The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-02 00:00:00

OFFICERS OF RESERVE (ROYAL NAVY) BILL

Upon the motion for the third reading of this bill.
Kr. LINDSAY pointed out some details in the ovula-
tions which he stated would cause this valuable bill to work
effectually. He then again called attention to the naval
armaments of France, and repeated his oft-made statement
that he had obtained accurate information as to the pre-
parations of France ; but again admitted that if the state-
meats of the government that France had 20 iron-cased ships
were true, England must have 30. He urged that attempt.
should be made to come to some understanding between
the two countries as to the amount of their respective
naval armaments.

STANILAND spoke in the same sense on the latter
Lord C. PAGET said that his statements referred to a
totally distinct period to that at which Mr. Lindsay ob-
tained his information ; since that online had been given to
all the French dockyards to proceed with the iron ships,
and they were in progress. With regard to the officers of
naval reserve, everything would be done to consult their
feeling and their position in the event of their being culled
into active ser►ice.

Mr. WHITE suggested that it was our own preparations
wilich caused a reaction in the French dockyards.

Lord PALMERSTON—My hon. friend ham drawn a we-
elusion not warranted by the facts. He infers, because
no active execution of these new ships had begun when the
inquiry of my hon. friend the member fur Sunderland
took place, that the subsequent commencement of them
was owing to our preparations. In point of fact we had
made no preparations, because the orders issued for easing
wooden ships with iron and the laying down of new IMO
cased ships are very recent, and subsequent to what the
French have does. Thu real history of the cue is simply
this. In December the French government took the resolu-
tion of ordering ten additional iron ships, ten in addition
to those six which were known before, but they had
doubts, as to the proper mode of constructing them. Those
doubts were to be solved by experiments made with
La Glair% which was found to be faulty. They
remained from that time till May in suspense, and it was
not till May that, haeiug settled certain doubtful points
which bad not been settled before, and which were settled
by the experiments obtained by the cruising of In Moire,
they gave the order' actually to proceed with those ten
iron ships. Their keel. were already down end the building
was commenced ; and therefor*, as my noble friend has
said, the investigations made by the boo. member for Sue•
derland took place at a time when the order had been deter-
mined upon but not actually given to the dockyards ; and
therefore anybody going to the dockyards would find that
there was nothing to be seen, because those ships were com-
menced some time after the inquiries of my honourable
friend. With regard to the other question, which is one
of great importance, namely, whether the British govern-
ment should enter into communications with any foreign
government —I do not confine my observations merely to
France, but with any foreign government—the result of
which would be to impose a limit on the naval forces of the
several countries, that is • question of very great difficulty.
(Hear, hear.) Though on the first blush that might appear
to be an expedient and politic thing, I think that any
British government would pause long end hesitate before it
entered into any agreement with any foreign power to limit
the amount of force, naval or reinter', which this country
ought to maintain. (Hear, hear.) We ought to judge for
ourselves according to the circumstances of the moment. I
am afraid that any agreement with any foreign power—
and if there lie an agreement with one there should be an
agreement with several foreign powers, for we have not
only to consider France, but the United Notes of America,
and Spain, which is growing into importance, and other
states having navies—would lead to interminable doubts and
disputes. It would be noreseary to have officers watching
whet is done there, and they must have officers watching
what is done here. Suspicions would be awakened, and
questions of good and bad faith would arise; and I am
afraid that instead of promoting peace and concord, on the
contrary, such an annugement would produce discord and
ill-feeling. (Hear, hear.)
The bill was then read a third time and passed.
The Probate end Letters of Administration Act (Ireland)
Amendment Bill was read a second time.

The Lords' amendments to the Tramways Act (Ireland)
Amendment Bill, the Naval and Medical Supplemental
Feed Society Bill,the Salmon Fisheries Bill, and the Dealers
is Old Metals Bill were considered and agreed to.
The order for the second reading of the Marriages (Ire-
lead) Bill was discharged.

EDUCATION.

Mr. NEWDEGATE said the boo. member for Peter•
borough, who was not at that moment in the hoses, had
given notice of his intention to call attention to the report
at the Committee of Council on Education, eo far as re-
garded the report of the inspectors of Roman catholic
schools receiving grants of public MODS], and torte why the
reports of certain inspectors, namely, lb. Mora and Mr.
Marshall, had been omitted from the report prasentad to
parliament. He (Mr. Newdegate) wished to sit whether
some questions bad not been addressed to the Committeeof