On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    May 10, 1856.] T H E X, E A P E B. 435 -...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Imperial Parliament. ¦ ¦¦' • ¦ ¦¦ —?—Mon...

    d trnfortunately been , found necessary to continue the ir , ire have learned with , joy and satisfaction that her rfesty has been enabled to re-establish peace on conions so honourable to her Majesty ' s- Crown , and which fully accomplish the great objects for which the war a undertaken- To express to her Majesty the great isfection which we feel that , while those alliances rich have so materially contributed to the vigorous a successful prosecution of the war have been equally active in the consolidation of peace , Powers which had t taken an active part in the war have combined with s belligerents to give by their sanction and accession bwhich the

    litional firmness to the arrangements y iosa of Europe is in future to be protected from distance . To state to her Majesty that we rejoice that , twithstanding the great exertions which the late war idered necessary , the resources of the empire have nained unimpaired . To express a hope that the peace ich has now been concluded may , under the favour Divine Providence , long continue to shed its blessings sr Europe , and that harmony among Governments and jndly intercourse among nations may steadily promote i progress of civilization , and secure the welfare and ppiness of mankind . " Lord Glenelg seconded the motion , contending that

    i war had resulted in curbing the power of . Russia in i Black Sea and in the Baltic , and thus securing the ependence of the Ottoman Empire and of Sweden . rhe Earl of Malmesbury thought the terms of the dress exaggerated , and he could not concur with them . 3 expressions "joy and satisfaction" were not warted . The objects of the war had never been very clearly med ; but , as far as he understood them , he denied t they had . been fully accomplished , and he should refore advise an amendment , congratulating her May that the Government had been enabled to estah a peace " the conditions of which appeared to her jesty ' s Government adequately to effect the great seta of the war . " The fall of Kara had seriously

    cted the conditions of peace . Sebastopol had been ored to the Russians ; there was no definition of what » be considered a naval arsenal ; the northern forts ain ; Kertch and Eupatoria are to be given up , ugh strengthened by works' erected by us ; the forts the Circassian coast are also to be left in the bands of sia ; the Circassians have been abandoned , notwithlding their services to the Allies ; sufficient measures e not taken at the proper time for the security of i Minor ; and General Williams was neglected at s . Into this last question , Lord Malmesbury entered ome length , and severely reprehended the conduct of d Stratford de Redcliffe . However , if it were the a of the House , he would not oppose the Address ,

    merely content himself with recording his opinion , 'he Earl of Clarendon thanked Lords Ellesmere and aelg for the praise they had bestowed upon him ; but i praise was equally due to his colleague , for though , Lord Malmesbury had remarked , the name of Lord rley did not often appear in the protocols , it was ply because he ( Lord Clarendon ) was the first plenisntiary . Lord Cowley had rendered him much asmce by his knowledge and experience . Lord Malmes-/ was mistaken in supposing that the fall of Kars had an effect on the negotiations . It was unjust , eover , to Lord Stratford to suppose that , because he not write , he did nothing else ; and it should be relbered that procrastination is the rule in transacting

    ness in Turkey , and that , during the period alluded ^ ord Stratford had several other questions in hand , » f great importance . To have recalled Lord Stratwould not have saved Kars , while it would have l highly inconvenient , as depriving us of the services most experienced man . But the Government had ified its disapproval of the ambassador ' s conduct , had ted that General Williams ' s demands should be com-L with , and had obtained that compliance . As to ing a portion of the Crimean army to Kara , it was opinion of the French Government and of all the rale , English and French , that that step would be ly imprudent ; and therefore it was not taken . In rer to Lord Malmesbury ' s objections , Lord

    Clarenexplaincd that , Russia being still entitled to retain nited number of ships in the Black Sea , it was nciry that Nicholaieff should be kept as the place for ling them ; but an engagement had been made that lore should bo constructed than were allowed . The fication of the frontier from that first proposed had red a better boundary ; and the freedom of the navi-> n of the Danube had been guaranteed , and would be lated first by a commission , and afterwards in the s manner as that of the Rhino . As wo had obtained lilitary successes on the Circassian coast , wo could impose any terms on Ruania with regard to that

    itry ; and it would havo boon difficult to discover t to impose . Those districts muat cither have been ? red to Turkey or declared independent . The people Id never have submitted again to Turkey , and to » ro thorn independent would havo boon a more kory . The feeling of the population and of all the fa was with the Ruusiana . Among thorn muat be idod Schamyl and the Circassians ; for the only > d during which he had made no military movement nat RuHHia had been tho last two yoarH of the war . He lot think they had any great claim to tho conaidornof England .

