The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

the estimates of 1853-54, while the increase of charge
was 636,0001., part of which was temporary. lode•
pendently, however, of having a force sufficient for
the defence of the country, there was another consi-
deration which had of late years been much dwelt
upon and much forced upon public attention, but
which for a considerable time did not sufficiently
attract the notice either of the Government or of the
country—viz., the necessity of defensive works for
the protection of our dockyards and commercial ports,
and for the protection also of such points as Dover,
which may he said to be the key to the southern
coast of England :

These works (observed the noble lord) were for many
years almost entirely neglected. Of late years more atten-
tion has been paid to them; from time to time annual
sums of money have been voted for the completion of such
works, and thus the object in view has to a certain extent
been accomplished. Both Portsmouth and Plymouth may
now be said to be unassailable from the sea side, but they
both require additional fortification on the land side.
Dover is becoming a fortress of considerable strength.
That place is certainly of the utmost importance ; because,
if the enemy were to get possession of Dover, with its
harbour and the facilities it would offer for their landing.
this would of course be a very inconvenient position for
them to occupy. It is therefore obviously of the greatest
importance that Dover should be placed in a situation
which would enable it to defend itself if attacked until
assistance and support could arrive. It is necessary also
to impress upon the house the high importance of pro-
tecting the dockyards—our great arsenals at Portsmouth,
Plymouth, Sheerness, and Pembroke—against the attacks
of a small army landing in the neighbourhood and shelling
them on the land side ; because if your naval resources in
those dockyards were destroyed, there would be It once an
end to your naval superiority, and you would be left com-
paratively defenceless. These, sir, are matters of the
utmost importance, which for several years past have
seriously occupied the attention of her Majesty's Govern-
ment, and my right hon. friend Sir J. Graham knows
well (because he entered heartily and constantly into
these deliberations when he was a member of the Govern.
ment) the importance of this subject; he is aware that
what has been done has not been useless, and that further
application of the same means is required to accomplish
the object we have in view.

The noble lord then briefly alluded to the improve-
ments in barrack accommodation for the private
soldier—expensive but necessary items—as it was
the most desirable arrangement to make the barrack
the home of the soldier. Lord Palmerston then
entered upon specific explanations with reference to
the expenditure for fortifications, the defence of our
dockyards and arsenals; for improved accommoda•
tions for the soldiers and barracks upon new prin-
ciples; for the manufacture of arms, ordnance as
well as small ; for clothing and necessaries for the
men, and provision for the education of officers of
the army. The total (amount required for the effec-
tive service of the army was 9,025,3601. ; for the
lion-effective, 2,221,875/.; the increase above the
estimates of 1853 -4 being 1,611,0001.
Some discussion followed, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL
made the following observations upon the extrava-
gance of the financial policy of our Government :

Let the committee consider what the state of our
finances will be next year if. not having this 4,500,0001. of
income tax, we have to provide estimates anything like
those of the present year, with an increase of 1,000,0001.
over our former peace establishment as to the army, an
increase of about 1,060,000/. in the navy, nod a similar
increase in our civil estimates, which have got up of late
years with frightful rapidity. lam quite ready to suppoit
the present vote and any succeeding ones that may be
necessary for the service of the present year ; bnt I trust
that an opportunity will be afforded us next year, whether
on the proposal of my right hon. friend Sir F. Baring or
of some other member, for discussing the expediency of
appointing a select committee, and that the Government
will take into their serious consideration the amount of
the esFmates, and endeavour to propose reduced one
for 1858.

Votes were then agreed to, after much discussion,
to make up, in addition to the sums already voted,
the following amounts-4,388,017/. for pay and
allowances, 50,2821. for volunteer corps, and 181,9091.
for the Denartments of the Secretary for War and
the General Commanding-in Chief. Upon the
amount of 553,0551. for miscellaneous charges,

Mr. ADDF.RLEY referred the expense of sending
the German Legion to the Cape of Good Hope,
which he said amounted to 1001. a man, whereas
they might have been disbanded at a cost of 2(11. a
man. He had made this statement before, but it
had been disputed. Since then be had gone into
the calculation, and found, taking the blue book as
his guide, that he was pretty nearly correct. Muking
every deduction, it was impossible to put down the
cost for sending out the 2,300 men at less than
200,0001.

