The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-13 00:00:00

TEE ADMIRALTY.

Admiral DIINOOKBE rose to move for a select com-
mittee to inquire into the constitution of the Board of Ad-
miralty and the various duties devolving thereon. He had
not, he said, any intention of censuring say Board of Ad-
miralty, pest or present, in making this motion. He merely
wihed to suggest certain alterations with a view of
strengthening the naval administration of the country.
Lord C. PAOET observed that the Board of Admiralty
had not shown any aversion to inquiry, four committees
having been appointed to inquire into various branches of
their duties, with the fall approbation of the board. It
was now proposed to inquire into the constitution of the
board itself • but he thought It advisable, before this was
done, to wait the result of an inquiry now going on into the
management and control of the army. He described the
numerous and important functions belonging to the Bard
a Admiralty, and urged the danger as well as difficulty of
altering its constitution.
OSBORNE thought that some of the objections
offered by Lord C. Paget showed that be had misunder-
stood the motion, which was a simple one, and would do a
great deal of good if it only disabused the public mind as
to the charges made against the Board of Admiralty, if
they were not true. Lord C. Paget himself had accused
the board of spending some millions of mossy more than
they maid account for. He supported the motion.
Colonel DICKSON spoke in favour of the motion.
Sir J. PAKINGTON, after complimenting Lord C.
Paget upon the frank, calm, and dispaasionate manner
in which he bad met the motion, confessed that
he had gone further in defence of the present
constitution of the beard than he (Sir John) was
disposed to go. Theoretically, he thought the board not a
perfect machine, and that IL, constitution might be im-
proved. On the other hand, considering the enormous
amount of Mainess of a complicated character which the
beard bad to transact, and the difficulty of suggesting safe
alterations, he did not wish to see the inquiry handed over
to a committee without experience, and thought it would
be well for the government to take the matter into their
hand., and that the inquiry would be better conducted by
a well-selected commission. He was unable to vote for the
motion.

Mr. LINIALtY supported the motion. He thought that
house the proper tritmial for inquiry into the eoustitutiun
of the besot

Mr. BI—NTINCK was of opinion that so long ass civilian
was •t the head d the Board of Admiralty the system
would be imperfect. The First Lonl should likewise be
removed as far as possible from the influence of the House
of Commons.

Sir C. NAPIER asked bow it was possible that such an
• enormous machine, upon which the safety of the country
depended, could be properly managed when the First Lon!
was so frequently changed, and generally a civilian. In
showing how the present system worked in practice, he
dwelt upon the embarrassment of naval commanders through
conflicting orders received from different co-ordinate autlio.
ruins; upon the exercise of the patronage, and upon
the manner in which the system affected the discipline of
the navy. Instead of a First Lord of the Admiralty, he
would have a Minister of Marine.
Mr. WARRE reoosumeaded that the motion should not
be pressed, and
Sir J. ELI'HLNSTONE thought that Admiral Duncombe
might be content with the very full dismission which the
subject had undergone.
Sir C. WOOD justified his conduct with reference to the
building of the gunboats (the subject having arisen in the
course of the debate), and denied that he had administered
the patronage of the Board of Admiralty, while first lord,
without the ooncurresce of the other members.
Lord LOYALNI was opposed to the motion, which was
supported by
Sir M. SEYMOUR, who was of opinion that a civilian
was preferable to a naval of as the head of the Admi-
ralty Board.
The motion,after a short reply by Admiral DUNCOMBE,
was withdrawn.

THE EUROPEAN ARMY—INDIA.
Sir C. WOOD moved for leave to bring In a bill to repeal
so much of the eat 22nd and 23rd Vie., a. 27, as enables
the Secretary of State to raise men for her Majesty's
local European forest in India, and stated the principles
of the plan which he prep:owl for the amagamating the
local force with the Queen's army. Each of the armies
of the East India Company in the three presi.
demise comprehended a number of European troops,
comprising infaetry and artillery. A large portion of
these, 11,000, were discharged after mutiny of the
native army. The Queen's troops In India generally num-
bered about two to one to those of the company. The
question au which he wished to take the opinion of the
house was whether a local European tome should be main-
tained, or whether the whole European force should consist
of taineseee troops. For a time it wee thought beet to main-
tain a local force, end it we. only recent circumstances
which had caused a change of opinion tells. mind of govern-
ment When he cam* into his liniment °Moe he found thee Lord