Lords Sitting of 25 January 1855

MINUTES.
Sat First in Parliament.—The Earl of Abingdon, after the Death of his Father.

THE VOTE OF THANKS—THE ARMY.
THE LORD CHANCELLORacquainted the House, that he had received the following Letter from Field Marshal Lord Raglan, in return to the Thanks of this House communicated to his Lordship by The Lord Chancellor, in obedience to an Order of this House of the 15th of December 1854; together with the following Letter received by Field Marshal Lord Raglan from his Excellency General Canrobert, acknowledging the Thanks of this House, and enclosing a Copy of the Order published by his Excellency to the Army under his Command—
"Before Sevastopol, 7th January 1855.
"MY LORD—I have had the Honour to receive your Lordship's Letter of the 18th December, transmitting to me, in obedience to the Com-
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mands of the House of Lords, their Resolutions, expressing the high Sense they entertain of the great and eminent Services rendered to the Country by me and the gallant Army under my Command, and requesting me to signify these Resolutions to the several General and other Officers under me.
"I have had the Satisfaction of announcing to the General and other Officers and to the Troops the Tribute of their Lordships' Thanks; and I hasten to assure your Lordship that they warmly appreciate the great Distinction that has been conferred upon them.
"The flattering terms in which your Lordship has been so good as to convey to me the Resolutions of the House of Lords, and the gratifying Notice their Lordships have been pleased to take of my Services, demand the Expression of my heartfelt Gratitude; and I hope I do not trespass too much on your Lordship's Kindness in asking you to be the Organ of my Sentiments to the House.
"I have lost no Time in transmitting to General Canrobert the Resolutions conveying their Lordships' Thanks to him and the French Army for their gallant Co-operation with Her Majesty's Forces; and I have now the Honour to enclose a Letter which I have received from his Excellency, containing a Copy of the Order he has published to the Army under his Command, and requesting me to express to their Lordships how deeply he feels the distinguished Honour of their Thanks, and how fully these Feelings are participated in by the French Troops, whose Association with the British Army has produced such beneficial Results, and exhibited to the World in so conspicuous a Manner the intimate Alliance established between the Two Countries.
"I have the Honour to be, with the highest Respect, My Lord,
"Your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
RAGLAN.
"The Right Hon. The Lord Chancellor."
Armée d'Orient.
Cabinet du Commandant-en-Chef.
Au Quartier Général devant Sébastopol, le 6 Janvier 1855.
"MYLORD—Le Parlement Anglais, en prenant les résolutions que vous voulez bien me transmettre, a comblé d'houneur l'armée Française. En combattant à Alma à côté de l'armée Britannique, dont l'inébranlable solidité a été si hautement remarquée, en l'aidant à Inkermann à battre l'ennemi commun, elle croyait avoir fait son devoir seulement, et ne s'attendait pas à recevoir des Représentants de la nation Anglaise un témoignage d'estime à la fois si bienveillant et si éclatant.
"Permettez que je vous prie d'être auprès du Government de Sa Majesté la Reine et du Parlement Anglais l'interprète des sentiments qu'ont fait naître dans nos esprits ces actes solennels. Ils rendront plus étroite, par les armées, la, solidarité qui unit les deux peuples dans cette guerre entreprise pour la défense du droit.
"La lettre si affectueuse que votre Seigneurie a bien voulu m'adresser à cette occasion, ajoute un nouveau prix à l'honneur qui nous est fait. Je pense avec vous, Mylord, que l'union entre les Généraux-en-Chef est la meilleure garantie de l'union entre les armées; et depuis qu'elles opé-

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rent ensemble, votre bienveillanee m'a rendu le concert si facile qu'il est pour moi un entraînement naturel autant qu'un devoir de situation.
"Recevez, Mylord, l'expression de mon respectueux dévoument.
"Le Général-en-Chef, "Ga1. CANROBERT.
"A. S. S. Le Feld Maréchal
"Lord Raglan,
"Commandant-en-Chef l'Armée Anglaise."
"P.S.éJ'ai l'honneur de vous donner communication de l'Ordre Général par lequel j'ai fait connaître à l'armée Française les résolutions du Parlement Anglaise." Ga1. C."
"Soldats—Je vous ai fait connaître les termes si flatteurs et si dignes dans lesquels it a plu à Sa Majesté la Reine de la Grande Brétagne de loner, par l'organe de son Ministre de la Guerre, votre conduite devant l'ennemi.
"Aujourd'hui, j'ai à vous informer, avee un légitime orgueil, que vous partagerez, de l'honneur insigne et rare que les grands pouvoirs publics de l'Angleterre viennent de vous décerner.
"A la date du 15 Decembre, la Chambre des Pairs et la Chambre des Communes vous ont voté solennollement des félicitations et des remercîmens qu'elles ont chargé le digne Chef de l'Armée Anglaise, le Feld Maréchal Lord Raglan, de vous transmettre.
"La résolution des deux hautes assemblées est ainsi conçue.
"'Résolu a l'unanimité, que des remercîmens seront portées à l'armée Française et à son Chef, pour leur vaillante et heureuse co-operation dans l'attaque des positions ennemies à Alma, avee les forces de terre do Sa Majesté; pour assistance opportune et énergique qu'ils leur ont prêtée pour repousser l'ennemi à Inkermann; enfin, pour les efforts remarquables qu'ils deploient devant Sébastopol de concert avec l'Armée Britannique.
"'Le Feld Maréchal Lord Raglan est chargé de leur transmettre la présente résolution.'
"Cette éelatante manifestation n'est pas seulement un témoignage d'estime dont vos armes doivent s'honorer. Elle est l'expression des sympathies d'un grand peuple notre allié dans une cause dont l'Europe entiére proclame la justice.
"Vous en sentirez tout le prix, et je vais assurer, en votre, nom et au mien, le Feld Maréchal Lord Raglan qu'ello resserrera encore, s'il est possible, les liens de bonne camaraderie qu'ont formés entre nos vaillantes compagnons d'armes de l'armée Britannique et nous, une haute estime réciproque et le sang versé en commun.
"Le Général-en-Chef, "Ga1. CANROBERT.
"Au Quartier Général, "devant Sébastopol, le 6 Janvier 1855."
The said Letters and Order having been read, the same were Ordered to lie on the Table; and to be entered on the Journals.

