The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL' PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS.EESTERDAY.)
The
LOUD CUAN MELLOR took his seat on the wool-
sack at five o'clock-
SECOND READING.
The Dursley and Midland Railway Bill was read a
second time.
THIRD READINGS.
The following bills were read a third time : Glossop
Gas, Monmouth Railway and Canal, Sheffield _Gas,
South Eastern Capital, Bridport Railway, Ratcliffe Gas ;
and Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax Junction.
The Earl of HARDWICKE moved for returns re-
specting the cost and conveyance of letters and pews-
papers to Australia.
Lord BERNERS presented several petitions from
Gloucestershire praying for the closing of public-houses
on Sundays.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented a petition from
Scotland against the Maynooth grant.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY presented several
petitions against the payment of church rates.
_
BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
The Earl of SANDWICH in presenting a petition
from Huntingdon, praying that the law with respect to
the burial of the dead might be amended, beggedn)haLls
her Majesty's Government whether any inspector
been sent down to examine and reportupont,he state of
the burial grounds and vaults in that county :
The Duke of ARGYLL said the notice the noble
earl had placed upon the paper was so indefinite that
there was no member of her Majesty's Government in
their lordships' house that evening that could answer it.
Under these circumstances he hoped the /noble earl
would repeat this question on another occasion.
After a few observations from the Bishop of
C the subject dropped.
THE FLOATING BATTERIES.
Earl TALBOT begged now to ask the Minister of
/war the question he had given notice of last night, with
respectto the floating batteries, namely, as to who was the
inventor or designer of these floating batteries, and also
whether any experiment had been made to test their
strength, and also their applicability for the service for
which they were intended ?
Lord PANMURE said he was unable to inform the
noble earl who the inventor of the plan was. The merit
of the project had, however, been tested, and the Go-
vernment being satisfied with the result had authorised
the adoption of the plan.
The Earl of HARDWICKE thought it was hardly
possible to receive a more unsatisfactory answer to a
question than that which had been given by his noble
friend Opposite. He had on that day proceeded to
Woolwich to inspect two of these ships, and, without
referring to the Opinion of any other person, he would
ventureto state what his own opinion was with regard
to the construction of these vessels. The effect of the
mode of construction that bad been adopted would ne to
loosen the plates when they were brought under the fire
of a heavy battery, and those plates being malleable,
would suffer in the way that iron did under the hammer
of the anvil, and would begin to move about. They would
spread with the blows, and would be broken in all proba-
bility. The deck was nine inches thick, and it was ori
ginally intended to have plated it with iron, but he ap-
prehended that with a power of floating so indifferent,
they had not ventured to carry out the plan. and he
was sure that, if a parabolic shell were thrown on
the deck, it would go slap through her. The bulwark
that was to protect the officers conducting the opera
tions when approaching the enemy's battery was imper-
fect, and the men at the wheel were also exposed to the
fire, because there was nothing to protect them but a
two-inch plank. The men at the guns below were pro-
tected by the iron plates, but the officers who were to
conduct the operations were exposed to a greater disad-
vantage than they would be exposed to on board of an
ordinary ship.
Earl GREY complained of the conduct pursued by
the noble earl, and condemned the practice of dis-
cussing such questions in that house. The Govern-
ment were wholly responsible for the works they
were undertaking in connection with the war, and he
therefore considered that their movements should
not be hampered by any scientific descriptions and cri-
ticisms of this character.
The Earl of DERBY could not say that his noble friend
behind him was open to the attack that had been made
upon him by the noble earl. It was said they should not
interfere when measures were still in progress, but those
gun-boats were completed, and were open to the obser-
vation or examination of any one. If he were not misin-
formed, those 5 gun-boats had cost something like a sum
of 300,0001., and before they went further it was important
that they should possess all the knowledge and informa-
tion that could be obtained.from the professional ability
of his noble friend. His noble friend stated that he had
inspected them, and he pointed out various defects in
their construction. He considered that, on the whole,
they were not likely to answer the objects of those who
designed them, and he asked whether those plans and
designs had been submitted to, and approved of, by the
scientific portion of the service in this country. If they
had been submitted to them, the heads of the scientific
department of the navy would be made responsible for
the success or failure of those batteries. (Hear, hear.)
His noble friend had pointed out the reason why be
thought they were not fit for the purpose intended, and
he warned the Government not to go head over heels in
incurring an enormous expense on a work which he
thought to be unscientific and of an unsati-factory cha
racter. (Hear.) No subject cool(' be morefit lordb-c
It was proposed by the Government to enter inns a new
and experimental mode of naval warfare, involving an
enormous expense, and the means which they adopted, in
the opinion of a man of professional knowledge like his
noble friend, were not calculated to answer the pur-
pose for which they were invented. (Hear.) As to the
construction of these gun-boats becoming known in
Russia in consequence of the observations of his noble
friend, that was an idea that could not be entertained for
a single moment. The intention to construct th• se gun-
boats was perfectly well known in Russia from the time
when it was decided that they should be constructed,
and the Emperor of Russia would not obtain by the dis-
cussion any information that he did not already possess
respecting them. (Hear.)
