The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-26 00:00:00

PENAL SERVITUDE.

In reply to Mr. Cats,
Sir G. GREY said he was glad to have au opportunity of
stating that primers under sentence of penal servitude for
life would be separated from all other prisooera sad would
form a distinct class ; and under no circumstances whatever
would they be entitled to claim a remission of any portion
of their sentence.
NAVAL YARDS.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. LINDSAY rose to oill attention to the report of the
commissioners appointed by her Majesty in 1860 to inquire
into the control and management of her Majesty's naval
yards ; and to move that in the opinion of that house the
recommendations of the said commissioners ought to be
carried into effect.

Sir F. SMITH hoped the government a-Gold resist the
motion, and he would support them in doing it.
Admiral 'WALCOTT earnestly hoped the government
would not agree to the proposition of the boo. member.
Lord C. PAGET said the motion before the house
wee in reference to the information given by the Ad-
miralty as to the expenditure at the dockyards, and
the hoo. member for Sunderland had criticised the re-
turns very severely, and in doing so be bad acted very un-
fairly. Three years ago the house insisted upon having
carefully prepared accounts, is order that the public might
know what her Majesty's dome really cost while
in building or in repairing, and the Admiralty had
desired to place those Acoounts in such a state that
it could be seen what the costa in the dockyards
of building her Majesty's ships really was. They had
always had accounts, but the difficulty had been to prepare
the accounts of the several doekyanls, as they had not been
kept on the same system, and consequently there were no
means of comparing the cost of the ships built in the
various dockyards. That was a matter which the soyal
commission on the dockyards pointed out, end to amend
that state of things this information had been given to the
hones. In reference to one ship—the Achilles—the Ad-
miralty. had entered into minute details, in order that a
comparison might be made between the can of that ship
and the armour-plated ships which had been built in
private yards. In a few weeks that ship would be
ready for sea, and then they would be able to compare her
express with that of the Warrior and other ships. He
thought these criticisms of the bon. gentleman were a little
misplsmd, because the Admiralty bad merely been doing
that which the country desired them to do. The remarks of
the hon. gentleman is reference to the officers be would
next advert to. It was true that the royal commissioners
made various recommendations as to the higher officers, and
so doubt they proposed some sweeping changes in the de-
partment. The government went into the matter, sad they
were disposed to carry out mania of the recommendations.
but the Duke of Somerset distinctly repudiated the idea of
allowing certain principal officers to appoint all those who
might be employed under them ; thinking that there
would be great disadvantages at some time or
another from such a system ; and that, as be was
responsible for the appointments, they would be
better in his hands. The hon. gentleman had remarked
thatalthough the government were always building ships, the
effective ships of the fleet hail been reduced; and why'
Because the government had been complying with a with
often expressed by the house, that instead of keei.ing ships
in their harbours occupying room and moorings, they should
be sold, and the Admiralty had been selling them in all
directions. (Hear, hear.) But unfortunately they had got
into a little trouble lately in doing that, for the sold one
ship to a bona lode merchant, and sow it appea that she
was going to be converted into a man-of-war for the Confe-
derates. (Hear, hear.) The Foreign.office bad said that
they most not sell any more so loos as this war be-
tween the North and South of America was going on.
and consequently they had ceased doing so. Bat the Ad-
miralty had disposed of a great many ships, and bad thus
reduced the fleet, but those sold were not effective or strong
enough to be used as men-of-war. His hon. friend beside
him (Mr. Stanefeld) had, during the time he had been in
office, given his undivided attention to the whole of the
dockyard system—the keeping of the accounts, the payment
of wages, and so forth—and the result did him the very
highest credit for the energy and ability which he had dis-
played. (Hear, hear.) His hou. frieud knew more of these
things than he did, and if the house would allow them to go
into committee he would explain everything. (Hear.)
The motion was by leave withdrawn.
THE TREATIES FOR THE CESSION OF THE
lONIAN ISLANDS.

Oolapel DUNNE then rose to call the attention of the
house to the recent treaties for the cession of the lonian
Islands to the kingdom of Greece ; and to ask if, by any
provisions in them, engagements were made for the pig-
ment of the arrears of contributions due by those islands to
Great Britain, as well as for the pensions granted to British
subjects for services under the lonian government.
Mr. EVANS hoped that a better security would be
given to the holders of the pensions in question than their
having their tames merely scheduled in the treaty.
Mr. C. FORTESCUE said, with reference to the arrears
of contributions, that they had in 1836 been fixed at Avow.
• year, which was soon found to be more than the revenue
of the lonian Islands could bear, and in 1814 there was an
arrest of 60,0001. The contributions were then fixed at a
fifth of the revenue of the country ; but nevertheless the
arrest had reached in 1849 to 90,060/. Since then there had
been no arrear, and it was not inteuded that payment of
that arrear should be insisted on. With regard to the
the names of the pereoes entitled to them bad
been inserted in the treaty of cession, and by an article of
the treaty the Greek government bound itself to pay them.
The same course bad been takes with regard to the pay-
ment of compel:mato= for loss of offices.
Mr. K INGLAKE was of opinion that this country was
primarily liable for the pensions and compensations,
although the government might take steps to obtain repay-
ment from the Greek government.