The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-14 00:00:00

818 CHARLES NAPIER. AND THE BALTIC
FLEET.

Sir C. NAPIER (who, from arab* with his back to
the gallery, was very iadistinetiy beard) rose to more for a
setae committee to lowers into the *pentium of the Bahia
Beet In the years 1864 and 1866. In making this motion,
he stated that his only object was to call attention to what
had taken plus, and to vindicate his owe character. He
urged that after so much had bola said about what had
been dean by the Baltic fleet while nadir his command,
what atght have been done, and what was not due, he
thought it only fair tbst there atonic' be an 'lullaby whether
or not the admirals had done their duty, so that if not, they
might be brought to mount and punished, or if the fault
lay with the Admiraty, that they might be made to tear
the blame, and not shift it from their °en shoulders open
those of others. He (Sir C. Napier) had served his conctry
foe fifty pare, he bad served under fur mu-
; reps, ana 016113110 Iss 1.. a ..s.aave dote ass easy
faithfully and hoaselly. He bad co. mounded cot fiesta oely,
but armies; and he hat at all times shown himself ready to
undertake any Hives to which he might either hive been
appointed by his government or us initunded by them. It
had been said of him by the Lite Sir B. Peel, that, in two
minutes, he had overthrown • dynasty; but wheal( r that was
nor sot he took credit fi.r hiving dose some ureic) in ex-
pelling the usurper Don Miguel from the kingdom of Por-
tage], and establishing the oustilutional sovcreign upon the
throes. He would 'Reamer ti aid, his case with mode-
ration sad justice. He had a plain, straightforward tale to
tell, and had no occasion to raort t, szergoration or sub-
terfuge, aai ha hoped th it all who followed hint would
fellow his example, and senile, themselves to the simple
teeth. (Chases and laugher.) Sir Charles then repeated,
with more ample details, the narrative he hat previously
more than once given touching his own conduct as Com-
mander-in Chief in the Balers, from his fir t apt ointment In
February, 1864, to the day of him di.mi.sal. He caused
opal the diMeolties which be had eaconntered, in the
shape of 111-manned skips and an unkcowa navigation, red
upon the sere°.■ he had performed in drilling craws,
buoying chasm% aad preparing charts. Submitdag that
all which could be doss had been dons, the gull at mom-
burdened to various coreespoedeare that had puma at-
two ea himself sad the Admiraltv to prove that the board
showed themselves perfectly satisfied with his eseduet up
to a lets pried of the campaign, and thee suddenly turned
rowel, proceeding first to goad and then to censure and
dismiss him in the ohms* of soy just CAWS of ounplalat.
LMa ova keels, Sir C. Napier read essay pumas to
prove he had from the beglosiog iadioated the proper
means for attacking the Russian Itostm I, having, more-
over, facumantly urged the provision of • Out of mortar
boats, which had since beta fitted ont, and were now
acknowledged to be the only entreat instruments for
striking a blow against the mosey ta the Bahia
After a sheet pause,
. .

