The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-26 00:00:00

PETITIONS,

Mr. MIALL presented a petition from a place in Lan-
cashire, praying for the repeal of the taxes on knowledge.
Mr. A. PELLATT presented a number of petitions
from dissenting bodies in Southwark against the opening
of the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
Mr. HADFIELD and other bon. members presented
petitions against the Government Education Bill.
ENTRY OF SEAMEN BILL.
- -

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Captain SCOBELL reminded the house that the bill
had arrived at its present stage without any statement
in explanation of it having been made to Parliament.
Now, lie thought that was not right, and he hoped the
right hon. baronet the First Lord of the Admiralty
would take this opportunity of giving some explanation
of the nature and object of the bill.

Sir G. PECHELL did not think that any explana-
tion was necessary, as the object of the bill was suffi-
ciently well understood. It was looked upon by seamen
as the charter of the navy, and he hoped no time would
be lost in passing it into a law.
Sir J. GRAHAM said it was from no want of cour-
tesy to the house that ho had not yet entered into any
explanation of the object of the measure, but in the
present state of the session it was hardly advisable to
waste time with lengthened explanations. He might,
however, mention now, since this appeal had been made
to him, that the object of this bill was to increase the
pay of the lower, second, and first class of seamen en-
tering her Majesty's service by ld., 2d., and 3d. a day,
which made it compulsory to grant a bounty of one-
fourth to seamen in cases of emergency, and leave the
amount to be paid to the discretion of the Government.
Sir G. TYLER hoped the Government would lay on
the table of the house such Portions of the evidence taken
before the Naval Commission as would not be detrimen-
tal to the public service.
Mr. A. STAFFORD said the evidence was of a pri-
vate and confidential character, and ought not to be pro-
duced.
Mr. WILLIAMS h ad never opposed any vote for the
purpose of making the navy deficient, but he Was afraid
the service would never be in the state that it ought to
be until flagging was abolished, or, at all events, con-
siderably reduced. That mode of punishment had
greatly
diminished, in the army, and the consequence was the
service had become. more perfecht. Th
e navy, however,
kept tip the old system, and t e service was therefore
composed of second-class instead of
.. first-crass men.
He
ted that the same system of courts-martial which
navy,
stiggaeisled in the army should be extended to the prey
and then there would be some prospect of the service
being rendered efficioenN thought the French system oft.
Mr. MACKINIr
manning the navy
might with some advantage be ex-
tended to the British navy.
_
Lord MONK supported the proposal of establishing
aje y.
courts-martial in the navy as well as
the
the army.
Mr. HENLEY did not attribute y of
men in the navy to the system of punishments, but to
causes connected with the pay.
Admiral BERKLEY declared that the fear of punish-
merit was not the cause of seamen not entering the navy.
The house some time ago reduced the navy by 5,000
men ; and now, when they wanted to increase the ser-
vice, they experienced a difficulty in recruiting it, from
the temptations which the activity of the merchant ser-
vice
offered to seamen.
The house then went into committee.
On the question that the preamble be postponed,
Captain SCODELL said the house would do more
towards manning the navy by resorting to a system of
encouragement than one of punishment.At present,
theta amount of punishment depended v uch upon the
erament of the commanding offieCer,
therefore;. requisite that some lira'
e'llug°huti(Palbseo
and it was,
his power in that respect. There ptuot upon
a
redistribution of prize money,. for,
the present
system,' the flag officer got too much and the seaman too

Sir .j, GRAHAM contended that the condition of
the sailor wag, if possible, superior to that of