The Sun. — London, England, 1855-03-09 00:00:00

...'' 111 then adjourned. •s l eg gy c ow 3stro B. 4,4 t e of a ,i i r;9- • 0 0. ;or ,4- 0 0 the p od ' 00' ea 1 mg rtf. I A 11 1 1 3- t 1 0' i9O :sob the el e d urn k „ . A ni.. o pee . tjer o f e 9 04 , wed the I t Of 0 for . 0 0 1015- car' - tr hov e lot ;he I° 4 5. for ,0101 l %ter 4 o o 4 9, e"" hal mo os ar 41 exile e •jor 411 1 00 10 - 00 that 0 1 rel lnl er Pi Is P r b ), P ree c o ce a no t he ort hu os• ho t 11 7 j2CC" C I? r : ~ Ct _ fl og sho"" IPERIAL PARLIAMENT. t l lol3sp t l i le OF LORDS —(YESTERDAY.) ktE O 0 aUcELLoR took his seat on the wool- THE'C WAR INQUIRY. ,flow M r . R oebuck ' s committee appeare d la requested that leave might be given to i Lghtieqs t h e Duke of Cambridge, the Earl of —4ll `' t Cardigan . and Lord Hardinge to at ehla'nined b efore the said committee. CR A.NOELLOR informed the messen answer would be sent. by their own mes- °TESETTRY presented several petitions libitioti of the sale of intoxicating liquors. 41:ra AM pre4ented petitions f ga rom Win joat lle r ill favour of the Speedy Trial of Of- lon gave notice that to-morrow he should • °I her Majesty' s G overnmen t relative to absenc e of the Colonial Minister from the Ag low( 0 4 AR OF FICERS IN THE CRIMEA . tkuRICNEIr rose to call the attention of ; 14 reported want of apt i tu d e f or t h e i r situa ienior offi cers of her Majesty ' s service now the Crim ea . Th e no bl e ear l sa id an prevail that we were at war This vras not the ca , e ; the fact was at war with us. It was the opinion Jmnaander that no little war should be 'I% in his opinion, the war in which we w ee a very little war. He (tho Earl of it could not be denied that Russia was Military nation. To meet that power, we it t j I g t ally incompetent t o c ope with it ; in ardlY be said tba we had an army in the the t, Chancell or o f t h e E xc h equer h a d b een ; 4 . 111 he h a d been, and a greater amount been expended, there was no doubt that have been brought to a conclusion sa ;; ; ; W ar was not being carried on as it ought ik Places were spared. Odessa and Anapa IF °B6 Places that ought to have been 011 Ise thought that one of her Majesty's f ut to get up in his place and state 4c es bad been spared. The noble 43 41 th e amount of sickness that had pre that t hat there was not an assurance office 1 , cared about effecting a policy on the i l i rG eeedin g to the Crimea except at exor e'rerting to the deaths of the officers and lee occurred in this manner. The moment a re gimentit-caused disorganisation, the le ss, and it was i m p oss ibl e to prevail upon ;h e slightest care of themselves. The ,eftmf oin precautionary measures, and 7' itself accounted for the differ % w as the c are o f th e officers for at their horses, actually their own priv.Ate den slain in bringing up provisions for "7 1 e need scarcely say was, in the position i d were placed, a great loss. Having via- L u e t of the junior officers, and said that )r evailed amongst them, the noble earl returas (Throw , hout his speech the reB sed the * house in ° a most indistinct S AN ARE said he had no objection to the ho 41for by t h e noble earl. N o re t urn ):, f rcbrn Lord Raglan complaining of 1, ""'ell the subaltern officers had acted. fm the obs erva tio n s o f the noble earl 49141 , b ro een thrown upon the officerz, but at e S hould be prepared to vindicate the gall ant men. So far as the conduct of 4 ael eel : l led, he believed it had been carried to . I , ° , l gour as it was possible. He would ' 4 in the r e t urns the noble earl had i t e" 44 -NVILLE suggested that the re !f tired fo r in the ordinary manner. 4 4 . X . EY was understood to withdraw 4 , 1, 44, 4 C OMMONS—YESTERDAY. took the chair shortly before four isi ft MEMBER. took the oaths and his seat for Stir- k tl NA SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY i li]) , e tc 3 ) t , vs tz BILL. moved the second reading of this lvi '„,lop t ' ° the recollection of the house that ii ll °„ute h l 'm moved early in February, but a ~,t ls tij;lthe h t'ven in a former sess . ion to make a 'OO4 th "ge 0 , °Qse refused to sanction the second V e ln."ion of the shareholders had been 4 be'eStion of fulfilling that pledge. That s ubmitted to the shareholders, and .I rector s had been anxious to Proposed line, the majority of . Were yet a g ainst it, and they but to repudiate' the pledge. That even by a former board of directors, '' l 3' reducing the value ofthe com the system o f extensions had so dividends that the shareholdera of the company into their own to sanction any new lines. They ely that the pledge had ever been ility to carry it out ; but, consider lines which were about to be esta 4!ester and Exeter, they felt that it steplor the company to attempt to aParliament bad pledged- them to. apologising for the in u.s to enforce the pledge, he hoped , w the bill to go to a second reading. said a large district of country of railway accommodation by the The• Great We riern Company a line, but the South-Western )legged themselves to make a sent rejected the one proposed by It was preposterous to plead de (4 the pledge, because at the last the chairman congratulated the their,. being ,able to divide five 41 /led to give them any advice as to ‘Rhareholders agreed to leave the of the di rec t ors . It was therefore but the directors who were respon :of the pledge ; and since it was h oped the bill would be reed a r eferred to the same committee Was given, in order that a clause 'sae bill prohibiting the coany until they had made the mapban- ' I RE observed that the corn s°ll to do a particular thing for a '°°, and it would be a mockery ' Well as a violation of all corn ,the excuse of the chairman was al- A The Company should have thought of , L , 3 ' gav e the pledge, and he hoped the . 4 ,7 0 the hon. and learned gentleman op :s Pted by thenuse. (Hear.) 8 4id not only had the public interest hi. i r ' company, but the interests . of pri e-04.- tll6 . l ocality of the proposed line had 411pardised. lII'S bad no wish to vindicate the con e' t'teigelders who bad repudiated the pledge, 11,11Y1)„,treRponsibility rested with the directors, N ti ' l4 tio;" to the - wish of the house to sub cloth to the shareholders, who had -efused ktjdkltisei? 1ine. y1t, 144 48,,i 450 N wished to point out the moral of LikllkSelttt ; of simply accepting the pledges of ei_ ' - 4k l ine ! who were supposed to have a ‘ :14, 111 ''.e district where the line was to be "et, : should first ascertain whether or no itS A 4,I . -41510 ere in making it and able to carry iY l NN K ttl t tis from Mr. DEEDES, the . bill was ll s kev a u/e s t and ordered to be committed. C t 'lle , ne ° gave notice that • tomorrow he rbre i .,,,CPension of the standing orders, with [ 4 -41 e the bill to the former committee. 1"4 4i 1 1 4, 41:11 1 , PETITIONS. kiptci, . . pp, - -... presented a petition fro n m ews a p p a l p ac e e r , N. Jtng for the repeal of the poetl°Bl,A, petition from til e sale NP . pres . en a t ti e n d a it4i t ooll of into= g liquors pe on Sun kl4ll4)/,I4tINSON presented a petition from &I,s Ilt ia p t . u .,,°f Sanitary Reform. It w 4 .4 - s en ted a petition from Stafford, pray quirt be taken for the restoration of the 'l i t 3 7 3111 '3' and Poland. land \:::ild'sti,--• P r esented o a petition from a Friendly ' -stat e; in favour of the Friendly So 4Yt nm . Oti ,7' . ' presented a petition film the . * 1 ' tif te Of Manchester in fa s vour of the bill lit the newstamp. ,t u j 1 ,41 .,,, spaper o to u , 10 POL COMMITTEE. 1,1,1'411(j of Mr. ROEBUCK it was agreed that N' t4 t; 2 , 4 1),„ - L e . sent to the Lords, requesting per . .. V 1 11 0 :Qsn .'" of Cambridge, the Earl of Cardi- IV her r ,' a lld Viscount Hardinge to attend and I N 1 0 f til e the committee appointed to inquire NI) I I VIN.., e a lley before Sebastopol. Nt ki . ep, -4 GR -- - r ,'WS OF OFFICERS. te9 "te , -- , 5 4 gave notice that this day fortnight ' Ateig.3 to praying ' her Majesty to be liOti t .,% ll - to direct that the widows and chil 'llhtlill 11 sg it a ill°4 in act ' ion, or who had died of \ l ' 13 e i ged against the enemy, should re (l .... , ilteq-lc enrillnieSi". REGIMENTS. V 4 r, .. Wl S l :led to ask the Under . Secretary I. l4l. Zl ll ;:th rl e i r A it was the intention of her \1 1 „..13, ~.:,,ept to relieve the 36th, 67th, and t 14; 4 ':i 1 Y4k r " e le ll have been stationed in the Wes tr ,t , e:Sti th e , ljtAtr,'Ne ufn War had quite deranged the order \S,v4 t uc A. ,F eerViniz ahroad. 1 4 1it te tt "9P a I °N IN SCOTLAND. :Ilt A t_to ll 41 1 ;ed the Lord Advocate whether it \\4 litt . h iit u ' l l ut , l4 Li ysernment .to intto f d s u o ce an it ci s A pt i , i '; e l r se t s i s l ion 2 h ailid i on which day h ti u, t4 t4 t c l4l d) Bill the 28th inst.,the hen. member for lill,-.kt ih...tositi.asee,rnd reading, and what course i k iti t ' PAb to pursue in ' reference to that kit b s - it X (.1(-. -Arf E :•t , ~ ,-; ~ 1 ,,,,,- ;,, '!. i . ' -44t4 t4tT 04 ..h.t.jut,utton of t ‘ tie Govtrument to_ 411 1 for Scottand, With regard k ke Tg i i :gerB fl ow r kild r. 3 ' 41 R th 4 1 . 1 o f vtt ti7,01(t)en4,14 :41,7 all alatt w e l 'ttl S t , 1, p„ q rre 111 ! olti 'tid UTIGR 1 „ n . r ti i d DEPg Nip g o A n of 11 0r ,,e(1 abse i t i t ,11 ) ,, C)r arn0111 kq lOR t,'4" "1 of OR} toth 14 th e • re i4t y e ,, 14 th e ~`"4 41 to 4111:';` , • k.l,b ,• rat ed " torn k ib ed k k ltt' lse was 1 , i6 gilt it •.y total] T, 4 hard' If th e eh th se % 4a bee] h k ight V, 11 . , ge ' t ko n Pla th ose 1 t e t'ght Plkey toile let] N., ;Laid th, oh i 'm ea 4 'etProcE i l 4eVe ' Itetere:le : • t sk — eear eiess ik t e . _ , th e 1 / 4 1 1t r e :. •Cl • fact o 4 , • w as 4 , th i t , hl . l )e h eri tt a tte t a we. f t Z i 'ad eet 11 q k `C Pre, ;'lll t °r th e add ress P 4,„ m° P ' k4 tl f , t 11°in u ro 3 tef Wh* kNhth er t I C [ll 4 h 4r, ti t] , ti,,s e h e ad hi tea I itotkj o et I s , vi • ebt t k , a 1 GR ‘),°,41111 of ttlo t 07t ) t ' UtCle ,2 • 'll4 t 1 1 116 1 to , 4 44 , 1) rt 131 I '. 1 3g troi o e , Grohhe el) 11 0 Ali, ri erAl w o 1, (14 u bh°,„ l . t4 ' ktl,l ) 1 Z obse c je , ?e h t a ` l jed ,d t ° . fe lf 1 .'111 4 ; 1 , 11 t;1, 11 R It llo e, tor1;00 the `;1 1 L z i e ,n 0 ` &I' ~,' , a d :111. u s j v i'g re i rl; .. t g b b eep of Co P i," ik°ltat the d• B Ut fl ie , tabtrtet o t kit„ C 'tde, Pr ot gtb ' ai r w er t e c c olsr tit e , c4 w a e i but oir of r , Rivet .l e bo o f „ 1 / 2 d 4 „ , h , ,'eatiy to' 4 (1 l 'e th r eto o th e e6 6i° 04 0 /4 4 4f t 4 ira di ' - of to t° IN 4o 4t 4se d to if 6 air ti s esen ) rf N' e ir i e ! el : Feb r°' nabilit ipg , it* Of lin e ri sso - 50 Li DorchE wor il ti :til in ous Ste t la dec'y r which p ; D alpt A: i rcumstat the 0 tt tlirect 01 0 , ors for * allow t orgt td ARD s doPi iit k O t ti, e4 E ieDtd 4 4, I IN 1)14 f 1 k a(l _ ge. rrt ls : o o , t a 0 i551 0 3 to titi an,Vl ,e l l 4 1 4 yi N44,, ei 0 ) 13 ' tt 'l4 tio4 It b i deo I ,,cl ets eeti ll of $l3 ga but tlpoj ti too. t i to itia e d eer iit°„oBl 1 , 1 ; tb, band c 1 4 1 it fi b 0 4 ae t , e RI hie t tb, Qold of if GO f t•IA v iol e ! 'B atio, N 'be he i% th e 411 d ref s e P l edg e 0 1 04 O lth h "ed , div• I t id eild ot, j . qt Zr t ak e a b 1 t o h e 1 , 4 )0 „ 04„ on 10' r$ %, 9 " 1 4, • " w ,041balY 'Et t iii . ll t he ese or ei , t The er 43.l l ba Oh&Nte, he y gal - 1' 4 1 4 4 e l :0 6 th 8 4te ts ig °tP gOio 4,1 , -st e9•thlK e' et 5 11 ton t oei the 0 0 ' o e ,Duet 4,01; k•Cttp4rdi et i Ns 1 4 th t• • ed th_ °tolel] t.3L ~. ~„—.-~.0...:...