The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

498 9th Regiment and the native corps-48th Bengal, I believe— soma 3i30 yards in our left rear. The 62nd were in a nullah, which ran nearly perpendicular to the batteries, but it afforded some cove". and it was taken advantage of. There the regiment re• mains I nearly two hours, losing some fourteen men from round. •hot. firmer& Ashburtifiam was with the largest part of his .)rigale We received au order to join him, which we did as juickly as we could, and found him forming line. When all were in line—three regiments and a company of native rifles -he 3ricratle advanced, and as we approached the batteries, //bleb w re being well served and blew up one of our tumbiils, 3stn2i a Aehhurnharu rode out in front about thirty paces with Jilitfulti pointing upwards at arm's length, and could be, and as seen lo the whole brigade. In this way he led us to the . attiry, on arriving at which he tried to leap his horse through .one of the embrasures, but the horse failed. lie then .urned his head, tried again, and went in. We found him between us and the enemy, and he continued to keep in front, nearly looking into the muzzles of the enemy's muskets. How he escaped being hit is a marvel to me to this day. He was, I believe at least he was, the only mounted officer of his brigade who rode into the intrenchrnents, all this time under a most destructive tire. A more gallant deed or one showing more determination or coolness I never saw ; and this was seen by both officers and men of the ;2nd Hegiinent. and was the admi• ration of all, from the late Lieutenant•Colouel Short, who coin. mended the regiment that day, down to the private. One soldier rushed to the front to the brigadier and kept at his stirrup all the time. When Colonel A shburnham was forming his bngade • staff officer did ride up and tell him to advance; indeed, the brigade was advancing at the time. Colonel Asliburnhant could never find out who the man was or who had sent him, although he tried to do so. I inclose • rough draft of a conversation that took place after the battle. I was present and heard it, as was the writer. To this he would without further preface add a letter from Colonel Short, which was in these words:— I always had the highest opinion of Ashburnharn ; but, if it be possible, my admiration of him is much increased by what I saw him do today. lie rode in front of the brigade in the ad- vance up to the enemy's battery, and in the teeth of a moat de. structive tire endeavoured to jump his horse through one of the embrasures. Finding, however, owing to its steepness, that he was unable to effect his object, he coolly turned his horses head and rode parallel to the battery fora considerable distance, until finding an embrasure more suited to his purpose, he spurred his horse, and in one instant was among the enemy on the opposite aide, followed by us. A more gallant deed, and one exhibiting more coolness, I never witnessed. I have to Apologise to the house for having trespassed so long upon i:s time, but I thought it right to offer to it this defence of a brother officer who has been attacked—but let it be remembered attacked only anonymously—in a news paper. (Loud cheers) The motion that the Speaker do leave the chair wact then agreed to, and the house wtnt into com mittee of supply. NAVY ESTIMATES. The house then went into committee of supply on the Navy Estimates, Mr. FITZROY in the chair. Sir CHARLES Woon explained to those members who had not seats in the last Parliament that the present estimates were the same as were submitted to that body ; and that the vote now asked for was the supplement of the vote already taken on account. The fact of that vote having been taken did not pre clude discussion on any items. The estimates, how ever, were fully considered in the early part of the year ; and nothing had occurred since to make alter ations necessary, except with regard to the transport of troops to China, on which head new estimates would have to be submitted. These, however, did not affect the navy. In the course of last summer he had commissioned a number of ships to relieve those on the China station ; and, piracy having in creased to a considerable extent in the shallow waters, he had ordered eight gunboats to China. With that exception no boats had been sent to China till the receipt of the intelligence of the war ; but Sir Michael Seymour had very properly detained the vessels which were to have returned home, except one sent home with invalids. On the ground of naval expen diture, therefore, he should not ask the house to vote any new sum for the war in China. The estimate for last year was 19,600,000/. ; the reduced estimate, 10,298,0001.; the estimate for the present year was 8,109,000/. The reduction, therefore, as com pared with the first estimate, was 111 millions—as compared with the second it was 8,188,0001.; being a reduction or more than one half of the reduced estimate of last year. No doubt a very great part of the reduction was owing to the cessation of the demand for transport; but confining attention to the navy only, there was a reduction of 3,430,000/., or— including the coastguard, formerly a separate esti mate, but now included in the navy—a reduction of nearly three and a half millions on the naval service alone. In some respects, he would have been glad not to have carried the reductions so far ; for the house and the country were properly jealous of the efficiency of this arm of the public service, and would have condemned, if he had allowed himself to be influenced too much by feelings of economy : I cannot, however, hold out the expectation that we shall be able to reduce the estimates below the level of