The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-24 00:00:00

held by a deaf and dumb person, with whom all commu-
nication was obliged to be conducted in writing. He stated
that on an application being made for payment of an ac-
count which had been sent in five months before, the ap-
plicant was informed by the storekeeper that it was mis-
sing, but that it might possibly be found in the office,
which was being put in order, but that it was too great a
waste of time to lock for it. (A laugh,) This was a state
of things which the country could not and ought not to
endure, for it was one which had brought on us great dis-
aster, and had disgraced us in the eyes of other nations.
(Hear, hear.) Take another case. lie recollected three or
four years ago that his firm had an account against the
Admiralty to the amount of 31. ss. Gd. for freight. Well,
three or four weeks after it was sent in it was returned for
amendment, because the amount was not set down in words
as well as figures. (Laughter.) It was sent in again, but
about ten days afterwards his collecting clerk came to him
and told him that from the formalities to be undergone,
and the different offices to be visited, it would take him
a week to collect it. He (Mr. Lindsay) found that he
should have lost more than the amount of the account by
his clerk being withdrawn from some useful business, and
the result was that the account was left uncalled for, and
he supposed still remained unpaid. (Hear.) About four
years ago he had another account of about 2,0001. against
the Admiralty, and after it had remained unpaid some
six weeks he resolved to apply personally at the Admiralty
with respect to it. Accordingly one morning, about
half-past ten o'clock, he called in at an office whore
ha found three desks. Two were unoccupied, but at the
third a gentleman was seated, lolling carelessly in au arm-
chair, whistling the air of " Peter Dick," and beating time
on the desk with a ruler. (A laugh ) Ha did not know
anything about the account ; he said it had not reached
him. While they were talking together, another young
gentlemen came in, with his hat cocked on one side of his
head, and a gold-headed cane in hi- hand, and said, "Tone
going down by the eleven o'clock boat ; don't think I shall
come back until four o'clock. Keep all quiet." (A laugh.)
He then went away, and he (Mr. Lindsay) was then in-
formed by the other clerk that as this gentleman, through
whose office his account must pass, had gone to Gravesend,
it was not likely that his account would reach the office
where he then was that day, and that ho consequently
could not then obtain payment of it. As he went away he
could not help expressing a hope that the clay might come
when he might have something to do in rooting out the
" Peter Dicks" who had so large a share in bringing on us
national misfortune and disgrace ; for the large part of the
evils that had befallen us arose from the system of pa-
tronage which introduced these " Peter Dicks" into the
public offices. There were many men now engaged in the
Government offices, with salaries varying from 801. to 5001.
per annum, whose services were so utterly valueless that
it would in fact be cheaper for the country to pay them
the salaries to stay away from the offices. On the other hand
many men in the Government offices were paid far too
small salaries. It would bo well for the Government to in-
crease their pay, and sweep away the " Peter Dicks." The
time had certainly now arrived when we must have ad-
ministrative reform, by which he meant that the Govern-
ment business must, as far as possible, bo conducted in the
same manner as that of the large banking mercantile esta-
blishments of this country. One thing he was certain of,
that the nation would not endure the longer continuance
of a system which had brought on us both ruin and dis-
grace. (Hoar.)
Sir J. GRAHAM would not say that the administrative
reform on which his hon. friend insisted so strongly was
not necessary in some of the public departments, for he be-
lieved that the Government had already felt the necessity,
and that the remedy was in course of being applied. But
with regard to the navy, to which the remarks of the hon.
gentleman principally applied, he must remark when he
was connected with the Government of Earl Grey, twenty
years ago, he had used his best endeavours to apply a re-
medy to the administrative defects of that branch of the
service, and subsequent experience had led him to believe
that the remedy had been found effectual. The hon. gen-
tleman had said that the present system was rotten at the
core, and had dwelt particularly on the abuse of patron-
age. Well, take the present accountant-general of the Ad-
miralty, Mr. Bromley. When he was First Lord twenty
years ago, that gentleman was a humble clerk, with a
salary under 2006. a year. In consequence of his merit,
he (Sir James Graham) promoted him to a higher situa-
tion ; and he had since, by his merit and that alone,
risen to the post he now filled, with a salary of 1,4001.
a year. He believed that a more meritorious and able
public) servant than Mr. Bromley could not be found.