~ li -----*** 0I :Cl ls toil' to the second question, Government could not give their support to the bill mentioned by the hon. member. COFFEE FOR THE ARMY. Colonel NORTH asked the Under Secretary for War if he was aware that green coffee was served out iu the hospital at Scutari on the 17th day of February ? Mr. PEEL said he was not aware of the circum stance.; adding, that ho thought it highly improbable. MILITIA SE RJEANTS. Colonel NORTH wished to inquire if the Govern ment would reconsider their decision not to allow those serjeants of regiments of militia who arc pensioners from the army, and who have volunteered to accompany their regiments upon foreign service, to count that foreign service towards increase of pension. Mr. PEEL said the Government could not assent to the proposal of the honourable and gallant colonel. SICK LIST IN THE CAMP. Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE asked the Under-Secre tary for War, if any order had been issued from the Horse Guards to the army in the .Crimea, stating that officers must be on the sick list fourteen days before they may be removed from camp ; or if any such order existed in the camp, and by whose authority ? Mr. PEEL was quite ignorant of such an order. SHERBURN HOSPITAL. Mr. MOWRRAY asked the Secretary of State fur the Home Dapartinent whether it was the intention of the Charity Commissioners to propose a new scheme for Sher burn Hospital, in the county of Durham ; and, if so, whether any, and what, progress had been ma le to wards the approval of such scheme ; the mastership of the hospital having been vacant more than a year, nearly a year having elapsed since an inquiry by the commis sioners' inspectors, and vacancies having, in the mean time, occurred among the recipients of the charity, which it had been itnposslMe to fill up ? Sir G. GREY said a new scheme had been prepared, and would be shortly promulgated in due form. THE NEWSPAPER STAMP. Mr. COWAN.—I wish to put a question to my right hon friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Great in convenience is felt throughout the country among printers, publishers, and newspaper proprietors from the uncertainty which prevails as to the bill before the house relative to the newspaper stamp. I wish to ask my right hon. friend when it is the intention of the Govern ment to proceed with that bill—(hear)—and if be will arrange that it shall be taken the first of the orders of the day, as it is a matter which will probably lead to a great deal of discussion The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—The recent period at which I have commenced the duties of the office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer will render it impossible for me to proceed with that bill to-morrow. I have not had time to make myself matter of the diffi cult subject which is involved in it. With the permission of the house, I will move the postponement of the order till Friday next week, and then I shall be prepared to state the course which I intend to pursue. Mr. GIBSON.—I understood that the Government had given Friday week to the right hon. member for Droitwich to forward his notice on the subject of educa tion. I would suggest that Monday next be appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord PALMERSTON.—Of course the engagement holds good with the right hon. baronet the member for Droitwich, and my right hon. friend the Ohancellor of the Exchequer gives his notice contingent on the discus sion on education being over early enough for him to make his statement with regard to the newspaper stamp. . . _ _ Mr. GIBSON.—Is it not desirable to fix a day when this Newspaper Stamp Bill will proceed with certainty I (Hear.) Everybody is kept in suspense when it is placed after a motion likely to occupy the whole night. - The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—I will state on Friday •next the day I shall propose to fix for the discussion. If it is convenient to the right hon. gentleman, I will try to make that statement before Friday next. PUBLIC SCHOOLS 'AND UNIVERSITIES. Mr. HEYWOOD moved for a select committee to in spire into the best means of affording to the nation a full and equal participation in all the advantages, which are not necessarily of an ecclesiastical or spiritual cha racter, in the public schools and universities of Eng land and Ireland, and of improving the educational system in those great seats of learning, with a view to enlarge their course of instruction in confor mity with the requirements of the public service. The hon. member reminded the house of what was done in this question last session, when a vote was „passed which allowed dissenters to study in private halls ; but in his opinion Protestant dissenters were entitled to erjoy the same privilege as the members of the Church of England. For that purpose be thought the form of religious worship used by the house might be very properly introduced into the Universities, and then their gates would be open to students of almost every de nomination., It might be said that this question would be taken up by the Oxford Commissioners under the new act ; hut he did not think it would while there were many oaths enforced in the universities which ought to be repealed, but which the Ministers themselves would nut repeal, and therefore they might be well made a subject for inquiry before this committee. The fact was, the edu cation given at the universities had an eye too much to' religion, whereas, if it were made more practical and scientific, it would be more advantageous for the country. Indeed he believed many of the disasters which had overtaken our army at Alma, Inkerman, and Ba laklava would have been avoided, if the young men who officered it had received a more practical university education. Modern languages and modern science had become quite of as much importance as an cient languages and ancient science, and it was essential for the interests of the country that " the young men of the higher elapses should be made more acquainted with those two branches of education. Now, this motion would facilitate the attainment of that object ; it was couched in precisely the same terms which the late Sir R. Peel had used when speaking upon the subject of opening the universities, and whilst it proposed to do an act of tardy justice to a large portion of the community, there could be no, doubt that it would greatly promote education amongstan important class of the community. Mr. EWART seconded the motion, as one who had been educated at Eton and Cambridge, and knowing from experience the great room there was for improvement in those great institutions. The Col lege of Eton might be safely thrown open to Dis senters, while the system of education which prevailed in our public schools might be vastly extended and im proved. The best authorities of the day were of that opinion, and the time had arrived when it was the duty of the Ligislature, as it would be the interest of the country, to make the change shadowed forth in the present motion. Lord PALMERSTON said this was a most interest ing question, and ought deeply to entertain the attention of every member of the house. No one could dispute the justice of abolishing as much as possible religious distinctions in the universities, but he was afraid this motion was not calculated to accomplish the object, nor was it likely to lead to those modern improve mentsin education which the mover and seconder of the motion supposed. The commission acting under the Ox ford University Act had full power to make many of the alterations suggested; while, with regard to Cambridge, a bill would be brought in this session extending to that university, mukitis mutandi, the same provisions to be found in the expired act, and therefore it appeared to him that a select committee would be a waste of time. There was no necessity for a committee to dis cover the evils which prevailed at the universities ; they were already known to the hon. member who had made this motion, and if the commissioners acting under the new measures did not attempt to apply a remedy, then it would be 'open to the ladnourable mem ber to deal with the subject in a fixture bill. With regard to schools, there was no denying that there was great room for improvement in the system of education taught in them, but he should be sorry to see the dead or classical languages sacrificed to a study of a more practical character—while he doubted whether boys could be made good Latin and Greek scholars, besides becoming well versed in French, Italian, German, and mathematics, within the brief space of six years. iHear, hear.) That would be attempting too much ; but, nevertheless, he knew of his own knowledge, that at Harrow the modern languages had been introduced into the studies, and he should hope that example would be followed by other schoole to advantage. Mr. PACKE was surprised to find this motion seconded by a' gentleman of Eton. Our public schools had produced some of the most distinguished men who had been in Parliament, and that fact, he thought, was a sufficient answer to this motion. Mr. MIALL reminded the house that when the present Government was formed, the noble lord at the head of it told Parliament that its various members were re markable for " sufficient liberality." (Hear, hear.) But they noble lord bad not displayed that sufficient liberality which Ought to satisfy the house or the country. Now, this question lay in a nut shell. Either the Universities were national institutions, or they were not ; if they were, they ought' to be opened to all parties in the State, and made of national advantage. It was upon that ground that he should give his vote in favour of the motion. The motion was then withdrawn. STOPPAGES FROM WAGES. Sir H. HALFORD moved for leave to bring in a bill to restrain stoppages from wages in the hosiery manu- facture. Sir G. GREY opposed the motion. After a few words from several hon. members, The house divided. The numbers were— For the bill 5B Against it 96 Majority against the bill —3B SIR C. NAPIER AND THE BALTIC FLEET. Mr. MALINS then rose to call the attention of the house to the naval operations in the Baltic, under Vice- Admiral Sir Charles Napier ; and to move for a copy of any correspondence which had passed between the Board of Admiralty, or any member of her Majesty's Government, and Sir Charles Napier, since the 20th day of December last. The notice he had given was one involving consi derations of very great importance, and he had, on that account, hesitated to become the organ of bringing it be fore the house. But the question involved considerations so important to the public service, involving as it, did the honour of public servants and the discretion of the Go vernment upon a matter of the highest importance, that, baying been requested to undertake to bring the matter before the house ho did not feel himself at liberty to decline the task. The house must be aware of the circumstances un der which Sir C Napier was appointed to command the tlnlr year ngo. In Febrnar 7 , .i e Lerali:lct! tU it(itup scud out the finest fleet which, it was admitted, had ever left the shores of Great Britain, proceeded to select for ;r• - THE SUN, LONDON FRIDA YEN! NG, MARCH 9 1855 the command the niest distinguished officer that could be found in the Navy List. The Admiralty was, at that pe riod, presided over by the right hon. gentleman tho mem ber for Carlisle (Sir J. Graham), the present Prime Minis ter being the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment. Upon the right hon. gentleman more particularly 'devolved the duty of selecting the commander of the fleet The nation looked with intense 'anxiety to see who would be selected to command the Baltic fleet, and it , received with great approbation the announcement that Sir P. Na pier was selected to that command. The Government of that day , were so proud of the selection, and were so as sured that the man who had been appointed would be hailed with universal joy, that the event was celebrated by that well-known dinner to the gallant admiral at the Re form Club. The