The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PA 11.! JAMENT.

HOOSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY.
The Lo' an CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'c Jock.

THE REVISED CODE.
Petil.ions against the Revised Code were presented by the
13idh'op of WORCESTER and several other peers.
IRISH. LAW COURTS.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE complained that a
return he moved for on the 6th of August last, and to which
no objection was offered, had not yet been made. It related
to the courts of law in Ireland, and he had been informed
that as the return had not been made previous to the pro-
rogation of Parliament last year, it had been looked upon
as a lapsed order. lie wished the return should be made
forthwith, and if it should be necessary he should move an
address to the Crown to that effect.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

Tha Norwich Corporation, tte Ross Turnpike Trust,
and the Tranmere Improverent bills were read a second
time.

PROTECTION OF INVENTIONS AND DESIGNS

1862 BILL.
This 'bill was read a second time.
EMT2LOYNIENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

BILL.
This hill passed through committee.
MARINE MUTINY BILL.

This bill also passed through committee.
AUSTRALIAN COLONIES GOVERNMENT ACT

AMENDMENT BILL.

This bill was read a third time and passed.
IRON PLATED SHIPS.
_

The Earl of HARDWICKE rose to ask the First Lord
of the Admiralty what number of iron plated ships were
afloat and building, and what was intended to be done with
the ships of the fleet that are built of timber, The
earl commenced his remarks by referring to the late
maval action that had taken place in America, in which
-the contest between weed and iron vesseLs had been most
indisputably settled. He did not think there was any
occasion for alarm, because he considered that the navy
of England was in as good a position as any nation in the
-world- He thought the time had arrived when there
should be no more nibbling at the question on the part of
the Government, but that it should open its
jaws wide and swallow the whole at whatever cost,
and for the future that none but iron ships should
be constructed for the purposes of warfare. The late en-
gagement between the Monitorand Merrimac had settled the
question. As far as regards cruising ships, they could still
;be constructed of wood, adopting, of course, all the modern
-improvements; but, as for men-of-war, they must be made
of iron. The navy was very different from the ships of the
merchant service, where everything was sacrificed for speed
and stowage room, but that was not so in it man-of-war where
strength was everything. A question would naturally
arise as to what was to be done with the stock of ships now
'on hand; that would have to be settled, but the thing that
appeared to him certain was that the time had now come
for the ccesation -of constructing ships of wood for purposes
of warfrare. - It was to give the noble lord an opportunity of
stating the opinion of the Government on the subject that
he '.aid the motion under the attention off their lordships.
The Duke of SOMERSET, having thanked Lord Hard-
wick° for having brought this subject before the house,
stated what steps had been taken by the present Govern-
ment to build iron vessels since 1859. The late Govern-
ment had proposed to build two iron-plated vessels, but
from information subsequently received he had advised
these two to be increased to four—viz,, the Warrior, the
Black Prince, the Defence, and the Resistance. Not being
contented with these vessels, the Government had ordered
eie Valiant to be built on improved principles, for, as the
-whole system was in a state of uncertainty, there were ne-
cessarily defects in the first experiments. At the present
moment we had four iron ships afloat, another to be
launched in August, and five wooden ships in course of
plating, two of which will be launched in the autumn and
three in the ensuing spring. Not satisfied with this, he
had caused experiments to be made with Captain Coles's
cupola, the results of which, both in regard to the revolv-
ing of the cupola and its power of resistance to very heavy
firing, were entirely successful. A vessel of this class of
2,000 tons, and drawing only 20 feet water, would be shortly
laid, as money had been taken for the purpose in the esti-
mates. At the same time it was intended to apply the
principle of the cupola to wooden vessels, and these, he
believed, would be the best vessels we could have for the
ilefence of our coasts. There were now building six
different kinds of iron-plated ships, but he was not
satisfied with any of these, as the means had not
yet been. •discovered of making the iron plating
contribute to the strength of the vessels. In reply
to Lord Hardwicke's question, he stated that we
had the frames of five line-of-battle ships, seven frigates,
and eight large corvettes in progress, and these frames could
be easily adapted to bear iron plates. Of our present wooden
vessels we could easily cut down 20 line-of-battle ships,
and by fitting them with iron plates adapt them for the de-
fence of our coasts and the Channel, still retaining a fleet
of 40 ships to oppose to any-wooden fleet which might be
sent to attack us ; and if it were necessary to tight iron ships
against iron ships we were able to meet any navy in that
arm. In regard to the question of expense, he did not
ihink`it would be so great as anticipated, neither did he
think the inferences drawn from a recent engagement as to
the invulnerability of iron ships, especially in the face of
She very great improvements being made in the speed of
ships and the force of artillery, correct. He then entered
at length into the merits and defects of the Merrimac and
Monitor, pointed out the alterations which the new system
of iron -plating would introduce in our navy, deprecated un-
due precipitation in building vessels of iron, confessed that
we ought to refrain from building more wooden ships, and
concluded by slightly touching upon the propriety of not
discontinuing to build forts, as the arguments drawn from
the i ecent contest on that point were by no means conclu-
sive,

Lord hIALMESBURY, having thanked the Duke
Somerset for his valuable statement,
Their lordships adjourned at 20 minutes to 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-YESTERDAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.

The house was rather full, but not so crowded as is usual
on Budget nights, and contrasted strongly with the appear -
ance whieb..it presented last session on the night when the
'r•ha-nceller of the Exchequer made his Financial Statement.

----
• PRIVATE BUSINESS, - ----
The following hills were read a third time and passed :
--The Cirencester 11istriet Roads, and the Dollow and Kil-
ai re Ineleenre.