DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16616#0009
Intrflhtdtoii.
♦
VOLUME XXIX.-JULY TO DECEMBER, 1855.
THE PALMERSTON CABINET. —1855.
First Lord of the Treasury .... . Viscount Palmerston.
Lord Chancellor........ . . Lokd Cranworth.
Chancellor of the Exchequer...... . Right Hon. Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, Bart.
Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster........ Earl of Harrowby and Right Hon. M. T. Baines.
President of the Council......... Earl Granville.
Lord Privy Seal........... Duke of Argyll and Earl of Harrowby.
Home Office........... Sir George Grey, Bart.
Foreign Office........... Earl of Clarendon.
Colonial Office........... Lord John Russell and Right Hon. H. Labouchere.
War Secretary . ........• . Lord Panmure.
Admiralty............ Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, Bart
Board of Control ........... Right Hon. Robert Vernon Smith.
Postmaster-General .......... Viscount Canning and Duke of Argyll.
First Commissioner of Works, Ac........ Sir William Molesworth, Bart.
Without Office.........• • Marquess of Lansdowne
POLITICAL
t AGE
THE War was still the uppermost thought in all men's
minds, and occupied its due share of attention iu Par-
liament. The question of Administrative Reform, more par-
ticularly in connection with competitive examinations for the
Civil Service, was brought forward by Vincent Scully, and
seconded by Lokd Goderich. It met with some support, and
was opposed by Lokd Palmerston, who contended that all
parties were agreed in the object iu view—the filling of the
different offices of the Government with good and capable
men; the difference was in the method of accomplishing
that object. Under open competition, neither would pro-
motion be accelerated, nor disappointment at the slowness of
advance be avoided ; but the greater the number of able men
in the inferior offices, the greater the disgust at the length of
time they were compelled to perform inferior duties. Com-
petition might be usefully introduced to some extent; but the
selection of candidates should rest with the heads of depart-
ments, and if that mode of selection was accompanied by a
sufficient examination, the efficiency of the public service
would be secured. The previous question was carried by 140
to 125.
The Report of the Sebastopol Committee afforded Mr. Roe-
buck, Mr. Bright, and others, an opportunity of attacking
the Government on the conduct of the War, but the previous
question, moved by General Peel, was put and carried. An
Amendment of Mr. Laing's, condemnatory of the rejection
of the Austrian proposals, was subsequently rejected by the
House, and on the 14th of August, General Sir de Lacy
Evans urged a vigorous prosecution of the War, and which
would show " how small was the minority that concurred in
SUMMARY.
the gloomy views of the noble Lord who had distinguished or
rather ex-tmguished himself at Vienna."
As Loud Palmerston referred the gallant General to the
Queen's Speech for an answer, we quote that paragraph which
bears upon the question :—
"Her Majesty has commanded us to say that she has seen with sincere
regret that the endeavours which, in conjunction with her ally, the Emperor
of the French, she made at the recent Conferences of Vienna, to bring the
War to a conclusion on conditions consistent with the honour of the Allies
and the future security of Europe, have proved ineffectual; but those endea-
vours having failed, no other course is left to Her Majesty but to prosecute
the War with all possible vigour. Her Majesty, relying upon the support
of Parliament—upon the manly spirit and patriotism of her people—upon
the never-failing courage of her army and navy, whose patience under
suffering, and whose power of endurance, Her Majesty has witnessed with
admiration—upon the steadfast fidelity of her Allies, and, above all, upon
the justice of her cause, humbly puts her trust in the Almighty Disposer of
Events for such an issue of the great contest in which she is engaged as may
secure to Europe the blessings of a firm and lasting peace."
It would be unjust to the memories of the gallant fellows
who died so sadly, so needlessly, and yet so bravely before
Sebastopol, did we attempt to record their sufferings in the
brief space at our disposal, and the reader is therefore referred
to the Anmial Register, pp. 190 to 194.
On the 2nd of March, the hand of death struck down the
most prominent actor in the great drama of the Russian War.
The Emperor Nicholas was attacked on the 14th of February
by influenza, which had been for some time a fatal epidemic
at St. Petersburgh, and notwithstanding the advice and re-
monstrances of his physicians, he persisted in going out as
usual. On the 19th, however, he kept his bed, and grew s >
much worse as to excite some apprehensions. But he persisted
in his determination to hold a review of a corps of infantry of
the guard on the 22nd, and on his return from it he said, " I
♦
VOLUME XXIX.-JULY TO DECEMBER, 1855.
