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RIJSSIAN POSSESSIONS IN WAttMUW
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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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to do directly with the Government , and are consequently allowed to know what is going on , such rumours generally mean a great deal : and _ in another column the aspects of such a political bargain are discussed . The Czar would gain two points in such a sale : he would get nioney ^ and would injure , and still fflforey . would- fief T ^ eat , England . The strictly domestic news'of the week is of ? a character in accordance with tile " season" — -wifen public affairs are suspended- The Assize
intelligence , English iusefc Irish ,- asKxrds the usoai ) Mlustrations of our deplorable Christianity and melancholy civilisation . That most sei'ious of all questions—the " Labour Question" —is again presenting itself , with its inveterate persistence in search of a settlement , under' some sad aspects , in the exhausted Spitalfields velvet-trade : masters and men fighting it out anarchically , and "with none the less hideous vehemence , that the debasing controversy is as to whether a workman shall make 13 s . 6 d . instead of 12 s . a week . The
last act of the Preston drama has been played out at the Liverpool Assizes : the prosecutors withdrawing their indictments against Cowell and Ms brother delegates 5 and the suppressed people being now unequal to gaining attention . to the inquiry— -were not law and justipe violated by the masters in obtaining the arrest of the delegates ? Ckolera progresses , bere and throughout the world . One htiudred die daily iii London : —the Government occupied in seeking a Minister of Health among political partisans—the public thinking of deputations to the Home-office . For instan . ce , a deputation from Hackney make Ions :
speeches to Lord Palmerston descriptive of the state of the open Hackney brook ; Lord Palmerston . replies that it shall be covered by November or February ! This is very imbecile ; we apDear to have lost a free people ' s capacity for action . Some weeks ago we suggested a coup d ' etat against cholera : a national suspension of business while our towns were being cleansed , our brooks and servers covered , and hospital accommodation arid medical corps organised . But nothing is being done ; what is going on in Westminster Hospital is going on everywherethere are not beds and not surgeons enough for the-patients . °
Rijssian Possessions In Wattmuw
PARLIAMENT . © F THE WEEK . COtSiftitotEWP FINANCE . On " Wednesday Sir H . WiLLotrciiBY asked Mr . Gladstones-Sow we stood ' as to finance ? Had the expenditusSEexceeded Mr . Gladstone ' s estimates ? If it didyv- # er ® we to pay ueady money fair war—the expe&eKture of this , ait # nextyear out ofinextf year ' s taxe $$ Orji $ not , wha *! would be the nature-of the loan ?? Or i £ i no loan > what sort of taxes ? ' Sir Hencsy mixeS- up these pertinent and populaer <| uestionSswith . same immaterial rubbish—which i&is-not necessary to' notice hef&v Mr . Gladstone answered boldly and fully—giving us this his fourth budget for the session , and repeating his old suggestion that the public is never told
the truth in the " public accounts : " . " With respect to the public revenue and expenditure , he did not think he conld add anything to what he had stated to tlie House on a former occasion . On a previous occasion he had gone at great length into this question , and he was very happy to say , that though a time of war was necessarily a time of very great uncertainty—uncertainty as to whether the national expenditure would not fall short of the estimatesyet , speaking at the present moment , the 9 th of August , he saw no reason to retract or to qualify any statement he had made or any expectations he had held out to the House on the 8 th of Slay , vhen he made a financial statement in detail upon which the proposal of the Government was made and the subsequent votes of the House were given . He was bound to say that up to the present moment he was
entirely satisfied with , the state of the revenue . Perhaps it would be convenient to the House if he took this opportunity of giving some explanation with reference to the last quarterly statement of the revenue , which had made an impression less favourable than the facts ¦ warranted . It would be recollected that the-last quarterly statement of the revenue showed a decrease upon the quarter ! / income , as . far as regarded the permanent and regular branches of the ordinary revenue , amoufing , he thought , to about 570 , 000 / . Now , he considered it right to show the House how dangerous it was to form a judgment from statements of this character , which were very partial in their form , which were , perhaps , not as happily arranged and adjusted as they might be , and which lie sincercely trusted they should succeed in improving . With regard to the whole of
