The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8, 1856.

they did it without inquiry, and after the Lord Chief
Justice of England had declared that it was not legal.
Their lordships then divided.
Contents—Present

Proxies
Non-contents—Present

59-138
53

Proxies

52--105

Majority 33
Their. lordships then adjourned at a-quarter to three
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
NEW MEMBER.
Air. BAINES took the oaths and hi, seatfor Leeds.
FIRST READINGS. _

The following bills were severally read a first time :
Forest of Dean Central Railway, Wandsworth and Put-
ney Gas, Poole Railway, Bawtrey Roads, London, Til-
bury, and Southend Railway (Extension), Bagnalstone
Railway, Dewesbury Water, Cork Bridges, and Perth
Harbour.

Mr. SPOONER presented petitions for the repeal of
the Maynooth grant.
Mr. HADFIELD presented a petition from the
clergy of Sheffield against the opening of the Crystal
Palace on Sundays.
THE RIVER WEAVER.

Mr. THORNELY moved for an account showing the
amount due for principal debt and interest on the River
Weaver on the sth of April, 1844, with an account of
the annual receipts and expenditure in each year, and to
the latest date; distinguishing the amount annually
received for tonnage from other incidental sources of in-
come and from money borrowed ; also distinguishing the
annual expenditure for ordinary maintenance and rqmirs
from the expenditure on account of debt and interest, the
purchase of land, and erection of churches thereon and
er.dowing the same, or other like incidental expenses,
and from the amount annually paid over for the use of
the county of Chester (in continuation of Parliamentary
Paper No. 115, of Session 1844).—Agreed to.
Mr. V. SCULLY moved that the Treasury minute
made with a view to improve the postal and passenger
communication between England and Ireland, under the
act of last session, be laid on the table of the House.—
Agreed to.
Mr. PH[LLIMORE gave notice, that on an early
day he should call the attention of the house to the in-
justice of assessing the clergy to.parochial rates.
Mr. MUNTZ said that on Thursday next he should
call the attention cf the house to the present monetary
system of the country with a view to a remedy more in
conformity with the present time.
Mr. LAYARD gave notice that on that day fortnight
he should call the attentiott of the house to•the report of
Sir J. M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch relative to the army
in the Crimea during last year.
Major REED gave notice that on an early day he
should move that the franchise be extended to all who
were assessed to the income tax, not being aliens.
Mr. WISE gave notice of his intention to move, on
) the 1•t of February, for an inquiry into the consular
establishments ahreafl.

Mr. ADDERLEY asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department why there had been no report
made by the Inspector of Prisons in the Home district
for five years past ; and when any report, such as the
act requires annually, was likelyto be made by that in-
spector ?
Sir G. GREY said there were a number of those
reports in arrear, and he had written to Captain Wil-
liams on the subject.. He had taken measures to have
those reports made more regularly for the future.
SUPPLIES TO THE ARMY.

Sir J. FERGUSON- said the report of the Commis-
sion of Inquiry into the Supplies of the British Army
in the Crimea having appeared, ho nished to ask the
Under-Secretary of State for War whether it was the
intention of her Majesty's Government to make any
change in the direction of that department ; and whe-
ther it was their intention to place that department of
an army in the field under the charge of a superior min.
tary officer, as recommended by the said commission ?
Mr. F. PEEL, the suggestion of the bon. member is
a very valuable one, but it has not yet been determined
to act on it.
Mr. MAGUIRE asked whether it was the intention
of Government to introduce a bill in the present session
for the better regulation of the Medical Charities of
Ireland ?
Str G. GREY said it WAS not the intention of Go-
vernment to introduce any bill on the subject this
session.

he would have given them his support. He enumerated
some of the expenses of the ecclesiastical courts, which
were drawn ofteu from poor families, widows, and orphans.
It was a duty the Government owed the country to re-
lieve them from those harpies, and allow them to prove
their wills without trouble and at a trifling expense.
Oa the SPEAIZEIt putting the question, and some re-
marks by several hon. members, leave was given to
bring in the bill.