Admiral WALCOTT slid he sever could sae a Mother
eater adrift widest throwing him out a tow-rope. (Great
laughter cad seen) He did set see any one disposed
to eecoad the asolift, sea be would therefore do to
himself. (Star, Dear) At the IMO time, he thought that
wCatever diaappoistasat es pemetal reproach might lie at
the don either of the gallant admiral cr the right hoe. gaa-
toast the amber far Cathie, they had themeless lastly
lathered it. Bohn a Ben wee despatched to the able
bosh the tied hew. geatiume and the gallant admiral
might le ham smadeLred the eters@ which it was right end
path, be posse. TM &Salta of navigntion in the
Bads, the peovalemse of Awl water, the istriesethe of the
mststhee M the haftiest, and the streogti of the fertilisa-
tion', aset Mee bees knows, rr et all events ought to have
bees itsows, to them both ; sad both had therefore been to
Weis, the right has. gentieusas r sat having provided
adequate Raubs of attacking tie Russian forte, gad the
Mtsided fee eel having seen that the mesas supplied
meth saddest. (Neer, hear.) He masidand,
lad, IMO they wen also to blase, the cm for
Ile lad at the Bofors Club, sad the other for
lie ableuted Uguel Fre Lava( led the coustey
ItilliaTess *del it wet met prohibit would he ob-
solete M tie ate! which had erten on
Lew of maga Deets, la ad set thisk that sail
east ins had Dem aide of the eagerimes of the last war.
I:l44lsalrel Watt) apposed alma eased ia the Baltic
the men UM 9; end he that& that the Gape.
Beath of that pi tied might have sappeted she sort cf
kse that wadi he al WSW, for NI vice, such as the lest
world be required to perform. He remembered three emu
le palladia. The lest was one a which the halts ei the
Safeesehos stashed the see batteries at Hasse Head, sad
derareyed them. Is the mooed the beats of tit.seila
WAIN oeasead of • sat sagacious and to eillser;
Sty Bysa Martin, the ameba of 17, MIN 170
men, attached • Utile of 12 panbosts and a large need
ship, with a convoy of 12 snip, laden with r swishes
sad thessesitioe, all of whisk, with the smoothies oi
eat gunboat, were sapterth or destroyed. The third
was a similar eaplait performed by en dither named Purest,
who htheeht out theta gunboats of the enemy. Those Mai
showed clearly what might have bees dose had there hum
a small roe adapted to the ed ictal*. of the ease. (Hear,
hear.) If the object of eeadlsg Oar shipt into the Baltic
was matey to blockade these of the Rthetha goverment,
SO MUM amid hays bees more templets than that which
W allmild the gellsat *Mire% He bad before sow, pre-
treat ilto itet ahargiag the enemy's fleet with fear, be
ware It had at come out and fought with on, own. To
Um ism so would Dave has a mat error ; beams, the
awnars hat being seamed of seater mese* to have gives
battle te oar strew Bet of 'tithe skips would have be.. is
loathe most smeslreceet. The image which our foes had
tadara at Bobesteset het redosaded greatly to title honour,
and it oerbt te metre theta from all attacks ups their gal-
leawy. (Hess.) He thought it was the duty of a goveruateet
be nitat oaken 110 n whose they could rely, set slily for
thug writhe, bat for their wisdom and dictates ; bat
Wag fberatek was so less their hmadea day t• moss
badeMO* Mat co Adam. Then was iamb segsalty Is
the waft of that greatest of all widen authorities, the
9a.
—lttio"asiloWlettlres of
tep The. s
Rea "leMherdepest
bait.) Moat a hawked yeas. age a my iimirstio