former years. We have learnt many lessons during the war, and one of them is that we were not adequately pre• pared when war broke out. I hope and trust that we have now a long period of peace before us. No one can be more anxious than myself that this should be the case, but we can have n 3 better security for the permanence of peace than the knowledge that we are now prepared for war. That we were no adequately prepared for war when war broke out was just as well known to other nations as to ourselves, and I remember a shrewd observation made by an intelligent foreigner that if he had to give advice to any foreign country that was going to war with us he should advise them to strike a blow during the first two years of THE PRESS. the war. At the end of the first two years of the last war, when other countries felt the strain and pressure of the war, we were better prepared, and had a larger army and fleet, and were more able and willing than at first to carry on the war. Let us, then, during peace put on the appearance of preparedness, and let foreign countries know that they could not strike a blow at us during the first two years of war. This will be our best security for peace. Another consideration deserving of attention is that in all probability any future war with Russia will lie a more serious war than the last. So far as their navy was concerned the Russians did not venture to send their fleet to sea, but we know what exertions are being made to equip them. The Rus sians get their lines of ships and a great deal of machinery made in this country, and they have many Englishmen employed in their manufactories at home. In a few years, therefore, it is probable the Russian navy will be in a very different position from what it was during the war. We are, happily, in a state of intimate alliance with our nearest neighbours; and long may that alliance continue, for the benefit of both countries. Nn man can foresee what may happen at any moment. France has been paling the greatest possible attention of late years to the efficiency of its navy. NVe have recently seen the efforts made in the same direction by our transatlantic kinsfolk. And, though I trust that peace may long be preserved throughout the world, yet I think we—the first maritime power in the world—should be greatly to blame were we to neglect those preparations which we find other nations taking, and which wo•rt.t enable us to meet any adversary who may be opposed to us should hostilities unfortunately break out. Sir C. Wood then entered upon copious and detailed explanations with reference to the separate votes, concluding by moving that 53,700 men —seamen, marines, and coastguard—be granted for the remain ing eight months. Admiral WALCOTT urged the necessity of keeping twelve sail of the line in constant commission, and fully equipped, and also to the keeping up a squad ron of evolution. Sir CHARLES NAPIER would not consent to reduce the estimates. On the contrary, he thought that, in many respects, the effective force ought to be increased. It was true that we had forty two sail of the line, but France had forty sail, and could at any moment put her hand upon 40,000 trained seamen, which we could not. Our 33,000 men should be raised to 50,000. He was no alarmist, but he wished it to be distinctly understood, both within and without the house, that it was his convic tion that the naval force was not sufficient for the right protection of the country, in the event of a war suddenly breaking out. Lord CLARENCE PAGET thought that in building new ships smaller vessels should be preferred to line of•battle ships, as more efficient in action. Upon this point the Admiralty should take the opinion of a committee of naval officers. This vote was agreed to, after a discussion of some length. The following votes, to complete the estimates, were likewise agreed to, after discussion :- 1,349,3331. for wages of the men ; 533,9221. for their victuals; 84,2171. for the Admiralty office ; 118,1501. for salaries of the ccastguard and volun teers ; 33,091/. for the scientific branch; 91,2241. for establishments at home ; 15,4231. for establishments abroad; 584,390/. for wages of artificers at home; 33,3831. for the same abroad ; 895,4501. for naval stores and steam machinery; 378,4151. for new works ; 20,0001. for medicines. . . The CHAIRMAN was then ordered to report progress. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland) Bill was read a second time ; and the house went into committee upon the salaries, pensions, dce., under the bill, which gave rise to a short discussion. MISSIONARIES OF BENGAL. Mr. KINNAIRD moved that the petition of the missionaries of Bengal (presented in February last) be printed with the votes; the petition was certainly long, for it included grievances which were brought under the notice of Parliament by a number of mission. aries of all denominations assembled at Calcutta. Ho had already given notice of his intention to call the attention of the house to the allegations of the peti tion on the 28th inst. The motion was then agreed to. The house adjourned at twenty minutes after one o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS—TUESDAY. THE "GLOBE" AND THE MARQUIS OF WESTMEATH. The Marquis of WESTMEATH rose and said an article had appeared in the Globe newspaper of the previous night, in which his name had been dragged in over and over again in connection with statements which were in themselves utterly false, and which he was conscious was altogether libellous : With respect to the libellous part, the proper authority would have to deal with that : but, as it was a matter con cerning his honour, he wished to take the very earliest moment to state that he would take the