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^ < arose , the EngBsfe « fw « m «« irt fetzn < $ it tfjL to do somethingi They thewrfere sent Colonel tiad ^ L ^ as arConrmMiopevto Asia , with instructions te ^ W P a 11 th ® i&ftwmation he could wilfi reject to «* ae > ntenduig armies , and to- communicate his informaiL n to the Foreign Minister of England , the British MfnisCer a * € &nBtaBtit » pl « i and Lord Bagtau . Lord ftatendoB , moreover , informed Km that he was t © I—tore the Turkish army by all 1 ! he means in hte fairer But his Lordship omitted to tell him what !» ose > means were * Colonel Williams wa » plentifully rtopKed with pen , ink r and paper , from the Foreignnffitee , and apparently with-nothing-else ; but with these hTappears to have bombarded the Foreign Secretary and the English . Ambassador at , Constantinople with
more vigour than it was possible for him to bombard the Rnssians G& laugh . ) What would the House think iftnat Tnode of fighting . . Russia ? After Turkey had j teen laid prostrate in , the East , the English Government sent out a . Commissioner to report upon a state of things of which the Ministers ought to have been perfectly rcell aware long before . Colonel Williams positively did not know what was the nature of his position , at Kars and this was one cause of the disrespectful treatment ' which he met with from the Turkish authorities . But tOxortiy OoBwards ; came the quarrel between Lord Stratford de Bedcttffe and Colonel "Williams . For several months , the two- went on together very amicably ; but- ht December ,. 1854 , the disagreement commenced . " Lord . Stratford was ambassador of England at Con > -
iCantinople , and he was ordered by the Government of thi& country to correspond with Commissioner Williams . Hei watt ordered by the . Government to give him his countenance' and support ; and Colonel Williams was directed to correspond with Lord Stratford , the latter being ordered to forward whatever despatches might be addressed to him to the Government at home . But Lord Raglan : was to gefccopias , and an' ingenious device was resorted to for that purpose . In the first instance , Colonel Williams was to write to Lord Raglan ; Lord Raglan was to write to Lord Stratford ; next , the ambassador waa to write to the Foreign Secretary ; the Foreign- Secretary then wrote back to the ambassador at Constantinople ¦; - and lastly ; Lord Stratford was to preg ent the application to the Porte . Fortunately , at the
same time , leave was given for Colonel Williams to correspond direetljr with the ambassador , instead of by the circuitous route of Lord' Raglan . It appeared that our commissioner accomplished wonders for the time he acted at Erzeroum and Ears , which was a time of extraordinary danger . Soon after , he was joined by young Teesdale , a- name never- to-be mentioned without honour —{ cheers ) - — and two other British officers afterwards joined the party ; and therefore he ( Mr . Whiteside ) was ready to admit that the Government did contribute , in one way or another , to the war in Asia Minor , four men and a doctor , and no more . { Cheers and laughter . " ) He defied any man to ransack the blue book and discover anything else in the shape of assistance from this great
and powerful : empire to the ally they professed their wish fo serve , than four men and a doctor ; but they were men such as were rarely to be found . " { Hear , hear . ) The conduct of Lord Stratford at this stage of the proceedings was most extraordinary . According to a despatch from Lord CUrondon-, he systematically disobeyed the often repeated instructions of the Government to communicate to them tho state of the army at Kars , as far as he could ascertain it . In answer to this , he referred to a series of questions he had put to a Levantine Greek and dragoman , one Count Pisani . Many of the English ambassador ' s letters to Lord Clarendon , moreover , were couched in terms of great discourtesy . In one of these , he asked tho Foreign Minister to " state once for all their relative duties and
the extent of their authority . " Then he omitted to reply to sixty-two despatches from Colonel Williams , besides a great many private notes . Yet this nobleman is still our ambassador at Constantinople , in accordance with the principle of tho present day , when men are rewarded in proportion as they do not deserve it . Next came the consideration of tho more immediate causes of t ? he fall of Kars . On tho 5 th of March , 1855 , General Williams ( as ho had then become ) wrote to Lord Clarendon from Erzeroum , asking for assistance . A copy of that letter was also sent to tho Under Secretary at War , who took from the 29 th of March to tho 12 th of April to answer it . The substance of tho reply then written by Mr . Peel was , that ho had laid tho letter before Lord Panmure , and that ho waa directed to state that Lord Panmure was of opinion that it would be
" desirable to urge upon tho Porto tho importance of paying attention to tho requirements of the Turkish army i n Asia Minor , whenever tho moro pressing need of the service of tho Ottoman troops olscwhoro has ctoased . " Colonel Chosnoy waa appointed to tho command of tho Foreign Legion , but was removed moat unjustly by Lord Panmure immediately after that nobleman ' s accession to office , and after tho Colonel had only had the command about a fortnight . On tho 11 th of last July , Lord Stratford wrote a very useful nnd instructive despatch t 6 Lord Clarendon , proposing that General Vivian should be sent with tho Turkish Contingent , and General Boatson with three- fupusand BaahibazoukB , to the relief 6 f Kara ; but Lord Clarendon and the other members of tho Cabinet ( and Mr . 'VvnuteBide TVtshdd moro especially to hold Lord Palmorsioh
