The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-28 00:00:00

occurrences that had excited so justly the public discontent
and indignation. They might not warrant him in casting a
censure en the Government, but they did in asking for such
returns as would furnish their lordships with authentic infer.
nation as to these transactions.
Lord PANMURE said it was, of course, impossible for hire
to anticipate all the points to which the noble earl had called
their lordships' attention, but he gave the noble earl full
credit for asking for the returns with no other view them
that of obtaining accurate information as to the matters to,
which they related. He fully admitted that Parliament wars
entitled to have a strict account of the manner in which the
great sums expended for the public service had been era»
ployed. The Government which preceded the present was
fully aware that the hurry of despatching the troops to the
East and taking up the transports for the public service in.
volved some increase in the expense. Having had their at.
tention called to the errors and mistakes alleged to have been
committed in the management of the transport service in
loading the vessels and unloading them on their arrival at
their destination, officers had been appointed to make spe-
cial inquiry into these matters. The reports of those officers
had reached him only that day, so that he had not yet been
able to give them due consideration An inquiry was going on
into many of the subjects referred to by the noble earl, and when
that inquiry should have closed, there would be no objection to
lay the result before Parliament. With regard to what the noble
earl had said in reference to chartering steamers, he could as-
sure their lordships that the Government had made the bargain
with their eyes open, and there could be no doubt that the
contract would prove far more economical than if it had been
regulated by tonnage. All the other defects and imperfeo.
tious to which the noble earl had referred would, he was
satisfied, be obviated in future by the new Transport Board;
and in expending the large sums of money which Parliament
had placed at the disposal of the Admiralty for carrying on
the transport service, the utmost economy would be practised
consistent with efficiency. Considering the large quantities
of troops, materials, and stores which Government had had
to transport to the seat of war, not only for the use of our
own army but also for the use of our allies the French, as
well as of the Turks themselves, he thought that, on the
whole, the transport serviee had been fairly conducted.
There might have been some deviations from former Practice;
there might have been omissions and mistakes committed
occasionally ; but on the whole, he must repeat, the services
had been conducted with efficiency. With these observations
it only remained for him to state that there would be no ob-
jection to the production of the returns.
The Earl of DERBY said, the noble lord having consented
to the returns, and having fully admitted that great in-
attention had prevailed, that great mismanagement and
considerable abuses had hitherto characterised the transport
service—but, above all, the noble lord having promised to
furnish such information as should show the country upon
whom the blame and responsibility rested, it was not neces.
sary for him to trouble their lordships with any remarks;
His only object in rising was to draw the noble lord's atten-
tion to a paragraph which occurred in Lord Raglan's last des-
patch. Iu that despatch Lord Raglan complained that he
had not received a large supply of hay and forage, which he
had been led to expect would have arrived out before the date
pt which he wrote. Now, he wished to ask the noble lord
whether he had made any inquiry into that circumstance, and
whether steps would be taken, or had been taken, for insuring
a more regular supply of forage to the army ? (Hear.)
Lord PANMURE denied that he had admitted, or had in-
tended to admit, that great abuses and mismanagement had
prevailed in the conduct of the transport service. With re•
ference to the question about the hay and forage, the explana-
tion which ho had to give was this—no doubt, at the period
when Lord Raglan penned his despatch, there was a de-
ficiency of hay at Balaklava, but steps had been taken to
insure a regular supply, and within a day or two after Lord
Raglan wrote his letter an ample supply of forage had arrived
at Balaklava. He had reason to believe that the steps taken
by the Admiralty would insure a supply of forage at Bala.
klava at least every fornight. (Hear.)
Tho Earl of ELLENBOROUGH inquired whether it would
not be cheaper to contract for pressing the hay than allowing
it to remain in the hands of the Government ?
Lord PANMURE said experience had shown that it was cheaper that Government should undertake the pressing.
Viscount CANNING wished to correct a mistake which the
noble earl had fallen into, who had moved for these returns.
Instead of the Cunard or any other company that contracted
with the Government for carrying mails receiving between
200,000/. and 300,000/. for their postal services in addition to
what they received for transports, they were only paid an
equivalent for the exact service they were enabled to perform
for the Post-office.

The returns were then ordered, and their lordships ast-
-1 ourned at half-past seven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-YESTERDAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before four o'clook.

NEW MEMBER.
Mr. DAVIES, the newly-elected member for Cardigan,
,00k the oaths and his seat.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.