The Press. — London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

!MARCH 10, 1853 tocr6ings in Varlizuntnt. MILITARY EDUCATION. Mr. Itics on Monday took occasion of the motion for going into supply on the ordnance estimates to raise this question. The common soldier had, he said, of late improved, both morally and intellec tually, but a corresponding improvement had not taken place among the officers. He contrasted the ' army with the navy, asserting that our brilliant naval successes arose from the more perfect naval educe tion. The military profession could not be learned without arduous toil, and that toil would not be undertaken without reward. But could anyone say that merit was rewarded in our staff appointments ? The ordnance had most able officers—why was not the same system pursued in the army? He ridiculed the certificates of merit at the military colleges, and said that every commission given to Sandhurst was given with regret, and deemed a commission lost. The insufficient examination appointed for the general army in 1847 had done some good, as it had deterred persons absolutely incapable tram becoming officers. lie quoted the French system, as usual, and contended that it was the bounden duty of Par• Bement to insist on a higher standard of education for those that aspired to higher positions in the army. Mr. PEEL said that the Government was now giving close attention to this subject, and a discus sion upon it at this moment was highly inconvenient. He had no doubt of the great value of education, but he believed that if the standar d was raised too high the army might lose the services of many valuable persons. The means of military education in the country were very scanty, and he thought that our best officers were those who had passed through our public schools and colleges, and were acquainted with the general literature of the country. Mr. S. Herbert had proposed a plan by which every grade would have required a distinct examination; the necessities of the war had interfered with this plan ; but he thought that it ought to be carried out. The staff appointments should be the Fixes of the army, be regretted that this was not the case. He assured the house that the Government was deeply sensible of the importance of the subject. Colonel DUNNE said that there was an easy way of improving the education of officers, which was by giving staff appointments to competent persons. We had not even a book on the duties of staff officers in the language; our officers bad to seek their educa tion from foreign books. The French visitors at Chobham bad pronounced our regimental system to be perfect, but found our staff officers sadly deficient in knowledge of their duties. Mr. 0. STANLEY deprecated tion from the ranks. Mr. OTwAY adverted to the inadequate provision for the education of the orphan sons of officers, and commented strongly upon the deficiencies of our staff officers, some of whom, he said, had no qualification but that of horsemanship, and while they could deliver the orders of the commander-in-chief, had no notion of explaining them. He regretted that no order had yet been issued on the subject. Mr. J. G. Pumumoae argued against the require ment of too high qualifications from officers. He quoted the Duke of Marlborough, Marshal Saxe, and Napoleon, generals as notoriously illiterate. Lord PALMERSTON agreed that the qualifications for an officer and a learned professor should be v ery different. different. The qualities of a great general inborn in the man, and rarer than the qualities of a great statesman. At the same time he thought n e th a t officers should keep u p and progress ith knowledge belong to their profession, and tha should tit wou ld be very desirable t hat a military test be applied, not only at the first entrancepromotion of officers, so that they might feel that unless they kept their minds going, azd perfected themselves in those matters which are essential to a pi open performance of their military duties, they need not hope to obtain that promotion which they were desirous of obtaining. SUPPLIES TO THE ARMY. A vast mass of details relative to these supplies were stated by Mr. MothaELL on Monday, in moving the ordnance estimates. The votes included no less than 382,5301. for warm clothing, and he men tioned that within two days of the arrival of the news of the loss of the P rince an ample supply of clothing was ready for transmission. He cited the success of the Government factory for Lancaster shells, which not only worked with great rapidity, but produced shells for 1/. las. 2d. which before cost 61. Three gentlemen had been sent to America to inquire i They nto the improvem ent in the gun manufacture. had reported most favorably of the system pursued there, at and the result was the establishment of the factory Enfield, which would soon be in full opera tion, and enable us altogether to dispense with foreign assistance. lie then entered into a history promo- THE PRESS. of the law operations