The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-31 00:00:00

OFFICERS OF RESERVE (ROYAL NAVY) BILL.

The Duke of SOMERSET, in moving the second reading
of this bill, said he should state very shortly the na-
ture of the provisions of the bill. It bad nothing
whatever to do with the present naval reveres.
bet was calculated to encourage a better system of promo-
tion than that now existing. It had been long felt very
desirable not to increase the number of lieutenants on the
hallimy list, because in time of peace there was no empty
meet for them, and in time of war they were generally
found too old for active service. In order to illustrate the
disadvantages of such a system he need only refer to i=
able paper on the condition of the Euglish and k
navy, written by a person in authority in which
he attributes the great advantages of the English over Me
French navy to the comparatively small number of Bente.
muftis on the retired list. In the French navy there way
110 captains and 610 lieutenants in that position, and pro•
motion was therefore much slower than in the I:itglish.
Nevertheless any noble lord who wished to look over the
Nary List would at once see that in the event of a mem
they would be compelled to bring in officers to fill the malt
of masters and mates from the merchant Nerviest.
That question for some time had occupied the attention ed
the Admiralty, and what the present bill proposed to
was to allow them to enrol a certain number of men an '
masters and mates from the merchant service, provided
they produced the proper certificate's under the Merchant
Shipping Act of 18.51, and had commanded merchnntinee
on long voyages. The latter qualification would mimed,
fit them for the navy. Many proposals to eater
the service had been made by officers themselves in the
mercantile marine who expressed a willingness to ?earn gift-
eery and be drilled in manual exercises. He believed that
• measure of this description would be of great benefits
the public 'orrice, and was calculated to remove the
jealousy now existing between the two services. All de
bill intended to do was to authorise the Admiralty to sedan
' such persons, because at present they had no such power.
In time of war they would be of the greatest available ger-
vioe, and when peace arrived, constitute an excellent wog
reserve of WOll4llSCipliDOll men. (Rear.)
The Earl of HARDWICKE objected that whilst the lift
would inflict hardship upon officers in the navy, it was last
likely to be popular with the merchant !service.
The Earl of hi ALMESBURY did not altogether object
the principle of the bill, but thought it ought to be teamed
until an emergency arose.
Earl GREY supported the bill, and observed that
would be moat unionise on the part of the government be
defer until the emergency arose the steps which might be
° to meet it.
sr:lordships then divided :
Contents rift
Non-oontent• 5O-4
The bill was accordingly read • second time
COMBINATION OF PARISHES DISSOLUTIOX

(SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill posed through committee.
THE DRUM PRLIONERS.

