themselves as to England, from an undetected concert of Two powerful Nations, under the disguise of systematic opposition. Any one acquainted with the routine of Diplomatic Life will at once see this difficulty.

Sir Frederick Lamb was one of the ablest and most upright men in the Diplomatic Service of Great Britain. He represented this country at the Court of Vienna. At that Court, the concert of Lord Palmerston with Russia was a matter of notoriety-the hostility of Sir F. Lamb to Russia active and decided. The Austrian Minister offered peculiar advantages to England, in exchange for her Alliance against the aggressive projects of Russia, and the Ambassador pressed them on the British Minister. The Commercial Treaty with Austria of 1838 was lauded as one of the most important pieces of Statesmanship of the time:-it was annihilated by Lord Palmerston-clauses introduced which rendered it an instrument for transferring the Commerce of the AustroTurkish Provinces to RUSSIA-the efforts of Sir F. Lamb were frustrated and reversed-and he was rewarded with a

PEERAGE!

Mr. Mac Gregor exhibited great ability and honesty in the negotiations connected with the Austrian Treaty-was then sent out to Naples on a most important Mission-succeeded in a manner beyond every expectation;—his efforts in both instances were reversed by Lord Palmerston, and turned into disaster and loss to England-himself disgraced by the disavowal of his acts, on a plea which was false in Law, Fact, and Policy-and the overthrown Negotiator was rewarded by the SECRETARYSHIP OF THE BOARD OF TRADE!

The Envoy to Lahore and Cabul, Lieutenant Burnes, who played so admirable a part for Russia in Central Asia, and one so disastrous for England, was speedily found designated by the title of Sir Alexander Burnes!

Mr. Macneill, who had devoted many years of his life to the exposure of danger to England from the intrigues of Russia in the East, was sent to Persia to counteract them. The failure of his efforts was signal, entire, avowed-he was

recalled, and has since been silent, under the weight of Honours heaped on him by his complacent Chief!

What is the other side of the picture?

Sir Stratford Canning exhibited an intelligence and an honesty which could not be overcome-he was one of the few Englishmen who comprehended the game of Russia in Turkey and Greece-he was not to be silenced. Lord Palmerston sent him as Ambassador to St. Petersburgh-where he was rejected by the Emperor! An event new in the annals of the world, that an Emperor of Russia shall choose the Minister to be sent by England. Lord Palmerston ratifies the outrage and Sir Stratford Canning is sacrificed, without a voice being raised up in England-without one Englishman exhibiting even a consciousness of the outrage!

Mr. Urquhart is sent to Constantinople. Mr. Urquhart was a man who had thrown more obstacles in the way of the designs of Russia against England than all Statesmen put together for half a century. He had proved himself incorrupt-incorruptible, and had devoted himself, without reference to personal consequences, whatsoever they might be, to the service of his Country-he had resolved to sacrifice Riches, Position, and Life, in her cause. His exertions are overthrown -his character maligned-spies set upon his conduct, and hired libellers engaged to do him injury! He is recalled from his post on a plea which is false-he brings his accusers to answer for their conduct before a public Tribunal, and they (Ministers of the British Crown) fly from a Court of Justice, which they evade by a subterfuge!

We have seen that the Secretary of Legation of the British Embassy in Greece, and two Members of the Greek Regency, horror-struck at the game played by the British Resident, against England and in favour of Russia, proclaimed the truth to Lord Palmerston-that they have been forcibly expelled, degraded, condemned without being heard—their proofs not noticed!

With examples such as these (and they are only a few of the many similar) before their eyes, how can we expect that

any of the Courts of Europe are to resist the joint action of the Russian Cabinet and the British Minister !

With such an uninterrupted series of acts as I have described, can there be any doubt of the guilt of the man who wields the destinies of England-do you trust such a man with the guidance of your Affairs-the protection of your Interests-the choice of your Wars-the formation of your Alliances? Will he not continue to place you in hostility with your Friends, and to keep you in union with your Foes? Is it that you cannot or you will not see that, with such means in his possession, he holds a perfect mastery over the measures and the Ministers of the Courts of Europe-that he can compromise, deceive, and betray the Ministers and the People who are your friends, and turn them over for protection or revenge, into the arms of your Enemy, against you?

CHAPTER X.

FRANCE-THE TREATY OF THE 15TH OF JULY.

My Mission would have been successful if only on this account, that I have convinced the Emperor that all his efforts to break the English and French Alliance are in vain."-Declaration of Lord Durham on his return from the Embassy to St. Petersburgh.

In the preceding Chapters I conceive that I have adduced evidence, if not entirely conclusive, certainly of the strongest description, showing that the Policy of Russia is, in its ultimate object, and necessarily in its present operations, at direct variance with the interests of England, and incompatible with the continuance of the British power; that the Regions. of the East are the principal field on which the struggle rages, and of which the dominion by Russia, will be the decisive blow against England; that the possession of Constantinople is the chief and indispensable object for acquirement by Russia, as much for itself, as for the means of action which its occupation would supply for realising the scheme of Russian Policy, viz., the Empire of the East and West. I conceive it is sufficiently obvious that, in the estimation of the Russian Cabinet, the rupture of amicable relations between England and France is an event necessary to the consummation of Russian designs-that it is a vital object to be gained by the Russian Cabinet. I conceive, likewise, that I have established the Policy of England, under Lord Palmerston, to have tended systematically to the carrying out of the objects of Russia, and to the destruction of the Interests of England-that the only inference which can be drawn from the acts of that Minister is, that he is in secret concert with the Russian Cabinet; and that there is no check upon his conduct in consequence of the universal apathy of the British people.

In such a state of things as this, it must be obvious that

the only obstacle remaining to the completion of Russian designs in the East was, the union of England and France,-a union existing because the two people knew that the occupation of Constantinople, or the preponderating influence of Russia in Turkey, would be equally injurious to them both. For the ten years ending with July 1840, this union existed, and seemed so firm as to be incapable of being disturbed, for, the sympathies of the two people, and their material interests, were bound together with equal closeness. This indispensable necessity for Russia, and disaster for England, has been suddenly and most effectively brought about, to the amazement of every man in the two kingdoms.

Let us glance at the position in which France stood relatively to England prior to the Treaty of the 15th of July. In France there were two political parties, of which the Leaders or Representatives alternately swayed the Councils of the Kingdom. One of these parties professed itself attached to those European Governments called "despotic Governments," in preference to those called "Constitutional Governments," and was therefore disposed to look for support in the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh as antagonistic to that of London. The supporters of this party were not numerous in France, although, by the favour of the French Court, it had a powerful hold on the Government.

Finding little

favour at home, it relied more on its exertions abroad, and thought it saw the interests of France in the establishments of Colonies, and in the acquisition of Foreign possessions. This party, in fact, adopted a course of Foreign Policy of a nature similar to that pursued by Russia, and its proceedings were marked by an equal disregard to, and equally flagrant violation of, British Commercial Rights, as of the Rights of Nations, and the Laws of Humanity. This aggressive Policy being incompatible with the Interests of England, could not, of course, be pursued without injuring England, and thus the intentions alone of this party, were its political sympathies out of the question, placed it in a position of hostility to England-which hostility being founded on a line of Policy, was necessarily systematic; but the enmity was in acts,