The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-25 00:00:00

THE III:TINY BILLS.

The Mutiny Bill and the Shrum Mutiny Bill were read a
hird time and passed.
THE GRANT TO SIR G. WOLSELET.

The Clerk having read the Message from Her Majesty rela-
tive to the means of conferring on Sir Garnet Weiseley some
mark of diatinction, .

Mr. Disraeli said,—l rise to move that a supply be granted
to Her Majesty in order that Her Majesty may be enabled to
carry into effect that object she has graciously expressed to
her faithful Commons, to confer some mark of diatinction on
Sir Garnet Wolseley for having so successfully planned and
terminated the Ashantee War. It is unnecessary, and
I think the House will agree with me that it would
be hardly becoming, that I should enter into the realions
which have induced Her Majesty's Government to
advise that the recognition of the merits and services of
Sir Garnet Wolseley should take he form now before the
Committee. It is enough for me to state that it takes that
form merely in consideration of the feelings and wishes of
that eminent individual whom it is the wish of the Sovereign
of the coma ry to honour and to reward. I would take this '
opportunity to announce that Her Majesty had graciously
wished to confer upon Sir Garnet Wolseley an hereditary dis-
-Diction and to recommend to the House to provide the
becoming means to maintain such an honour. Sir
Garnet Wolseley said that the only rewards he
sought in life were connected with that profession
In which all his feelings and duties were centered I may
here observe tha Sir Garnet Wolseley is a member
of a family in which there are two baronetcies, one of which
Is most ancient, to both of which it is possible he may suc-
ceed. Be has never in the course of his life looked for.
ward to the possession of those baronetcies, which if he
were to succeed to them might interfere with the career to
which he is devoted, but certainly he has no with to add
to the honours of that kind which his family already pos-
sesses. I thought it my duty to suggest to Sir Garnet
Wolseley that however much I might admire the modesty
of his character in common with all who are acquainted with
him, still I thought that by his refusal of these honours a
false impression might circulate throughout the country with
regard to the intentions of his Most Gracious Sovereign with
respect to him, and that an idea might be prevalent that
his services had not been recognized by the Crown in the
manner in which they deserved: but Sir Garnet Wolseley
only answered me with the simplicity of truth, and said that
he really thought be had been over-rewarded, ruder those
circumstances, the result In that I am about to propose this

vote
•• That a amp not exceeding £.25.000 be granted to tier
Majesty to be issued to Sir Garnet Wolseley as an acknow-
ledgement of his eminent services in planning and conduct-
ing the recent Expedition to Ashantee." (Cheers.)
The vote was agreed to.
THE ARMY ISTDIATES.