The Earl of CARNAIVION rose to call the attention ell
her Majesty's government to the death of the Druio chid
Said Bey in prison at Beyrout, end to iminire the dominos
arrived at with regard to the other Draw prisoners.
Lord STRATFORD de REIXJLIFFE said It avpea el
to him that the noble lord who had just sat down
I very satisfactory reasons for call' attention to waiving;
recently occurred in Syria. Whether the entente.
sate object of his remarks perished by poison Of
from natural causes be thought their present lye.
ranee would not justify them in pronouncing as
opinion upon, but it was not necessary to suppose any inter.
vention of violence to explain the muse of death, for, as
any one who had been in the East must know, the polities
of Turkish prisoners was very much what the poetise
of prisoners was some years ago in moot parts d
Europe. and to a certain degree in this rouser''. flap.
Crto him a very just remark of hie noble friend tki•
Bey having been considered as not fairly subject to the
imputations cast upon him—though principally from want
of evidence—yet as the circumstances were such as to lades
the interference of her Majesty'. Oommiasioner with*"
approval of the government at home, it was very mesh
to be lamented that the Turkish anthorities, of their sere
accord, did not feel it their duty to relieve hise•
from the position in which he was placed. la
was imposdble not to admit that the death lie has
unfortunately suffered was enesequent upon negligence.
and the house would listen with interest to any esplaustiss
from the proper authoritiee of the steps that were token fens
his release. He bad a question to put to the noble lord d
a very different character, but still one that bore upon the
affairs of Syria. He saw by the newspapers that day the.
by telegram from Constantinople it was announced that*
decision had been taken upon the proposition of the Freak
ambassador, that Bps should henceforth be governed by •
Christian chief. It was a matter of rat interest to lase.
first, whether the report was true ; if so, what was thecae.
meter of the officer by whom this important
trust was to be held ; and also whether kite
government was confined to Beyioet, or aLtendea
all over Syria.
Lord WODEHOUSE said he quite agreed with his noble
friend opposite in deep regret at the melancholy end of the
Drtuse chief, Said Bey, and at the circumstance+. under which
be died ; and if his noble friend had been right in snipe=
, that a positive guarantee of safety bail been given to
Boy and the other Druse chiefs, in the event of their Nor.
I rendering to take their trial, he shonl+l certoinly feel that a
heavy responsibility rested upon her Majesty's governs.
meat. (Hear, hear.) But so far from that being the
cue, his noble friend would find upon referring
to the bluebook on the table that Lord Duffed*
gave the most positive and decisive refusal to give this
guarantee. In 184$, a despatch was sent by Lord Duffels
to Sir H. Rulwer, stating that repeated applications had
been made for a guarantee both to Lord Dufferin and Oa
Mr. Mons, and that they had both agreed in giving their
abeolute refusal to make such a pledge. [The noble lee.
read the extract.] Whilst hie noble friend, Lord Duffed%
acted with the greatest diecretiou throughout this mattek
be certainly took abundant means of guanliug the Draft
chiefs against its being supposed that he took upon Lima
any responsibility of this kind. He (Lord Wedeboon*
was certain his noble friend omitted nothing which be
could do both to secure a fair trial for the accused, and.
to provide safety for their persona Hill noble friend kat
*eked him as to the causes of Said Bey's death ' • and with
regard to those rumours to which his noble friend lure
alluded of the chiefs death having taken place by fen.
means, he (Lord Wodehouse) was glad to here thin mime
tunity of assuring his noble friend that Maid Bey diedj
natural death of pulmonary consumption. (Hear, test.
With regard to the other Douse prisoner+, he at
say be thought it was oot creditable to the Turkish OWNS.
mrnt that no deciaiou whatever had vet been arrived'.
with regent to them. (Hear, hear.) The matter h. d hese
left for the decision of the Sultan, and whilst lie (Ler4ll
Wedebouse) had every reason to believe that that +leek.*
would be a fair one, and would display the clemen. y of the
Sultan, he must add he thought it extremely unfair that
the decision should be any looser &hived. (Hear, Isar)
With regard to the question which him noble friend
put to him, whether it was true that her Majesty's veers.
meat had consented to the proposition of the Frerch govern.
meet that there should he • Christian governor .4 the
Lebanon, he (Lord Wodehouae) bad to point out to Me
noble friend that that was, in one respect, a minfeeerip.
tier of the proposition. His noble friend would hell
in the book which had been Intl main the lath
many despatches relating to the government of the Lebanas.
In the first place, Lord ihiffenn prolio.ril a ...hem° by whistle
the whole of Syria obould he ;Awed ender Mehemet an go-
vernment, with a Christian governor for the Lamm.
That plan, however, iuvolving the recomitruetion of the
whole government of Syria, was altrenelnued. Afterwarelethe
commimionera took into oueeiderition the plan of a sin
governor for the Lebanon. That plan was recommended br
the rommissiocere. There prevailed, however, a differems
of opinion as to whether the Chrietian governor should be
a native of the Lebanon or not. Th. refore it wee net
the fart that the pmpesal was an ewe*.
thin from the French alone. It wee proposed'
by the commisaioners generally, an). all he coda
my was that thin proposal was under the consideration
the commissioners. Conferences between the represent*.
tives of the great powers were now being held at Congas.
tinople. This proven' was before the commission, an.
would be by them discuweil, and some determination must
be come to. But as the negotiation was at this moment
going on he could not give his noble friend any detailed is.
formation on the point. All he could state was that this
point of having a Christian governor for the Lebanon wen
at thin moment nmler the consideration of the represent*.
fives at Conetantinople. As to whether the arrangements
for the evacuation of the country were complete, it was
obvious that that question was answered by the other, tar
since the conference would deliver its opinion urionthe whole

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