The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

had further thought it necessary, besides providing a
number of vessels to serve as transports for the conveyance
of supplies to the fleet, to purchase a considerable number
of small vessels for service as a coast flotilla, especially in
the Baltic. Amongst the additional vessels acquired were
three vessels of war which were building on Russian ac-
count, and which, when war was declared, were seized, in
conformity with the rights of war, on behalf of her Ma-
, jesty• It would be necessary to fit those vessels at a con-
siderable additional cost beyond the terms stipulated for
the Russian Government, the contract entered into with
the builder of the machinery having been cut short by the
war; but the Government had felt that they were bound
to take care that the interests of the builders should not
suffer, and a new contract had been arranged, the balance
being carried to account, and the difference in cost to be
paid on the conclusion of peace. The next vote was one
for new works and improvements, including the expense of
new buildings at Haslar, for the enlargement of the hospi-
tal, and new stations for the repair of vessels of war. Since
the peace a very considerable portion of Haslar Hospital
had been applied to the use of the adjoining district, espe-
cially for the reception of lunatic patients. Every prepara-
tion had been made for their comfort, and the establish-
ment was in every respect so perfect that it was thought
better not to interfere with the existing arrangements, and
to enlarge the accommodation as now proposed, so that the
number of beds might be made up to what it stood at dur-
ing the last war. The next vote was for medicines ; and
on this point he should confine himself to remarking, that
every possible care had been taken to make provision for
the exigencies of the medical service in the ships at sea,
both in the Baltic and in the Euxine. He had now gone
through all the heads of account immediately connected
with the effective force. The amount asked for the pur-
poses of the effective naval service was 1,457,000/. ; there
remained the items, not strictly naval, but rather for army
and ordnance services. The amount asked for these
branches of expenditure was no less than 3,096,7001. In
answer to a question put to him, he had already stated to
the house the extent of service which had been performed
T
in the conveyance of troops. They had sent, since the Bth
of March, when he last spoke, a force of about 22,000 men,
and he believed that altogether a force of nearly 25,00 a
men had left our shores. They had sent 2,500 horses, and
arrangements had been made for the despatch of nearly
double that number. When the house considered the dis-
tance, the shortness of time, the competition necessarily
arising between the demands of Government and the
wants of trade, and also the fact of the French Government
coming into the English market for freight, it would be
admitted that the effort had been a great one, and he was
afraid he must add that the cost had been great in propor-
tion. Yet all their efforts would have been rendered use-
less if they had hesitated as to the payment of the requi-
site sums of money. (Hear, hear.) The first item,
for the freight of transports on monthly pay, including
both steam-vessels and sailing ships, or for the purchase of
the same, amounted to 2,610,0001. This sum covered
the hire of eighteen steam-vessels, and eighty-six sailing
transports, eleven of the steam-vessels being for the trans-
port of infantry, and seventy-five sailing-ships for that of
cavalry. All the available steam-vessels that were at com-
mand in the first instance were employed to convey infantry
from this country, but none of them had been considered
available for the conveyance of cavalry. It had not been
thought practicable to convey horses safely in steam-vessels,
unless the height betweeen decks should be at least 7 feet
6 inches, or exceeding that measurement, and generally
the height was less than that which he had mentioned ;
moreover, excepting in steam-vessels propelled by screws,
the main deck only was available for horses, and in pad-
dlewheel steamers the main dock was interrupted by the
machinery. Therefore, the employment of steam-vessels
for the conveyance of horses was limited to screw-vessels,
having a height between docks of 7 feet 6 inches, or more.
The number yet employed was very small ; they had taken
up ono which would embark on Monday next 235 artillery
horses, with officers, men, guns, and ammunition waggons
of the detachment. He had also stated yesterday to the
house that they wore about to extend the experiment by
taking up the Himalaya, which would convey to the seat
of war an entire cavalry regiment, all the horses, men, and
officers, with their complete establishment, within a time
which he would not venture to predict, but which he fully
anticipated would be an almost incredibly short one. If
they were desirous that these efforts should be made, and
if they wished to put forth the whole strength of this
country in the war, to show what it was capable of doing
and what we had the means of doing, he told the house
that he believed, even should the war be brought to a con-
clusion in the course of six months, that this effort would
net be thrown away. (Hear, hear.) He believed this to
be a demonstration to the civilised world that our powers
were not paralysed, nor our arms fallen short of their
wonted powers; but, on the contrary, that we had called
all the science and all the inventions of modern times
to our aid, and that we could command, in defence of
our national position, to a greater extent than any other
country all the appliances of art and inventive skill. More
than all, he wished the world to see that in that assembly,
representing as it did one of the first nations in the world,
and perhaps a greater amount of power than any other as-
sembly, whatever might be their differences in other mat-
ters, when the honour of their country was concerned, and
the safety of its institutions imperilled—and in peril they
would be whilst we were engaged in a great war, until that
war was brought to a happy and honourable conclusion—
all minor differences vanished, and as one man they would
come forward to say that the war must be conducted with
vigour and energy, and brought to a speedy issue, not re-
garding the expense that must be incurred, but bent with
one heart and soul upon providing all the means necessary
for maintaining the safety and reputation of the country.
