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460 ____ THE LEADER. [Saturday ^
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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.
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The Maynooth Commission. In Answer To Th...
vantage would arise from changing the personnel of the present Government , which must result from the adoption of the resolutions now before the House . At such a time as the present , frequent changes in the administration are , prima facie , most objectionable . He happened to be on the Continent at the time when the last change took place in the Government of thia country , and it appeared to him that a most painful impression was created in foreign countries with respect to the instability of the-administrative ' system of this country by frequent changes of administration . Not the least of the calamities which this war had brought upon us is the fact that it has had
the tendency in many quarters to throw discredit upon that constitutional system of Government of which this country has formerly shown so bright an example to other nations . Speaking of the compensating good which had accompanied the evils of this -war , JLord Elgin observed that the conduct of our soldiers at Alma , Balaklava , and Inkerman , had met with the most generous praise from our allies and from the Americans . He said also that he had heard from an enthusiastic and even bigoted dignitary of the Church of Rome , an admittal that the hospitals of Scutari had proved that the choicest flowers of Christian charity and devotion might come to perfection even in the soil of
Protestantism . Earl Geanvillb , in answer to the objection that the middle classes are not admitted to a share in the Government , said : — " He thought there had been some misapprehension upon the public mind as to the facility of obtaining men of business to fill official appointments . They might remember that the railway department was abolished by the House of Commons , chiefly on the ground of its being too expensive . Before that reduction took plagp , they lost their secretary , in consequence of a commercial company having offered him double the salary he received from the Government . A friend of his ( Earl Granville ) , who was at the head of a department under
the Crown , was offered 2000 ? . a-year salary , which was double what he received from the Government , by a great commercial company . Members of the aristocracy , even , did not scruple to employ themselves in commercial matters . One of the Plantagenets was now filling a commercial office with great advantage to the company which had the benefit of his services ; and he himself ( the noble earl ) believed it was a well-known fact that Lord Palmerston had offered a Privy Councillor ' s office to Mr . Laing , the member for the Wick burghs . That gentleman had taken high honours at the university ; he afterwards went to the bar , but then engaged himself in a public office ; however , he returned to his
profession , and realised much more than his office had produced him . That gentleman was now at the head of a great commercial firm , and he was a man whom the Government wanted ; but , having taken counsel with his friends , he deemed it prudent to decline accepting the appointment offered him by Lord Palmerston . He ( the noble earl ) had a list of commercial men with him at that moment , civil engineers , and others , and he did not think that one of these gentlemen would accept a Government office for what might possibly be a short period . He believed there were men in the House of Commons who would confer credit upon any Government , but he believed that men who were engaged in business were always averse to take office under
Government . Speaking ( we suppose ) of the Sebastopol Committee , Earl Granville observed that the present Government had done what no other country had had the vitality to do—they had laid themselves upon the operating-table , and had dissected themselves alive in the face of day , and of the whole world . He asked whether they were to go on in this rut of eternal abuse of themselves , even when the facts which had at all warranted the abuse had suffered a complete change . All the facts redounding to our honour had been kept out of view . Our
engagement of the mercantile marine—our construction of a railroad , and of a line of electric telegraph from the seat of war—were overlooked . Nothing can exceed the disastrous effects of frequent changes of Government ; and it should be recollected that all our great victories in former times have been preceded by so wretched a condition of the army as to draw forth universal complaints , and even , in some cases , parliamentary censure . The resolutions of the Earl of Ellenborough he condemned as " ingeniously contrived to catch votes , but not designed to promote any ono great national object . "
The Earl of Derby said he could not allow tho Ministers who had misconducted the war to shelter themselves behind tho gallantry of the army who fought so nobly in tho field . Respecting Lords Hardinge and Raglan , so fnr from doubting their capacity or fitness , he reminded tho House that he was tho very person to recommend those generals to the official posts which they now nil , and that to condemn them now would bo to stultify himself . But he conceived that the > Crimean expedition , for which tho Government was answerable , wns an utter and disgraceful blunder , being undertaken without duo information or preparation , at tho wrong time , in tho