propriety of that dinner had been a good deal discussed, and it was not his intention to renew that discussion. He should not discharge his duty, how ever, without saying that the dinner was presided over by the present Prime Minister, that it was attended by the then First Lord of the Admiralty, the Chief Commissioner of •Woods and Forests, and by many members of the House of Commons sitting upon the Ministerial benches. At that dinner the members of the Government present ex pressed their satisfaction at the choice that had been male. He would read to the house one passage from the speech of the present Prime Minister on that occasion. Lord Palmerston said : "As bearing on that point (the fitness of appointing Sir C. Napier), I cannot refrain from repeating an observation which was made to me by a very discriminating, calm-minded friend of mine, who passed some time in the East at the period to which I have adverted, who saw a great deal of my gallant friend, and who,when he came to town, visited me to give me an account of what he had observed in the East, which, considering the position I thin held, he thought might be interesting. When I mentioned to him my gallant friend (Sir Charles Napier), and praised his enterprise and boldness, his daring and his intrepidity, this gentleman said, all that is very true, but there is another quality which Sir Charles Napier possesses, which is as valuable as any of these, and as important an ingredient in his success. I never saw a man in my life who calculated so many moves before hand.' Now, gentlemen, when a man can calculate his moves beforehand and has, to execute those moves, the spirit and genius which are possessed by my gallant friend, I think any country that places its fate and fortune in his hands may feel confident of success." (Laughter.) Sir James Graham, on the samo occasion, speaking in a still loftier strain, said:— " I will not weigh the precise ingredients of valour. My gallant friend was distinguished for remarkable daring and bravery ; but even then, in the early part of his career, he verified that praise which my noble friend has said was awarded to him at a later period—he 'constantly looked seve ral moves beforehand—and, iu any humble judgment, ho is not only a gallant, but I must add that I look upon. him as a discreet commander. He possesses my entire confidence, and I have rejoiced in the opportunity on a great occasion of commending him to the approbation and choice of any Sovereign. That selection I believe has been approved by the country. I believe also that it is approved by the pro fession ; and, although the propelling power of the flee's may be changed, although naval tactics may be altered, yet he goes forth the commander, not of a pressed body of men, but of volunteers for this splendid service. All these things may be changed, but one thing is unchanged—that is, the gallantry and power of command of my gallant friend. He does not go forth under any hypocritical pretence of con ducting a religiouswar, but to assert the independence of Europe, to maintain the balance of power, and to resist— and, I hope, successfully to resist—as lawless a spirit of aggression and of reckless aggrandisement as ever disgraced any country. My gallant friend says when ho goes into the Baltic he will declare war. I, as First Lord of the Admi ralty, give him my free consent so to do. I hope that that war may be s'iort, and that it may be sharp. lam sure that, guided by my gallant friend, it will be decisive; and although politics are excluded generally from the naval pro fession, yet we, as Reformers, may be proud that the honour. of the British flag in the Euxino and the Baltic is intrusted to two such champions as Admiral Dundas and Sir Charles Napier. (Laughter and cheers from the Opposition.) They will prove true to their country in the last extremity, and I sincerely hope the time may not be far distant when you, perhaps, will kindly invite me again to celebrate the return . of my gallant friend. This evening is an evening of happy augury. When we next meet I hope it will be to celebrate a brilliant success." Now the gallant admiral so selected, having been proclaimed to Europe and to the world as the fittest man to sustain the honour of England, having hoisted his flag, and having re ceivecl the approbation of the Government almost every day • while in command of that fleet in the Baltic, instead of being invited to a dinner upon his return to celebrate his success, was met by that right hon. gentleman (Sir J. Graham) with contempt and contumely, and was dismissed from his command. He did not bring this forward as a personal question, but one involving the honour of public servants, and the house would agree with him that Eng land could not insult her most gallant servants without proclaiming that 'the Government had either been short sighted in the selection of the officers to command the fleet, or else, if they had been farsighted in the selection, it was a most unworthy acknowledgement that a man should receive such a reward at the end of his period of service. The admiral's appointment having thus been in augurated. he proceeded to the Baltic. And here he might state the difficulty he felt in bringing this subject before the house, lest ho should have to refer to anything calcu lated to impair or injure the public service. It was not -veep; in so complicated a correspondence, at all times to steer clear of such difficulties; but, in submitting those documents to which he should refer, he would, as much as possible, avoid reading anything which was calculated to give any information to the enemy or which, con tained anything detrimental to the public service. He found the correspondence, both public and private—that was to say, the correspondence written by the Board of Admiralty and by the First Lord of the Admiralty in his, individual capacity—expressing to the admiral the most marked and unequivocal - approbation of his conduct from the (lay he sailed, down, at all events, to the month of Sep tember. When the house considered the difficulties with which that gallant admiral had to contend—that, although he quitted these shores with the most powerful fleet which England ever sent forth, he quitted them with undisci plined men, with men who had no experience in war, with ships which had never been engaged, and had before him a navigation the most intricate which any part of the world presented—he thought the house would see that the gallant officer, having kept his entire fleet without disaster, and done all that the Government expected of him, and more, was entitled to a reception very different to that which awaited him. (Hear.) It would be necessary to refer to some letters written by the First Lord of the Admiralty in his individual capacity to the gallant admiral. It might be said they were private letters. (Hear, hear, from the Ministerial side.) He. had maturely considered that subject, and he thought he should satisfy the house that these were not private letters. He could not regard a letter written by one public officer to another public officer upon the public service, and calculated to influence the actions of the officer to whom it was addressed, as a private communication. (Hear, hear, from the Opposition.) Sup posing, for example, the First Lord of the Admiralty, in his individual capacity, had written to the commander of the fleet a request not to delay attacking Cronstadt beyond the Ist of June—he was only putting a case, as no such thing occurred—and, contrary to his own judgment, the admiral resolved to make that attack and failed, would not the gallant officer be at liberty to read the letter which was calculated, and did, in point of fact, influence d his conduct, if that conduct were called in quest 4 .on? (Hear.) He could not think that any one would, deny that proposition. But he had a precedent fo: reading these letters. It suited the right hon. gentler: l en and the noble lord sitting opposite to appoint a committee, com monly known as the Stafford Committ e e, to inquire into the conduct of a gentleman, who was a most distinguished ornament of that house, in the me.nagement of the dock yards and other matters. The question arose whether letters written by the First Lord of thO Admiralty, by the Lords of the Admiralty, and by the 'Secretary to the Admiralty, in their individul capacity, were to be read before that committee. The committee, which was presided over by a distinguished authority, the noble lord the member for Totness (Lord Seymour), resolved that all those private communications were to be produced. No person who was examined was allowed to protect himself by saying any letter he had received was a private• letter, or that any conversation between himself and another public servant was a private conversation. Ile thought the decision of a competent tribunal, that such communications were not private communications, was sufficient to justify him in the course he was about to pursue. (Hear.) The house need not fear l that because hoed a great many documents he was about to read them in extenso. He would make selection of a few passages which bore out the general pro position ho had to submit to the house. He had shown the circumstances under which Sir C. Napier was ap pointed to the fleet, the auspices under which he left the s! ores of England, and the manner in which operations in the Baltic were conducted. He was desirous of showing that those operations were carried on to the entire satisfac tion of the Government, and for that purpose he would read a few passages from the letters of the right hon. ba ronet. It should be remembered that Sir C. Napier left England in tho middle of Maich. Oa the 10th of April the rir_4lt hon. baronet the member for Carlisle wrote stating : " That ho was entirely satisfied with his (Sir C. Napier's) proceedings. Neither Lord Clarendon nor himself had anti cipated the passage of the Belt by the fleet, expecting that the admiral would have waited at the mouth of the Cattegat until he received orders to enter the Baltic." The letter proceeded to state— " He had judged wisely ; the time gained was precious, and the passage of the Belt in safety was a most successful exploit. He was instructed to establish a close blockade of the Gulf of Finland, and to intercept the trade of Revel and Riga,. The right. hon. baronet said he would rely on the gal lant officer's prudence not to be knocking his head against stone walls prematurely or without the certainty of a great success, or the fair prospect of some object being attained worthy of the risk and loss which, in attacking fortresses with ships, were serious and inevitable." He would show that at a subsequent period all this pru dent advice was departed from, and that the Government, which refrained during spring and summer—when it was the fitting season to attack stone walls, if they were to be attacked at all—expressed their desire that the stone walls should be attacked when winter hurricanes and boisterous weather had also to be encountered. On the Ist of May he again writes : "I have recei red your letter of the 19th off the en trance of the Gulf of Finland. lam glad that you decided not to proceed to Sweaborg. The weather is still broken the channel is not clear of ice, and your force is not yet con, centrated. A safe anchorage within the Gulf of Finland would seem to me your greatest and most pressing necessity. I had hoped that Port Baltic might be available for this pur pose, but if it be commanded from the shore, or if for any other reason you reject it, still I trust that you will be en abled to establish and to hold a close blockade of the Gulf of Finland, and to cut off the communication by sea between Sweaborg and Cronstadt. Your force, I hope and think, will be large enough to render the escape of any Russian squadron from the Baltic impossible, and to leave us quite at ease in England, although we may have no largo reserve ready on our own shores. It will be best in the first instance to feel your way, ani to make good your hold in the Gulf of Finland. When I say this I by no means contemplate an attack either on this or that place (mentioning two places). I have a great respect for stone walls, and have no fancy for running even screw line-of-battle ships against th m. Because the public here may be impatient, you must not be rash ; because they at a distance from danger are foolhardy, you must not risk ' the loss of a fleet in an impossible enterprise. I believe both to be all but impregnable from the, sea ; Sweaborg, more especially ; and none but a very largo'army could co-operate by land efficiently. If, then, you have no means except naval. at your command you must pause long and consider well before you attempt any attack on the Russian squadrons in their strongholds, and I am afraid they are much too cau tious to come out and meet you. Had you been weaker, they might have done so ; now they will wait and watch an oppnthipity in t! llopQ thqt —on will R2riouslr fOl'et; ur k,lUe-,114; lOrto, may take you at a serious disadvantage, and inflict a fatal blow. These considerations must not be over- looked by- you. I recall thtm to eso ur mind, lest in ( have believed it, but here there was no room to doubt the eager desire td achieve, a groat wooed sit, and/to /Satidir '. 