Chapter nine hundred and twelve roundabout tactics
To the members of the British House of Commons, Benjamin Disraeli's words were just looking for trouble.
Originally, the topic of this parliament should be to discuss whether to send troops to India. Now Benjamin Disraeli has put aside the issue of sending troops to India, and instead discussed the issue of whether to dissolve the East India Company.
This simply makes their work more difficult. Most of the MPs who can sit here have received benefits from the East India Company.
It is really unconscionable to ask them to vote to dissolve the East India Company now.
Of course, as a politician, conscience itself is a luxury product.
However, relatively conservative parliamentarians in the political field did not want to dissolve the East India Company.
Even if it really needs to be disbanded, it shouldn't be done at this time.
However, it is not the time for them to question Benjamin Disraeli yet. They can only prick up their ears and continue to listen to Benjamin Disraeli's next speech.
Under the watchful eyes of the congressmen, Benjamin Disraeli gave another boring speech on the stage for half an hour before it ended.
After Benjamin Disraeli bowed to the members of the House of Commons present, the members began to ask questions about Benjamin Disraeli.
At this moment, Benjamin Disraeli showed a completely opposite style to what he had just done. At this moment, he was like a gladiator about to enter the Colosseum, answering everyone who asked him questions in a passionate tone.
One of them fought back.
All the MPs who asked questions will remember at this moment that Benjamin Disraeli was an extremely gifted orator.
His remarks for the past three hours were probably to paralyze them.
After all, after nearly four hours of speech, the energy of the congressmen had been almost exhausted by Benjamin Disraeli.
As a result, Benjamin Disraeli could be said to have won consecutive victories in the House of Commons.
Several members of Congress were left speechless by Benjamin Disraeli's series of rhetorical questions.
It wasn't until the Speaker of the House of Commons lightly knocked on the table with a wooden hammer that everyone in the House of Commons became quiet.
"Quiet, everyone!" the Speaker of the House of Commons said to everyone present in a solemn tone and unhurriedly.
Then the Speaker of the House of Commons began the next session. The Speaker of the House of Commons chose one sentence from the two proposals submitted to Parliament by Benjamin Disraeli, and then opened the proposal: "Now proceed to vote on the first proposal: The Kingdom of Britain."
Should more troops be sent to India?
Choose those who agree and raise the blue card on your table!
Those who choose to oppose, raise the white card on your table!
I declare the voting begins!"
After the Speaker of the House of Commons finished speaking, he knocked twice with the wooden hammer again to indicate the start of voting.
The first proposal was passed without any suspense by the vast majority of members of the British House of Commons, with only a few members opposing it.
The Speaker of the House of Commons solemnly stated the votes for and against, and then knocked the wooden hammer twice again and said: "I declare that the proposal on whether Britain should send troops to India is passed!"
Next, the Speaker of the House of Commons placed Benjamin Disraeli's second proposal "whether to dissolve the East India Company" in the House of Commons.
“Vote now!”
The voting situation this time was obviously not comparable to the previous one. Except for the moderate conservatives and a few liberals who agreed, the remaining members were obviously opposed.
In the end, the second proposal was rejected by a relatively large number of negative votes, "the proposal to dissolve the East India Company."
Benjamin Disraeli, who left the House of Commons, hurriedly arrived at No. 10 Downing Street in a carriage. Under the leadership of the Cabinet Secretary, Benjamin Disraeli entered Palmerston's office.
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At this time, Palmerston was sipping black tea from India. The appearance of Benjamin Disraeli made Palmerston put down the black tea and asked Benjamin Disraeli: "What is the current situation in the House of Commons?"
?”
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I have good news and bad news here! Which one would you like to hear first?" Benjamin Disraeli asked Prime Minister Palmerston.
"Hear the good news first!" Prime Minister Palmerston said to Benjamin Disraeli with a smile.
“The good news is that our proposal to send troops to quell the rebellion in India has been passed by the House of Commons!
As long as we obtain Her Majesty's consent, we can send troops to India!" Benjamin Disraeli responded to Palmerston.
"Well!" Palmerston responded dully, and then asked: "Where's the bad news!"
"The bad news is that the proposal to dissolve the East India Company has been rejected by the House of Commons!
In a short period of time, I am afraid it will be difficult for us to raise the issue of disbanding the East India Company to the House of Commons again!" Benjamin Disraeli responded to Palmerston with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
Palmerston was not much surprised. He still responded calmly, "This is also within my expectation!"
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, do we really want to leave the East India Company alone?" Benjamin Disraeli asked.