or 30 years in the service before they attained that rank, if
they were ever permitted to attain it all. (Hear, hear.) He
had heard with pleasure that these monstrous abuses were at
length attracting the attention of the Admiralty, as they had
long since excited the indignation of the public, and that a
proposition for the benefit of old officers of every rank was
_ _

under consideration. He hoped that this measure of reform,
which, be had no doubt, had been conceived in a benevo-

lent spirit, would also be carried outin au efficacious manner,
and that no officer would be permitted to remain upon that
active list who was not ready to serve his country. (Rear.)
Nor was it the.officers only who had now to complain of the

neglect and ill-treatment. The seamen also had their griev-
ances, 'and these were of no trivial character. During the

last war, even when the service was disgraced by " impress-
ment," a practice which had now happily disappeared,

bounty money was freely given to seamen joining the
navy. We were again at war, but no such inducement
-

was' now offered. When the Baltic fleet first weighed
anchor it might have] been able to cope with the Russian,

but most certainly it was not competent to meet on equal
terms the navies o' France or of America. (Hear, hear.)
Of this he was assured by naval men of the highest autho-
rity, and among others by an officer on the flag list, who told
him that had the command been offered to him he should
have declined it through fear of loosing his reputation. On
board that fleet there was " lubbers," dockyard-riggers, a
few revenue servants, and some Coast Guardsmen, whose
presence there had injured one service without benefitting
the other. There were landsmen, too, whom the Admiralty
fondly imagined they, could convert into skilful mariners in
a single year. He wished the First Lord of the Admiralty
would go to sea for a year, if only to discover how little of
a seaman he would be at the end of that period. (Hear.)
It was merchant seamen that were required to man her

Majesty's fleets. To such he would offer a liberal bounty ;
but be would not givo sixpence for a landsman, for the true
qualities of a seaman were only to be acquired in youth.
let us retrace our steps—do justice to the navy, or we should
rue the day when another war might come with a morn
active naval Power than Russia. As to Russia as a naval
Power, she was not to be compared with other countries
which might be our enemies. If her fleet in the Baltic,
where we last year had 100 penants waving over steamers,
had ventured to come out, we should have blown her ships
to atoms ; lut if, unhappily, we should be at war with
America, w'io had onae 20,000 English seamen in her ser-
vice, what steps must we take to go', them back ? Sailors
did not willingly turn their backs upon ther country; but
their very calling gave them general ideas of nationality,
which illiberality on our part would convert to our prejn-
.

dice. In the last American war it was notorious that
many British seamen fought against their own flag,
and yet we took no steps to prevent a recurrence of
such lamentable conduct. It must be remembered that,
although the • United States was comparatively unpre-
pared for naval war at present, seeing how, rapidly we
had constructed a fleet of gun-boats, it could not be doubted
but that in two years' time she could produce amost formid-
able fleet. During Lord Derby's Government a commission
was appointed to inquire into the subject of manning the
navy, which even in time of peace recommended a small
bounty to be given, but no attention had been. paid to the
suggestion. He charged advisedly the late First Lord of
the Admi. alty with an act of injustice and want of judgment
in not having at the beginning of the pre'sent war procured
good seamen, as he might by the offer of a small bounty such
as was given to soldiers. He thought, too, that an endeavour
should be made, when once we had good seamen, to retain
them in the service by giving a small additional premium of,
say 1./. a year for each year beyond a certain number. That
plan of 'progressive pay was adopted in the civil service, awl
there was no reason why it should not be acted upon in the
naval and military services: Then, again, although the allot-
ment of prize money had been lately altered, lie thought it
might be still more extended in the seaman's favour. With
regard to punishments, without discussing the propriety or
necessity of flogging seamen, he was clearly of opinion that
no lash ought ever to fall on the back of a petty officer, and,
unless for mutiny or some other grievous offence, no A.B.
should be flogged. Then, again the articles of war were con-
tinually read on beard ship, and although they were not
acted upon in all cases, yet were sufficiently alarming to sea-
men who heard the penalty of death awarded to one-half the
offences mentioned in them. lie would suggest that an altera.-