Mr. Hunt next explained the Navy Estimates, which he
said were, with one slight exception, the Estimates of his
predecessors. The total sum asked for is £10,179,485, but
there is a sum to be deducted for extraordinary receipts and
Indian contributions, which reduce it to C 9,966,485. In com-
paring it with lost year's votes, Mr. limit mentioned that
just at the close of the financial year a supplementary esti-
mate of £105,000 for the Zanzibar Expedition had been voted ;
so hat the real increase in this year's Estimates is only
£174,760. Making all the necessary deductions, the total cost
of the Nan' is as near as pomade ten millions, of which she
effective services absorb nearly eight million. Of this the
materiel of the Navy costs £3,700,000, he personnel
about as much more, leaving £400,000 for the administrative
services. Having given these general figures Mr. Hunt went
seriatim through the Votes, touching briefly on the causes of
increase or decrease is: each. On Vote 6, the Dockyards, he
dwelt at greater lengtn, explaining that there is an increase
et 800 men employed owing to the extensive repairs of the
Ironclad Fleet which are necessary this year; and under this
head he gave some interesting particulars showing the great
cost of these repairs, which up to this time appear to have
amounted to about one-third of their original cost. Ile
mentioned that a Committee on Boilers is about to
be appointed, and he promised to lay before the House a
history of our ironcladn, showing where they were built, what
they cost, what they have done, and how they have stood
wear and tear. On this vote also he stated that though votes
had been taken for building 8,500 tons of ironclads in the
year, only 5,592 had actually been built, although the Esti-
mates for corvettes and sloops have been exceeded. Next
he dwelt on Vote 10, the Store Vote, which is taken in
two divisions-1, Naval stores; 2, steam machinery
and ships built in private yards. In both there is an
Increase—vie, £70,000 in the first, and £llO,OOO in the
second. With regard to the first, ;Mr. Hunt declared his
Intention of taking some active steps for clearing " the Ad-
miralty lumber-room" by extending considerably the opera-
tion of breaking up old and useless ships. Dealing with the
noneffective Votes, he explained the progress made in carry
lb* out Mr. Childers' Retirement Scheme ; and into the
shipbuilding programme of the year he went in great de-
tail. The general result is that 19,470 tons are to be built
this year—namely, 13,852 in the Dockyards, and 5,618 in
the private yards. The total number of ships in commis- ,
sion is 125—via, 23 ironclad. 8 frigates, 14 corvettes, '
27 sloops, 32 gun vessels, and 18 gunboats. Next
Mr. Hunt entered into an elaborate retrospect and com-
parison of the shipbuilding operations of the late Go-
vernment and its predecessor—the ships begun, the tonnage
completed, and the money spent, with a view not only
to the lustifi,•ation of the economy and efficiency of VD..
pwry's Administration, but also to show that, but for the
progress Mr Cory had made in laying down ironclada, the
economise of his successors would have been impossible. The
result of the eronothies of the late Government he illustrated
by the condition:it the Ironclad Met, of which he drew a
at gloomy picture Of our 41 rna-going ironeliels (of
which rive are buldinB) only is could be consiiitred as
effective at the present Inonletit, and of the 14 which were
available oaly.for coast and harbour defence—to which dais
IA included Us Davaitatton until bather WaM had been

made on her—only nine were good for anything at all. At
the same time, he pointed out that no ironclad would be
finished this year, one only in 1875, and three in 1876,
and two in 1877. Mr. Runt then examined She
Naval Finance of the last seven years, showing that
after Mr. Childers had made his reductions in obedience
to a political necessity, the wants of the Navy began to
be recognized, and the Estimates now had again risen to
within a quarter of a million of the point at which Mr. Corry
had left them. Finally, he assured the Committee, as the
result of a most careful examination on the subject, that
though he was not prepared to propose any addition to his
predecessors Estfinates, he could not take upon himself to
my that he was satisfied of their sufficiency to maintain the
Navy in a satisfactory condition, nor could he conceal f rota
himself that it might be necessary hereafter to make fresh
demands on the public.
Mr. Reed was of opinion that the Estimates were in-
adequate for the emergency, and treated as utterly illusory
the idea that the 60,000 men who had been voted could be
sent to sea in modern ships for ten millions a year. The
expenditure on shipbuilding, and especially on ironclads, had
fallen considerably below the average of the last fifteen
years, and greater exertionn were needed this year.

Sir John Hay went through the list of the ironcladn to show
how many of them were in what he called a " disgraceful
condition.- .

Mr. Goschen commenced his defence of the late Admiralty
by deprecating a revival of bygone controversies, and re-
gretted that Mr. Hunt's speech—which foreshadowed a con-
siderable increase in the Naval Estimates—had not been
made before the Budget. But having expressed himself so
strongly Mr. limit was hound to take practical action, and
II he could make out a case for increased expendi-
ture Mr. Goschen promised that his proposal should
be considered without any par y bias. In answer to
Mr. Hunt's criticisms on the shortcomings in last year's
programme, he poiLted to the increase ui wages, coal,
and cost of materials, the unexpected costliness of the repairs
of the ironclad', and the astonishing rapidity with which the
modern type of ships deteriorated. The necessity for press.
hag forward unarmoured ships, and the uncertainty as to the
best type of iron ships, were also dwelt on, and he main-
tained that if every ship in the Navy were required to be
completely efficient at every moment, the Estimates must be
increased by hundreds of thousands.

Mr. Seourfleld made some observations; and, on the mo-
tion of Mr. Samuda, progress was ordered to be reported.
No day was fixed for resuming the debate.