responsible , as berag-tbe Premfer } overrated tboae suggestion * , and ! wished that reinforcement * shook ! be sent to Trebiaend , and be directed thence upon Eraerown * . " lt ? ft was added by Lord darenden ^ ** the army at Kars can" - not maintain that position against the Russians-, it should faM back upon Erzeroum ^ and-the whole Turkish foree should be concentrated there . " That was-a most preposterous suggestion-, and it was seeiKed'by all military men . The next proposition , which was by General MansfteM , was that , instead of sending a force of 40 , 000 men , two detachments of 25 , 000 should * be despatched . Lords Clarendon and Panmure pronounced' against that plan alsot The former assumed that the Turkish Contingent and the Bashi-bazouks under General Beatson were unfit for the duty proposed ; but General Beatson
had flatly contradicted that assumption iir a- book which he had written , upon the subject . " He ( Mr . Whiteside ) believed that , after the quarrel between General ' Williams and- Lord Stratford de RedeHffe was put an- end to , Lord Stratford de Redefine aeted with zeal , fidelity , and activity ; that he was always in the right , while the Home Department was always in the wrong : ( " Hectr , " and laughter ^) Finally , it was- proposed that Omar Pacha should make a- diversion in Georgia ; but ; though the- consent of the French Emperor-was obtained ; this was delayed , and Kars fell . Lord Clarendon had since most unjustly caused Tahir Pasha , the governor of Kars , to t >© arrested and brought to trial' ; and though he had behaved bravely , «« id done the best he could , he was charged' with cowardice . His Lordsnip bod also addressed some insolent' documents to the Turkish
Government , charging its- officers with neglect , when the fault was' much more our own-. But would the members of that House take badly-written despatches for- brilliant actions ? He trusted not ; and therefore he rested the resolution on the truth of the cause . He placed' it in their hands , invoking in its support the votes of a patriotic Parliament , as he trusted it would have the approving- voice- of an indignant people . ( Mr . Whiteside sat down- after having- addressed the House for four hours and a half . ) The Attorney-- General replied : When General ( then Colonel ) Williams joined the Turkish army , itrwas in-a state of the most entire disorganization ,, and'the officers indulged in every species of extravagance and peculation . The English Government could not give act with reference to the
their- commissioner authority to Turkish officers ; and difficulties therefore ensued . However , some of the Turkish officials were removed at our instigation . He ( the Attorney-General ) did ^ not intend ' to palliate ,. Lord Stratford ' s conduct in neglecting to answer- General Williams ' s letters ; but was the House prepared to say that the Government ought to have recalled its able and accomplished diplomatist ? Lord Stratford was no partisan of the present Government . He was the political ally of the gentlemen opposite ^ and it was Lord Derby who raised him to the peerage . With regard to relieving Kars , it was very easy to say that men should have been sent to Armenia ; but where were the men to come from ? The Government refused to adopt the suggestion of sending the Turkish Contingent
poEtfciaiw . Kars , ft was true , had fatten , but Turkey sad' been saved . CouM theAlKeabe held responsible f&r the disaster ,, especially when there was a force in TVirltiali Armenia sufficient to preserve Kars if the Ottoman commanders had done their duty ? The objects of the war had been achieved ; an honourable peace had been obtained ; and the country waff too just and too generous to seize upon one little dark spot , and on that aecount to brand the conduct of Ministers with censure . Lord John Manners considered the Government blameahle for the fall of Kars ; and more espeeiafiy charged that disaster on the Foreign and War SfecreA tacies . —The Lord Advooatb defended the Government ? , and threw the blame on the route adopted by Omar Pacha . —Oa the motion of Mr . Jgbt * Psoz / EiXBCoits , tho motion was adjourned till the following night . MJaCEEiHANEOUS BUSINESS .
The House then wenfr into Committee upon tne Coalwhzppbrs ( Pokt o » " Lowdoip ) , when ) a > resolution was agreed to- whereon to found a bill . On the motion of Sir Benjamin TTa-t . t ^ a select comr mittee waa appointed for the purpose of considering ties best means , of providing accommodation ' for the ' various public departments in the neighbourhood of Dawningstreet , and to report thereupon , to the House * After some further business , the House adjourned at five minutes past twelve o ' clock . ,
Tuesday , AprU 29 ih . NEW PEER . In the HotrsE ov Eords , Lord' Aveland ( lately Sir Gilbert Heathcote ) took the oaths and his seat , and subscribed- the Parliamentary roll , on being-created a peer of the United Kingdom .
ROYAL COMMISSION . The Royal assent was given by commission to the following bills : —Exchequer Bills ^ l , l « 2 ; 700 J . ) Bill , Publw Works Bill , Public WorkB ( Ireland !) Bill , and several private bills . The Royal Commissioners were the Lord Gbdaw-CJELL . QR , the Duke of Ajb&yiaj , and Lord MoNTKifltB . POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTRALIA . The Earl of Ellenborough presented a petition from the merchants and bankers of London , and the Association of the Australian Colonies , praying for the speedy establishment of a postal communication with Australia . —The Duke of Aroyle said the subject had received the favourable consideration of Government , and the communication would soon be renewed , but he could not yet give any informat ion as to details .