farce woe acted by our gallant and witty allies. In it an
Zeldin courier was repeennied, very protule rant before
and also at the stern.(Great laughter.) The commanding
officer seeing him, said, " Writ bare yon got teen before
you ?" Your orders, air." "That as ell right," c
sued the officer, "But what Lave you got "%-
hind ?" 0 Your counter-orders." (Laughter.) " The
devil!" exclaimed the officer," Then it's ali " (Laughter
and chore.) So long as orders and counter-omen were
gnu dinners must ensue. (Hear, hear.) With reteetet
to secret orders, on wb.ch tome übservatione h id been made,
he was not among thaw who denied that it was right to
give such orders; but tie thought that if s. crat orders were
read against as otBe r he ought to be at liberty alto to read
them in his own defence. (Hear, hear) Ho thought the
gallant member had done quite right in tringine this sub-
ject before the house; for he would out give that (taid
Admiral Walnut, snapping his bug, re) for an offiet r who
did not value his honour more than his if., sod toe verdicts
of his country eves more. (Hear, hear )
Sir C. WUOD sesisted the motion, woicb be p °Bounced
mischievous sad us precedetted. Briefly review" g the cue
urged by Sir C. Napier, he contended that t the slightest
mead had been shown for appealing to the house from the
judgment of hie legitimate superiors—the Board of Aduti-
ralty.
Sir J. GRAHAM refereed to bays at length the opp• eta-
Wm
of meeting Admiral Napier lace to fug and replying to
chugs' which bad been so long promulured sad so often
repeated in other forms nd plates. He should also have
bees an to seven the appointment of a oleos commit-
tee to inquire into the subject bat fcr the assurance of the
First Lord of the Admiralty that such a course would be
prejudicial to the public service. Remarking upon the heavy
aecusations which had been piled up anima himself,
Sir J. Graham charged Admiral Napier with making an
unwarrantable use of official correspondence, public and
private, observing that the documents wale Lot merely
quoted in the speech just delivered, but had been long be-
fore shown to miscellaneous acquaintances, end left foe
weeks together in the Lands of the editor of a newspaper.
Oa one attires, preferred in a published letter, that the
Admiralty were not sincere is 1854, or serious in 1856, is
wishing to cripple Rouse, he was ready to join issue De-
fers any tribunal that could be appointed to try the
question. Adverting to personal point', Bir James entered
into a detail of circentstauces, and read many letters to
show that be had always acted or written with per-
fect sonsOnney sad candour toward• the commander of the
Baltic fleet. He retorted the scene ation of into& fit) upon
Str C. Napier, whose private letters at the time had, he
declared, impressed very different opinions touching the
conduct of his captain., the fitness of the crews, tee supply
of pilots, ad other points, from those which miaow bought
it expedites to enunciate. The »woo why the necessary
appliances for bombarding Bweaborg ware no: furnished
during the summer of 1864 was Wanes teat pine had not
been closely reconnoitered by Sir C. Napier balers the 23rd
of September. After notelet a cumber of ono r personal
topics, the hon. baleen; d. eland that it the Admiralty had
made any omissions or mistakes with regard to the Baltic
campaign, the fact was attributable to their bung
been misled by the despatches of the naval tome
wander-in-chief. "I thank the house," be couluded,
for the patiecce with which it has bend tee. 1 have been
drawn lots this discussion meet reluctantly ; it it not of my
own seeking that I have done what I tare been ohlled to
do to night. lam rattier scrupulously dean that 1 have
trunnioned the right bounds in reading went I have,
but before doing so 1 c died on the house to take curtest
w.th me, and I saw no token of damn.. (Hear, hear.)
I must say that this house is always a friend of
truth, end dislike eptcial p'eading. (Hear, bur.) I
have stated to the house nothing but the troth.
One word, sir, only remains, "I am a friend et Ruas.a ; if
Nicholas himself bad beta at the head of the Buret of Ad.
nralty in '64, be could not have dose more." Now, Ott
there are many witness.. on the bench below me; and I
will defy any one in this house to say that any effort was
omitted by me. (Hear, heat, from the ministerial bee ch )
I admit that possibly our navel efforts in the Black
Sea and in the Bait c were not so fortune II
we might desire, but in conscience end is tutu I say,
that whatever may hen been our failures, they or ,se from
no
want of exertion on my p rt. (Hear, hear) Ist y die-
tluctly, that if we had received th. hon. and pliant officer's
report as to wh.t was necessary fur attacking Sweatiorg by
naval nesse only in the beginning of Jun', at W 49 quite in
the power of the Bond of Admiralty to have sent out Noel
a guitar, of mortars and mortar vessels as would
have enabled him to occupy the islands that were
made use of in the attack of '65, or to have made the
th• diet before the tenon bad 'wood away.
But be that as it may, was I negbgept of my duty in the
following autumn 1 When I left the Admira'ty 26 gunboats
were ordered and in progress, end would hare been ready
when the Baltic fleet sailed in the spring of 1866 We had
ordered 26 gunboats of the moot srprovest construetton,
loch u bad been provost by Sir E. Lto a in the
Black Sea, 22 mortar vessels, and five floating
batteries—ill were built ready for tea in April,
1856, end by agreement with the French government
an equal force of gunboat., mottle vessel., and fluting
batteries was built n France. In addition to the 4 strew
line of battle ships fitted as block ships, five others had
been fitted with high venture uprises end screw re o;ellers,
so that in the soring of 1865, there were ready f r sea, is
addition to the ordinary fleet, 9 sail of the hue, screw
block ships, 26 gun boats, 22 matter nestle, and 6 floating
batteries. The gunboats, en-rtar vessel., and buttriee
Ware doubled by our agreement with France. Yet,
sir, the bon. and gallant officer says in the pretense
of my ec neaten who know my conduct, and who know my
ezertioes, that Nicholas might as well have bees at the
Admira'ty. (Hear, hear.) The bon. and gallant officer
hisepnen of "Tessera ;" if it be so, this discussion ought
not to at it hers : I tell him I have controverted him before
sad I an ready to controvert him whenever he may cheered,
and I defy him to prove the secusations he sent rs to
lavishly about. (Load elmere.)
Admiral BEBKBLEY repreted and enforced the cen-
sure proatuusced upon Sir C. Napier fur publishing confi-
dential cortespoodence. That gallant officer he had from
the beefeater; suipeend, and was very speedily convinced,
bad bee ne unfitted by age for cemenand ia time of war.
Captain SCOBELL defended Sir Charles Napier. who
had, he said, been assailed with unfair persmality. and op-
pressed beneath a weight of official authority. The cam-
parrs of 1864 required no better vindication than could be
foued is the almost equally abortive result of the campaign
of 1866.
. . . _ .

