The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-26 00:00:00

SHE EXP,

These fortresses would require at least 62,000 mato occupy
them, and when, he should like to know, was England ever
in a position to keep 62,000 men in forts, and at the same
time to maintain asuf lcient field force. (Hear, hear.) At
present, he believed the home force was only 70,000, and of
this small body of troops how many could be spared to sea
the forts in cue a/ uvsaioa ? It ought to be • serious eon-
eideration with the government how they were to find men '
to occupy these forte after they were erected. In CAN or .
invasion, be believed the first issue must be by a naval
action, and if we were successful in that action, not a man
ought to be able to land in this country. But if by any
chance an enemy succeeded in landing, they must then de-
pend on such forces as they had at command, and on the
general spirit of the people. (Hear, hear.)
Lail GREY said he thought his noble friend, the noble
viscount who bad just eat down, was quite right when he
said that forts were of no use unless they had troops to man
them, sad that to man these forte completely would require
a force of 62,000 men. Indeed, he rather thought his noble
friend bad understated the number of men that would be
neixesery. His noble friend then very justly asked whence
were these men to be obtained ? He (Farl Grey) thought
this argument was decisive against the fortification scheme.
He had no doubt that this country possessed unlimited
means in men and money ; it might be made more perfectly
safe than it was by a system of fortifiratioos with a auffi•
cient army to enable troops to be spared to man them. But
such an army this couutry never would or could have, and
their fortifications would be rather an incumbrance than
, otherwise. 11 he looked at the mature of the government,
I at the manner in which the population were employed, and
; at all the circumstances, it was quite certain that it would
!be impossible ever to keep up a-large standing army. For
his own pert he hoped and trusted it would be impossible.
Then what was the real policy of the country? In the
first Pam, and above everything else, it was necessary to
' provide that the naval defences of the country were ade-
quate. (Hear, hear.) The navy was our first and principal
means of defence. (Hear, hear.) In the next place it was
necessary to have an army, not very large in number, but
as perfect and complete as it could. be made, so placed in •
central position so that it might be thrown at a few hours'
notice upon any portion of the coast.
Lord RUSSELL agreed that our first reliance ought to
be on the navy, but insisted that it was our duty to have
fortifications to protect those docks and arsenals where
the navy was equipped and repaired. He refuted the
attacks made on French policy, and pointed out that the
Emperor of the French was not antagonistic to this coun-
try, or, like Louis XI V. or the First Napoleon, an enemy
to the liberties of mankind. In his opinion the govern-
meat had wisely adopted a medium course on this subject,
by neither increasing our forces so as to excite alarm abroad
and discontent at home, nor by allowing the defence; of
the country to fail below their prows standard.