Mr. IdostoucaEßE did not dispute Mr. Adderley's
statements, but observed that, as the colony had
given 80,0001. towhrds the project, the expense to
the country would be so much less. He justified
the measure as one adding to " the strength and
safety " of the Cape ; and, with regard to the strong
body of troops now in the colony, explained that
••
O

SATURDAY,

another war with the Kaffirs was only prevented by
the presence of such a powerful force.
Lord PALMERSTON thought the Government were
perfectly justified it resorting to this s)stem of
colonisation for the purpose of adding to the defence
of the Cape :

Whether the Government were right or wrong, the
thing was done, and it would be quite preposterous now to
deprive these men of the means of settling themselves in
their houses at the Cape. He believed the Government
were perfectly right in what they had done, but even those
who thought differently could not, he imagined, with ally
consistency cut off a sum intended to promote the comfort
and well being of men who were now actually at the Cape,
and who had gone there on the faith of the promises made
to them.

Mr. WHITESIDE suggested that the arrangement
would have been more perfect had the Government
made a settlement in the ehape of pin-money upon
the ladies who accompanied the German Legion.
It should be remembered that while they were
making this magnificent arrangement the Govern-
ment were stripping militiamen of their trousers,
and turning them adrift without a sixpence. The
best argument in favour of the colonisation of the
Cape by the German Legion was, he thought, that
we had got rid of these men.
Mr. ADDERLEY controverted the doctrine that a
Minister of State might involve the country in the
expenditure of 1,000,0001. upon an experiment, the
success of which, as the house had been told, was
very problematical, although this house had never
been consulted in any way ; and that when, for the
first time, the bill was laid before them, they were to
be told by Ministers that the thing was done and
that it was too late to complain. He proposed to
divide the committee, not in order to undo the mis-
chief which had been done already, but to put a stop
to future mischief. The Government had under-
taken to keep this German Legion not only for three
years in our actin' pay, but for four years more.
Now, he wished to stop this experiment and save the
country front any repetition of it. Supposing the
settlement failed (and there seemed every chance of
its failing), we should have it on our hands for ever.
These men might surely build cottages for them-
selves, or the colony might build them.
_ _

Eventually Mr. Adderley consented to withdraw
his amendment, as the sense of the committee ap-
peared to be against it; but gave notice that he
should take an early opportunity of taking the
sense of the house upon the policy of the Govern.
ment.

The amendment was then by leave withdrawn, and
the vote was agreed to.
The house resumed ct midnight.
The moti mt for going into committee on the Bank-
ruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland) Bill was opposed by
➢lr. WHITESIDE, who objected to proceed with a
measure of such length and importance at so late an
haar.

On a division, the motion for committing the bill
was carried by a majority of 1!21. to 67-54.
The Speaker left the chair, but progress was re-
ported before a single clause was passed.
The Portland Harbour Bill went through com-
mittee.

The Cinque Port Act Amendment Bill was read a
second time.

On the motion for going into committee on the
Ministers' Money (Ireland) Bill,
Lord PALMERSTON stated that the Government had
now taken charge of the bill.
Mr. HAMILTON hoped that the noble lord would
not press► on the committal of the bill until certain
returns which he had moved for should be laid
upon the table of the house, as he believed that
those returns would show that the statement of a
right hon. gentleman opposite upon a previous occa-
sion was not founded upon correct information.
The committee upon the bill was then postponed.
The house adjourned at half-past twelve until
Thursday.

HOUSE OF LORDS-THURSDAY.
EXETER-HALL SERVICES.