RESIGNATION OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE: My Lords, a communication has been made, within this hour, in the other House of Parliament, that the noble Lord the leader of the Government in that House—Lord John Russell—has tendered to Her Majesty
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the resignation of the office which he holds as President of the Council, and that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept that resignation. Under these circumstances, upon the Motion of the noble Lord the Home Secretary, the House of Commons has consented to adjourn until to-morrow. My noble Friend at the head of Her Majesty's Government has, in consequence of the resignation of Lord John Russell, gone down to Windsor, and I believe it will be in accordance with precedent, and will also be for the convenience of the House, if your Lordships will follow the example of the House of Commons in this instance—although it is not so essentially necessary—and will consent also to adjourn until to-morrow. Should my noble Friend whom I see opposite (the Earl of Winchilsea) and my noble Friend on this side the House (Earl Grey) have no objection to postpone until to-morrow the Motion of which they have given notice, I will venture to move, under the circumstances, that this House do now adjourn.
THE EARL OF WINCHILSEAwas understood to express some indisposition to withdraw his Motion.
THE EARL OF DERBY: I should be very sorry to put my noble Friend (the Earl of Winchilsea) to the slightest personal inconvenience, but I would venture to suggest to him, after what has fallen from the noble Duke opposite, and in the necessary absence of the noble Earl at the head of Her Majesty's Government, that it would meet with the general concurrence of the House if, whatever personal inconvenience he may sustain, he would have the goodness to postpone his Motion, and would take another opportunity of drawing attention to the very important subject to which it refers.
THE EARL OF WINCHILSEAsaid, he would not object to postpone his Motion until to-morrow, if he would then have an opportunity of saving a few words on the subject.
EARL GREYsaid, that he had already postponed his Motion.
EARL FITZWILLIAM: My Lords, before the House adjourns I may perhaps be allowed to say a word or two upon a matter which must be regarded with great interest by the House and by the country. We have been informed by my noble Friend the noble Duke opposite, that a noble Lord who held a high office in the Government, and who was practically, though not technically or constitutionally, what is called

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the leader of the House of Commons, has resigned the position which he occupied. We have been informed of this fact by another Member of Her Majesty's Government; but of the causes which have led to the resignation of the noble Lord we have no information whatever. Now, my Lords, I do apprehend that changes of this kind ought not to be made in the constitution of the Government without the Houses of Parliament being informed of the causes which have led to them.
THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE: Will my noble Friend permit me to interrupt him? I know it is irregular to do so, but I wish to represent to him that the noble Lord to whom I have referred has not made any statement in his place in the House of Commons; but I have every reason to believe that he will make such statement to-morrow. Under these circumstances, I think the noble Earl will feel that any attempt to anticipate the explanation of the causes of the noble Lord's resignation would not be fair, and I appeal to him whether he will not think it right to abstain from entering into the subject on the present occasion.
EARL FITZWILLIAM: If those who can give information on the subject think that it is not desirable to afford such information, of course I cannot elicit it from them. Yet I cannot but think that an event of this kind ought not to be communicated either to the other House of Parliament—in which the person alluded to sits—or to your Lordships, without some information being afforded as to the ground upon which office has been resigned. It does appear to me a subject upon which information ought to be given to the two Houses at the very same time when the fact of resignation is communicated. The mere fact of the resignation is of little importance, in comparison with the grounds upon which such a course has been taken, because, give me leave to say, it is no light matter in these days either for the Government en masse to resign, or for one of the most important Members of that Government to say that he severs himself from all connection with the Administration.
THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEobserved that it belonged, of course, to the noble Lord who had resigned to state the grounds of his resignation. He had reason to believe that it was the intention of the noble Lord (Lord John Russell) to state those grounds to-morrow, and it could not
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be maintained that it was incumbent upon Her Majesty's Government to make that explanation for the noble Lord which he alone was competent to make for himself.
House adjourned till To-morrow.