tion should bo made in that respect, and that the penalty of
death should only be attached to those more serious offences
for which alone it was now inflicted. He was sorry he was not
able to read to the house the articles of war, and the naval
instructions, but he had applied for the latter to the Secre-
tary of tho Admiralty, who, no doubt, acting upon the direc-
tions of his superiors, had refused to supply him (Captain
Scobell), a naval officer and a member of the house, with a
copy. He could not think that was a proper way for the busi-
ness of the country to be carried on. The Admiralty was a
despotic government. In despotism Russia could scarcely
equal it. He knew it well. A naval man -Must mind what he
wrote and what he said. He could not give an open opinion
upon au open question. It was a harsh government, and all
naval men felt its harshness at some period of their service.
(Hear.) He knew nothing himself of the last three First
Lords of the Admiralty, but the only man who ever received
him kindly was the late Duke of Clarence (William IV). His
Royal Highness was a naval man, entered into naval feelings,
knew something of the service, and, if he dismissed an appli-
cant without granting his request, at all events he received
him kindly and feelingly as an officer and a gentleman. He
(Capt. Scobell) had nothing to reap from this motion. He was
a retired officer, and could get nothing by it. But his strong.
est feelings were bound up in the welfare of the navy and the
advancement of his brother officers and brother seamen. If
there were not sufficient grounds for inquiry so much the
better for the authorities ; but they knew that, if the com-
mittee were granted, officers would come forward and give
evidence of the harshness and coldness exhibited by the Ad-
miralty towards the great body of naval officers for a very
long period. He (lid not blame the men, who met in Cabinet
Councils and exchanged favours, the East against the West
Indies, the Customs against the Army and Navy, but lie was
convinced the sooner the system was destroyed the better for
our country and our countrymen. Before they negatived this
motion, they would, he trusted, take it into their most serious
consideration. The civil service and the army had received
abundant attention. The navy had been passed over ; yet,
if we were invols ed in a war with a naval country, and did

not maintain our supremacy of the ocean, the glory of Eng-
land would have passed away, and all the armies of the world
could not restore it. With these observations he committed

the case of the navy to the hands of the House of Commons,
with the hope that they would do it justice.
Admiral WALCOTT seconded the motion, observing that the
army, the Ordnance, the Commissariat, and the civil service
had been subjected to the censorship of admini itrative re-
form, and he saw no reason why the navy should form an
exception. He concurred, speaking .generally, in all the
views and opinions which the honourable and gallant gen-
tleman had so ably and temperately promulgated, and, if
he differed, it _was to such an inconsequential extent that he
would not trouble the house with useless repetition. He
claimed for the navy a better system of administration, and
would suggest that the power of the First Lord of the Ad.
miral'y to give employment, promotion, and recommenda-
tion for decoration should not be exorcised without consul-
tation with the naval officers of the board—so that their
acquiescence or dissent should be recorded. That would im-
part confidence to the navy, and conduce to the benefit of the
country. To neglect the services of elder officers was not the
way to encourage younger officers, or .to provide for the fu-
ture. Experienced officers volunteered for employment in
hazardous enterprises and on unhealthy stations, and received
a cold and curt reply, couched in terms of dull routine and
indiscriminating formality, entirely devoid of sympathy or
consideration, so as to prevent further application and break
the spirit of honourable ambition, as if the application wore
not only unwelcome but impertinent, and the inherent desire
of advancement were a subject of reproach. Many a gallant
officer who would have earned distinction under his Sove-
reign's colours had been driven to seek amore considerate re-
ception in the mercantile marine. Many a gallant officer from
the culpable and cruel disregard of his claims, had returned to
nis family with crushed feelings and a broken spirit. (Hear,
hear.) He wished not to be misunderstood, he wished not to
incur prejudice unfounded or suspicions which he did not de-
serve. He neither disparaged the services of any officer nor
grudged him better fortune. He merely intended to raise his
voice against a system of partiality—irreconcilable with jus-
tice and opposed to sound policy. Unless a naval officer had
the advantage of high connexions or could command political
interest, or could evoke the compassionate sympathy and con-
sideration of the members of this and the other House of Par-

