The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-13 00:00:00

THE FORTIFICATIONS BILL.

Sir G. C. LEWIS pre ootios of hie intestion to move for
leave to bring in a bill relative to the fortification. on Mon-
day, the 23rd tart.

DOCK AND BASIN AOCOILIODATION.

On the motile for going into committee of simply.
Mr. CORBY wee to all the attention of the house to the
neeraity of increased accommodation for docking her
Majesty's ship at home and abroad, and to ask
the Secretary to the Admiralty what were the in-
tentions of the government on the subject.

Lord C. PAQET said the house had been threatened for
the last two months with a motion from his right boo.
friend involving • Lap increase of public expenditure. The
nritrinal :notion was to the effect that it was advisable that
a aaafia:.4loo should be appointed, not only to consider what
additional accomMeillirni rinn neemni7 in her Majesty's
doekyardi, but likewise whetbse 11 was ftairable that addi-
tional accommodation should be provided in other localities.
He was happy to find that his right honourable friend did
not now contemplate the creation of a new dockyard.

Mr. CORRY intim►ted th►t he desired to see new dock

provided at Southampton.

Loral C. PAGiT regretted, then, that his right boo. friend
still adhered to that scheme. Now, he thought he could
show that there was no cause for alarm with respect to
the efficiency of the fleet on account of • seat of dock &mum.
modation. A verreerious question was now ruder the con-
sideratioe of her Majesty's government, and that was the
state of the dock accommodation in our possessiosa abroad.
There were two fine docks in Australia, not however capable
of taking. the heaviest clam of ships ;at Ban* two docks,
one at Singapore, one at Hong Boy, and various others
on the coast of Ohba. The neesseity for the construction
of a second desk at Malta, at the head of the harbour, was
in noun of investigation. He should mention also that
large sums of mosey were being expended at the colonial
merchant ports to provide increased dock as-
commodatiou. trader all these circumstanoss he asked
hie right hon. friend to remain for the pressed oostent ;
to rely on what had been effected as a guarantee that future
requirements would be provided for, and not to alarm the
house and the omantry by the statement that should an
emergency arise this country would be nuprepared to
meet it, (Hear, bear.) . . . .

Mr. LAIRD 'said lie was glad to hear that the neceesity
for Massed dock accommodation had been recogoised, and
that the questioe of as additional dock at Malta was under
consideration. He was anxious to state his views on another
branch of the subject—namely, that of basin accommoda-
tiou—the want of which was a source of great expense to
this country in the management of the navy. The entire
basin accommodation now, and for many years past,
amounted toabout 40 acres, bat daring the last ten years
• sum of about 1,600,000 f. had been spent deepening and
widening decks. Rather than that such patchwork should
continue it would be better to look the matter in the face,
and hr a present outlay save much future cost.
Sir J. ELPHINISTONE should support the motion of his
right hoe. friend, and he treated the house would bear Iron
another member of the government a more satisfactory
account than the noble lord had given them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. C. TALBOT would not agree to an enor-
mous expenditure being made at Chatham, because to get
at that place they had to take a ship through the most
difficult part of the Channel, and they ought to have a
large dock where ships could be soon refitted sad quickly
seat to sea again. (Hear. hear.)
Mr. WHITBREAD believed that many of the com-
plaints made by hon. members were without foundation,
and he would in conclusion observe that the works to be per-
formed this year on and about docks and begins must sot be
measured by the amounts already voted by the house.
Sir J. PAKINGTON thought the object of his right
boo. friend would be sufficiently answered if he had suc-
ceeded in calling the attentioo of the government to the im-
portance of this question ; but he regretted that the reply
of the noble lord had not been more explicit. The tone of
his bolds friend's speech was rather more evasive, io fact,
than he quite liked. Putting his speech into somewhat plaieer
Englieb, it seemed to amount to this, "The submit is very
important. We admit its pressing necessity. We acknow-
ledge that the thing ought to be done, but England ceneot
afford to do it" (Hear, hear.) If any 'asocial difficulty
stood in the way, he could only observe that it
war the fault of the present government who load so reck-
lessly thrown away • portion of the public resources.
He did not like the manner in which the noble lord had
spoken of the conduct of his right hon. friend with regard
to Keeton). No one was • greater authority co these ques-
tions than Sir James Graham • but, although Sir jams'
bad in the first instance condemned the works, be after-
wards congratulated his right hon. friend on the mama, in
which he carried them out, and be also extended them him-
self. The noble lord called his right bas. friend tr. e Palladio of
our dockyards and talked about the colonnades and pilasters
at Reyham ; hat his tight hee. Mead had had nothing
whatever to do with them. They bad, in fact, been added
by another sower/sem& (How bar.) It needed no argu-
ment to support the that the dockyards
of the maitre should be
say
to the ships we were
building. The custom would be like a man
bluing • horse before heap
a stable, or a handsome
carriage before be had • coach-bane& His noble friend bad
somewhat tuyatiffed the house in his statement as I. the
amount of dock accommodation which this coontrydeatia=
sent pookeemed . There was a return on the table
the plusher of days in imeh mesa ea which the Warier
could be docked at the variovagovenurat yards. He found
it Iso thus :—Deptford, " not atoll ; Woolwich, "not at
all ,;" Chatham. " sot at an ;" and so en marl he came to
Portsmouth, where ft was said that she could be docked 6
days each spring tide. At Pembroke it was stated that she