THE PEACE CELEBRATIONS . The Bishop of Exeter , in presenting a petition , took occasion to observe that the re-establishment of peace ought to be marked by some public and national act qf thankBgiving . The lower orders are , to a great extent , destitute of the means of Divine worship ; and their Lordships had received many applications as to whether certain places of rational amusement might or might not be open to the public on Sundays . His own opinion ; was that it was a mere mockery to deny them aucb ><
and the Bashi-bazouks , because those troops- were raw and undisciplined , and to have sent them would have bnan fcho height of folly . " Tho 1 Wki » h Gnvfirnmwit made this proposition—that' instead of the British Contingent , Omar Pacha should take the Turkish force then at Eupatoria , that to that force should be added 10 , 000 men from Bulgaria , and that the whole , under the command of Omar Pacha , should be landed in Circassia , and endeavour to make a diversion in favour of the army of Armenia . To that proposition her Majesty ' Government was prepared to accede , but it was necessary to obtain the concurrence of the French Government to the withdrawal of the Turkish force from Eupatoria . And here , though I readily admit what the hon . and learned gentleman has asserted ao very triumphantly , that this of its
amusement , unless they gave them the means of spending their Sundays in a better manner than at present . He was not there to say that the nation should give a largo sum to fcho Church to build fresh places of worship ; such might formerly have been done ; but now there aro many different sects , who pay equally with Churchmen to the support of the State , and who , consequently , have equal claims for such grants of money ; but he thought that a large sum might , for the purposes he had mentioned , be given to those who arc willing to help themselves .
THE FIRE BRIGADE . - Lord Redbsdalk , in presenting a petition from Mr . Scott , who had been engaged in the ventilation of the House , and wlio compluinert that he had beeu dismissed , though he had understood that he was engaged for life ,, again called attention to tho fire-brigade . — Lord Stanley of Aldkrley Htated that the entire responsibility for the safety of the building had been transferred to the Chief Commissioner of tho Board of Works . LORD MALMESBURY'S MOTION ON THE FALL O 1 T KARS . The . Earl of Malmesbury withdrew his notice of motion ( for Friday ) relative to the fall of Kars . He did '
House will not shrink from the discharge duty from any falao feeling of regard for tho French alliance , yet I think the . House , aa a matter of justice , will not forget that Government waa bound to toko into consideration the position in which they were placed with reference to the Government of our Imperial ally , who has stood by us so faithfully in tho war . ( Loud cheers . ) Accordingly , application was made to tho French Government for its concurrence . What was tho answer ? Tho Fronch Government at first declined to concur . The principle adopted by that Government in tho conduct of the war was that all the efforts which the combined armies could make should bo concentrated upon Sebastopol , believing that on tho fato of that city depended tho issue of tho war . Tho French Governof Lord
so with groat regret ; but several delaye hud taken place : the Earl of Clarendon had been detained in Paris three weeks- longer than had been expected ; the Treaty of Peace had been laid on the table , and this had completely altered the state of affairs . The House was invited to discuss the Treaty on Monday next , and it was impossible to enter on tho transactions connected with the war in Aala Minor without anticipating that discussion . He should therefore reserve tho observations ho had to make for tho debate on the Treaty . H » - asked if tho exact form of tho addreaa to tho Orotfni would bo laid on tho table before Monday .
mont , however , upon tho rcprosontation Cowlcy , gave way , and acceded to the proposition ; but Omar Pacha then refused unless ho could tako hia veteran troopa at Balaklava instead of thoso at Eupatoria . To this , Marahul Poliaaier and General Simpaon objected . ' It had boon said , why not Bond money ? In what ahapo?—as a gift or aa a loan ? Had a gift been proposed , would not a cry have been raised against subsidising Turkey ? Had a loan been aaked for , what would have been ita fato ? Power , last aesBion , to guarantee , a loan to Turkey was asked for , and how did gentlemen opposite receive that proposal ? Why , it was oppoaod by Mr . Whiteaido himself , and the meaauro waa only carried by a very small majority . Tho formation , of tho Turkish Contingent was opposed by the same eoction or
Earl Ghanville : " If I rightly understand the noble Lord ho altogether withdraws his notice of motion with respect to Kara . "—The Enrl of Malmksbury : " Yes . " Earl Granville : " I am glad to hear it . " ( " Hear , hear , " and a laugh . )—Tho Earl of Malwbsbobt : " The noblo Earl has not replied to my qnention with regard to tho address to tho Crown . "—Earl Ghanvillbi : . " Tha terms o £ tho motion to b « made by my noblo friend on * Monday evening will be laid on your Lordahips' tabla , on Friday . "
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, 18 Baff ! FBB JLEAPBR . 41 *
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 3, 1856, page 411, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2139/page/3/
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