this 570 , 000 ? ., that apparent decrease was entirely fallacious . { Hear , and a laugh ) , He would explain to the House why it was fallacious . In the first place , it would be recollected that last year this House had been pleased , upon bis motion , to pass a bill relating to metropolitan advances for metropolitan improvements , the first effect of which was that in the second quarter of 1853 a sum of about 140 , U 00 / . was paid to the credit of the land revenues of the Crown , being due to it in consequence of the transactions of former years . That 140 , 000 / ., of course , had nothing whatever to do with the revenue of the year . But although it had nothing to do with the real revenue of the year it formed a part of the apparent revenue of the second quarter of 1853 , with which , 01 course , the second quarter of this year was compared . Therefore , from the apparent deficiency of 570 , 0001 . in tho seconc
quarter of this year we must deduct this 140 , 000 ^ . on account of that purely fictitious increase in the laud revenues of the Crown in the corresponding quarter of last year . Tifere was another item to which it whs also necessary he should direct the attention of tho House . On the 6 th of April in the present year there was a fall in the tea duty . Of course , it was the desire of the trade to release at the ' earliest moment a considerable quantity of tea . The principle upon -which the Customs' Department acted , when there was a desire to take out a large quantity of any commodity at a reduced duty and at a very early hour , was to receive tho duty in respect of that commodity on the pro vious day . Tho consequence of tins was , that no less a sum than , he beliov « d , 233 , 000 ? ., which was entirely due to the revenue of tho second quarter of the year for goods taken
cut on tho Cth of April , went into the revenue of tho first quarter of the year , being received on tho afternoon of the 6 tli of April . And don't say that this money was really due to tho revenue of the first quarter of tho year , because the tea duty had beon stagnant in tlie first quarter in expectation of the remission of duty . That was perfectly true , but there was a much grouter stagnation in 1863 , prolonged from December , 1852 , to Muy , 1853 . Hero , therefore , was a further snm of 233 , 000 ? ., which was duo to tho second quarter of . 1854 . This took away at once 370 , 000 / . out of tho 570 , 000 ? . of apparent decrease . Then , again , quarterly statement , made up for tho information of tho public , referred to England and to Scotland , but did not refer to Ireland . If it had referred to Ireland , if it had given tho rovonno of tho united kingdom—which was of course what they had to deal with—they would have seen in tho rcvonuo of Iroland for tho quarter an increase which would have disposed of tlia whole of that 200 , 000 ? ., so that , in poinfhof fact , upon tlio revenue of tho quarter .
aJthough they were comparing tho revenue of n period 01 war with tho rcvonuo of a poriod of peace , although they wore comparing a period of doar money with 11 period of cheap money , and a yonod of dear bread with a period of" cheap bread—yot , in Hnito of all those unfavourable olrcuinstuncos , tlia revenue of tho second quarter of thin year , from pormunont sources fturly estimated , wns equal to tho rovonuo of tho second quarter of last your , notwithstanding tho grout reductions of taxation which lmd boon umdo . Tlmt , ho considered , was a very satisfactory statement to nmko to tho Hqubo . With regard to tho demands upon them , ho did not think it wua daairablo to repeat tho ligurea which ho hud l » tid in great detail before tho House at mi early poriod of tho soflttion , Ho must , however , correct tins hon . bnroiiot when ho dixlnrod that ho ( tho Chancellor of Lho Kxcliequor ) hud l « id down tho principle , that tho cotit of tho war for tho your wws to bo puid out of tho taxoa of that year , On tho contrary , tho iiouso would recollect , h » hud ulwaya pointed out that it would bo impossible to miiiotlio now taxoa within the your , and that therefore a temporary advance of
moneywhich must be of course borrowed in some form or other wonlcf b ' ttabsolutely necessary for tlie service of the present y « ar . TR ) W > I&a 88 f- provided the Government with a taxing Bow « tf , . wh $$ & , ' prherf added to the available surplus revenue ,. was ?« n ualisttsfet-li » - * xyenses of the war as they were estimated for the y 8 M& J > and tlie money advance of the present year , when rec 6 i * edf . ffi * -- ]) ad no doubt would be fully equal to these'ex . ] J » B 8 e 9 v $ ,. so that , if they were happy enough to have peace procI&intedFUefore the 5 th of April next , he should be enabled ; completely to liquidate these expenses without adding- ontPshilling to the national debt . He said this , of course , . witHtoefereiweTRerely to the present , without -venturing , ttJVTOoptttt ^ fir the futttre , with regard to which nothing cowia be safe All that heventured to state was , that noneofthe appearatices * referred "" tto-on the 8 th of May had been falsified or rendered less probabfa on the 8 th of August .
