WAR GLEANINGS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES. (From the Weekly News and Chronicle, December 16.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 826, 29 May 1855, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAR GLEANINGS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES. (From the Weekly News and Chronicle, December 16.)

We have it on the authority of the Duke of Newcastle that oti the very day on which instructions were first given to Lord Raglan, in* structions were also given in a separate despatch tp make enquiry with reference to the reduction of Sebastopol, the forces in the Crimea, the means of invasion, and the best mode of carrying it out. But expectations then cherished have not been realised. 'I readily admit ' said his Grace on/ Tuesday, 'if that be any blame to the Government— "that we did hope and believe that, loDg" before the time at which we are now as.

sembled that fortress would have fallen ; and if we erred in that expectation — if we were overconfident, I believe that we erred in common with many men of great experience in war, and men whose opinions were well worth having— we erred in our confidence in common with the public at large both in this country and in Frauce.' This is the way Mr. Sidney Herbet answers ' the question, 'Why did we send an expedition to Sebastopol at all V — 'Because we know that Sebastopol is the stronghold of the power of Russia in the south (cheers) ; we know that the blockade of Russia, however effectual, will not strike home iv a manner that will be sensibly felt ; and we know that the destruction of her fortresses along the Circassian coast, although lit shakes her power to the centre in tl»o»e proIvinces of Asia which she has of late years apIpropriated, is not still such a blow as would be inflicted if by any means at our disposal we could destroy her fleet and arsenal at Sebastopol. It was a great undertaking ; I admit it was a great hazard, but I tell you nest year it would have been impossible. Round that mighty fortress, day by day and night by night, have been rising chains of forts ; and, if we give them time, they will continue to rise until it is absolutely impregnable. If Sebastopol is not taken or destroyed in this campaign it will never be taken or destroyed.' It appears that those generals on the spot who are most competent to judge did not desire to have recruits, such as we have now scut prematurely. They would rather they had been reserved for tho next campaign, unless those events had arisen which reudered it necessary — which induced Lord Raglan to press for them — which induced the Government immediately to send them. The Duko of Newcastle having said that it had been determined by Government to reward the troops by giving to every battalion- engaged one commission for each of tho two' battles of Alma and lukermnu to non-commissioned offieors. Earl Grey tru*tH(l the noble duke in giving to sergeants a well-merited reward would depart from former precedent, and give them com missions as captains of regiments. 'By doing this a real ami substantial reward will be given them, aud a p?j.y upon which they can live, instead of a position which has led to the ruin of many.' (Hear.) Speaking of the Commander-in-chief, the Duke of Newcastle said their lordships could have no conception of what that noble lias done. "I believe highly as he is respected by the country, his merits will not be known until some future day, when not only his despatches, by private letter, which atpresentare in tny possession, and, of course, must for a long time remain there or with my family, are published." : Earl Derby calls the Czar a 'great man,' and prophecies a desperate defence, 'Depend upon it, knowing as I do the resources of the Russian empire, and knowing the character of the great man who rules it — for he is a great man, although now employing his vast resources for unworthy purposes — you will gaiu no peace unless you j conquer it,' Dr. Layarri says that the Russians will shortly have 20U.0UU men in the Crimea! Some lion., member cried '( )h !' — 'The lion, member,' said j Mr, Lay an I, 'might cry 'Oil,' but only last ses-i sion he h:ul been told tliat it was impossible for the Russians to bring up reinforepments at all — ' (bear), ami in the Crimea we ba-l been acting on that very idea, reckoning on the Au>trian alliance, which was sure to preventre iuforce- , ments being brought up ; and yet in one fatal night they had found 100,000 men on their flaukj — (dear.) Last session he had been laughed at for saying the Russians could have 100,000 men in the Crimea, but, if they would reckou up the account, they would find that nearer 150,000 had been arrayed against us. At Inkermann, according to Lord Raglan, 60,000 men attacked us, and of these not a single regiment had fought '-against us at, Alma. The 40,000 men of Alma, and and the 60,0000 of lukerman, made 100,000; Liprandi's division which, with Dannenberg's I corps, had been pushed down from Wallachia, was 25,000 more at the same time 10,000 men made a sortie from Sebastopol on the left of' the ! French position, and all the batteries of Sebastopol, were playing on the allies. So that the ' reckoning on the whole came nearer to 150,000 men than 100,000. What was there, then, to prevent them bringing down 200,000 men into the Crimea ?" With regard to voluntary enlistment, it had been practically found hitherto, and it is now more especially evident, that men in this country I are more anxious to enlist when success has been somewhat retarded, when .increased energy appears to be necessary, and not when all is proceeding with every probability of being brought to fto early and successful issue. This theory, if

