NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE discussion on the Turkish Loan, on which Ministers were so nearly beaten, by a surprise, last Friday week, was resumed on Monday, but.without the slightest danger of a defeat. The ob- jectors repeated and reinforced their arguments, but did not proceed ta'a. division. It was generally felt that it would not be expedient for this'ecnintry to hesitate about fulfilling the convention already -entered into with France and Turkey, and that therefore the House Of Commons would act wisely in ratifying the decision the the Government. Nevertheless, the varions_ opponents of the plan of guarantee may have done some good, although at the risk of greater evil, by placing the objections to it in a strong light, no that the nation may thoroughly understand at every step what it is doing, and not be led too far afield in the absorbing interest of the pending struggle. The political embarrassment likely to -arise from our joining with France to guarantee the whole loan -tios-tnueh insisted on.; and Lord Palmerston had little to say in answer, except that the arrangement had been so made at the re- -quest of France. The reason given may suffice for what has been done; and when next any similar step Min contemplation, the re- "Marks made this week ih- the House of Commons will serve to in- dioate what is most likely to be acceptable in England. Upon-the ;comparative merits of-the plan of. loan, which we adopted towards Sordinia,—of guarantee, by which we are now aiding Ttirkey,—and of subsidy, which still remain's untried,- groat diversity, of. opinion will necessarily exist... Enough may always be said, . both. for and against each of them; to ..furnish' an ,unserupulons Oppo- oition with plausible arguments - against whicheVer plan Go- -fernment May have undertaken to -propose. The war, too, is Bkily to last long enough, and- to cost enough. money, to afford laMple opportunities -of trying in turn the advantages of all these 'Methods:. Mr. Disraeli remarked in the.debate, that if an expen- 'difure of five Millions' Were incurredon the credit of this country, -we should be bound, as prudent men, in eatimating our financial position, to take.such liability into our yiew.. This, undoubtedly, is the part of a cautious business-like nation ; but at the present mo- ment, perhaps, we are only.half-inclined.to claim that character. Little else has passed in .Pirliament beyond the ceremonial ob- seqnies of some measures and desperate struggles of others between life and death. The Tenant-Right Bill bpi been abandoned by Lord Palmerston;ifi 'Order, to' give a better chance. of passink the Partnership and .Lithited -Liability Bills; . and these _else he has been urged to Abandon; and .obstraoted _in .Prooeeding with. And, as if the despatch of practical .businese were not' alieady -enough- impeded; as 'undertaken -to raise a 'further discussion of . the Vienna nferences. on Friday next Land it seems,the-oipportitni be him to" redeem his pies e. :The., House of Lords listened last week- to' Some. explanit.- thin between • raid -:11,YridbOret and the .:Chancellor as :to the causes that have produced so -barren a catalogue-of - Law ReforMs thelitesent session. 'The inipttiitien 'of -differenCes of opinion between the Chencellor. affirthe Attorney 'and Solicitor-General was not very forcibly denied; 'itiad it is tolerably well made 'out by the Report of the CobitnisSion for Censblidating the Statute LaW. Mr. Layard inqUired on ThurSda'y night as to the tintli reported dishonour of Commissariat- bills in the East; and he w_as answered. by Mr.. Wilson that such dishonour had occurred to considerable amount,- and that it arose:front the breaking down-of the engines of. a steamer which Was- carrying a large sum of gold to meet .lTere 'have one of those same mishaps which were so rife last winter; and ,fiviiich some sanguine persons may have supposed Were 'to recur no more under our improved and
ventilated war Ministry. But it is much to be feared that if another winter has to be passed by the army in the field, its state will not be so far removed as humanity could wish from that which has already created so much concern. Certainly, no time should be lost in preparation ; for if 100,0001. in gold is liable at this season to a delay of very serious consequence, who shall sa,y what may not befall our Commissariat in times of greater diffi- culty ?