for improved shell manufac ture at Woolwich, stating that with regard to the supply of small arms, the accounts both from Liege and our own manufacturers were very unsatisfactory, while the contracts for the Minis rifle were proceeding well. Besides these, the principal item of public interest was the increased cost for defences at Dover, Gosport, and Aldershot, in the shape of new military barracks. The entire vote was for 7,808,8421., in which was included 640,7601. for hospital and barrack furniture, 2,792,3841. for ordnance stores, and 1,387,5001. for works and repairs at home and abroad. On the first vote, 1,406,8831. for commissariat and barrack supplies, a discussion arose, in which Col. Dunne, Mr. Muntz, Sir J. Paxton, and Mr. Newde gate criticised severely the detaining of the govern mental arrangements in m anufacture ; its branhes the clothing, the hutting, the SEYMOUR thought that the Government were wrong in establishing manufactories of their own. Mr. Moeszu, replied to some of the objections in and at last Lord Plamearroit rose and replied to the objec tions upon principle. Ho said that this nation was engaged in a war which, by universal concurrence, required the greatest exertions to bring it to a successful conclusion. It was well known that, owing to a variety of circumstances, there had for some years past been a great deficiency of small arms, and the proposal whic h had been made was to establish a manufsctory which would probably at an early period be able to furnis h a large number of excellent weapons, and in process of time render us independent of other sources, and yet at the very moment when the Government were prepared to recommend the establishment of such a factory, when the state of the country required every exer tion to furnish the army, when in Ireland the militia might almost be said to be doing duty with broom sticks instead of guns, bon. gentlemen got up and endeavoured to preve nt the country from having the advantage of establishments of this kind. Of all reasons on earth that of his noble friend behind bim (Lord Seymour) seemed to be the weakest. He would refuse the vote because the Government were going to reorganise the Ordnance Department and improve it; to make arrangements by which the errors and delays which had on former occasions arisen might be avoided. What would he have said if a et ntrary course had been adopted —if the Govern ment had said that they thought the department c omplained of was so perfect that no change was needed? The remaining votes were agreed to without any remarks of general interest. CONTRABAND oF WAR AND RUSSIAN TRADE. Lord BERNERs complained on Tuesday that lead bad found its way to Russia through Memel from the very Custom house of London. Earl GRANVILLE said that there was no intention of altering the regulations issued last year with respect to neutrals, but that Prussia had promised to make a renewal of her transit laws more stringent and satisfactory. The great amount of import into this country from Russia had been complained of, but he repeated that the g oods had already been paid for by English and French houses. The Black Sea blockade would be stringently enforced, and it was incontestible that Russian commerce was in a state of great suffering. The Fail of HARDwICXE adverted to the mystery of the Black Sea blockade, and said tbat we had adopted the very course for injuring ourselves and strengthening the enemy. LORD LUC AN. This gallant nobleman on Tuesday read a corres pondence between himself and the Horse Guards, in which the commander in chief definitely refused is demand of a court-martial, " after a careful review of the whole circumstances which bad passed." He replied by stating that he had only just been suppl ied with with a copy of the le tter from Lord Raglan to Duke of Newcastle, which " contained new matter, and charges reflecting more seriously than before on his professional judgment." He therefore expressed his anxious wish that the commander-in-chief would reconsider his decision. Lord discussion in the house upon the matter. SIR C. NAPIER. Mr. MALINS, on Thursday, called the attention of the house to the operations of the Baltic fleet, in moving for correspondence between the Admiralty and Sir C. Napier since the 20th of December. He detailed the circumstances which led to the appoint ment of that gallant admiral. The country had ap proved the selection, and the Government were proud of it. He referred to the speeches at the famous dinner previous to Sir Charles's departur th e, as showing the enthusiasm that prevailed, and e expectations which were formed, and read extracts rom the speeches amid much amusement, m and asked f if it would hare b ee n credable that the an so se- . . . lected should be met on his return with contempt and dismissal. From the day he sailed to the middle of September, Sir Charles received the unqualified approbation of the Admiralty. He had had every difficulty to encounter—undisciplined men, a dange rous