theory it be, has been completely established by the experience of the last few months. If we look at the nature of the successes which our arms have achieved in the Crimea it strikes us that the next thing to be noticed, after the indomitable courage and fortitude of the men, is , the skill with which they have used their wea- ! pons, and the superiority of the weapons which have been placed in their hands. Sidney Herbert says that if it had not been for Lord Hardinge, j we should not have bad a division armed with , minie" rifles. 'I do not mean that Lord Hardinge sent them, but, if he had not during the short time he was at the head of the Ordnance Department insisted upon their introduction, that they would not have* been in use now ' Many officers of high military rank were notoriously prejudiced in favour of the old regulation musket, and could not be got out of the routiue, and even such men as Sir C. Napier had said, 'There is nothing like Brown Bess; for Gods' sake don't take away Brown Bess." But Lord Hardinge had made a regulation that not a recruit should leave this country unless he was properly instructed in the skilful use of this formidable arm. And what is the opinion of the men in this division about the use of the rifle, and what was the opinion of the rest of the men from witnessing its effect? That opinion was manifested on the dreadful day of Inkerinann, where, whenever a man, not having the rifle, saw a man fall who had, he ran, seized his miniS, and used it for the rest of the day. It is not only the superiority of the weapon, but the consciousness which it gives the man who has it that he is dependent upon his skill, and must devote his mitid to exercise that skill. The result is, that, instead of firing at random only one ball in 60U or 700 taking effect, they saw the soldier useing his weapon with the facility aud activity with which a gamekeeper would his fowlingpiece, and taking the proper precaution to make every shut tell. The reinforcements amounted first, in June, to 941 j July, to 4oS0 ; Auguat, 2032 j September, 128(5 ; October, 2855 j and November, 7037 : nmkiug altogether 18.7H9, exclusive of the reinfurcements siuce t-ent. Including the origiual army and the reinforcements, we have sent one 5-1,736 odd men. Mr. Sidney Herbert says that the Baltic expedition has ended "in the capture of islands almost inaccessible, held by a very powerful enemy, in which buildings had been marked out for election so as to make them iuto another Cronstadt, another Helsingfors, so that there »iight be a Sebastopol in the Gulf of Finland.' The Minister of War says that Bomarsund was a fortress to which in a few years Svveuborg and Cronstadt would have boeu a& nothing, and iv its harbour and under its guns the whole fleet of Russia would have bceu able to lie in tecurity. "I have no hesitation, my lords, in saying that had Botnar«utid not been destroyed, in a few years the Gulf of Bothnia would have become a Russiau lake, and Stockholm would at any moment have been at the mercy of Russia." Mr. Di&raeli expressed surprise on Tuesday night that nono of her Majesty's Miuisters j thought it necessary to make a ieply to the speech of the hon. member for Aylesbury. Mle is not a supporter of this side of the House. He does not sit upon these benched and he somewhat ostentajtiously informed the Lord President that he waß j peculiarly attached to him— (a laugh). I have no wibh in any way to tamper with the allegiance •which the hon. member for Aylesbury owes to the Lord President ; but, as on the subject before the consideration ot ths Hou&o, I should give my respectful attention to every gentleman who was master of the subject on which he addressed the j Houte — (hear) ; and I should not forget in the individual instance of the hon. member for Aylesthat a man of geuius addressed the House, and remembering that he has come from the scene of that memorable Action which now fills the minds and touches the hearts of the people of this country, and that he has risen to make • serious charges against the Ministry, the fact that he has not been answered by the Government is not a j circumstance which the hon. member may consider as one which will depreciate him in the I public estimate. (Hear). So far as I can judge of , the fortunes of a human being, so far as I can i form an opinion upon the course of human life, I thiuk tho member for Aylesbury will be remembered "Vhen the great portion of the existing Cabinet will be forgotten." (Laughter.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer estimates the French force despatched to the East up to the present moment as little short of 100,000 men — certainly nofless than from 90,000 to 95,000. Colonel Sibthorp "would rather forbear alluding to other Powers j but, as it was said to take nine tailors to make a man, so it would take nine foreigners to make a thorough good Englishman." — (laughtet.) Sir J. Trolloge thought that, from all the antecedents of Austria, the House and the country

could htcn little hope of assistance from that powerful state in carrying on the war. He had an opportunity last summer of conversing with natives of Germany, and he had heard remarkable opinions expressed by them. Those opinions were not confined to the subjects of Austria, but irere expressed by persons in all parts of Germany. The opinion was -expressed with perfect unreserve that Austria would never draw the sword against Russia. Mr. Apsley Pellat suggested that there should be a special war-tax imposed on fixed property in land, houses, the .funds, and railways, which "would enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to remit many cases that now pressed with undue severity upon different interests and classas of the community."