The hon. gentleman had commented rather hastily on the
deaf and dumb clerk. He was originally appointed as an
act of charity, but his conduct was so exemplary, and his
talent so great that when he (Sir J. Graham) was lately
forming the transport board, this young man was, by the
officers themselves, recommended for promotion as being
one of the most meritorious employes in the office. He was
the son of Sir William Napier, and he certainly did not
think that, labouring as be did under the severe calamity
with which he was afflicted, he ought to have been reflected
upon in the manner in which he had been by the Len.
gentleman.
Mr. LINDSAY did not mean to cast any reflection on
him. He was simply tracing the working of the system.
Sir J. GRAHAM hoped that he had at all events dis-
proved the remarks of the hon. gentleman as to patronage,
so far as the two persons to whom he particularly alluded
went. Then the hon. gentleman said that the naval sys-
tem of accounts was a disgrace to the country and the age
in which we lived. Now, the books were in fact kept ou
the most perfect system of double entry, and, notwithstand-
ing the number of audits that were interposed for the pub-
lic protection, and the extensive nature of the transactions
to which they related, they were kept more closely posted
up than the accounts of any banker or merchant in the city
of London. The system was originally, in part, borrowed
from the Admiralty accounts in France, but he war told
by his friend Sir G. Briggs, the late Accountant-General,
with whom the merit of the system rested, that though
he had originally gone to France to copy their system
of accounts, they had since sent over hero to inspect
ours, and had admitted that it was better than theirs.
The hon. member had told the house that the number of
steamers employed was very great, and ho (Sir J. Graham)
admitted it ; but the hon. member had been just as well
as generous, and had sufficiently answered many of the
charges preferred in other quarters about tho errors com-
mitted in the transport service. The hon. gentleman had
truly said that when the war broke out, the urgency of the
service was great, and the tenders wore few. He know
well that the price or a commodity must be regulated by
the market price, and the hon. member acquitted them
altogether of any error with respect to the amount of ton•
nage. In reference to accusations made elsewhere, they
hap received from the hon, gentleman a complete acquittal.
It was true that with regard to some points the hon. mem-
ber thought they were wrong. Re said there was a want
of a well regulated system, and he stated that with the
large number of ships employed there ought to have been
a greater number of voyages outward:'and homeward, and
that an infinitely larger amount of service might have been
performed than was performed. Now, the house must re-
member what had been really clone within the last twelve
months. They had conveyed a distance of 3,000 miles
from this country somewhere about 59,000 or 60,000 regu-
lar troops of all arms, 6,000 horses, a large train of artil-
lery, all the guns both for the field and battering train,
all the forage necessary for the horses, and the ra-
tions both for the fleet and army. They had also con-
veyed 15,000 French troops from the south of France
to the Crimea, with a considerable number of horses,
and they also had conveyed from Varna to the Crimea
40,000 Turks and 6,000 horses, and they had undertaken
the continued supply of that force in the Crimea. They
had conveyed to the Baltic 15,000 men, making in all some-
where about 100,000 men conveyed, and somewhere about
8,000 or 9,000 horses, besides keeping up the supply of
rations almost daily for somewhere near 100,000 noon, con-
veyed 3,000 miles. The hon. member asked why they
did not move the ships backwards and forwards. The ne-
cessity of the service rendered that movement impossible.
No doubt there was expense attendant upon the system
adopted, and that demurrages arose in consequence of it;
but when was an army trusted at ouch a distance from the
country without the means of re-embarkation? Look to
what had been done with respect to the Peninsular army.