liameut, he might hope and hope oa for ever. Was such en-
couragement worthy of a nation that professed to love inde-
pendence of character, and boasted that the doors of advance-
ment were open, without consideration of birth or means, to
the highest and worthiest of its sons ? He repudiated the
phrase so often quoted, of fighting under " the cold shade of
the aristocracy." He only bespoke impartiality for good and
meritorious service, remembering, as he did, that coronets
had received a lustre from the names of Mulgrave, Howe,
Hood, St. Vincent, Exmouth, Coll:ngwood, and Nelson. He
might not live see it, he might aot, and he cared not to benefit
by the tardy recognition of right, but he felt assured the day
was close at hand when claims would be impartially consi-
dered, and the one beaten path to employment, promotion,
and recommendation to the Sovereign for honours would be
by good and meritorious service. He would only add the
words of Mr. Burke, which were most appropriate—" Of all
the services under the Crown there is not one that will less
bear tampering with than that of the navy ; it is the last that
can be supplied in the event of emergency, and any failure of
which brings down and draws upon the country the heaviest
of all consequences." In conclusion, the gallant admiral de
dared his intention lo follow the hon. and gallant member
(Captain Scobell) into the lobby, should he divide the house
upon the motion.
Sir C. WOOD also complimented Captain Scobell for the

temperate tone as well as for the ability with which he had

brought his motion before the house, but denied that he had
shown sufficient grounds for the appointment of the committee
which he had asked. It was very true that if abuses did exist
the committee that had been asked for would point out the
remedy ; whilst, on the other hand, if there were really no
abuses at all, the Admiralty would be proved to be blameless
by the inquiries of such committee. But unless abuses had
been proved to exist, the house would not properly discharge
its duty if it appointed the committee for which the hon. gen-
tleman asked. All the recommendations which were made
by the committee to which the hon. and gallant gentleman
(Captain Scoball) hacl alluded had been carried into effect by
the Board of Admiralty. The hon. and gallant member co►n-
plained that there had been no sailor on the committee.
That was very true ; but that committee was appointed to
inquire mat only into the management of the navy, but
also of the army and the artillery ; and there was not a
single soldier or artilleryman upon that committee.
It was, therefore, not correct to represent that any undue
favour was shown to any branch of the public service
upon that occasion. The hon. and gallant gentleman said
that the committee in question had recommended in their re-
port that a further inquiry should take place into the admi-
nistration of the affairs of the navy. Now, what was the fact ?
Why, the committee simply recommended farther inquiry into
the whole system of contract and dockyard labour. He (Sir
C. Wood) said last session, and he now repeated it, that al
though it w .s no doubt beneficial to the public service to ap-
point committees of that house to inquire into alleged abuses,
the existence of which there, was strong ground for suspecting,
yet groat detriment would necessarily be done to the public
service by the house continually interfering with the adminis-
tration of the public departments by the appointment of com-
mittees to overhaul their proceedings. There could be no
doubt that uniformity in the administration of the public de-
partments was rendered very difficult by the frequent change
of the Ministry; but it would be more just to all parties, to
permit the Government for the time being to continue unin-
terrupted their mode of conducting the public departments,
unless there was good reason for supposing that the public
interests were damaged by them. The hon. and gallant gentle-
man made it a matter of complaint that promotions in the
navy were much less frequent than they were some years ago.
Many promotions were undoubtedly made at the close of the
last war ; but the object of the Government in making these
promotions was, not so much to reward past services, as to
enable the many officers who had been employed during the,
war, but would not be required when the navy was reduced
from 140,000 or 150,000 to 42,000 men, to retire on an in-'
creased half-pay. The navy was still reduced in 1835, to 26,500,
including men and officers. 1,000 officers were promoted at the
end of the war, but the fleet was thou so reduced that A