navigation—for which he ought to have received due honour. He proceeded to read letters addressed from Sir J. Graham to Sir C. Napier, observing that such communications, all relating to public matters, could not be considered as private. These letters showed that the first operations in the Baltic were conducted to the entire satisfaction of the Govern ment. They ordered the admiral not to knock his bead against stone walls, and admitted the impreg nabilities from the sea of the great Baltic fortresses. After all this prudent advice, the Government, when the fine season was past, and the fleet had to contend against storms as well as walls, quarrel with the admiral for following their own counsel. Their ap proval was continued in letters containing the highest praise of the admiral's conduct. At the end of August, the First Lord expressed himself "more than satisfied." He then proceeded to trace the alteration in the opinions of the Government. On the 20th of June the admiral had reported on the mode of attacking Sweaborg, inclosing a report from Admiral Ch ads, stating thatwith proper appliances, and at the proper time, a successful attack was possible. In the middle of September the Admiralty again required an opinion on the same subject, and the admiral was desired to hold a conference with the French admiral on certain plans laid down for the attack. They consulted on the 12th Sept., and agreed unanimously that the season of the 'ear rendered the attack impracticable. A second con peasmade made was advised, on but the Sir 19th Charles said his mind a up, and the French fleet returned, the French army having already quitted. Now, if a great operation could have been performed, if this could have been done, it should have been during the presence of the combined fleet. The admiral called a council of his own admirals on the 19th Sept., they again considered the plans for attacking Sweaborg, and all agreed that the season of the year was too late for any such operation. Ho had, as had been stated, forwarded his own plans in June, and these very plans were now adopted by the Admiralty under another commander. Sir Char,les made a fresh reconnaissance of Sweaborg, and sub mitted to the Government two distinct plans, stating at the same time that neither was then practicable. This was on the 25th Sept. Here began the dif ference between the admiral and the Government. Mr. Malins attributed the change in the tone of the Gover. ment to the excitement caused by the re• ported fall of Sebastopol. They wrote in October to the admiral to choose Its own day and opportunity for the attack of one of the Baltic fortresses. This led to an angry correspondence, during which Sir Charles said that he had lost the confidence of the Government, and offered to resign. The corre spondence closed on the 10th November. Sir Charles returned to Portsmouth on the 17th of December, came to Lond o n , and had an interview with the First Lord, whose behaviour was cold and almost insulting. Sir Charles returned to Ports mouth, and shortly after received an official letter ordering him to strike his flag and come on shore. He wrote for an explanation, and was told in reply that this was the usual termination of a flag-officers' command. He contended that all this amounted both to a dismissal and a censure. After Mr. S. HERBERT had seconded the motion, Sir J. GRAHAM rose to reply to the charge. In so doing be studiously avoided, on public grounds, all references to fact, but said that Sr C. Napier could find no other member to plead his cause but a Tory equity lawyer, who came armed with confidential documents. lia (Sir J. Graham) came into such a contest with his hands tied behind. He rested his defence, as far as the October correspondence was concerned, on the alteration of circumstances. Had Sir Charles persisted in his first opinion, that Swea• borg was unassailable by sea, not a word of com plaint would base been heard, but after his close reconnaissance, in September, the admiral sent home a report which naturally altered the case. The Government then thought the attack possible, but still left it to the discretion of the admiral. That admiral, however, in the subsequent correspondence, adopted a tone which called for repeated warnings from the board. As to the official notes on his arrival, they were in con formit y with usage, while he admitted that the insubordinate nature of the admiral's despatches, dating from an early period, would have rendered him, in his opinion, as a very unfit man to resume the command. An for the pro duction of the despatches, it would be aUended with great injury to the public service, and he hoped the executive would not consent to it. Admiral WALCOTT blamed the Government for not thanking Sir Charles Napier for his services, saying at the same time that the ordinary official style of the Admiralty was curt under all circumstances. Sir CHkRI.ES WOOL said that in Ins experience he bad never known suck a °woo al that wow Punned. i