THE WAR . Some languid efforts Have been made in the expiring Parliament to " screw" some news out of Ministers . On Thursday , in the Upper House , Lord Clanricarde made a long speech , in which he reproduced the newspaper points of the fortnight , and put the question , and how do we stand in regard to our alliances ? There was only one phrase in his speech worth printing ; this — " Public opinion did not act often or easily in that country , but when it did act the Government were frightened at it . "
Lord Glarektdoh answered in some elaborate portipotisness , wliich may bo reduced to one or two facts . In respect to the treaty between Austria and tlie Porte , he declined to disapprove of it . " The . treaty-n-as communicated to us , but not jintil the same day that it was signed at Constantinople ; we knew nothing of it before , and no instructions were sent to Lord Stratford upon the subject . Lord Stratford merely recommended the Porte to adopt that treaty , and some three weeks or a month after , her Majesty ' s Government approved of the advice which he had so given . Lord Stratford recommended the adoption of that treaty , because he saw that in its preamble , as well as in its articles , it was closely connected with all the proceedings that had taken place at Vienna and with the principles wliich were recorded in the Vienna protocol , and because he found nothing in it to prevent the Sultan from taking such measures as he thought fit for re-establisMng his authority in those Principalities ,.
or from taking any part he pleased in . occupying them upon the / withdrawal of the Russians . Our language , even to Austria , when we heard of the announcement of her intention to enter into the Principalities was , that if Austria was going into Wallachia—evacuated by the Russians—for the purpose of proceeding on to Moldavia , ' in order to drive them out of that province , that convention would be fulfilled ; but that if she was merely going to occupy the province uponits being evacuated by Russia , then -we did not think she would be warranted in so dohig , unless invited by the Porte . The Austrian answer was , that tlieir object would be to repress anarchy , to restore order , and to re-establish the authority of the Porte , and that , once entered , they would resist by force of arms tho return of the Russians . " He then proceeded to state the present position , of affairs . The Austrian Government had been informed officially , that Bussia had evacuated both Principalities .