Lord DUNGANNON called the attention of the
Bishop of London to certain services performed in
Exeter-hall on Sunday evenings by prelates and
clergymen of the Church of England. He wished to
know whether the bishop con,idered these " inno-
yawns " in accordance with the rules and discipline
of the Church ?

The Bishop of LONDON replied that there could be
no doubt that such a service had taken place. Ile
believed that services of this kind were not only
strictly legal, but that they were in the highest degree
expedient, and supplied a want felt by thousands of
the community.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY would ask the
noble lord, who felt, he was certain, anxious flr the
welfare of the Church, whether it would be wt-e,
even were it possible, to check what he called "these
innovations ?" Ile could not imagine that any greater
reproach or disparagement could be cast upon the
Church than to suppose it was incapable of ac-

MAY 80, 1857.

comrnodating itself to the changing necessities of
the age.

The Sale of Poisons Bill was read a second
time.
Mr. Shepherd's Disabilities Bill, intended to enable
t'ie Rev. Mr. Shepherd, who had been ordained in
the Scottish Episcopal Church, to hold an English
benefice, was read a second time, Lord SHAFTESBURY
intimating that on a future occasion he would move
that the bill be referred to a select committee with a
view to the introduction of a general measure.
The report on the Probate and Administration
Bill was brought up and received, after speeches
from Lord STANHOPE, who protested against the
right of appeal proposed to he granted in testamen-
tary matters to their lordships' house, instead of to
the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ; and
from Lord MALMESBURY, who urged on the Lord
Chancellor the necessity of granting some compen-
sation to proctors for the losses they would sustain by
the operation of the bill.

DIVORCE DILL.

The Bishop of OXFORD asked permission before
the discussion on the proposition to abolish the
action of damages for criminal conversation was
resumed, to move a proviso at the end of the 43rd
clause, excusing from penalty or punishment any
clergyman who might refuse to remarry persons
during the lifetime of those from whom they were
divorced.

After some discussion the proviso was negatived
on a division, the numbers being:—

, ..
Contents 26
Non-Contents 7B

Majority
On clause 44, relating to the action for criminal
conversation, considerable discussion arose, during
which the LORD CHANCELLOR said be thought that
this action ought to follow and not precede the proof
of the wife's guilt. Lord LYNDHURST moved an
amendment, the effect of which was to abolish the
action altogether. Lord ST. LEONARD'S proposed a
tine on the adulterer. The Bishop of OXFORD
thought that if facilities were given to divorce a more
distinctly criminal character should be given to the
act of adultery ; Lord WENSLEYDALE defended the
action for criminal conversation as one coeval with
the law of England, while Lord CAMPBELL declared
it to be a disgrace to the law. Ultimately Lord
DERBY suggested an amalgatio❑ of Lord St. Leo-
nard's and Lord Lyndhurst's amendments, so that
the effect of the clause would be to provide that it
should not be competent for any person to bring an
action for damages for criminal conversation, but
that whoever should commit adultery with a mar-
ried woman should be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanour, and be subject to fine and imprisonment.
This suggestion was adopted, and the clause as
amended was agreed to.
The remaining clauses and the preamble were
agreed to.
The house then resumed, and the bill was re-
ported.
Their lordships i then adjourned till Thursday
next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-THURSDAY.
NEW WRITS.

On the motion of Mr. HAYTER, new writs were
ordered to be issued for the county of Kerry, in the
place of 111 r. Henry A. Herbert, who had accepted
the office of Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland ; and for the borough of Reading, in the
place of Mr. Henry Keating, who had accepted the
office of her Majesty's Solicitor-General.

THE IRISH CONSTABULARY.
Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD, in reply to ➢lr. Hassard
whether the Government intended to introduce into
Parliament a bill for the redistribution of the con •
stabulary force in Ireland among the several counties,
said he had no doubt that when his hon. friend the
Secretary for Ireland rseumed his place in that
house he would introduce a bill upon this subject.