(Cheers.) As regarded the transport of cavalry, he might
say that they had received from Mr. Cunard the most zea-
lous and praiseworthy assistance, though his steamers, not
being quite lofty enough, were not so much available for
cavalry. For this purpose they had been compelled to
take up sailing vessels to a very large amount, seventy-five
having been engaged ; and in addition to the ordinary cost
of obtaining them by open tender in a free market, under
the competition to which he had already referred, there
had been the cost of fitting them for the peculiar service
of cavalry transport, which was perhaps the most ex-
pensive of all possible fittings. Still they had thought that
if this expense were incurred, it was desirable that the ap-
plication of money should secure the utmost possible effi-
ciency in every respect ; and with regard to the artillery,
the right arm of the military service, it was of the greatest
importance that each transport should arrive out in the
most efficient condition. By the advice, therefore, of the
military authorities, this sub-division had taken place—
that each artillery transport carried out two officers, forty-
eight men, fifty-two horses, and four guns, all ready for
service on the moment of landing, and each having no oc-
casion whatever to wait for any support. For 'his purpose
vessels of 650 tons had been freighted, as no smaller ship
could convey the force he had mentioned ; and, in addition
to the whole number of sailing ships, two steamers, as he
had already stated, were to be sent. He had the pleasure
of informing the house that Lord Raglan, in the course of
his short stay at Malta, saw the first division of the artil-
lery transports arrive, and with regard to this division he
made the observation that not a single horse had been lost.
On the arrival of the second division it might fairly be an-
ticipated, considering the percentage of loss ordinarily sus-
tained in such operations, that the number of horses killed
or injured would be unusually small. It might be satisfac-
tory to the house to state that the whole force of transports
had been engaged for the Government for the entire year,
on the principle that during the entire year the whole
force, estimated to amount to 27,000 men, should have
the means of conveyance from place to place within itself,
so that no difficulty would arise in respect to the re-
moval of the British forces throughout the whole of the
coming year. For the purpose of more rapidly conveying
in the first instance a portion of the force, they had
taken up 14 steam-vessels connected with the packet ser-
vice merely for the single trip to Malta, the contract ter-
minating with the arrival of the ship there. The uninter-
rupted maintenance of the packet service was of the
highest importance, and every arrangement had been
made to secure its maintenance, so that the packet-ships
might return to their ordinary duties as speedily as pos-
sible. The sum of 108,0001. merely covered the trip of a
number of these steamers from England to Malta. With
respect to all the sums on the paper, be should be happy
to give on the proposition of each vote, every explanation I
that might be required. He knew not that it would be
necessary, judging from the temper of the house, that he
should make any earnest appeal to them on the moral
duty of unanimity on this occasion. He had seen symp-
toms which le.l him to believe that the votes he was about
to propose would be generally supported, and that the
house would address themselves to the question in the
spirit of that passage of their great poet which called on
the inhabitants of our isle to keep—
" this pale, this white-fac'd shore,
Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides,
And coops from other lands her islanders,
This England, hedg'd in with the main,
This water-walled bulwark, still secure •
And confident from foreign purposes."
(Cheers.) It was our naval force which fulfilled this condi-
tion ; and it was the confidence which every Englishman
must feel, that the navy formed his country's best defence
in time of war, which would impel them to make every
effort for the maintenance of that force, and for exhibiting
to the whole world our resolution still to keep unimpaired
our naval supremacy.
Mr. BAILLIE called the attention of the house to the
mode in which cadets were appointed in the navy, and
complained that patronage was used to reward political
service, and that even the rules of the navy were set aside
for such purpose. He adverted to the Reform dinner de-
claration that the fleets were commanded by staunch Re-
former'', and said that such declaration fell short of the
truth, naming various officers whose promotion he attri-
bute(' to their politics.
He said that if he did not obtain
a satisfactory
answer,ttiehe should bring the subject formally
before the house.
Mr. HUME hoped that Sir J. Graham's appeal would
have been met with the
of going into small details
he desired, and that in-
steadthey would be but one party and deta.ile and party complaints,
as sound policy dictated, join to carry on the war,
the efficient manner. He
was anxious to see the vote carried without cavil. It was
impossible for any Administrationm to say what supplies
might be necessary ; but Govern
they believed to be sufficient, the eLt having
asked what
confidence in them. He added a tributeuse shtooutlhde Govern-
mentshowit
for its regulations as to neutral property which the
more disposed him to give them his vote.
Admiral WALCOTT cordially approyet oofi;el
eli,
lthat the
Government had done, as did Sir George
who ob-
served upon the popularity of the service, as evinced by
the number of volunteers.
Sir J. WALSH also hoped that the committee would be
unanimous in supporting Government. Those on hie side
of the house did not intend to imitate the carping system
which had characterised the Opposition during the last
great war, but, while refusing general confidence to the
Admioistration, and "arrogating" the right to examine all
measures, they would abstain
l.romott is a
of a false economy. He complimented ar,lipninnistra:toiuvre
ability of Sir James Graham, and thought that the vote
demanded was reasonable. He urged the advantage of
having both in the Baltic and the Black Sea an increased
force of vessels drawing very little water, and
(cils ovseplteouiaplolyn
the importance of transporting our troops ,n
cavalry and artillery, by steam-power.
Captain SCOBELL thought the sugestione
.of. Sir J.
Walsh as much out of place as those of Mr. BaHe
rejoiced that the navy had been increased to a state of
efficiency, but he cautioned the country not to be
too
sanguine in expecting rapid results, and vindicated the
Eckfteetefeom the charge of inaction. He advised
ttak. Go rietneuteto take all steps necessary for the vigorous
prosecution of the war, and not to let expense stand in the
way.
/tr. Mr. BANKES complained of the lectures which had
been read to preceding speakers, and said that there was,
r7S're fortunately, ample time fur discussing all questions of the
l! service. The nation had gone with the house and the Go-
te: vernmeat into this war ; it had been felt as a painfui no-
'l•.,cessity, and having entered into it, the nation would con-
tinue to support the Government and the house, large as
the sacrifices demanded might be. He gave his cordial
support to the vote.
Sir B. HALL entered into a vindication of his friend
Admiral Dundas, who, he said, had been placed in a most