(Hoar, hear.) When the Duke of Wellington with a tri-
umphant force maintained the lines of Torres-Vedra.s, to
the renown of the army and of his country to the latest
times, he never thought of not having within the Tagus
the whole number of transports necessary to convey that
army from the country, (Hear.) So also in the China and
Burmese wars. Having sent out the troops by sea ordinary
precaution and prudence pointed out the necessity of hav-
ing the means at hand of re-embarkation. From time to
time they were pressing upon the naval commander-in-chief,
in June, July, and August, to send back to this country
some of the steamers. The British army was at that time
in Bulgaria, but the resolution having been taken to remove
the army from Bulgaria to the Crimea, the orders sent from
this country to send home some of the steamers were set
aside by the generals and admirals in the exercise of a
wise discretion. The steamers were detained in Bulgaria,
and the great operation of removing the troops from Bul-
garia to Eupatoria was effected with the most signal suc-
cess, and without the loss of any considerable number of
men or horses in doing so. During the advance of the
army from Eupatoria to Balaklava, and the occupation of
the ground in front of Sebastopol, a considerable time was
occupied, and during that time it was not thought expe-
dient to send the stamers back. The house would re-
member that the British army had only one point of com-
munication with the sea—a small port without the means
of landing er placing in store anything that was sent from
this country in the shape of supplies. It was, therefore,
necessary to keep a large portionof the munitions and sup-
plies on board ship. Then sickness arose, and there was a
demand for the steamers to convey the sick and wounded
from the Crimea to Constantinople and more distant sta-
tions. Then there was this other demand upon the ser-
vice. Their great ally, the French, had abundance of
troops, but not having the same command of steam-ves-
sels as they had, naturally and justly called upon them to
nid them, and 20,000 men were sent from Marseilles in
British steamers. More lately the noble lord at the head
of the Government had brought down a message from her
Majesty, by which the obligation was taken to remove
15,000 Piedmonteso troops to the Crimea. The great
operation of moving the army of Omer Pacha to
Eupatoria had just been accomplished, and 40,000 troops
had been carried there in British steamers. The hon.
member said that little bad been done, but he (Sir J.
Graham) hoped the house would agree with him in think-
ing that by their officers in the Black Sea, and particularly
by Sir Edmund Lyons, much had been done. His hon.
friend had referred to the meritorious services of Captain
Milne, and he (Sir J. Graham) thought the duties that had
been performed could not be done wore it not for the in-
defatigable energy of that officer. It would be impossible,
however, for him to perform permanently the heavy duties
devolving on him ; and if such were not the case he would
not have recommended the formation of the Transport
Board. But Captain Milne was overworked ; it was im-
possible for one man to continue to perform the labour,
and therefore it was that he (Sir J. Graham) thought it
prudent to constitute that board. In general he was not
in favour of the principle of divided responsibility, but
when there were contracts to the amount of 5,000,0001.,
there was safety in multiplying the checks, consequent
upon the division of contracts so entered into for so large
an amount, and he (Sir J. Graham) was of opinion that
though an exception to the rule it was a wise exception.
It was useful to have on that board a combination of ele-
ments by appointing upon it a naval officer and a gentle-
man connected with tho merchant service; it would be
strictly confined to the war, and with the termination of
the war would terminate the existence of this board.
Mr. ALCOCK begged, pursuant to notice, to call the at-
tention of the house to the state of the war in the Black S aa.
Ho complained that they had not taken possession of
Anapa, and secured the assistance of the people of the
Cahcasus. He was convinced that if Lord Aberdeen had the
bad luck to be the Minister of Russia he would have been
exiled to Siberia in consequence of the incomptence that
had been displayed in carrying on the war. If they had a
force of 50,000 Caucasiar s assistieg them in therrimea it
would prove to them of tho greatest advantage. They had
obtained, 15,000 from Sardinia, but for one-folirtl4 of tho