The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-20 00:00:00

MANAGEMENT OF THE DOCKYARDS.

Mr. SEELY moved a resolution, condemning as in-
efficient the control and management of the dockyards,
which he traced to the following cause' :—The constitution
of the Board of Admiralty, the defective organisation of
the subordinate departments, and the want of clear and
defined responsibility. In support of these propositions
Mr. Seely entered at much length, and with great minute-
ness of detail, into the organisation and the practical
working of the departments, alleging in illustration nume-
rous instances of mismanagement and extravagance, and
maintaining that individual responsibility could not be
secured until the board was abolished, and that the result
of the present system was unsatisfactory accounts, unne-
cessarily expensive works, and an inefficient fleet.
Sir J. PAKINGTON'S reply, in vindication of the Ad-
miralty, necessimily consisted almost as much of details,
but he announced at the outset that he was dissatisfied
with the constitution of the board ; and should probably,
if be remained in office, submit tame alterations of it to
his colleagues, which would secure more individual respon-
sibility: lie admitted that in regard to the celebrated
"pigs' Mr. Seely was correct In the main, and ex-
plained the steps which the Admiralty had taken
to turn this ballast iron to the best advantage, and
in the earn, manner he acknowledged that the con-
tracts for anchors required revision, and that there was
great inequality in the cost of work at the different yards.
He pointed out various exaggerations and errors of figures
into which Mr. Seely had fallen, and, while bearing testi-
mony to the improvement in the accounts effected by the
late board, he showed how unfair it was to compare private
yards in this respect with great national establishments
like the royal dockyards. That there was great laxity
in the system of management he could not deny, and
attributed it to the vastness of these establishments,
and to their being carried on by persons who had nut the
same direct interest in economy as the managers of private
yards. The great want was a more efficient supervision,
and to supply this the Admiralty proposed to appoint a
Superintendent of Dockyards' Accounts—Mr. Walker, who
would have the entire control and management of the
yards. He intimated that lie should move the previous
question.
Mr. STANSFIELD elaborately reviewed the syseem of
accounts, and described the improvements which bad been
effected by the late board. He deprecated strongly the
proposal to abolish the Board of Admiralty, and while
asserting that the amount to be saved by the est 'manage-
ment of the dockyards bad been greatly exaggerated,
since it was on what he called general naval policy that
expenditure depended, he admitted that Deptford and
Woolwich might be suppressed, and perhaps, also Sheer-
ness, when the great works at Chatham were concluded.
lie approved Sir J. Pakington's proposal to appoint •
Superintendent of Dockyards' Accounts.
The discussion was continued by Lord R. Montagu,
Mr. Candlish, Mr. Seourfield, Mr. Samuda, Mr. Childers,
Mr. Bess, Lord John Hay, Kr. Otway, and others, and
wound up by Lord Henry Lennox.
Mr. HORSMAN said there was general concurrence

upon another point—via., that the house was under
an obligation to the hon. member for Lincoln for the
manner in which he had brought forward the subject,
and raised a very useful and satisfactory discussion.
He came down to the house that evening for the
of giving the hon. member his support,
purpose
found he did not want any support, because he
had almost everything he desired. Nothing ap-
pto him (Mr. Horaman) to show more completely
the inherent defects of the system of Admiralty adnunistra-
non than the attacks which were made upon it year after
year. Notwithstanding a succession of the able adminis-
trators at the head of the Admiralty, not only had there
not been a cessation of these continual complaints, but
there had been no diminution of them. The right hon.
baronet now promised everything, so far as he could do so
in the absence of his colleagues, whom he must consult.
(A laugh.) He did not know what more the hon. member
for Lincoln could desire, and his auggestion to him was,
that he should be satisfied with the success he had
achieved, and not mar it by. pressing his motion. (Hear.)
Mr. SEELY, in reply, and he had no other wish than
that an investigation should be entered into, and the truth
of the facts he had put forward ascertained. This was
what the country desired, and he trusted that the views
which the right hon. baronet had personally expressed on
the subject would have great weight with the government.
In conclusion, he begged to withdraw his motion.
I The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn.
SUNDAY TRADING BILL

Mr. T. HUGHES, in asking for leave to bring in a bill
to amend the laws relating to selling and hawking goods
on Sundays, said the law affecting Sunday trading was
universally admitted to be in a most unsatisfactory state.
The present law was passed in the 211th year of the reign
of Charles 11., and was an attempt to make people perform
their religion, duties by act of parliament. It prohibited
the selling of all goods on a Sunday, with the single ex-
ception of milk. Of course there were many other perish.
able articles that it was nenisan7 to sell on a Sunday, but
they were omitted. The result was that the law had
become a dead letter. The penalties were forfeiture of
the goods, and a fine of ss. for the whole of the day's sales ,•
but as the goods were mostly meat and vegetables, and
were generally consumed immediately after they were
sold, the forfeiture could not be exacted, while the
penalty of fis. was so small that it was totally disregarded
by those who made a profit by vending goods on the Sun-
day. There was a very strong desire throughout the
country for some legislation upon the subject that would
place the law on a more satisfactory footing, and he bad
that evening :s caved a petition to which 10,000 signatures
were attached, asking the house to legislate on this ques-
tion. Before bringing forward the present bill, be had
felt it his duty to go to different places in the metropolis
where Sanday trading was rife, and he had found that in
be New-cut, Clare-market, Petticoat-lane, and Aloorfields
there were regular markets for the sale of goods. In
proof of the fact that the goods exposed for sale were not
restricted to perishable articles, he might state that in
iloortields he bad been offered a pair of bull pupa—
(laughter)—which, he thought, could hardly come within
the ordinary acceptation of the term perishable. In fact,
Sunday trading was increasing considerably, and if the
house thought it worth while to keep the Sunday,
regarding it merely as a civil institution, and not from a
religious point of view, as a day of rest, it was high time
legislation should take place on the subject. The bill he
asked leave to introduce attempted to specify the trades
it was thought desirable to permit on the Sunday, and
name the kinds of goods that should be allowed to be ex-
posed for sale, and the hours during which they might be
sold. It did not touch the question of the sale of liquor
on Sundays, and it WAS proposed that its operation should
be limited to towns having a population of not less than
10,000. A clause that would have imposed on the police the
duty of carrying oat the provisions of the bill had been
withdrawn. . .

Lord C. HA/.IILTON seconded the motion.
Leave wam then given, and the bill having been read a
first time the house adjourned at half•paat 11 o'clock.

3
The folliosing also ran:—Volunteer, Whet, Pantaloon, In-
dian star. Guinara, &wk. Killarney, Gretna, Rue In t'rlie, Mel,
Marian, Purchase, Phantom Sall, Helium, and Verity.
Betting U too agat Volunteer, 8 to 1 each agst Nike and
Indian Star, 10 to 1 amid Killarney. 12 to 1 agst Gutman, 100 to 8
each mast Bessie and Verity, 100 to 7 each aget &glum, Thermo-
meter, Mald Nlarlaii, and Pantaloon, and 20 to 1 each agst Varlfe
tlon and SaMet.
Tile INNKEEPER.' SELLING STAKES of fi nova. each, with 30
added: for 3-)r-olds and upwards ; weight for age: certain
allowance sinner to he sold for 30 sore. Six furlongs.
Mr. Chaplfres Musa, by Oxford or Mountain Deer—lids,
3 yrs. 7st Illb (car. 7st 13061 'Cannon) 1
Mr. Itraegs Minns, 3 yrs, 7st I lib
Mr. Itcyniihrs Tattler,,3 yrs, oat IV. Jacks, 3