wrong manner , and with the result of placing our army in a position in which it is rather besieged than besieging , and whence it can neither advance nor retreat with safety . Negligence , incapacity , and want of foresight , had been exhibited in all the departments of administration ; and Lord Derby pointed out , as eminent instances of the right men not being in the right places , the fact of the Duke of Newcastle having been placed in the War Department when lie should have been in the Colonies , and of Mr . Monsell , in a time of war , being the first civilian appointed as clerk of the Ordnance . In answer to Earl Granville ' s allusions to the railway and the telegraph , he remarked that both should have been
constructed much earlier . But , in uttering these strictures , and in making himself and his party the exponents of the just indignation of the public , he desired to repudiate all concert with Mr . Lay ard , and to correct some misapprehensions into which he believed the public had fallen with regard to administrative reform . He did not mean to deny that in some cases promotion may have been made with too little regard to the superior claims of excellence ; but he asserted that routine is essential to the efficient working of the different departments of the public service . In a despotic country , the Prime Minister can select whomsoever he pleases ; but the whole of our constitutional system , from first to last , hangs upon mutual confidence , and the choice of Ministers is limited by the fact of its being necessary to select
them from the members of the two Houses of Parliament , and with reference to certain party distinctions . He then reiterated Lord Ellenborough's objection that the destruction of the rotten boroughs had stopped up one avenue through which in former times we obtained men of faculty . But , with the limitations which he had pointed out , he held that it was the duty of every Government to select , with impartiality , the fittest individuals for office , be they peers or peasants . This is a principle which has not been fully borne in mind by any Government that was ever in existence . In conclusion , Lord Derby said that he should be sorry to find again devolving upon him the task of forming an administration ; though the termination of the Vienna Conferences , and the extinction of Lord Palrnerston ' s popularity , would render such a task more easy than it was a
few months ago . The Duke of Newcastle entered into a variety of statements with respect to his administration of the war department ; his object being to show that many exaggerated statements had been made , and that no amount of forethought could have prevented several of the evils which have occurred . The Earl of Winchilsea supported the resolution ? , which were opposed by the Marquis o f Clanricarde , the Marquis of Londonderry , and the Marquis of Lansdowne , the last of whom observed that , at the death of the late Czar , 247 , 000 of his troops had been reported as dead or / tors de combat since the commencement of the war .
The Earl of Ellenborough having briefly replied , their lordships divided , when there appeared—Contents , 71 ; non-contents , 181 : majority for Ministers , 110 .
THE CONFERENCES . In the House of Commons , in reply to a question from Mr . Milner Gibson , as to whether an early day could not be fixed for the discussion of the questions arising out of the Vienna papers , Lord Palmbrston stated that all the Government nights before the Whitsuntide recess were occupied with public business . Thia answer also applied to a question from Mr . La yard with respect to the resolutions of which he had given notice . —Subsequently , Lord Palmerston suggested that the House should proceed with the Education Bill on Friday , and offered to give priority on Monday next to Mr . Milner Gibson's motion respecting the Conferences .
METROPOLIS LOCAL MANAGEMENT BILL . Several clauses of this bill passed through committee ; and Sir Benjamin Hall explained tho nature of certain modifications of Hobhouse's Act which he proposed to introduce . These changes had reference to the money qualification of vestrymen , to tho polling places in parishes ( which he designed should be increased in number ) , and to a reduction of tho number of days for polling from throe days to one day . The Customs Duties Bill was road a third timo and passed . A PARLIAMENTARY " IRREGULARITY . "
The Earl of Malmeshuhy having on Tuesday made some complaints touching certain mismanagement with tho proxies in tho division of tho night before , and the Earl of BbssborougIi having oxplained , Lord RiSDKSDALifl said ho wished to call their lordships' attention to another irregularitynamely , the largo number of ladies admitted to a part of tho House whore they had no right to be . Ho addod that ho must say this had " a very bad effect on tho appearance of tho House . " ( Laughter . ' ) Tho House ouuht to bo regarded in its capacity of a house of debate , and when a house of debate was surrounded
in such a manner , even by that which was beautiful in itself , everybody must have felt that it looked more like a casino than a place devoted to debate ( Laughter . ' ) He trusted the irregularity would not be repeated . —In reply to this , Earl Granville said he remembered once to have seen a French farce , one of the characters in which was an English " milord " who objected to the presence of ladies at dinner , on the ground that they were displeasing to Ms eye . He never before knew who was the original English " milord . " ( Great laughter . ) Not having enjoyed the advantages which the noble lord acquired by frequenting the casinos , he was not familiar with that view of the female sex which had excited his dissatisfaction . ( Laughter . ) The Intestacy ( Scotland ) Bill was read a second time .