    The Earl of Debbt conceived that the terms of the Treaty are not commensurate with the sacrifices- that have been made ; And he hoped they would turn on * better than the peace of Amiens . He blamed ( the Government for the fall of Kars , and was dissatisfied' with the new line of frontier , which he believed to have been modified in consequence of that event . " Then- there fe tiie neutralization of the Black Sea . We are told that it is to be completely neutralized—that it is to be open to the commerce of all nations , and that no military arsenals of any shape are to be upon its coast . But what is to become of the two important forts of Ismail and Killia-nova ? Are they to be razed ? I should be glad to know whether they are to be razed or not . Is there any understanding on the subject ?—( The Earl of

    Clarendon" was understood to reply in the negative . ) Then they are not to be razed ?—( The Earl of Clarendon : They have been restored . ' )—They form part of the Turkish territory , but they cannot be occupied by Turkish troops . These fortresses will be garrisoned by Moldavians , and , so far as Turkey goes , I don ' t think there will be any security . " There was nothing in the Treaty to secure the real neutralization of the Black Sea . The forts on the coast of Circassia , might be restored , and the best barrier against Russia , the independence of the Circassian tribes , had been sacrificed . He condemned severely that part of the Treaty which changed the maritime law of the country without any reference to the Legislature . That part of the Treaty was—to use the mildest expression—a surrender of our

    maritime supremacy . Earl Granville defended the Treaty of Peace ; and Lord Cowley explained ( m answer to some criticism by Lord Aberdeen ) that any aggression from either Russia or Turkey in the Black Sea would give the other Powers a right to interfere . —Earl Grey considered the Treaty a great step in . the advance of humanity and civilization , especially in the change it effected in our maritime law ; and Lord Campbell said the change in that law had been effected quite in accordance with the constitution . —The amendment was then negatived , and the Address agreed to without a division . The House then adjourned . In the House of Commons , Mr . Evelyn Dbnison moved , and Mr . Henry Herbert seconded , an Address similar to that which had been proposed in the Lords .

    Lord John Manners said he would not oppose the reception of the Address , but would state one or two objections -which he felt towards the Treaty . He admitted that the present security of Turkey was fully attained by its provisions ; but her future security he feared was not provided for . The handing up of the Circassians to the Russians ( whose authority over them had never been recognized by Europe ) was a proceeding devoid of justice and honour ; and the only security sought after for the Turkish Asiatic provinces was " poor and pitiful attempt" of Lord Clarendon to prevent the re-erection of the Russian forts on the Black Sea ,

    the result being that the Russians are at liberty to rebuild those forts whenever they please . The Trans-Caucasian tribes had therefore been handed over without pity or remonstrance to their implacable foes , though at the Vienna Conferences it was one of our objects to secure their independence . His suspicion was that this abandonment of a gallant and friendly people was " compensation" to Russia for the relinquishraent of Kars . As regards Lord Clarendon ' s refusal to pledge himself to reactionary and restrictive measures against the press , he thought his manner of doing so was calculated to give countenance and encouragement to such

    measures . Mr . Moncktow MiLMOBS accused Lord John Manners of exaggeration in characterizing the Treaty of Peace as dishonourable and degrading ; but he joined with him in denouncing tho manner in which the free Belgian press had been spoken of in the Conferences , as he thought it amounted to a menace . —Mr . Layard was satisfied , upon the whole , with the Treaty of Peace ; it exceeded in value what he expected , and , considering tho policy on which the war had been commenced by Lord Aberdeen ( a policy which he believed might have been greatly improved , but which it was now too late to alter ) , ho did not think it could be denied that the main objects had been accomplished . However , he agreed with Lord John Manners in condemning tho abandonment of the Circassians . With regard to the provisions

    for tho neutralization of the Black Sea , he thought there wore a thousand ways by which Russia might evade them . She might have an unlimited number of gunboats in tho Sea of Azof , and say they were there for tho protection of trade . They need not be armed ; that might be done in the shortest possible space of time . Their vessels of war might also easily bo passed off as merchant vessels . With regard to Circaeeia , he thought a great omission had been made . Was the blockade of tho Circassian coast , which had long existed , to be continued ? The right of Russia in Circasnia had never been acknowledged by the other European nations ; but the Treaty appeared , tacitly at least , to give flomo colour to such right . Were our ships and our consuls to be excluded from Sobastopol and Nicholaiuff ? The reforms granted by tho Porte to tho Christians were , on tho whole , very watisfactory ; and ho highly approved of the independence granted to Sorvia . Mr . L « y « rd concluded