iIINTZ remarked that memiters tu.h of the late
and present B aids of Admiralty had ',innerly expressed
themselves perfectly satisfied with the conduct cf the
admiral, whom they row blamed with so much severity.
Mr. LINDSAY commented upon some otaitsicns and In-
consistencies presented in the official opecehes delivered
duelist the pending debater.
Mr. MALINEI charged the Adtafraby,. if their mint
awetious were tea** wish hawing apt °toted, pt -tbably fro.
sativee, as admiral to the Baltic fleet whom they
Let;--t-o be altogether unfitted far that important poet.
He challenged them to reconcile their past selection with
their pelmet censures of Sir C Natder.
Mr. B. OSBORNE defended Sir James Graham and
Admiral Berkley from the censure cast upon them by Sir
C. Napier, and dented that the gallant admiral had save-
'lensed may ill-nup from the government. If be bad it
mashie own (melt.
_ . _

Sir C. NAPIER replied to the various observations and
attacks made newt him daring the debate. and reiterated
Ms (minims as tv the conduct of Sir James Graham and the
Admiralty. The salient admiral then withdr.w hi. motion.
After some routine hastens, the house adjourned at half.
pest 12 o'clesk.

Tits ~ OloAx Clussvos " IN

" orga• gusto.," witch hes made its spuerasce is the
Presbytiry of Wave., may prove a very teooblesnme
mos in Boatload. It is mush easier to robe a certain person-
s's than to ley him; end out of this papinn for liarormy
may suing the most borible disvir I. While erecting in
the main with Dr. ladle, that the use of (Norio in churches
is a matter of lute, we think it ahoeld be added that it is
also a matter of coley. Instrumental music it not forbidden
in divine wraiip; bat all things lawful are not espodient;
and If unity among brethren be desirable, Presbyter us
should be chary of organs. Hams we not seen onogreptions
felllsy to Wesson theorist trieM questiousuch as ee oath. r
the 'sinister should weer a gown end bands or not, whether
the people almild sit or stand at psalms, weather hymns or
puerile's'!" should be sung, whether tits oncost r should
reed the Use, whether he should introduce cooteie
lying tunas, sad the like f Aber this to propose an argent
"My tosseismeer üßsilie Nicol Jerrie onold say. A
bombshell pitched lets the middle ayes on a Sunday would
not produces more rapid dispersion, we believe, than the
opening of "a hist e' whistles" in nine-tenths of oar
shorcher. The Claremost-street congregation. it must be
sonlbssed, however, de net wok to disturb any Christian ear
cr essesienes. They do not come like the ,rest-boys
under our wisdom, grind tog and thrumming, till poor
human patience is like to break down under the led elan.
AU of see mind, they go oat from other enngresstioms„
end, betiding &temple for themselves at the very extremity
of the eity, my, "Hen Ist no sit under our ergs*, sons
daring to make is afield." It is diffieult to see how an
appeal of this kind eon be remitted, and the presbytery did
wisely, we think, is granting the moderation of a call. If
the Dips movement should become sir ,mg in our churches,
It might be made • regulation, minim, that the question
should not be raised is any isolating cingremation, t'at the
arguers must p out and build a church for tliempelves,
and the innovation in this way might probeblv pate off,
like lightming along a ooselue'or, without any destructive
eireala.—Oloagow Dap Yap.
CITIVeL Poirot—Own SMILLINO DAT, MARCM
IL—Lambdas@ sa payouot,lB3; ditto Dynasts lig"
218; Wail 1,119.