The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-07 00:00:00

FORTIFICATIONS AND WORKS.

The house having gone into committee,
Lord PALMERSTON rose to move for leave to intro-
duce a bill in continuation of the bill brought in last year
for the purpose of authorising the issue of terminable
annuities to continue those works which had been already
sanctioned by Parliament for the defence of the dockyards
and other stations. Of the amount authorised to be issued
last year, a sum of £600,000 still remained unexpended ,
that sum would not be sufficient to pay for the progress of
the works to be completed between that time and July of
next year, and therefore they asked for a further issue of
£650,000. lie was happy to be able to state that the works
already constructed had been exceedingly well executed,
and that they would prove a very useful defence to the coun-
try. He should mention that, generally speaking, the works
to be found in the schedule of the bill were works already
sanctioned; but last year, in consequence of the doubts
about the relative merits of forts and ships, the vote with
respect to the forts at Spithead was suspended. But tho ex-
perience which they had since derived from the war in
America showed that forts were remarkable antagonists to
ships ; and, moreover, the progress of improvements in the
construction of cannon in this country showed that solid
shot and even shells would pierce ships constructed like the
Warrior ; and he had no doubt that it could be done at 1,000
yards; but, as at Shoeburyness, they had only a range of
800 yards, they had not been able to experimentalise to
that extent. As the present motion was only with the object
of introducing the bill, he would not detain the committee
further, beyond expressing a hope that the house would be
willing to read the bill a second time on Thursday. The
noble lord concluded by moving, that, towards providing
a further sum for defraying the expenses of the con-
struction of works for the defence of the Royal Dock-
yards and Arsenals, and of the ports of Dover and Port-
land, and for the creation of a central arsenal, a sum not
exceeding £650,000 be charged upon the Consolidated
Fund of the United Kingdom ; and that the Commissioners
of her Majesty's Treasury be authorised and empowered to
raise the said sum by annuities for a term not exceeding 30
years—and that such annuities shall be charged upon, and
be payable out of, the said Consolidated Fund.

Mr, S. FITZGERALD asked whether the construction
of a central arsenal would form any part of this year's plan.

Lord PALMERSTON said it would not.
Sir F. SMITH.did not think the action of the American
war had at all altered the position of matters ; he con-
tended that the erection of the Spithead forts would be
quite useless.
Sir S. M. PETO was likewise of opinion that the Ame-
rican war had not altered the position of the house on the
question of the construction of forts at Spithead. There
was no parallel between Charleston Harbour and Spithead.
There was no difference of opinion with regard to the point
upon which the judgment of the house had been so strongly
expressed last year. They only asked to have all the de-
tails brought before them so that they might be in position
to discuss it fairly and freely next Thursday.
Mr. AYRTON wished to know how it was that while a
central arsenal was one of the objects included in the reso-
lution, they should be told at the same time there was no
vote to be taken for it,
Viscount PALMERSTON explained that what was
meant was, that no vote was to be asked for this year.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS said he had paid a visit
(some years ago to Charleston, and from what he knew of
that harbour he would be prepared to support any proposal
of the Government for fortifying their own harbours.
Mr. OSBORNE said he would not oppose the motion,
out of compliment to the noble lord, whom they were glad
to see once more in his place (cheers)—but he would be
ready to meet the noble lord fairly next Thursday.
Sir R. FERGUSSON contended that there was great
similarity between the harbour of Charleston and Spithead,
and he could only express his surprise at the statement made
by the hon. and gallant member for Chatham.
In reply to Mr. LYGON,
The Marquis of HARTINGTON stated that very diffe-
rent results would attend an attack on Spithead, as com-
pared with Charleston, for both the ships and the guns
would be entirely different.

Sir J HAY said the difference between Portsmouth and
Charleston dockyards was that the latter could not be bom-
barded without taking the forts outside, whereas Ports.
mouth could be shelled by guns of long range with perfect
safety to the enemy, He therefore opposed the erection of
the forts.

Mr. LOCKE, as a layman, thought that a fort added to
a floating battery must be better than a floating battery
alone—(hear, hear)—and therefore he should vote for the
forts, as he always had done.

Sir J. FE RGUSSON said the distance of the Portsmouth
forts would be 8,000 yards from the dockyard, whereas
Forts Moultrie and Sumter were only 6,000 yards from
Charleston.

Mr. NEWDEGATE strongly advocated the prompt
complation of the national defences.
Sir J. ELPHINSTONE thought a system of chains
across the harbour would be as good as forts.
The resolution was agreed to, and leave given to bring in
the bill.

The Greenwich Hospital (Provision for Widows) Bi:
was read a second time.

The Vaccination (Scotland), the Police Improvement
(Scotland), the Provisional Order, the Stipendiary Magis-
trates, and the Prisons (Ireland) Bills, were read a third
time and pissed.
Other bills were advanced a stage, and the house ad-
journed at half-past one o'clock.

The " gentler sex " at sixty look with complacency on
whitened tresses, but to youth it is a calamity ; remediable,
however, by Herring's magnetic brushes, &c., of which Dr.
Hassall reports, "I regard them as the most perfect brushes
hitherto made, as respects their medic nical constraction and
their magnetical action." They are the remedy for grey hair,
neuralgia, rheumatism, &c. N.B.—Couaterfelto are being
made. (awe, 32, Dadngliall-street,