1 . - theitistractions were.to undertake in the winter that which the wild wishes of an impatient multatt :de at home, ' ydiT Could alone be accomplished bathe finest season. Thetlot should yield to some rash impulse, :and fail in the dis- terof instruction did not specify the day on which the charge of one of the noblest of duties, - wl rich is the moral attack was to be made, but said might be made to'ards courage to do what you know to be right,: it the risk of being the oral of October. It appeared to him to be almost hi accused of having done wrong. It is emcee gh to present this credible, but the correspondence was signed by the •Secre view to your d e liberate attention; yea 1 e .11 reflect on it and tar yto the Admiralty ; and could the. house won d e r tha t I am certain that your judgment will no t err ." Si r Charles Napier, iinding , hirn , elf thus goaded on to an He (Ur. Melina) did not read those le ,t' .rers for - the purpose impracticable operation, should on the 10th of Octob ,r of blaming the advice that had been :Oven. On the con- write to the Admiralty, stating that, if he had lost the trary, he conceived it to be a sound so ivice to give, and a confidence of the Government , he was p erfectly ready to good advice for the admiral to follovt i ; hut he complained resign his command and return herne. (Hear, hear.) At _ that all that advice which was given set a certain period was the same time , he declared that no opinion which prevailed t having departed from, and the Government tthought fit to quarrel at home should induce him to undertake an o p eration the with the admiral because, a Clewed to this advice was impracticable or unsafe, as he had had the honour of during the summer and a part of ant loon, he did not think Englandand the safety of the fleet committed to his charge. fit at their suggestion to depart from it when winter set in. (Hear.) Allthiswould be clearly established if he succeeded On the 15th May he writes as follower e— in his motion and the correspondence was granted. It was "If anything can be done you will d teoover,the best means conducted with consummate ability on both sides. That it of doing it; but no rash experiments 3 oust be:tried which do should be conducted with ability on the side of the righthen. not hold out a reasonable prospect of F success. lam anxious baronet the member for Carlisle was quite natural enough, to hear your opinion and Intentions • then you have looked but it was somewhat wonderful to find the gallant admiral at Sweaborg and entered the Gulf of Finland. lam afraid evincing ability of the highest order in the correspondence, that the Russians will not pluck up co in and showing that he wasj ust as capable of protoctinghivaself meet you." with the pen as the nation believed ho had protected her the rw w sh i t t ih h cohr co uflle, angry,et ti . bs ( ot H it feyoastrvh. nevertheless at The iioovi correspondence , ehmoseptnioiLlneonrtecpfie reproving anything i lv a arrssirru Chas.o, iii i was t On the 20th June he writes : rage and come out to " I am well pleased with all your o porations; and the con ot o h r e s er o w h o e u h ld s, have advoenceo Sirrne to c. the Ns iaor conclusion had t centration of your force at the entry ace of the Fulf of Fin- Napier for having forgotten his duty; but, on the contrary, land, in a safe harbour where you ca• a command fresh water, if they had allowed themselves calmly to consider the cic• appearswil leave to s m s e ti a u judicious adrs bef 0 r o o p operation.. e s t i s i o i n n . . eu gforsl csoonfficlouideentltyhasttryosoug to prevent the escape of the Rus. can squadron skulking performed his duty to the best of his ability, but he had billed fleet to the neighbourhood of Cronstadt, which I am . taking ns t a n the e es c' within the harbour, and proceed wi ith the rest of the cote- confirmed the character given•of him at the Reform Club dinner, as being a man who well 'calculated his movemente olh.oinYeghoulw.uwasnth not h only that in before he commenced operations . (Hear.) The correspond afraid you will find unassailable. If t he Russian fleet will not once continued from the 4th of October down to the 6th or come out to. meet you, and if you fine ! that you cannot reach tained what it is possible and impossital eto 'your them, after having well reconnoitred this works and aster - 10th of November, and then he found the admiral express do, return ing a desire that it should be brought to . a terminal/on— to the more open sea below Helsingfors - would appear to be a judicious measure ,, every neceesary pr ecaution 'being taken but he could not leave this part of the subject without reed. ing a single passage which occurred in a letter of the 31st to prevent too reunion of the Russian force now divided at of October. Not that he brought this question forward as Cronstadt and Helsingfore . lam wet .1 aware of all the diffi- an individual question —no, he brought it before the house culties of your position , and of the ins - eossibility of triumph- rather as a matter of great national importance, because it ing over an enemy who will not fight , you on fair terms, but was of importance to the country that her worthy servants you will discipline our fleet, and ma ke our officers and men should be worthily treated. (Hear, hear.) Well, then, ready for any service, It is a disgrace to Bessie that she dare he had read to the house the letter of the right honeuro not show a ship in her own waters, a: ad that she is driven to seek for safety under the shelter of la n• fortreSses. It would able baronet the member of Carlisle , dated on the 25th of August, in which he expressed himself to the effect be madness to play her game, and to rush headlong on her that the Admiralty were more than satisfied with Sir granite walls, risking our naval super' verity with all the fatal Charles Napier's proceedings. The house should bear in consequences of defeat, in an uneq ;L a imind that Bomarsund had fallen on the 16th of August, against r e nanee c stone, iwnaysop urro whichve prudence , dlong in thea gwyour h t b l eir brilliant lw oiarnl wood dt succeed, I had and yet, notwithstanding that letter of the 25th of Au reliance the letter of the 31st of October declared the Govern courage„la cannot ouwb e t o e ds i n , te ,.ow s y- t on w went to be dissatisfied with the admiral for not having that you possess a combination of th. i se great virtues which followed np the success - of Bomarsund with an attack upon are necessary to make a consummate c ennuaader-in-chief." Cronstadt. (Hear, hear.) The true principle of carry- On the 27th df June he again writes, iflis follows: ing on war was this. You selected your general or admi ral, and saying to him, " There is the enemy whom we "I am glad you have gone upto Crone tadt to see with your wish to see destroyed," you left the operation to his dis own eyes what it may be possible to do there. Whatever man crotion. In the present instance the Government de can do I am certain will be done by yeti ; and if you are re- parted from that principle in not only dictating the ope streined by a sense of duty from embarlareg iu any desperate rations, but almost naming the day on which they wore To enterprise; on you: return to Baro Sounl you shall receive bo carried out. Why, what would ba said to the Secrc full instructions from merespecting an aetack upon the Aland t t W if itwere found that ho had —lt to Lord tart'-at -War - ar Islands." Raglan to desire that be would take Sebastopol on the Ist Now he thought that correspondence' distinctly sheaved of April next—(a laugh)—or any other day ? What wool! that from th e ti me Sir Ch a rles Napier I eft England down be said of a Government writing, to a general to carry out to the end of August, ho rece ived thro' igh the right hon. a particular operation on a particular day, thereby setting baronet th e unqua lifi e d a pp r obation 01 the Government. aside - the discretion of the general himself? Would not He would now p r o cee d t o see w h e ther a nything took place his answer be, "This is a matter which necessarily yen after th a t p er i o d t o di sen tetle the gal lent officer to the cannot possibly know so much about as myself, but if yon same unqualified approbation of the Government. On have not sufficient confidence in me or my discretion as to the 20th of June, the admiral had been i directed to make the mode and time of carryinc out these operations, I beg' a report upon the p ra cticability of taking Sweaborg, that you will relieve me of this command. lam per and the a d m i ra l hi ms elf, on the 20th of June, feetly ready to return home ?" Now, that was precisely made a r e p or t t o th e G o vernment, enclosing another the case of Sir Charles Napier. The Admiralty wrote him report of Ad m i ra l Chads agreeing v. rith his own, on a letter stating that they were satisfied with his reasons the subject of such au attack. Both admirals agreed as to for not taking the fortress ' • but, considering the con the particular mode of taking the fortress, aud they both flicting nature of the different reports recently brought be agreed that if p ro p er app li anc es . were a (forded them, and fore them, General Jones having declared that it could bo the attack were w o n 't t h e pro p er seaso nof the year they taken in six days, while General Niel, the French engineer, should have no doubt whatever as to the success of th e was of opinion that it could be'subdued in two hours, their operation, but theiteboth agree d that the series of the year lordships directed the admiral to make the attempt. The must not be beyond autumn. (Hoar, boar.)