les as a
religious dogma. They held that war, under any circumstance, for
whatever purpose, offensive or defensive, was a sin, and they deemed
it their duty to oppose whatever government went to war. On a vote
connected with the Chinese war the government of Lord Palmerston was
defeated, by a combination of the tory and the Manchester parties: the
latter, acting conscientiously as opposed to war; the former, taking a
party advantage of the situation, and voting against the government for
doing what, in office, they would do themselves. These two parties
were strengthened by Lord John Russell, then in opposition, and a small
section of Whigs led by him, who, in a spirit as factious and still
less honourable, joined the great conservative party to throw out the
Palmerston ministry. Sir J. Pakington, a determined Tory, became first
lord of the admiralty, and the other lords were of course of the same
party, they had come into office by a vote adverse to the Chinese war
and to the Palmerston government for lending any sanction to it.

When Admiral Sir Michael Seymour learned these facts, he thwarted Lord
Elgin as much as he could in the naval operations, especially in the
Peiho. This Lord Elgin and Mr. Oliphant declared; and the admiral
admitted that his slowness to cany out the plenipotentiary's
requisitions arose partly from disapproval of the policy that
functionary was sent out to enforce. In fact, Sir Michael knew that he
would be backed by a tory admiralty, at the head of which was such a
thorough-going party man as Sir J. Pakington, in adopting their policy,
and thwarting a whig plenipotentiary. Sir Michael judged correctly;
his very bad conduct was pronounced exemplary by the admiralty, and the
queen's plenipotentiary was hindered and affronted with impunity. That
was not the first time a British admiral acted similarly, very much
to the injury and peril of his country. In the history of the British
empire in the East there are various exemplifications of admirals
setting at defiance or impeding the authorities which they were bound in
duty to obey.

The work of Lord Elgin was not destined to prove stable in China.
The treaty was broken when the English minister, the Honourable Mr.
Bruce--sent to Pekin for its ratification--appeared in the Peiho.
Fortifications had been thrown up; the approach of the English and
French envoys refused; their escorts were attacked; and after a
desperate effort on the part of the sma