proper opportunity to make a statement in contradiction of the composition which had been sent abroad on the part of a lady who had done him the honour to bear his name, who had left his house thirtyeight years ago, and who was not yet content to abide by that separation. The statement of the Globe had been taken from a pamphlet which had been laid on the table of all the clubs, with a yiew to vilify his character, SATURDAY, At this particular moment it had been put forth in connec tion with the bill which was to come before the house that night; therefore he did not lose one moment in stating that, when an opportunity would be offered in committee on the bill, he should give an absolute denial that they were founded in truth, and would show that they were characterised by perjury and conspiracy, and eoisid not occur in any court in this country where evidence was taken viva voce, but only in the ecclesiastical courts, mid there and there only could proceedings of this descriptionL take place. He took the liberty to state that it was his intention on the. very earliest opportunity to meet that atrocious libel by the statement to which he had referred. REINFORCEMENTS FOR INDIA AND CHINA. - - Lord PANMURE, in reply to the Earl of Ellen. borough as to what measures were intended to be adopted for the purpose of reinforcing the army in India with European troops, said that the first troops sent to China were regiments destined for India ;: hut, as it appeared the warlike operations were likely to be of some duration, four other regiments had received orders, and would embark in about five. weeks for India. They would be detained till that time, because if sent sooner they would reach India, at the most unhealthy season. The second week in June was the earliest date tro ips ought to embark. If it should appear there was any necessity for the services of an increased number of Europeans, ROMS of the regiments they were intended to relieve would be detained in India for a time. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH wished to know what number of recruits were going out this season to join the regiments there? Lord PANMURE said about 4,000, who would also embark in June. CONTINUOUS SERVICE MEN IN THE NAYT. Earl GRANVILLE, in reply to Earl Talbot as to whether the seamen who had entered during the war for ten years' continuous service had lately been discharged, was glad to have the opportunity of stating that nu breach of faith had been committed. Under the engagement made by these men they could not obtain their discharge except on payment of 12/., but any of those who now wished to leave were informed they might do so without paying any. thing ; so that a boon had been conferred on them, instead of a breach of faith committed. DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR, OD moving the second reading of this bill, briefly explained the state of the law of marriage in this country before and after the Reformation. In 1850 a commission was ap. pointed to inquire into the whole subject, and it was on the recommendations contained in the report of that commission that the present bill was founded. He proposed to create a new tribunal, consisting of the Lord Chancellor, one of the Chief Justices, and an ecclesiastical judge. According to the present practice, before a divorce a vinculo matrimonii could be obtained, proceedings must be taken itt the ecclesiastical court, a verdict must be obtained agoinst. the adulterer, and the facts must be established, at the bar of their lordships' house. His proposal was to substitute one tribunal to invest:Our the matter once for all, and that the proceedings should take place by viva voce evidence. Whatever• interpretations might be put upon texts of Scripture, he believed it would be most. unwise to attempt to extend divorce to anything short of adultery. The? bill would give the wife a right to apply for a divorce. in the case of incestuous adultery, bigamy, and un justifiable desertion. He had not retained the clause which prohibited the adulterer marrying the adul teress. He believed it calculated to do more harm than good. By the standing orders the action of crim. con. was a necessary preliminary to a divorce; but he proposed that hereatter the action should be founded on a divorce that had been obtained. This was the present law of Scotland. The jurisdiction in cases of divorce a menet: et thoro would remain as now with the ecclesiastical court. After a divorce so obtained by the wife her status would in all respects be that of an unmarried woman. If he succeeded in this measure he should have accomplished a great object. His lordship then moved that the bill be read a second time. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY said, while be• was willing to vote for the second reading of the bill,. he must oppose in committee the clause which permitted the guilty parties to be united in legali marriage. Lord LYNDHURST was most anxious for the success: of the bill. He believed it was a scriptural doctrine that marriage might be dissolved in the case oU adultery; but our law on the subject was derived; from the system which prevailed when the country was under Roman Catholic rule. One hundred anti fifty years ago recourse had been bad to palliatives, but these means were available only for the rich. The law ought to embrace both rich and pool,. Upon this principle it was impossible that any solid objection could be made to the alterations proposed by the bill. Instead of facilities for severing the marriage tie being demoralising, he contended that the present law led to great immoralities among the poorer classes of the people, because they now had no redress against the adulterer. But he was of