" And I have great pleasure in stating that within tho last thirty-six hours , and consequentl y since the evacuation of the Principalities wns known at Vienna , notes have been exchanged between her Majesty ' s Government and tho Austrian Government , which will show , when published , that Austria has as little intention as wo have ourselves of returning to the status quo . " ( Cheers . ') He . went on : —• " My lords , I am not about to enter into any elaborate defence of Austria , or to attempt to explain the motives of her policy , but I must say I sec no reason to retract any opinion of mine with respect to tho probability of Austria acting iu that manner which a duo regard for her honour , her dignity , and her interest would entitle us to expect that she should net , I entirely agree with my noblo friend that Austria is nu independent Power and lms a right to pumuo her own
poiioy in Her own way , and that wo have no right to complain of her doing so . Whatever mny bo thought of any sacrifices that may have been made by tho allied Powers , I entirely deny tjutt our policy lias been in any way dependent on tho policy of Austria . She may not ha \ o been so alert in hor movements ns we could desire , her nrmy mny not have boon ready so soon us wo could have wished , but to bring that army up to tho state of efficiency in which it now- is , was certainly a work of time and expense . Tho policy of Austria , na my noblo friend says , must be guided by her own interest , just as that of Franco and England W « st , in she smno wny , bo guided by their interests ; but the interests of Augti'ia are more complicated and rnoro antagonistic than Uiotio of Franco and England I bclievo Austria will overcome all tlioso tricks and miuioonvres wliich have boon played off to patalyza her action . "
Ho proceeded to talk in a very naive manner : stating that \ rIron tho war Ibegan , tho Eiiglieh Government thought Russia meant to attempt to get . to Constantinople , and that tho allied army in the first instance , wore meant merel y for tho defence of that capital . But , to his astonishment , tlio Turkn hud conquered ! ' Tlio allied nrmios aro therefore now ready , and luivf , porlmps , already commonccd tlioso more important operations to which any noblo friend him « Huded . Tlion , on llio Ualtio wo havo cortainly two of tho finest and moat powerful llootu that ovur loft tho shores of any country . Certainly great suocohb is not to bo obtained agiiiiwt a Power that ob-Hilnatoly rofuHotj battlo , and Hlmtii up hin Hoots within granite whIIb ; yet those uhipanro Muuluvlcd and usulcwa ; and rmrcly
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746 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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RUSSIAN POSSESSIONS IN AMERICA . The New York Herald announces that negotiations are going on between the Czar and Federal Government , on the basis of the Czar offering to sell to the United States all his American territory . If this be true , important considerations -will arise ; and mean-¦ while accurate information as to the territory in question is important . Mr . A , K . Isbister , in a letter to the Times , says : — " I am in a position fully to corroborate the statements of the . Jvfte York Herald as to the great value of tho territory in question in a commercial view , and more especially in relation to the valuable and important whale fishery which has recently been established in the neighbouring 3 eas and islands . All the best whaling stations in tho North Pacific are
comprised within this territory , and its acquisition by tho United States would , as the New York Herald justly observes give ; their whalers an advantage which would at once enable thorn to defy competition ; ' not to speak of tho immeuse political advantage arising from the possession by our American , rivals of so great an extent of sea const on the Pacific completely hemming in tho narrow strip of sea coast which \ vould then romaiu to us between Queen Charlotte ' s and Vancouver s Islands , and rendering those possessions absolutely untenable by us . in tho event of a war . " t trust it is not too late to draw tho attention of our Government to certain arrangomonts between tho Russian ( government and the Hudson ' s Hay Company , whic h 1 anticipate , will be found to afford ua tlio means of interposing an eHcctual bar to tho further prosecution of the nogotmtiona now said to bo in progress . In consequence of certain iiuriwuoiiB ino
on port ot tlio Kussiaa Fur Company of the treaty of 1825 , under which England claimed the privilege ot navigating the , rivora flowing from tho interior to tho Kaclflo across tho hno of boundary established by that treaty , negotiations wore entered into by the two Governments , and by the two fur companies , which lod to an agreement that from tho 1 st of Jnno , 1840 , tho jHudson ' s Bay Company suould onjoy , for a spociflod poriod , tho exclusive uao of tho conah assigned to Russia , oxtonding from 5 d dog , < 10 min . north , to Cnpe Sponcor , near 58 deg . north , in consideration of tlio annual payment of 2000 ottor skins to tho Russian American Company ; an arrangomont which , I believe , subsists to tlio present timo , and undar whioh wo aro , therotove , at tluB moment in actuul possession of all tlio best ; Harbours on tho Pacific belonging to JRusum ; for tho lino of coast boyond these limits is comparatively of littlo valuebeing blookod up with ico during tho greator part of tho yea _ » , and therefore littlo likely to oxoko ilio cupidity of tho United Stutos .
I'horo can obviously , therefore , bo no transfer of this torrttopy , without u broach of ongagemont with us , boforo wmiiP * » . I ) crlod cx P iro 8 » » nii ' » nv attempt of this nature ri « Jw ! v V J U 8 tify «» in converting our temporary oocupanoy of tho coyotcd const lino into absolute posBcssioii . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 12, 1854, page 746, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2051/page/2/
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