The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 24, 1883.

MR. LAIRD, M.P., ON THE ALABAMA.

Last evening Mr. Laird, M.P., speaking iu the
Musio•hall at Birkenhead, at the distribution of prises to
volunteers, showed that both in engineering and shipbuild-
ing, em well as in other matter; competition was bene-
ficial, end brought out the talent and ability of the
competitors. In support of this view he referred
to two ships which had been built in this neighbour-
hood—the Alabama and the Florida. (Applause.) He
was not afraid or ashamed to own that his eons built and de-
signed the Alabama—(" hear." and cheers)—uor, he was
sure, was the builder of the Florida ashamed to ray that he
designed and built that ship, but the testimony borne to the
character of these vessels was not the testimony of Birken-
head or Liverpool or this country, but of America.
These two vessels had been built a long time, and they had
defied the efforts of 4(k) ships of war to capture them.
These shim, he repeated, were designed by pri-
vate individuals, sod built for private individuals,
but in this country the system was for one man
to carry the braise of the whole talent for bnildiog
ships. He next referred to the want of sufficient dock
space for government purposes. In Liverpool and Birkenhead
they had 400 acres of dock mem, sad• 28 acres of graving
dodo'. The whole of her Majesty i a dockyards,including
Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, Plymouth and other
places, comprised only 41 acres, with 33 graving docks, but
only four or five at them were capable of taking in a vassal
like the Warrior. In the Mersey, the Cbaanel diet the
other day looked almost like nothing, but wheel they
back, part was obliged to go to Plymouth sad
part to Portsmouth. They all paid taxes, and he
should like to explain shortly how some of the money
went. A great deal of the money was spent in come-
quence of government not having sufficient accommodation
for their vessels. Referring again to the Alabama, he oon-
tradicted various statements which had bees made about her
departure from this port, said that she was lying in the dock
ready for sea for eons time, and was visited by numbers
of curious people ; that she went into the river in the
tight, but stoppd ther until 11 or 12 o'clock the following
day. Lord Palmerston had expressed hie doubts whether
the government would not have rendered itself liable
to get damages if they had seized the Alabama, but
the recent speech made by Earl Russell at Blairgowrie
did not seem to agree with that delivered by the
' Premier. Earl Russell had undertaken to say somethiag
' which he would not be able to carry out. He laid it down
that if they found the law not sufficient they could go
to parliament for an indemnity. He (Kr. Laird) believed
parliament would not iodemnify an act if it was
supposed to thiourea the law. (Cheers.) Up to the time
an set of indemnity was pulsed, there was a law by which
all were bound. Laws were not made for as administration,
but for the country, end they were bound to obey the law
SI they found it, and they were not Wend to obey
laws made hereafter. (" Hear, hear," and applause.) Mr.
Laird concluded by alluding to' the speech reosatly made by
Sir Roundel Palmer, Attoroey-Geoeral, pointing out the in.
cooriatency of that gentleman contratiog in October
statements which Were nada by himself in March last.

FAREWELL BREAKFAST TO THE REV. HENRY