• New after admiral, however, declines to risk the fleet at such a see the fall of Bomarsund„ v i e . on the 4th (':Septemb er , th e son , an d then the Admiralty convey their regret to the French fleet sailed from the Baltic and ref:mad to France, admiral that an attack was not made upon Sweaborg im but the French fleet remained there until! the 19th of Sep- mediately after the fall of Bomarsund. Now, he appealed tember. About the middle of that month Government were to the house whether any admiral receiving such a letter desirous of obtaining the opinions of theEntii Shand French wOuldnot naturally feel he had lost the confidence of his admirals as to the practicability of takiugeeev ea h o', se and Government, and that his command was no longer antis accordingly Sir C. Napier was requested. to hold a con- factory, especially as, up to the end of August, his entire ferenco with the French Admiral and con eider what could proceedings had met with the approval of the Admiralty. be done. A plan for the purpose had been submitted to the That naturally produced great dissatisfaction in the mind Government by a di s ti ngu i s hed eng ineerir ig officer, namely of Sir Charles Napier, and the correspondence closed. Sir General J on e s , and ano th er plan b y adistetoreguished French C. Napier returned to England, and arrived at Portsmouth engineer, namely General Niel, and the Ereghili and French on the 17th of December. As soon as the gallant admiral admirals were d es i r ed t o h o ed a con ference ard take those could make preparations, he came up to London, and bed plans into consideration. Accor di ng ly a consultation was au interview with the First Lord of tho Admiralty, from held on Board the D u k e o f W e lli ng t o n, the admiral's ship, whom, considering the terms on which they had parted on the 12th of Sept., which was attended 'by three English he thought the gallant admiral might rely upon it that he admirals, the French a d m i ra l an d th e Fre acheicosadeniral, would meet with a cordial reception on his return. He and having considered the plans, they agreed to a report, thought the gallant admiral might consider himself entitled which the house would not expect him to Teed', but they all to such a reception from what the right hon. gentleman unanimously agreed in this, that the season ot the year was said only a month back in movin g the navy estimates. So too late to admit of such an operation bein g j usti fiably un- far from intimating any ground of dissatisfaction with the dertaken. That report was forwarded to the Admiralty by proceedings of the gallant admiral, the right hoe. gentle- Sir Charles Napier on the 12th of Sept. ; but soon after, the man said, on the 16th of February : Admiralty, feeling some anxiety on the subject, again wrote " Bomarsuud, a strongly fortified place, and one bearing to Sir Charles Napier requesting that a second oensultation marks of an intention to push that system of fortification might be held; and accordingly Sir Charles Napier to a much greater extent, has been completely destroyed. again wrote to the French Admiral, requestlig his at- (Hear, hear.) The great naval arsenal of Cronstadt, close to tendance on board the Duke 'of Wellington to reconsider th e capital of Russia, was blockaded, and battle was repeat the details of the plans. The French admiral, hovever, do- edly offered to tire Russian fleet, and always declined. Up dined to attend. ' lie stated that he had elrdodygiven his to the last moment, Sweaborg, which contained nine ships opinion, and his mind was made up upon the subject. of-the-line, was also blockaded by a very inferior force, and, This was on the , Bth of September; on the 19th the on the whole, never were naval operations more successful French fleet returned to France, and now of ourse the than were those there performed, and not a ship was lost. position of Sir Charles Napier became very inuh altered (Hear, hear.) That blockade of the Baltic, whatever may be to what it had been in the middle of Juno, who he had said with respect to its imperfect character, was condudted the assistance of a powerful French army and s powerful with a skill and gallantry never surpassed, and the pressure French fleet. The French admiral having decliied to at- that was brought to bear on the navy was' by no means tend the second conference, Sir C. Napier belch cousulta- small." tion of his own admirals on the 19th or 20th seieeternber. So that the right hon. gentleman, in moving the navy es- The council of war, if he might so term it, !as held on timates only an hour' after the question had been put to him board the Duke of Wellington, and it consisted of Sir C. by a pliant officer on that side of the house as to what Napier and three other 'admirals, two of edom h a d et_ the quarrel between Sir Charles Na •and the Napier Go tended the former conferences. These admires considered was • vernment—the right hon. dentleinan repeated what the the plans for taking Sweaborg, and again thesame eouclu- g allant ve admired tho 2.. 1., A".... C41......i.... ( A Ain irni sion was come to, namely, that the season 01 the year was Berkeley) had said a few nights before—that Sir Charles too late for undertaking the operation. In In meantime Napier had neither been recalled, dismissed, rr - n- censured ; Sir C. Napier had been directed to make a xectrnaissance but ho thought ho had now satisfied the house that that of Sweaborg, and having done so ho sent home it i 3tailed plan hon. and gallant admiral must really have forgotten for for an attack on that fortress, which if adopted the gallant a moment what had passed, for the house could enter admiral felt no doubt would be Successful, - govided it was t s i n no d ou bt th a t Sir Charles Napier had been dismissed put in force at the proper time. That Gary )lau was being and also censured. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the adopted at this very moment, but it was toe° carried out gallant admiral's interview with , the, First Lord of the under the direction of another o.iniral. Ca the 25th of Admiralty, of course, he had no written evidence, September Sir C. Napier, liming been leftonly with the and could only rely upon the statement made to him , English fleet, commuuteate e t his plan of attack to the Ad- by the gallant admiral, which he could have no doubt miralty ' • and now c a m e the point of difference between was strictly accurate. He said that the gallant admired him and the Admiralty.. Sir C. Napier deilared that he having come home after carrying on those operations only should have no doubt of the success of his )tan, provided a month before, as the right hon; gentleman stated to the it was under'eaken in the proper season; hewould not go entire satisfation of the country, considering that he had into its details, but there could be no quetion about it not lost a ship, and bad gone out with the fleet in but an that it Vas not the intention of the admiralth a t it s hould indifferent state of discipline, and, remembering what had be adopted +.:riat year, but in this or the cmce e ding year. taken place at his departure , had a right to expect, if ever The Adot e. eralty, however, forgetting their termer a dvice any man-had, a courteous and - cordial reception on his re not to - risk the fleet against stone walls, an( finding that turn. let the gallant admiral assured him that on going the admiral had been far more cautious lied far more to the Admiralty be was received in a manner all but in - ' e rudent in such matters than the Goveriment them- ' suiting by the right hon. gentleman, who did certainly solves, determined that he should have nothing but ob- hold out -his hand coldly to him, but said at once that he loquy cast upon him, instead of being received, on his re- declined having any conversation with him on the subject, turn home, in the flattering manner that hat been antici- of the operations. (Hear.) That was on the 22d of Da - pated by the right hon. baronet the first lord at the Reform °ember ; , but he now proceeded to that which could admit Club banquet. , (Hear.) The admiral bed distinctly of no doubt. The gallant admiral returned to the Duke pointed out that neither of the plans Was practicable at a of Wellington, at Portsmouth, where he next morning re season of the year when you could not depend upon the calved a letter, signed "R. S. Duddas" and "W. F. Cow weather ; but the Government appeared; about the be- p er ," amounting to a dismissal from his command. It was ginning of October, to have received information about dated the 22d December, and was couched in the following the fall of Sebastopol, which they seem to have credited, term(:-: ' - . . lit the time determined that something should be attempted o Sir,—The Baltielleet,'On its return to port„ being now in the Balite, and accordingly thb admiral was directed to separated in different harbours Of Great Britain, and several commeneo an Operation which had been rep n.ted imprac- ofthe ships which composed this fleet being under orders for tieable even while the French army and the French fleet • 1; in the Black Sea, and the Mee.terranean, you era were there. - (Hear, hear.) The operation was to 11 ' service required directed to, strike flag come on have hereby ando, your and _ been carried on by the English flee;, and he Wanted shore." (ea.H . i. )- - - ' • , to know what could be said of the prudence o f a G over n- Mont who Would venture to give such I nstructions' We •He bad read to the house the whole of the letter:, These. ncour: • terms in which the bad then in office a Government who h a d f ound England were the kindly and naval e officer of Great Britain was honoured and proud of her position in the world ; but most distinguished their misnagemeut had since reduced her to a state that greeted on his return from a great public service, which he had conducted to the entire satisfaction of the Government. be doubted whether any man could feel aty great pride in re, t thegallant officer should have been surprised, that ho calling himself an Englishman. (Oh, oa r ) g© heard de- -"la been than should have moresurprised, , that he should even risive cheers from the other side of the louse, but, he re peated it, that the want of judgment, the want of fore- he • s h hove been meat. (Hear.) He wrote, not disgusted , im mediately, ho thought could occasion the house sight, which had been displayed in the cond uc t o f th e war n o estop' had lowered the character of England eiti the eyes of the for he d hbeen so much taken by surprise that he required a - world. (Hear, hear.) We did not knew at present who time for consideration, but he wrote on the 25th Da "lnterthe • was really to blame for all this, but he h o p e d the com- cern to Secretary of tho Admiralty, as follows : mittee whose proceedings had been rude public mainly " Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of by the advice o f th e r i g ht hon. baronet the member for their lordships' order, directing me to strike my flag ; and Carlisle, wo uld enable us to discover t o w h om we we re with reference to the same, I request their lordships will in indebted for th e di sas t r ous expedition to the Crimea, id form me whether lam to consider that my command is at an the month of September. (Hear, hear.) The late Govern- end I" meat slid not hesitate to risk the army by sending it to the • This was speaking very distinctly to them. The house Crimea, and in the same way they would have risked the would observe that the letter of the 22d was • couched in fleet, had it not been for the prudence and feresigbt of t erms w hi c h m i g ht b e customary withthe d 1 ty—he the admiral. (Hear, hear.) Well , then, he thought he did not know— all he could saywas that A mire they were terries had brought this clearly before the house ;he said the in which he thought few of them would even dismiss a admiral was useless, unless he could be trusted—and if he domestic servant. (Hear, hear.) Ho was assured that it could not be trusted, he ought not to have been appointed; was contrary to all usage ,• he was assured that Sir James but, according to their own showing, Sir eo es. Napier was, Saumarez, when he had the col - einem' of the Baltic fleet the fittest man they could Sad for the command , and they in the last war, upon his return in consequence of the ought to have had confidence in his judgment and discre- win ter having set in and rendering it unsafe and impossible tion. Because it was confessed