Palmerston shook his head and responded to Benjamin Disraeli: "The House of Lords and the House of Commons still have confidence in the East India Company, so they chose to reject the proposal in the House of Lords and the House of Commons!
We just need to let them know that the East India Company is hopeless!
Then they will naturally be willing to stand on our side!"
"What method are we going to use to make them lose confidence in the East India Company?" Benjamin Disraeli seemed unable to think of a way for a while.
Palmerston took another sip of black tea, and then said: "My Chancellor, I'm afraid you have forgotten the power of our country's newspapers!"
After Palmerston's prompting, Benjamin Disraeli immediately understood what Palmerston meant, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, you mean that we need to rely on the power of newspapers!"
"No!" Palmerston shook his head again, "Most of the time, we and the newspaper are in a relationship of mutual use and mutual wariness. We can take the initiative to send them to India, but they only
It will be sufficient to ensure that one issue of The Situation in India is published every month for the inhabitants of Britain!
As long as newspapers can truthfully report the situation in India, the East India Company will inevitably announce its dissolution amidst the harsh criticism of the British residents.
By that time, even if they wanted to protect the East India Company, there was nothing they could do!
Since we can’t directly solve the enemy politically, we should change our approach and start with the economy!”
"I understand!" Benjamin Disraeli responded to Palmerston, nodding.
"Now that you understand, hurry up and get ready!" Palmerston waved his hand and said to Benjamin Disraeli.
…
In the next few days, Prime Minister Palmerston went to the department of the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of War, from time to time to inquire about the progress of the Duke of Newcastle's army preparations.
The Duke of Newcastle told Palmerston that the army will set off from Britain in late July. They will first go to the Cape of Good Hope for several months of training (mainly because of the climate problems in India, so they will go to the Cape of Good Hope for training).
Then head to India.
Since there were about 30,000 troops transported this time, the Duke of Newcastle also suggested to Palmerston that the army could cross the entire France, sail to Egypt in Marseille and Toulon, and then arrive at the Cape of Good Hope from Egypt. In this way, it could also save money.
some time.
After Prime Minister Palmerston thought for a moment, he told the Duke of Newcastle that he would send people to discuss with the French Emperor Jerome Bonaparte as soon as possible. As long as he could obtain Jerome Bonaparte's consent, then their
The army can march across France.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Palmerston called the Earl of Clarendon, the Foreign Secretary, and assigned him the task of persuading France.
Faced with the task thrust into Palmerston's hands, the Earl of Clarendon felt a hundred reluctances.
After all, leading an army across another country is something that is hard to agree with no matter how you think about it.
The last time France agreed to Britain crossing them was entirely because Britain and France were on the same front, and they had a common enemy, the Russian Empire.
Today, India is the British's own territory, and Jerome Bonaparte has no obligation to allow them to cross.
If his thoughts were a little more realistic, the French Emperor at this time might have been eager to see them defeated.
The hatred between Britain and France cannot be erased in one or two words or two battles.
Now that it was a task assigned to him by Palmerston, the Earl of Clarendon had no choice but to complete it.
Now he couldn't help but feel lucky that he had the "foresight" to transfer Cowley back to France.
At any rate, Ambassador Cowley also stayed in France for 6 or 7 years, and he should still have some personal relations with the French Emperor.
The French emperor himself was also a person who valued personal relationships, so it was still possible to cross France.
If this task is handed over to a new ambassador, it will not be easy to convince Emperor Jerome Bonaparte.
Therefore, the Earl of Clarendon once again telegraphed this task to the British Ambassador in France.
Before Ambassador Cowley, who was staying at the embassy, received the telegram from the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he already had a premonition that the British Kingdom would definitely have trouble with her.
Now the British side indeed sent a telegram. The telegraph operator copied the telegram and gave it to Ambassador Cowley.
After reading the telegram, Ambassador Cowley immediately showed a solemn look on his face.
After a while, Ambassador Cowley lit the contents of the telegram in front of the telegraph operator and threw it into the ashtray. Only after the telegram had turned into black crumbs did Ambassador Cowley leave.
Ambassador Cowley, who walked from the telegraph room to the first floor, just greeted the military attache inside the embassy and then left the embassy.
When Ambassador Cowley reappeared, he had already arrived at the Tuileries Palace.
Under the leadership of Basilio, Ambassador Cowley met with Bonaparte.
Before Ambassador Cowley could speak, Jérôme Bonaparte said in advance: "Mr. Ambassador, can you let me guess the purpose of your visit?"