The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-25 00:00:00

THE DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE-

A conferenc,, convened by the Empire Defence
League, has been held at the London Mansion House,
"for the purpose of directing the attention of the
nation to the inadequacy of our naval and defensive
resources, and to the grave necessity there is of taking
immediate steps to strengthen our defences, and of
stimulating the electors to increased vigilance on
quest;ans involving the national safety." Lord Henry
Lennox, in the absence of the Lord Mayor, presided,
and then were present, amongst others, Sir John
Hay, M.P., Captain Price, M.P., Mr. Heneage, M.P.,
Mr. Howard Vincent, Sir Charles Mills (Agent
General for the Cape Colony), General Lowe, Mr. T.
Chatfeild Clarke, the Lord Mayor of York, the Lord
Provost of Glasgow, the Mayors of Stafford, Warwick,
Plymouth, Sandwich; Stockport, Sze.
The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, stated
that the league had been formed and the conference
held for the purpose of directing the attention of the
nation to the inadequacy of our naval and defensive
resources, and to the grave necessity there is of
taking immediate steps to strengthen our defences,
and of stimulating the electors to increased vigilance
on questions involving the national safety. The
chairman then proceeded to give his views as to the
state of the navy. Twelve years ago the English
navy was far superior to that of other rowers, but
from that time the prbportions had been altered to
our disadvantage. He was the first to draw atten-
tion to this, but his difficulties had been great, for it
was the object of tho Admiralty officials to throw
dust in the eyes of the public. There should be inorS
publicity in matters that went on at the Admiralty.
That mistalTe of tho officials about the deficit, of
which they6drecently beard, was an instance; but
aria mistake had been by no means the first of the
kind. He denounced departmental inquiries to stifle
real reforms.

Mr, T. Sutherst read sympathetic letters of apology
from Lord Shaftesbury, the Duke of Sutherland,
Lord Sidmouth, Lord Brabazon, Lord Eustace Cecil,
Lord Glasgow, Lord Alcester, Lord Darnley, Lord
Kintore, Lord Belmore, Lord Malmesbury, and Mr.
Albert Grey, M.P. Lord Derby wrote that "he did
not believe in 'the alarming inadequacy' of our navy
and defensive resources ; and Lord Stanhope inti-
mated that he felt it was the duty of the Government
to provide for the defences of the.„ Empire. Mr.
Sutherst, in explaining that there existed another
Coast Defence Association, supported by Lord
Cowper, insisted that the carrying round of the hat
for the buying of torpedo boats for coast defence was
not consistent with the dignity of the Empire, the
provision of these boats being part of the duty of the
Government.

- - Admiral Sir John Hay, M.P., moved: "This con-
ference considers the immediate defensive resources
of the Empire to be inadequate to its protective re-
quirements, and desires the Government to take
immediate steps to strengthen the Navy, to protect
our coasts and harbours, to fortify our colonial and
Indian ports and coaling stations, and to utilise the
services of the maritime population of tho United
Kingdom." The hon. and gallant gentleman said he
believed that the protection of this country and of
their commerce must depend on the Navy. In 1850
England had just twice as many line of battle ships
as France; but at the present time England had only
27 fighting ships, against 30 which belonged to France,
and they ought, therefore, to 1 ave 33 more ships.
The large ports of the country were quite unprotected,
and the Clyde, which required 500 torpedoes to
ensure its safety, had only six torpedoes available.
(Laughter.) A foreign squadron could easily destroy
Greenock and other places on the Clyde. The
Mersey was as easily to be got at, and Newcastle
could be destroyed without difficulty. As to the
coast defence at home, he thought the sea-faring
population might be enrolled and used as a Volunteer
force." With regard to the guns in the Navy, their
ships were very badly provided. What he and his
friend the chairman had urged upon the Admiralty
ad nauscum was perfectly true, and unless the country
looked to itself it would one day find itself in a most
defenceless condition. (Cheers.)
The Lord Mayor of York seconded the motion.
Mr. Seymour Keay, who felt it behoved him to
carry into that conference the voice of the labouring
classes of this country, which carried on their backs
an immense load of indirect taxation, moved an
amendment: "That considering the undue proportion
of the revenue now raised from the labouring-classes
by indirect taxation, it is unjust and dangerous to
increase our armanents until the cost can be pro-
vided by the propertied and not by the struggling
classes of the people."
Me. L. Ghose seconded the amendment in the in-
terests of the ryots of India.
Mr. Heneage, M.P., speaking for the Humber
ports, said the ports were willing to do all they were
able and ought to do for their defence, but what was
demanded was not only beyond the capacity of the
ports—for Lord Morley's Committee was believed to
have discovered that it would take £70,000 to XBO,OOO
to put one of the ports in a proper state of defence—
but was the duty of the nation at large.
Mr. Fairbairn, secretary of the Thames Watermen's
Association, also supported the motion.
Major Joseph said that the food supply would, in
case of war, depend on the efficiency and the strength
of the navy. so that the navy was of the very first
importance to the working classes. (Cheers.)
The amendment was negatived, and the original
motion carried by a large majority.
Captain Price, M.P., next moved: "That this
conference respectfully desires, irrespective of party,
and in the interests of the commonwealth, to urge
upon the electors of the United Kingdom and the
advisability of: exercising greater vigilance, and of
maintaining a high standard of national duty on
questions affecting the security of our commerce and
domieions --not for the purposes of aggression, but
solely to enable as, consistently with the honour and
welfare of the empire and its several parts, to protect
ourselves and possessions against wrong-doers."
The Mayor of Falmouth, in seconding the resolu-
tion, said that in the port he came from they had a
battery in the fort, but only six men to man it.
(Laughter.)
• The motion was agreed to nem. con.
Tha Mayor of Brighton moved: "This conference
considers that a Royal Commission, composed of
naval officers, engineers, shipbuilders, and colonial
representatives, should be immediately appointed to
inquire into and report upon the strength of the
navy and what relation it should bear to the navies
of other Powers, and to the extent of our respon-
sibilities—the mo le in which it is administered,
the organisation of the Board of Admiralty, dock-
yard administration, and our defensive require-
ments generally." Brighton, he said, contained 20
millions sterling of property, and it had no defences
at all. (Shame.)
Mr. F. Wigington, of the Amalgamated Society of
Thames Watermen and Lightermen, seconded the
motion, and pointed out that the late Government
could have got plenty of good watermen for the Nile
Expedition from the Thames without going to Canada
for them.

After a brief discussion the resolution was agreed
to.

Rear-Admiral Bedford Pim moved a vote of
thanks to the Lord Mayor for the loan of the Man-
sion House for the meeting. He thought the Thames
watermen would make a fine body of Naval Volun-
teers. England as a great maritime nation c ught to
pay special attention to her naval defences. (Cheers).
This motion was also agreed to, and a vote of
thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.