that between Russia and for him,to remain there, had permission to be absent until England there was nothing but the fleet for a protection,shouldpermit the resumption ofoperations. and if that fleet had been lost, either by bad navigation the season or That was the manner in which any officer under similar by operations that could Lot hope to be successful, there had a right to expect to be treated ; Sir was nothing to defend us against the encroachments of circumstances. • Sorel hen,the Government, after receiviu Russia. g a Charles Napier had that right, and thought the house one thin that the letters of the would agree with him in g, . report from the admiral that the' season of the y ear was passed forlundertaking fta ch operations should hav MI, , Admiralty, like every other step taken in this war, were I ' ' Is -- ' 6 "` too late. They thought fit in th •reply to before they goaded on the admire to attempt them ; but • had lost us the army, and they had bu t misconduct kind of thanks to Sir C. Napier ; he should have thought to I the navy if the admiral had been suffi • solved loge us that the proper occasion would have been when the letter (Hear.) It el " was written to the admiral recalling the fleet — but no ; ently edi t able for their. purpose.was the p re " .. •- dence and foresight of the admiral that averted the latter proper things were never to be done at the proper times, that distinguished catastrophe ; and the country owed .late. The gallant admirals'demand to and all 'was too heth to consider thii lett • •t . th Tea insis ing on the officer too deep a debt of gratitude to admit of its being w her . e was . . • tolerated that the truth of these transactions should be termation of his services was answe is follows: -, kept in the clark. The right bon. baronet the member for " Sir—With reference to your letter of yesterdayN date, I Carlisle told the house th e o ther n ight that "the admiral am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty had not been dismissed—that h e had not been censured— to acquaint you that the order which you have received, and although the admiral had proclaimed himself a hero, agreeably to custom, to strike your flag and come on shore is he could not allow him t o p roc laim himself a martyr. But always given at the termination of a flag officer's command." it was not the admiral who proclaimed himself a hero •it And yet the gallant officer the member for Gloucester was the noble lord the First Lord of the Treasur y and the could come into that house two months afterwards and say 'right hon. baronet the member for Carlisle who had pro- that the gallant admiral had not been dismissed—(bear, claimed him a hero ; and aimless he was a hero, he was hear from the Ministerial bench)—and that was repeated unfit for command. The best evidence that he was a hero a week afterwards by the right hon. gentleman the rnem was his being selected to command the fleet ; an d h e bet for Carlisle. So that here was a great public officer, could not understand how the right hon. baronet could the commander-in-chief of the greatest fleet that England have come down to the house and said the admiral had had ever sent forth, who had commanded that fleet to the proclaimed himself a hero, and be would take care that. entire satisfaction of the Government, and he believed of he should not proclaim himself a marty r. But t o proceed the n a tion, and who returned because operations could no with his n a rrative. Th e a dmiral pointed out to the Go- longer be carried on, told in insulting terms to strikehis flag vernment that the season of the year was too late for un- and to come on shore—and, again, that this order was always deitaldng such an operation • but; the Government b e i ng issued on the term i nat i on of a ti n t officer's command. Now , under the impression that Sebastopol had fallen, nothing be thought that, unless they were to give up the present mode would do for them. but that something should be attempted of and erstandingthe English languege —unless this Govern in the Baltic, "We have taken Sebastopol," said they ; ment, which hail introduced so many new th in g s, had intro " only let us take Cronstadt or Sweaborg , an d the country duced also some new languageto direct the operations of the will then be satisfied of what we have all along been satie- war, the house would adhere to the construction ho put fled with ourselves, viz., that so powerful a Ministry never upon the letter of the 22d December, as equivalent to a dis existed before." (A laugh.) But the admiral did not missal of Sir Charles Napier. Yet, having dismissed him conform to their views—he could not consent to undertake withoututteringa word of compliment to his services, or the an operation which the united admirals of France and services of those who had manned his ships, they thought England had disapproved of at the time. Everybody knew fit too late—that was on the 26th December—to attempt that September in the Baltic was equivalent to November to repair the omission, for the letter went on to say, " and in England, and that October was like December. Be- lam directed by my lords to take this opportunity"—why sides, the nav i ga ti on was the most dangerous in the world; not have taken that opportunity ? — (hear , hear)—" to ex there were such rocks and shoals that the fleet could not 'press to you the sense their lordships entertain of your go about anywhere without buoying its course, and yet the exertions during the period of your service in command of Government actually wrote on the 4th of October directing the Baltic fleet." Now, the house would, perhaps, mown thealdrairal t o attack Sweaborg, and on his writing home bar a debate that took place on a memorable occasion—a to say he could not depend upon the weather, the Govern- debate in which he (Mr. Malins) had taken no part,though went again 'wrote to him, saying, "You may choos e your he would willingly have done so, but in which the Sure nwn dry and opportunity." This was not in a pri va t e let- , tery for the Admiralty had addressed the house. Whatever ter : it "vale ;11 a utter -Jeering from the' -)c) 0 ard of •Atitni- - else might , be inferred from the speech tho hon. gentleman malty to th e a d m i ra l. If h o had read such a thing in a I then made, he saw one thing very plainly; that if the h on . correspondence between two business MOD; he should not gentleman were not out of (ice, he expeoted very soon to be, for t he hen. gentlem an h a d reverted to his old. habits and , fog, id feud; with everything, declaring that the army had. lesci a mismanaged, and everything had been misma ,amme„ • Le It notbilig would-ever come -right until every= thl el t;. bat hI I been cone should be undone; but, adde I the .te Iht see:). lea, tie, iu is, triumphant tone, notes ly could lied f 'wit evit.ii ane thing done in regard to th e Meet— everyl .hinge was perfectly right in thatdeoarteneat, an •t no ono a .uld get a word to say, against it. The lion. gentle man, I reyoneidoubt, did not know these things at that time, dad hi , supposed must have thought that the ben of secrecy could be kept upon this correspondence, and that, from au apprel iension that the public service would be injured by divull ing them, th ese th i ngs would be kept secret, for he thong it if his mind adverted to this correspondence the h on . g antletuan could not have .anticipated so confidently that ize body could throw blame on what had been done at th e Li lmiralty. No doubt ho should be told, as the' bon. and ge Ilant member for Gloucester had told them, that Sir Oh sties "Napier had shown a very bad example in going to mak a a speech at the Mansioe-house and that it Wes a pinfi , all discipline. H e (M r. Malin;) had no desire to couch= d. this case otheeeivise than in a perfectly candid manna r, or to express approbation where appr o b a ti on cou ld not ha entertained. He thought that Sir Charles Napier had co emitted an error in making that speech, and going to the i'ength to which ho went ; but it had been made the subject of comment that ho had se id he took the command of a, flu et badly manned and worse disciplined, and some °nicer i afterwards wrote to the papers to say that they were sure ist could not both admiral's intention to cast censure on these who had served under him. Now he fourril from the letters that passed two months before, that Sir Charles :Negev was then remonstrating with the Government be catimo they had not formally given their approbation to the officer a. serving under him, to whose exertions they were indebete (1 fur the safety of the fleet, to whom they were inelebszeil for having brought back a disciplined fleet, lifter h %vises taken out one that was undisciplined. Sir Charles Nevi* r, in fact, said in a letter written in November that* be observed that on the return of the French fleet to Fiennce, the Emperor, iu addressing his Legislative Chet uel-ers tendered his thanks for the operation of th e Feenclr fleet in , the Baltic, that the services of the En g l44l navy had been equally worthy of commendation, that the! e.tertions and merits of his officers deserved to be acknows N.fged, and that lie regretted that not a single ex pression ut thanks should have been tendered to them. What Sir 0,-. Napier meant by the expression so much criti cisedthat his was, not officers were incompetent, but that the circumstance.. s me der which the fleet had beeu equipped necessarily caused .its e'escipline to be imperfect. Ho be lieved there was not is sine le captain in the fleet who had ever commanded a s hi p in th eßaltic before, a circurnsta ice which enhanced the difficultie.v a hundredfold ; whilst the fleet, being se large and power:n.2. had been manned has tily, and by men who were incapa 4.'0 of going aloft. al e thought he had now shown tke heiriee that Sir C. Napier had been dismissed from his command ill December, rn , not only dismissed but censured, an d fn leis conviction it was for the iuterests of the public set vice that such a transaction should be bought under the notice of Parlia ment. He trusted that, in doing so, the house would be of opinion he had not miscoeceived his duty as a erember or Parliament, but that he had succeeeed in bringing it in a temperate and moderate manner before the house: He would not refrain, so long as he had the honour of c , ssat iu that house, from expressing disapprobation of the pro ceedings of any Minister when lie thought disapprobation was deserved. Hohad ventured to express what he strongly felt—that the manner in which Sir C. Napier bad been treated by the Board of Admiralty, and consequently by the Government of which the noble lord was at the head, was unworthy ef this great nation. ale submitted to the house that it was incompatible with the public service of this coun• try that its distinguished servants should be treated with neglect and injustice—that they should receive reproach and uisgrace whore h onour and reward were due. It was also his conviction teat it was absolutely essential to the 'Miele service that these transactions should not be kept iu the dark, but that the facts should be brought to light, in order that Parliament mightjudge as to their propriety. As the right hon. baronet the member for Carlisle had toll them in the admirable speech he delivered on the question, whether the committee now sitting should be open or secret, public reputations were not to be sacrificed in a secret com mittee in No. 17. Be adopted the principle of the right hen. gentleman, that the reputations of our generals and admi rals were dear to the country, that they were the property of the country, and that an insult to them was an insult to every member of the community. (Cheers.) It was upon their skill and courage that we must rely for our defence, and if we could not lend men worthy to command our fleets and armies, then England would indeed be reduced to 0 miserable condition. (Renewed cheers.) If, when we had. found sech men, and when the Government of the day pro claimed to us that we had found the most fitting man'—if, because the First Lord of the Admiralty took a view that was not in accordance with that of the commander of the fleet, the admiral was to be received on his return' with ignominy, there was an end to all security for the efficient performance of the public service. When he found, there fore, that no other member of the house was disposed to bring this matter under their consideration, hehad felt it his duty not to shrink from bringing it forward, believing, as he did, that to keep such transactions in the dark would be attended with the greatest possible detriment to the public service in general. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman concluded by moving for copies of any correspondence which had passed between the Board of Admiralty or any member of the Government and Sir Charles Napier since the 20th December last. Admiral Sir T. HERBERT said—As a rersomd friend of Sir Charles Napier, and one who served under him on many trying occasions, I must beg to trouble the house with a few words on the motion now before them. The gallant admiral the member for Gloucester told the house, a few evenings ago, that Sir Charles Napier was not dis missed from his command. Technically speaking he was not ; but he was removed from his command by ordering him to haul down his flag, and, to my mind, in a moat dis courteous manner, unaccompanied as the order was by a single complimentary expression in commendation of the gallant admiral's management of the fleet while under his orders. Although I cannot approve of after-dinner speeches like the gallant admiral's at the Mansion-house, yet, after all Sir C. Napier's eminent seivices—many of them most brilliant_ ....1...1, as 1...1....0...11.4 .k.a.t.it iLth At,itt.a; ration of such men a. Lord Exmouth, Sir A. Cochrane, Sir Robert Stopford, Sir J. Gordon, and other distinguished oiiicei a— -1 have tun much respect for my gallant friend, who was once my commander during some trying occurrences, not to hope that his statement will prove to ba correct, and that he will stand well with his countrymen. With regard to the gallant admiral's conduct in the Baltic, I do not think that he could have done more wile the force at his disposal than he did, and I firmly believe that it is to his cool judgment, and wise discretion the country is indebted for the safe re turn home of our fleet ; for had Sir Charles Napier been induced to have attacked either Cronstadt or S weaborg without the co-operation of a large land force, and the assistance of mortar-vessels and gun-boats of an easy draft of water—a force which appears to have been entirely neglected attaching to the fleet last) year—na y couvictioi is that the attack would have - failed, and that his ships most likely would have been all disabled. (Hear.) Can the eulo gium pronounced upon Sir C. Napier by the right hen; baronet the member for Carlisle, at the Reform banquet, ever be forgotten ? There the right hon. baronet not only congratulated the club on so thoroigh a Reformer having the command of the fleet, but aided that his confidence in him was so great that he had his (the First Lord of the Ad miralty's) authority to declare war, if he thought fit, upon his arrival in the Baltic. Now what has all this boasting and confidence come to ? That the right hon. baronet and the gallant admiral have fallen out, the' admiral has been dismissed by Sir J. Graham from his command, and that unfortunate misunderstanding—which I much regret, as being prejudicial to the public service, particularly to the discipline of the naval branch of it. However, the gallant admiral in common fairness ought to have an opportunity, somewhere, of vindicating his character. I have not assn any of Sir Charles Napier 's cornspmnience with the right hon. baronet opposite; but if the ccrrespoudence asked for is refused to be prod need inerel3 on the score of bring of a private charaCter, it certainly • does not come well front an Admiralty who made such liberal use of private and confidential corresponchece -in the inquiry of err. Stafford's dockyard appointment to refuse it. Sir JAMES GIIIIIAM—I have great pleasure in assuring the house that it will not be necess try for me, in answering the hon. and learned gentleman, to detain them for anything like the length of time he has occupied in opening his case. For, sir, I have not come down hefe prepared to read extracts from public despatches, and much less do I come here prepared to read garbled extracts from such despatches. (Hear, hear.) Much less am I prepared to enter into tho details of private conversations. I have not the advantage of holding in my hand s anything like that brief of a confidential nature which has been put into the hands of certain members of this house. But at the outset of what I have to address to the house, I shall jast refer to the passage with which the hon. member con cluded his speech, when he asid he was anxious to vindi cate the honour of this country. Now, sir, lam not de void of a desire to vindicate the honour of this country, and I heard the . honourable and learned gentleman, with the deepest regret,' say, as I understood him, that the honour of this country, which was so dear to him, had been lost by the disasters which, had befallen our arms. Now, sir, whether I look to the Black Sea or the Baltic, its to what concerns the navy, I am satisfied that the honour of this countryhas been maintained; and as regards our army, I know that all is not lost. (Hear, hear.) The honour of that army and the honour of this country, as I believe, are still intact. (Loud cheers.) We have never met the enemy on any one occasion in which our arms have not been victorious ; and whatever the suffer ings of our troops may have been, their exemplary patience, their gallantry, their good conduct, far camel . all my powers of praise—(cheers)—and in the presencet of this house I am glad to declare that the honour h o e t h country and its arms is safe. (Renewed cheers.) T hon.e and learned gentlemaa has commented upon a Government ex expression used by my noble friend at the head of the . on an occasion to whioh - he delights in referring—that the highest proof of sagacity lies in looking several moves before one. Now, I must plead guilty to a great want of sa i't for the moves ma de b y the hon. and learned gen tlemanee'y'on this occasion wer e not foreseen. I did not anti cipate that he would have thought it consistent with his duty to read extracts froiu despatches in his pussessi n public despatches of the highest possible . importance,'which the Government of this country has not yet been asked by the House of Commons to produce, and with regard to which it r emains to be aeon whether, w h en th e y are asked, they w ill think it consistent with their duty to the public to advise the housa to sanction their production. iTheir discretion will be exercised by them ; what is due to myself, I will shortly endeavour to state to the house. The hon. and learned gentleman talks of the introduction of new things. Is there anything more new, sir, with all your experience in that chair, have you seen or heard of anything so unexampled as the course pursued by the hon. gentleman ? I have not culled from private letters, with. out the consent of the writers of those letters, such extracts as, to use hie own words, would maintain the view he takes of this case. If there is to be any p ro d uct i on of I these letters, let it be complete and entire. But, until that production shall have taken plac e , I t rust the house will not form any opinion from the se ex t racts which the hon. and learned gentleman has called, in order to sup port the view he takes of thi s matter. I said I didnot expect the moves that have taken place. Had I been asked before this night whether I thought the day would come when Sir Charles Napier would put his case into the hands of a lawyer, sitting upon the opposite side of the house would appear as plaintiff in a case charging the Government, of which my noble friend the member fur Tiverton is the head, with having treated him, as the hon. 1 and learned member has said, with insult and contuniely— ' I confess t o you t h at nothing further from my anticipa tions could possibly have occurred. Put there is anotl,er part of the 'conduct of the hon. and learned gentleman which, I confess, surprised me. He referred to the dinner which took .ace at' the Reform Club, for which, as I have bef9r e aids I hate deno_pei!ance. I bay° already stated that I then committed an error which I was met pr e p are d again to commit. No doubt, on the occasion Whio h h as been referred to, I said that if there was a banquet in honour of hi aTeturne antri sv.Villivit &no attend T at, IBI7C-uuld . be prepared to do so in oreleir to celebrate the brilliant suc cesses which were then anticipeted. • Well, I have aec e i ve d no such invitation—(a laugh) ;1 ---and had received that in. vitation, the punishment to w hich I have referred was so ' severe, and I was so conscious of the indiscretion that I committed, that I know not whether I should have re peated it. (A. laugh.) Happily I have not been put to she test. It is true I stated on that occasion that I had, ",4.' the great es t op i n i on o f th e prove d an d di st i ngu i s h e d ( valour of Sir Charles Napier, and I added that I thought he was. ,: 0 ; also di scree t . H e has confirmed that opinion. Disc retion,..--e, the better part of valour, has not been wanting to him. e',i He ha s p roved himself that consummate admiral Whom t.`''t praised for his valour and discreetness. (A. laugh.) • I shall '.''' only say, in answer to another comment made by the hon. and learned gentleman that private letters have be en pr o - duced before committees of this house; but then those 1 4' were cases when a n i nqu i ry of a judicial character was in course of prosecution, and when it was the o r de r c if the :-,n,— house that persons, pap ers , an d records should be prod need.' ;„;. I think the house will percei ve the difference between.' the - 7, . production of documints before a j u di c i al committee ras c- ..:e_ tioned by the authority of this h ouse , and the produotionT of documents such as the hon. gen tl eman has produced ''',' . ' to-night—partially and, as I should say, most. unfairly '- in support si m ply of a n appeal to the h ouse t o say *hailer it is c ons i s t en t w ith th e d u t y o f th e G overnment and the ' Public interests at stake, that the whole or any part 'of them should be produced. (Hear, hear.) He has said. and quite c orrec tl y, t h at on the w h o l e t h e con d uct of Sir ~.., • -- Charles Napier in reference -to the command of the fleet ' Govern ment. th c e e 2 r 4 ta t i h n o ly, of September iptsoomber wets approved by the Govern general rule that " a good work man doez not quarrel with his tools;" and yet it is true that the gallant offic er; Do t at the Mension-house but in -,, an o ffi cial letter, did sta t e, t h at the fleet under his com mand was ill-manned and unfit to meet tho enemy. On the receipt of that letter, the Admiralty called on the gal lant admiral to state the specific ships to which he applied that remark, and when se called on he failed to specify any ship. (Hear.) Ido maintain that the discretion.mts • cised by Sir Charles Napier, in reference to attailka J t erth an inferior force upon fortresses was, in the terms of icy pri vate letter, "a wise discretion?' .T have never quarrelled with the exercise of that discretion, and had he adhered to his assertion matte early in May and repeated in July, that Sweaborg was unassailable either by land or sea, no one word bf hesitation with respect to the prudelice exer cised by him, either in writing or in speech, wergild have fallen from me. It is quite true that on the 24tb of Sep• tember, when he, for the first time reconnoitred Sleveaborg close at hind, he did write to the Admiralty a despatch upon whieth I shall not further dwell, because r do not think it Ponsistent with my duty to en t er i n t o d e t a il s which wollild, if stated, materially alter the present. aspect of the case. It is said by the hon. and learned si tember that the•a pliances for that attack, as contemplated by Sir .barley o the '24th of September, were not sent •by the Aelmirale . But on the 12th of May he said that ads par ticular for ress was unassailable either by lend-or see, and, I dying on !the jildgenent of tee gall:ins admiral, the Board of Admire:icy thought it of practical use to send further ap pliances for the purpose of that attack. It is also certain that a diArence of opinion did arise between naval and military officers of the highest autlority n . avl alntoopethmiettitoinifs terence of opinion I an t sure the house w ill not expectme co enter, because it beers directly upon which hay° only beeu suspended for a short period, heel are now abhut to be resumed. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and learned gentleman says he has looked et these papers care fully. lleis an equity lawyer. What does he think of the justice of d proceeding which calls upon me to defeeet my. self with . nly hands tied behind any back, when, wit boat a ereach of duty, I cannot produce this corresponden to, or even refer to it ? I have felt nry sense of duty so ste!ongly chat I haite not brought a paper clown with me. I have only seen a paper prepared ex parte, and marked " cotnEdens 114" containing extracts from both public and private dee sp aches. .And yet this equity lawyer, who is so fond ,f fair play, a f ter conn i ng his case and speaking from a brief, comes down and makes an attack- which he axp3cts me to answer when I have aet the materials, and when a sense of public duty, even if I had them, would absolutely forbid me to use them. (Hoar, hear.) it is quit' true that the letter of Sir Charles Napier .S the 24th of September, with reference to the attack on Sweaborgddid• present to the Board of Admiralty an en tirely (afferent view of the subject from that con,eined in his former} communication. it then appeared p.erfeetly clear to thin, even on the showing of Sir Charles Napier aimself, t at it was perfectly possible if the whole fence -then in th Baltic was reunited, to make an attack by the naval foie() alone on Sweaborg; the departure both of the' English and French fleets was accordingly arrested. An& then the hpu. and learned member has not thought it un— worthy to !assign a motive for the instructions sent out on the 4th Orober. He said that accounts had then been ..eceived o the supposed fall of Sebastopol, and that, acting under the, influence of the excitement which then pre ftiled, the Board of Admiralty varied their instructions, and gave orders entirely different from what they had given eofore. Pgive the most positive denial to that statement. Elie now orders to which he has referred were sent out on the day aft er we received Sir Charles Napierni letter of the •.e4th of Setember, and if the hon. and learned gentleman .vill look at the close of the despatch of the 4th of October, f think that he will seo that Sir Charles Napier • was tokt chat he ninst make no desperate attack; and that whether ie should attack or not was left entirely to his own discre tion. Warning was given him that if the means placed at ids dispos4l were adequate, the country had a right to ex pect that everything that valour could do should be at tempted ;1 but that the decision as to the course which should baJ taken rested entirely with him. (Hear, hear.) If that p4ssage is in the despatch, I must say that I think the hon. and learned gentleman has been guilty of a want of fairnesi and candour .towards the Government in not reading it. (Hear.) Something has been said with re spect to an assertion made both by myself and my gallant friend thh member for Gloucester, that Admiral Napier had not been dismissed from the command of the lest. It is quitO true that on the whole the Admiralty had no ground for censuring Sir Charles Napier for his conductor the fleet, but it is not true that the Board of Admira lty' did not censure certain acts of Sir Charles Napier with re foremen te e the euthority of the Government. On the con trary, they had more than once to warn the gallant admiral that the language and tono he assumed towards the autho rity under which he served did not appear consistent with the subonlination and deference due to the supremo authe. rity under which he so commanded. Then, as to his alleged dismissal. It is quite certain that admirals, hav ing performed similar services in the Baltic, have mailed similar orders at the end of the autumn so to strike Their; flags. Admiral Hope, who commanded in the Baltic let 1812 ' was on his return ordered to s trik e hi s flag. It does: not, however, follow that, when an admiral is ordered to strike hii flag , he may not he ordered to rehoist it. It , rests with th e authorities to decide whether the •conduct • of the officer in that command has been snob as to entitle him to tilat confidence. And I do not think that it will redound to the efficiency of the service, or be conducive to good disiipline, or have a happy effect on our forces, d whe ther by ilea or land, if this homes should sit in weahmepthseigrLittliiesyrisghhotultahaat,gaaitn tehmeptloerym_tinatirotnicuolajfu-ragolealr or of s no ep t. te Llt be is r, q i u n it w e ri c t l i e n a g r , that this despatc h Sir e a w pT t ar h , orenfetrehneer to h o f in a s t u u r r e e d ot a e im rat t i h o e ns eo b m etr a e n S d w i e n ab th o e rg ß , d al i tl le galla nt adopted. But it was for the executive to deters nine vihe ther,. haying regard to the whole conduct o f had admiral: it was desirable to reappoint him. I bas's t d ic ta i k f ea th eAl a.t ur p. s l e an whwica,sh the hOnour of knoWing Sir Charles Napier for a long Pe ! rice?. Ilhave the greatest admiration of the gallantry' he : I„ h te is .t w fi h h ag a ms ' has displayed on many trying occasions. These are not empty qords. Oa my responsibility, in th e year 18b3, I awarded to biro a good-service pension, as a mark of the' respect !of the Admiralty - for his past_ s cry ioes. But I .. should le altogether unworthy of my place in this helm, - :Ind of the o ffi de which I lately had the hon. ev r to fill, if 1 did rot say that the tone, ;ma a very early 1 crioil, taken, by Adn ilea Napier iii commenting . on his instructions was turlliulent and insubordinate, and assumed, a character i t i t walittyh had which I I should say was altogether incoesistea 1 the duty to I the Admiralty; and that if t ( li x e o.na A p , . i l e rn tt tamely Submitted to it, and orderedhim. to rebel l '' it wont' have set the worst possible to Sir ser vice. I have now told the exact truth with regard occurred. I have not a particle of unkind feeling' . Chas. Napier • on the contrary, I deeply regret happened. B at ' again I repeat it, I think it will be a very great misfortune if the executive Government consent .tea the publication of this correspondence. If I had had any— doubt'before as to the propriety of ordering Sir Charles Napier to resume the command of the Baltic fleet, the course he has tursued since he :was ordered to strike his lag—his language, to which I hawe before adverted—his act having hesitated, when angry with me and the board under which _ he served, to produce &aliments of a most confidential nature—would certainly have removed' arty hesitation on that subject from my mind. (Hear, hear.) I now leave the matter in the hands of the house. They will decide whether this correspondence shall be produced. But never in my life was I more astonished at any course taken by an hon. member of this house than at that which the' hon. ' and learned gentleman the member for Wisllingford has thought it consistent with 'his dignity to pursue on this occasion. lam certainly glad that it is not a member: of, the naval profession who has acted in this way. (Hear A , hear.) As for the equity and love of justice of the ho e. and learned member, it may be very good - practiee in th e courts, but it will not, I think, satisfy thOLlense of Wee. mons. (Cheers.) • Admiral WALCOTT, after declaring that he was mot influenced by any party feeling on; ' this question, stion, that i s much regretted the course taken by Sir Charles Napier, in addressing the company assembled at the Lord Mayole's banquet at the very time that his application for a court. martial was under consideration by the Admiralty, and that he did not enter into any discussion of the papers which had been referred to until they were all before the house—said that it was true that there was a very preva lent impression that the achievements of the Baltic fleet were not adequate to the magnificent armanierttlewerhliiclbl. 111€ : I si li de e s . had been sent out. He thought, however, this imitreasion was unjust. For there could be no doub t ed t g) h ,n a aa ti ti epatehed to sea on so short a notice must have manned (as Admiral that it was necessarily inefficient in the teas to , which it was sent, from being Nal ev )i e i r th h o a u d t . number of praums or gun-boats adapted for shallow water. Ho believed, too, that it was quite erroneous to snp. lel; pose that ships could act successfully against stone walls. etekt What had taken place at Boinarsund and on the naval awirt attack of Seba.topol had shown the fallaciousness of the -.0 public expectation on this point ; and he believed that if V oho Dey of Algiers had not born so cursedly afraid of our fleet—(loud laughter) —and allowed them to come unmo lested close under the batteries, that it was very doubtful iiitor whether Dird Exmouth could ever have gained the posi- NV" tion from which he operated so stercessfully. He certainly risie! did not say that a fleet could not run into Sebastopol or j a i' a • but the chances ware 100 to 1 against s u ch a movement being attended with success. 0 .. fore, as he could. judge, Sir Charles NaeLoor_riad. far, e x. exorci se d ies . re . d i : a wise discretion in net running th e ri?k s f of e t r ;i p e p o l o l unt ni fleet, and ,had fulfilled the just be wholly or not, expectation ut h e edluction of those papers hear.) With respect to authority; but e) n this e point . h e papers he quite agreed that they _ at all before the house. Ho could no g t h s t a pt ; - whether it would the right b w e as pr r u at d h e e u r t Napier to was true it trlldears conveyedto Sir Ch Charles e a s Curt way; in to cl p in r e o d du to c e defer any o tof them the , str i kehe n. b i his baronet. flag, .it As to think that that,at i t oursan the not Admiralty c o fo n IA e said lo they but then the Adm iralt y were invariab* curt. (A l a u g h .). Nor could he say that the order was eith er in itself a cen sure or a dismissal,dismissal,alf sale Iliveerodoidt: the whole satisfied with hi s con d uct , an d at al/ h o wever, o events brought no charge against him, it would have been only a proper consideration for his feelings had they, in ordering him to strike his flag and come on shore, con voyed to him that fair and merited praise which the gal lent admiral's letter drew from them two days later. (Hear, hear.) He thanked God we had now a fine fleet at Spit head, ready to sail in a few days. A more efficient fleet could never leave these shores. It would possess one great advantage which Su 0. N A/ Ad a fleet 404 not — it wgt4 .1 .~ -- MIIS I ~. w