TRADE WITH RUSSIA . The Earl of Albemarle brought forward his motion for the restriction of trade with Russia , and proceeded to show that , owing to the laxity of the blockade , and by the indirect trade which had been carried on through Prussia , the people of this country had , in fact , contributed 10 , 000 , 000 / . to Russia for the maintenance of the war . It had been argued that the articles so imported were indispensable , and that tallow and hemp could not be procured from other quarters . This was a fallacy , for both these products could be supplied in abundance from our own colonies . The proper policy of the Government was to cut off this supply of the sinews of war from the enemy and
this could only be done by a more effectual blockade and by restricting the overland transit of Russian produce through Prussia . It should not be forgotten that there was a peace as well as a war party in Russia , whose efforts would be strengthened by a policy such as he had indicated . —Lord Stanley of Alderley contended that the blockade already estab-Jished had diminished Russian exports by fifty or sixty per cent . ; and that to prohibit the transit of Russian goods through Prussia would be merely inflicting the minimum of loss on the enemy , and the maximum of loss on ourselves . Only a very small portion of Russian goods finds " its way through Prussia ; and , in consideration of the opinions
entertained on this subject by our ally , we have agreed to waive the right which we still possess of confiscating all goods belonging to the enemy which might be found oh board a neutral ship . Indeed , there would be great difficulty in enforcing this right ; for in that case we should be obliged to search every vessel coming out of a Prussian harbour . At the same time , he could assure the House that the blockade would be carried out with all the strictness possible ; and he was satisfied that the export trade of Russia , as far as her own ports are concerned , will be all but annihilated . —Lord Raven swortit ,
Lord Colchester , Lord Burners , Earl Granvillk , and the Marquis of Clanricardk , made some desultory remarks on the general question of blockading the Russian ports ; Karl Grky denounced the principle of making war against the trade of the enemy ; the Earl of Derby made some sarcastic observations in reply to the doctrines of Lord Grey , concluding his remarks by supporting the motion ; and , after a few observations , from the Duke of Argyll against the resolution , from Earl Fitzwilmam in favour of it , and from the Earl of Ai-bemarlk in reply to objections , the House divided , and there appeared—For the resolution , 31 ; against , 47 : majority , 16 .
RAMSGATE HARBOUR . A motion by Mr . Mackinnon for a select coinmittee to ascertain the condition , revenue , and expenditure of the harbours of Ramsgate and tho Cinque Ports , was opposed by Mr . Bouvbrik , " »« ultimately withdrawn . Inquiry , said Mr . Bouvene , has been exhausted ; but he promised to prepare a bill which should have the effect of relieving slapping from the passing tolls , which was the grievance complained of by Mr . Mackinnon .
THE IRON TRADE . Mr . Hadfield moved a resolution that the House resolve itself into a committee to consider tho law a for securing the property of manufacturers of iron and various other articles of hardware , and also lor securing the wnges of tho workmen engaged in siicii manufactures . His object , he said , was to obtain leave to bring in a bill to extend tho net Oth ami . ' " Victoria to the manufactures of Sheffield , Hirmingham , and Wolverhampton . — M r . Bouvbi "" «! J pritha facie , there could bo no objection to tho oxiuision of the act , and ho did not oppose the inotii . which was agreed to . —Tho House resolve , itjt into a committee , which passed a resolution upo » which leave was given to introduce a bill .
THE SCREW PBOPKLLMR . Captain Sooner , moved for a select committee to inquire into the application of tho vote of - !> , <«» for rewarding tho patentees of tho Screw 1 k > P « i l ( ¦ His object was to show that tho screw used in . ' navy was that of Captain Carpenter , and «»»¦ as Captain Carpenter Iiiih not reeoived the nion ^ ho has boon unjustly used . —In reply to this »» tion , Sir Francis Baring , who was First Lord ox
460 ____ The Leader. [Saturday ^
460 ____ THE LEADER . [ Saturday ^
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 19, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19051855/page/4/
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