    hy denouncing tne present coucHtion of Italy-, in which country there » less liberty than there is in Turkeyand by cor apKmentmg 1 Lord Clarendon on fba able ' manner in which he has conducted' the negotiations . Lord John Russell expressed his satisfaction- -with the 1 Treaty , except in some few particulars . He regretted that the engagement respecting Nicholaieff did not appearin < fre Treaty , but only in the protocols , in the shape of an answer of Count Ortoffl The right conceded ta Russia to- re-erect the Circassian rbrts might perhaps be the means of confirming her power m file Black Sea . His lordship then referred to the condition of the European nationalities , observing : —**¦ I cannot but think , while we are ready to-aetmit that the Emperor of France , within his own dominions , mar- regulate the

    press as he pleases , and * put any-restrictions en-it he may think advisable , without any interference on our part , he should respect similar rights in Belgium —( cheers ' )—and not call upon the English Minister to-join him m interfering with such an authority in another country . Other grave questions were discussed in the Conference of April 8 th . —Greece , for instance , which , unfortunately , is in a very melancholy state ; but yet , I beHeve , if examined , it would be found , in spite of many disorders and outrages , and of licence on the part of the Government , to have exhibited some proofs of freedom which maylead us to hope better things . ( Hear , hear . " ) But another subject is still , more melancholy , and that is , the state of Italy . I ventured to call attention to this subject at the end of last session , and , since that time , I have received

    protests and complaints that I should have spoken , against the Italian governments . I have since made inquiry in greater detail , and all the details -which Thave discovered confirm my impression . I find that the arbitrary government of the Legations is such as hardly can be believed , ( Hear , kear . ) To men like the Italians , quick in idea , sensitive in feeling , endowed with imagination , and at the same time aspiring to live under a good government—to | such men sueh tyranny must be intolerable . ( Cheers . ) How is this state of things maintained ? By foreign intervention . We all know that since 1815 foreign intervention rests upon this , viz . — the momentary overthrow of authority , the want of order , the open supremacy of a mob or of some anarchical partv , who may be put down by foreign help till

    authority has been restored , when the intervention should be withdrawn . ( Hear , hear . ) That ia the principle of foreign intervention since 1815 , and one instance of it is exhibited in our interference in Portugal , when , authority was restored , and our interference ended in a few months . But the intervention at Rome has lasted for seven years . The time has come when we may ask , 1 What do you mean ? Do you mean perpetual occupation ? If not , when do you mean to withdraw ? If it is to be perpetual , then that is an addition of territory to these States , and it is an overthrow of the balance of Europe . ' ( Cheers . ) The question as to the time of withdrawal might be answered , but , if answered , it muat be answered with a great sacrifice of that priestly power

    which has been the source of great abuses in government ; and , if answered as I believe it ought to be , it must be answered by a sacrifice of the Protectorate of Austria over Italy . I am favourable to Austrian dominion when that dominion is legitimate . I consider her position in the centre of Europe eminently useful to Europe , and that her influence is often used to withstand Powers more ambitious than herself ; but she has no claim to a protectorate in Italy beyond certain bounds laid down for her in the Treaty . I trust that the words used by Lord . Clarendon at the Conference , and which , I am assured by one who was there , were , in fact , stronger than wo have thom in the protocol , will not be allowed to fall to the ground . "

    Lord Claud Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction at tho abandonment of tho Circassians—an assertion which was denied by Sir Charles Wood , who observed that the Circassians are only left in the same position in which they were found at the commencement of the war . Had Russia been required not to reconstruct the forts on the Black Sea , Turkey must have been called upon to demolish Varna . On tho motion of Mr . ' Lindsay , the debate was adjourned . MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS . Previously to tho debate , several questions were asked of different membors of the Government . The moat important were the subjoined : — Laboucherk stated

    In answer to Mr . Maouire , Mr . that there had been some disturbances in Demernra , stirred up by a fanatic anti-Catholic , named Orr , but that tho riotn had been put down . Tho thanks of tho Government were due to a French and a Dutch vessel of war , which rendered valuable assistance . Replying to Captain SconELL , Sir Charles Woodstated that two or three ships had been ordered to the Black Sea to bring troops from tho Crimea , but that it was not intended generally to employ ships of war on that service . —Captain SconELL then asked tho Undersecretary for War whether the soldiers who , without blame on their part , lost their kits at tho time of landing in the Crimea , or at any subsequent period , havo been , or would be , allowed compensation for the name ?—Mr . Frkpkrick Peicl said that , where there was no bl » me , tho Holdiers would either receive others , or money to compensation .

    May 10, 1856.] T H E X, E A P E B. 435 -...

    May 10 , 1856 . ] T H E X , E A P E B . 435 - ' " ^ — ¦ * - i .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 10, 1856, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10051856/page/3/