blockade, he admitted, had not been enforced in a
satisfactory manner; but the general result of our
operations had been to annihilate the Russian commerce
while our ships were unharmed. Again, there was
reason to believe that the manufactures of Russia had
materially suffered, as our blockade of her ports had put
upon Russia the yery pressure which Mr. Collier was
anxious to inflict upon this country in the supply of raw
materials. Mr. Cardwell referred to statistical details,
showing the diminution of the exports of produce from
Russia and of the imports of cotton. The depreciation
of the rouble had been appealed to, but an argument
drawn from the exchanges was, he observed, but
another form of the argument to be deduced from the
general results of commerce, and, as the exchanges
were liable to a variety of disturbing causes, it
was safer, in his opinion, to rely upon other
indications. By our blockade, then, we had produced a
considerable effect upon Russia. Was it in our power
by other means to inflict a greater injury, and would not
those other measures inflict a greater injury upon
England? Blockades operating upon neutrals produced
a maximum of pressure upon Russia and a minimum of
pressure upon ourselves, whereas commercial restrictions
at home would have an opposite effect. Mr. Cardwell
then examined at considerable length the remedial
suggestions offered by Mr. Collier and Mr. Mitchell,
insisting upon the evils attending the enforcement of
the right of search, and upon the frauds inseparable
from a system of certificates of origin. It appeared to
him, he said, remarkable that at the end of twelve
months of war we had inflicted so much pressure upon
the enemy with so small an injury to our own commerce;
and this result he thought justified the mode of
aggression which had been adopted by the government.
—After some remarks by Mr. Ricardo, Lord Duncan,
Sir J. Graham, and Mr. Duncan, the motion for the
returns was agreed to.

On Thursday, the 22nd, Lord PALMERSTON announced
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of
the Admiralty, and the Secretary for the Colonies, had
resigned their offices, and therefore requested the house
to Adjourn till Friday. After some routine business
the house adjourned accordingly.

On Friday, Feb 23, Sir James Graham, Mr. S.
Herbert, and Mr. Gladstone, gave Explanations of
their Reasons for Resigning. Sir J. GRAHAM said that tie
had hoped that the change in the Cabinet, and the
administrative reform which had already been
inaugurated in his own and other departments, would be
accepted by the house as satisfying its displeasure for
past misdeeds and securing better management in
future. This not being the case, and the inquiry by a
committee being still insisted upon, he felt unable to
sanction or accept a proceeding which he believed to be
alike unnecessary, unjust, and inexpedient.—Mr. S.
HERBERT'S explanation was similar to that of Sir J.
Graham. The step he had taken, he said, was a painful
one, proceeding from a paramount sense of duty.—Mr.
GLADSTONE began by alluding to the proffers made to him
by Lord Derby in the early stages of the ministerial crisis,
and read some passages from the correspondence that
passed on that occasion. It had been a subject of regret to
him that a government had not then been formed by the
noble earl from among his own parliamentary supporters.
When subsequently he was asked by Lord Palmerston
to join his administration, he felt that he had no just
cause to refuse, although suffering much pain by his
severance from Lord Aberdeen. After expressing his
conscientious admiration for his late chief, Mr. Gladstone
stated that his reason for quitting office arose from
the fact that the government had decided upon adopting
an alternative which he considered fatal. No one had
shown that the committee was a fit engine for
prosecuting such an investigation, or said anything to
shake his persuasion that it would turn out either an
imposture or a mischief, not both at once. By insisting
on its appointment the house would practically wrest
the powers of government from the hands of the executive,
and delegate them to a section of its own members.
To the argument that an unprecedented emergency
justified an extraordinary intervention, he replied by
contending that the instrument now suggested must
prove, not only mischievous, but altogether weak and
futile, Lord Palmerston acknowledged the conscientious
motives which had urged his late colleagues into
retirement, and expressed his sorrow at losing their
services and co–operation. When assuming the responsibility
of office, Lord PALMERSTONE declared that he had
never intended to abandon the post merely upon the
contingency of the vote for a committee being persisted
in, and such he intimated was his persuasion respecting
the determination of his colleagues. He stated that the
government still adhered to the terms proposed as basis
for the negotiations at Vienna, and were prosecuting
the conferences in perfect good faith. They would lose
no opportunity of hastening the advent of peace, but
would never consent to any terms which did not
afford a full security of repose and independence
to Europe. These explanations produced various
comments from different members.—The house then
proceeded to nominate the committee of inquiry,
after a brief protest from Mr. R. Phillimore, and some
remarks from Sir T. D. Acland and Sir H. Willoughby.
—In reply to the last mentioned member, Lord
PALMERSTON stated that he did not intend to propose any
limitation to the inquiries of the committee, believing
that sufficient guarantee was afforded by the known
discretion and judgment of the members of which it was
composed.—Mr. ROEBUCK explained the principles on
which his committee had been selected, expressing his
assurance that it deserved the confidence of the house.—
The names of the proposed members of the committee
were put and successively agreed to, a division being
taken on a motion for substituting the name of Captain
Scobell for that of Mr. Bramston. The motion was
negatived by 101 votes to 80—21.—The following are
the names of the committee,—Mr. Roebuck, Mr.
Drummond, Sir J. Pakington, Mr. Layard, Colonel Lindsay,
Mr. Ellice, sen., Lord Seymour, Sir George Cornewall
Lewis, Mr. Ball, Mr. Bramston.

              PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.

House of Lords.—Monday, Jan. 29.—Earl Grey's Motion
respecting the Administration of the Army.

Thursday, Feb. 1st.—The Ministry; Statements of Lord
Aberdeen and the Duke of Newcastle.

5th.—North American Fisheries Bill read a first time.

6th.—Cathedral Appointments Act read a third time and
passed. North American Fisheries Bill read a second time.
Protection of Purchasers Bill read a first time.

8th.—North American Fisheries Bill committed.

16th.—Lord Panmure's Statement as to the War
Department.

20th.—Army Service Act Amendment Bill read a second
time.

House of Commons.—Monday, Jan. 29th.—Adjourned debate
on Mr. Roebuck's motion, carried by 305 to 148.

30th.—North American Fisheries Bill read a first time.
Carriage of Passengers Bill read a first time.

Friday, Feb. 2nd.—Vote of thanks to Sir De Lacy Evans.

5th.—North American Fisheries Bill read a third time and
passed.

7th.—Public Libraries and Museums Bill read a second time.

8th.—Supply, Vote for the Navy.

9th.—Writ for New Windsor, vacated by Lord C. Wellesley.
Supply, Supplementary Civil Estimates. Ways and Means
Committee.

16th.—Committee of Supply, Naval Estimates.

19th.—East and West India Dock Bill thrown out on second
reading. Committee of Supply—Army Estimates.

20th.—Leave given to bring in Bills—Irish Tenant Laws,
Dwelling Houses for Working Classes, and appointment of a
public prosecutor. Army Service Amendment Bill read a first
time. Reports from Committee of Supply and Newspaper
Stamps brought up and agreed to.

21st.—Nuisances Removal Bill and Public Health Bill read
a second time, and referred to Select Committees. Common
Law Procedure Bill went through Committee. Committee of
Supply—Army Service Bill read a second time.

23rd.—Explanations by Sir J. Graham, Mr. S. Herbert, and
Mr. Gladstone. Nomination of Mr. Roebuck's Committee.

Lord Palmerston was reëlected for Tiverton on the
12th inst, without opposition. He was proposed by Mr.
John Heathcoat Amory, and seconded by Major Hole.

Mr. Sidney Herbert's return for the Southern Division
of Wiltshire passed, on the 15th, also, without
opposition. The new secretary for the colonies was
proposed by Mr. A. Powell, and seconded by Mr.