The subject then dropped.
JURISDICTION OF THE STANNARY COURT
AMENDMENT BILL.
On the motion of the Lord CHANCELLOR their
lordships went into committee on this bill.
The clauses were agreed to.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BILL.
This bill .with amendments was reported, and was
ordered to be recommitted this day fortnight.
THE CAVALRY IN THE CRIMEA.
Lord VIVIAN moved for a return of the number of_
men and horses sent, or to be sent, as reliefs or rein.
forcements to the cavalry now in the Crimea ; regi-
ments, or squadrons from regiments, now in this
country to be employed on this service ; and date
of embarkation and name of transports in which
these reinforcements have been or are to- be sent
out, stating whether sailing or steam-vessels. The
noble lord said he bad, on a former occasion, moved for
a similar return, but he bad been induced to withdraw
it on the assurance given by the Commander-in-Chief
that he was about to send out strong squadrons to the
seat of war. But he found that ur t i the present woe
anent, certainly up to within a very few daym, no equal-
rens bad been sent, and no regiment of cavalry in this
country had received orders to reinforce the troops in
the Crimea. If our army was to take any part in the
operations before Sebastopol, it was most essential that
that branch of the army, the cavalry, should be speedily
reinforced. (Hear.) He might be told, and no doubt
would be told, that reinforcements had been sent from
India, and that cavalry would be sent from this coun-
try; but what he desired to know was, what were the
means which the Government bad of conveying these
troops He feared lest the Government should be once
again " too late ;" and he thought they would best show
that there was no ground for on
apprehens*l by stating
u that
not only the force they were about to send out t
t Jey were prepared to send them out in st
Lord HARDINGE said it was true thatetahme-yebl easels.
ilad on a former occasion asked for information relative
lordrelatis
to the amount of force which the Government contem-
plated to send out to the Crimea, and at that time b
(Lord Hardinge) hcd stated that he thought the be e
way-of reinforcing the army serving in the East would
t
be by sending out additional aqua trona for each of the
regiments in the Crimea. He had reason to believe sub-
sequently that it would be better to send out two regi-
ments; and he had had a consultation with his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and he had his Loyal
Highnees's consent that. instead of sending out separate
squadrons of each of the regiments serving, it wad be
better to send out the two regiments, the Ist Dragoon
Guards and the 6th Dragoons. The fcrce of cavalry in
the East at present consisted of about 1,300 effective men,
and they would be reinforced by -about 750 troops, arid
also by the two regiments. coining from India, one of
which had already arrived—the-amount of which would
be about 1,000 men rank and file. Thus there would be
in. the Crimea upwards of- 3,000 effective cavalry, exclu-
sive of the two regiments be had referred to, if -they
would be required, and they would be required without
doubt. The number of recruits now ready was at least
1,000 men, and we had at least 1,500 horses between five
and Aix years old, and he was happy to say that the
regiments at home willingly and cheerfully took on
theramqvEN to act as the instructors of the recruits, and
thttretbareariudered much service to the country. Be had
Inspector ovrage of the advice of the noble earl the
Duke of
M C;trola; rage,
and of his Royal Highness the
ore than trait in making these arrangements.
and with respect t
to
treireoreements had already sailed,
sent in
steam
veseo_he means of carriage, some were
Eerily have to go in the remainder would neces-
The Earl of DERB49IBhI PEP •
the noble lord was now
onee
quite satisfied that there Wouldbe no indiscretion in his
stating the number of cavalry • the Crimea, for fear it
should come to the ears of the in
Emperor
orfeplinudaaiaitae'd such
Lord PANMURE said be hadrQ
alliarnent, and
returns as those when moved abllieEniee
though there would be no difficulty
made
,
force of the army, yet he thought it was wiinintea7xazlYlte
cedent for Parliament to sanction such returnmsgzlo,
these-
especially in times of war. The motion was
hably, for the opportunity it afforded for tlieite;i'• Pr°-
planations ; and these having been given, be horsed his
noble friend would not press for the returns he had asked
for. With respect to the sending out of these eavair,
reinforcements, he should say that every means ee
*3patch should be used in conveying -out these and all
ether reinforcements. At this moment every available
steam transport was engaged for our own troops or thOse
of our allies ; and it' we were compelled to have recourse
to sailing vessels, it was because we had to- convey not
only the caval-ry and artillery, but the infantry, to the
seat of war. ( /Teas_ hear.)
The Earl bf . ,
commazvisr.ix.ch37l/3011017arr fanThressed on the
•ti he La timoly
• • •
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