when the noble Lord the member for Tiverton challenged the whole of Europe to fight with England . —Mr . Kingla-ice made a few observations to the effect that the liberation of the English engineers was owing to the despatch of Lord Clarendon before quitting office , and not in consequence of any steps taken by the present Government , which had shuffled on tho subject . —This view of the case was contradicted by Mr . Seymour Fitzqehald , who , quoting the facts of the case , contended that the late Government had neglected the engineers for nine months , and that Watt was not released on bail until after tho accession of the present Administration . —The subject then dropped .

    THIS BOARDING OP AMERICAN MKHCIIANX VESSELS . Mr . Lindsay called attention to the news in the American papers , that American merchant ships had been fired into , boarded , and examined , and their papers overhauled by an English boat ' s crew , on the south coast of Cuba , and in tho Mexican Gulf—a circumstance which was causing an immense excitement against England throughout tho United States . Ho asked whether tho information was true , and , if so , by whoso orders tho transaction had occurred . —Mr . Walvow : said that tho answer should be given on the following day , after tho Government had notice of the intention to ask the question . —Mr . Dauby Guuwm recalled nil old conversation relative to tho pension of Cantillon , for tho purposo of showing that tho part taken in it by Lord rulnieraton wus not borne out by the official documents published in the Monitcur .

    Tho Houflo then wont into Committee of Supply , when sovonil Miscellaneous Estimates wore agreed to ; and , so mo routino business having been got through , 1111 adjournment took place at half-past twelve o ' clock . Tuesdtty , June 1 st . T 1 IK GOVERNMENT AND LOUD CANNING . In tho House of Lomdh , in answer to an inquiry by Lord Gkanville , with refcronco to tho telegraphic

    doapatch to Lord Canning said by Mr . Disraeli to hav been sent after the resignation of Xord Ellenloroueb the Earl of Derby said that the despatch was a personal communication , in which the Government informed Lord Canning of the change that had taken place in the Government by the resignation of Lord Ellenboroueh the regret of the Government that Xord Ellenboroufh ' s despatch had been prematurely published ; and the determination of the Government to give hiin ' . the ' inosicordial support in their power .- '• The message likewise

    expressed a hope that in practice it would be found that the policy of Lord Canning would not ditfer from th policy recommended by Lord Ellenborough . The telegraphic message was a private communication , and it was impossible to produce it . There was no objection to produce the vote of confidence passed by the Court of Directors ; but , as papers of that kind are sent direct from the Court of Directors to the Governor-General and not through the Government , there was no covering letter from the Government sent with it . /

    PATIMXNAGE OF THE SEE OF DURHAM :. In answer to Lord Ra .-venswobtm , the Earl of Chicuester said that a scheme for the redistribution of patronage attaching to the see of Durham , In such a way that a portion of it shall augment the patronage of the sees of ltipon and Manchester , is under the consideration of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ; but it is not yet decided on . THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER ' SPEECH AT

    SLOUGH . The Earl of Clarendon , pursuant to notice given on the preceding night , called the attention of the House to the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Buckinghamshire dinner . He commenced by giving a flat contradiction to the statement of Mr . Disraeli that , when the present Government acceded to office , the country was in imminent danger of a . war with France . At the moment he ( Lord Clarendon ) quitted the Foreign Office , the relations between France and -i Jii ^ land were as cordial and confidential as they had been at any previous period . The Conspiracy Bill had been introduced by the late Government , not at the dictation of France , but on the advice of their own law-ofiicers ; and the principle of the bill had been highly approved of by Lord Derb

    y when in opposition . As to the Cagliari , the late Government had been kept in a state of ignorance as to the facts up to a late period . The engineers hail not been neglected : it -was owing ; to the strong remonstrances of the late Ministry that their friends and the consul had been allowed to see them . Mr . Disraeli ' s attack on Lord Canning was ungenerous , and the repeated official misrepresentations of his policy in India were calculated to confirm the worst opinions of the enemies of this country . The accusation' tliat the prersent Government is opposed by a cabal should be explained , and . Ministers ought to release the corps diplomatique from the charge implied . His lordshi p concluded by disavowing any wish to embarrass the Government in making these remarks .

    The Earl of Derby said he was prepared to defend all the main points in Mr . Disraeli ' s speech . lie then gave , with respect to the peace and war question , the same explanation as that given by the right lion , gentleman himself the preceding night in the other-House ; and asked whether the peril of a war with 1 ' rance , in ease Mr . Milner Gibson ' s motion were carried , was not held out to deter members from voting in favour of it . The preservation of peace was to be attributed in a great degree to the sagacity and good feeling of the Emperor of the French , who , having a moro intimate knowledge of Englishmen than most natives of France , luul abstained from pressing claims to which be felt the English Government could not accede . As regards -the Cagliari ,

    very slight concessions had Leen obtained by the late Government , while the engineers had been liberated owing to tho exertions of the present Cabinet . A claim for indemnity had now been made , and Ministers were determined to support it . Lord Clarendon had forborne to make any allusion to the graphic but true description given by M r . Disraeli of tho brciik-up of the Opposition on Mr . CarilwcH ' a motion ; or to touch on the linnncial policy of tho Chancellor of the Exchequer . For himself , ho ( Lord Derby ) would not enter into the question of tho cabal , but would pass to the consideration oi' the

    Indian policy of tho Government . That policy is one of moderation and clemency as opposed to the violence counselled by some of those by whom Lord Canning is surroundod . Ho was not prepared to < lufen < l every phrase in the speech of Mr . Disraeli ; but , though soino of them might descrvo a . passing notice , from those who disapproved them , the lute Government was not juslilieil in criticizing so severely and repeatedly any indiscretion committed by a member of tho present Government , in n post prandial oration . Moro luul been made of Hie incident than was consistent with the dignity of i'm " - linment .

    Lord Gkanvilwg objected to , and Lord M . vi-Mi ' . snntv defended , the speech ; and Lord Stanley ok Ai . dkki . k * , referring to tho question which had been put by I lie preceding speaker , as to whether her Mnjo .-Uy ' u ' lHl * ' <; ° " vcrnmciit would , on the retirement of ( Juiiut IVr .-iitfi'V * hiivo proccctlsd with the Conspiracy . Kill , * aiil 1 >< : huiL no hesitation » n ntutiug that they would have dono . m ) , and quito ns littlo licsitntion in expressing !>»« opinion that thoy must , in persevering in that course , liavo r « -

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    532 __ ^ ^^ S ^ -Ji- ? . Jg . ^ ' : i- - . " * .. _ [ yp ^ g-jjll ^ . ! 1858 ..

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 5, 1858, page 532, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2245/page/4/