THE PALMERSTON CABINET. —1855.
First Lord of the Treasury .... . Viscount Palmerston.
Lord Chancellor........ . . Lokd Cranworth.
Chancellor of the Exchequer...... . Right Hon. Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, Bart.
Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster........ Earl of Harrowby and Right Hon. M. T. Baines.
President of the Council......... Earl Granville.
Lord Privy Seal........... Duke of Argyll and Earl of Harrowby.
Home Office........... Sir George Grey, Bart.
Foreign Office........... Earl of Clarendon.
Colonial Office........... Lord John Russell and Right Hon. H. Labouchere.
War Secretary . ........• . Lord Panmure.
Admiralty............ Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, Bart
Board of Control ........... Right Hon. Robert Vernon Smith.
Postmaster-General .......... Viscount Canning and Duke of Argyll.
First Commissioner of Works, Ac........ Sir William Molesworth, Bart.
Without Office.........• • Marquess of Lansdowne
POLITICAL
t AGE
THE War was still the uppermost thought in all men's
minds, and occupied its due share of attention iu Par-
liament. The question of Administrative Reform, more par-
ticularly in connection with competitive examinations for the
Civil Service, was brought forward by Vincent Scully, and
seconded by Lokd Goderich. It met with some support, and
was opposed by Lokd Palmerston, who contended that all
parties were agreed in the object iu view—the filling of the
different offices of the Government with good and capable
men; the difference was in the method of accomplishing
that object. Under open competition, neither would pro-
motion be accelerated, nor disappointment at the slowness of
advance be avoided ; but the greater the number of able men
in the inferior offices, the greater the disgust at the length of
time they were compelled to perform inferior duties. Com-
petition might be usefully introduced to some extent; but the
selection of candidates should rest with the heads of depart-
ments, and if that mode of selection was accompanied by a
sufficient examination, the efficiency of the public service
would be secured. The previous question was carried by 140
to 125.
The Report of the Sebastopol Committee afforded Mr. Roe-
buck, Mr. Bright, and others, an opportunity of attacking
the Government on the conduct of the War, but the previous
question, moved by General Peel, was put and carried. An
Amendment of Mr. Laing's, condemnatory of the rejection
of the Austrian proposals, was subsequently rejected by the
House, and on the 14th of August, General Sir de Lacy
Evans urged a vigorous prosecution of the War, and which
would show " how small was the minority that concurred in
SUMMARY.
the gloomy views of the noble Lord who had distinguished or
rather ex-tmguished himself at Vienna."
As Loud Palmerston referred the gallant General to the
Queen's Speech for an answer, we quote that paragraph which
bears upon the question :—
"Her Majesty has commanded us to say that she has seen with sincere
regret that the endeavours which, in conjunction with her ally, the Emperor
of the French, she made at the recent Conferences of Vienna, to bring the
War to a conclusion on conditions consistent with the honour of the Allies
and the future security of Europe, have proved ineffectual; but those endea-
vours having failed, no other course is left to Her Majesty but to prosecute
the War with all possible vigour. Her Majesty, relying upon the support
of Parliament—upon the manly spirit and patriotism of her people—upon
the never-failing courage of her army and navy, whose patience under
suffering, and whose power of endurance, Her Majesty has witnessed with
admiration—upon the steadfast fidelity of her Allies, and, above all, upon
the justice of her cause, humbly puts her trust in the Almighty Disposer of
Events for such an issue of the great contest in which she is engaged as may
secure to Europe the blessings of a firm and lasting peace."
It would be unjust to the memories of the gallant fellows
who died so sadly, so needlessly, and yet so bravely before
Sebastopol, did we attempt to record their sufferings in the
brief space at our disposal, and the reader is therefore referred
to the Anmial Register, pp. 190 to 194.
On the 2nd of March, the hand of death struck down the
most prominent actor in the great drama of the Russian War.
The Emperor Nicholas was attacked on the 14th of February
by influenza, which had been for some time a fatal epidemic
at St. Petersburgh, and notwithstanding the advice and re-
monstrances of his physicians, he persisted in going out as
usual. On the 19th, however, he kept his bed, and grew s >
much worse as to excite some apprehensions. But he persisted
in his determination to hold a review of a corps of infantry of
the guard on the 22nd, and on his return from it he said, " I