The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-10 00:00:00

01 bite Portsmouth, if the former position should be taken
by an enizny ? How many thousand yards between Ports-
down-hill and Portsmouth ? Why, an enemy in possession
of Portsdown-hill could to a certainty take Portsmouth.
There are, however, a class of persons who say that an
enemy in possession of Portsdown-hill could not damage
Portsmouth with round shot. Well, but the damage to be
done would not be by round shot, but the damage to be done
would be by shells—(hear, hear)—which they could easily
throw into the dockyard from that place.
Mr. OSBORNE—How are they to get there?
Lord PALMERSTON—I am astonished, I must say, at
the opinions entertained by some gentlemen upon that
point. Why, unless Portedovrn-hill were impregnable, an
enemy might land to the eastward or to the westward of
it. But from conversations which I have had with expe-
rienced men, Portsdowrt-hill is at this moment absolutely a
weak point. We are, however, told that the apprehension
is the result of a panic. Now, my opinion is, that if we
have not sufficient naval strength to defend Portsmouth,
we should not fail to fortify Port sdown-hill. We are told
that our panic was founded upon a suspicion of the designs
of a neighbouring Power; but it is no such thing. The
proposal is not founded upon any particular distrust of any
nation, but upon the deliberate opinion that this great
country ought to be in a condition at all times to defend its
vulnerable points, and that the more we are in a position to
repel attacks, the greater will be the security for the con-
tinuance of peace. (Hear.) The hon. gentleman who
spoke last night said that the Government is distrustful of
the people. Now that is a strange accusation to make,
seeing that they had already 130,000 volunteers into whose
hands the Government have put arms, and they will be
doubled in number in the course of the next twelve months.
(Hear, hear.) Well, now the object of the fortifications is,
that with a small number of men behind them you can de-
fend the dockyards, and liberate the rest of your force to
take the field. (Hear, hear.) My right bon friend the Se-
cretary of State for War said to-night that if you have not
those fortifications, you must have a vastly increased num-
ber of men to defend your dockyards, so that, in fact, their
construction would be an economical application of those
resources of the country. (Hear, hear.) I trust the
house will not reverse, or in any way impair the vote which
passed the other evening, and that if my hon. and learned
friend insist upon going to a division, that the house will
show they are systematically and deliberately of opinion
that it is necessary to defend the country, and that the
proposed works should be constructed, and in as short a
time as possible.
The house then divided on the amendment that it is
necessary the house should have further information as to
the cost of the sea and land defences before proceeding fur-
ther with the bill, and the numbers were—
For the amendment
Against it 143
Majority against —lll
The bill was then read a second time.
SUPPLY.—THE ORDNANCE MAP.

On the motion. that the house resolve itself into a corn•
mittee of supply,
Sir S. M. PETO moved " that it is expedient to discon•
tinue the Ordnance Survey on the 25-inch scale till the sur•
vey on the 1-inch scale shall have been completed and pub.
Hailed."

Mr. 5. HERBERT said it would perhaps shorten the
discusssion of the question if he were to state what the Go-
vernment proposed to do. His hon. friend appeared to mis-
take the object of the 25 or of the 6-inclisurvey. It was one
thing to constract a map, and another to make a cadastre.
The latter was the object of the 25-inch survey. He did
not see why this expenditure should be in the army esti-
mates at all ; because it would certainly be valuable as
affording facilities in courts of law, and for the valuation of
estates, a purpose for which the 1-inch scale was insufficient.
By the introduction of machinery for stamping, and other
machinery, he thought the cost might be considerably les.
sened, and that the 25-inch scale would be little more costly
than the 6-inch, while it would be more effective for its
purpose. The 25-inch contained the 6-inch scale, to which
it could easily be reduced, whereas the contrary process was
not possible. The Government proposed to discontinue
this year the opening of any new ground, whether upon the
6or upon the 25-inch scale. They wanted all their force
this year for military surveys. They proposed, therefore,
merely to finish the survey of the counties which had already
been begun, and which were, he believed, the four nor-
thern counties. It had been proposed to commence the sur-
vey in the south of England this year, and to work on to
the north, but that plan the Government proposed now to
arrest. Between this and next year the Government would
have time to consider the question, and Parliament could
pronounce a deliberate opinion as to whether the survey on
the large scale should be proceeded with, and to what ex-
tent. (Hear, hear.)
After a short discussion the amendment was withdrawn,
and the house went into committee of supply.
The first was a vote of £100,440 for the maintenance of
the royal parks and pleasure grounds.
Sir J. V. SHELLEY objected to the vote,- as it had been
understood it was not to be proposed.
The vote was withdrawn.
THE GALWAY MAIL CONTRACT.

Mr. S. LAING, in rising to propose the next vote, which
was fat the Galway packet service subsidy, said the subject
was one of considerable importance and interest, and as no-
tice had been given to oppose the motion, it might be pro-
per he should state the precise position of the Government
with respect to it. A contract was entered into on the 21st
April last year, by the late Government, with a company
called the Atlantic Royal Mail Steam-packet Company, for
the conveyance of the mails across the Atlantic. That con-
tract was duly signed, sealed, and executed between the re-
presentatives of the company and those of the late Govern-
ment. It was in the usual form, with the exception of one
circumstance, to which he should advert, viz., the introduc-
tion of the words " out of moneys to be voted by Parlia-
ment," in specifying the subsidy to be paid to the company.
The contract in question excited, a good deal of interest at
the time, and on the reassembling of Parliament it excited
considerable discussion in that house, but no resolution was
brought forward for the purpose either of confirming or in-
validating it. On the motion of the Government, however,
a select committee was appointed to investigate the mat-
ter, together with other mail contracts, in reference to
the mode in which they should for the future be carried
out. That committee entered into a lengthened investiga-
tion, and ultimately, with regard to the Dover contract,
recommended that the money should not be voted. On
the question of the Galway contract, however, the com-
mittee made two propositions, but in neither of them did
they offer any recommendation as to the withholding of
the money. No proceedings having been instituted, there-
fore, during the last session of Parliament that deterred
them from the undertaking, the company entered into con-
tracts for building four large steamers, at a cost of £480,000,
which had now been nearly got ready. One wai already per-
forming the service between Galway and America, another
was launched and would be ready to start at the beginning
of next month ; the third would also be ready next month,
and the fourth was in a state of considerable forwardness.
Just before the contract commenced an arrangement was
proposed, to which he might advert, for the transfer of this
service to the Canadian Government. The transfer fell to
the ground, not being sanctioned by her Majesty's Govern-
ment ; for though it was felt to be of importance as concili •
ating the interests of Canada, which had to a great extent
been overlooked, in the original arrangement, yet, in going
into the details of the proposed transfer, they were found to
involve so much new matter, such as the substitupon of
screw for paddle ships, the times of their arrival and sailing,
and the penalties, as to render it substantially almost a new
contract. The Government, moreover, felt themselves so
pledged to the house not to grant new contracts of this kind
without public competition, that they were unable to give
their sanction to it. In dealing with the aalway Company,
therefore, there was this simple statement of facts. There
was a contract beyond doubt legally binding, and a commit-
tee of the house had repOrted without making any recom-
mendation affecting its validity. The company themselves
had thereupon entered into engagements involving an ex •
penditure of half a million of money, and they were in a
position, so far as the Government knew, to carry out their
undertaking. There could be no decisive ground for break-
ing the contract, because the company might be a few
weeks more in getting their four vessels ready. If the con-
tract was to be broken, it should be broken on some broader
ground than that; and under those circumstances he ima-
gined every one would be of opinion that the Government
had no other course before them than to fulfil the obligations
they had entered into.
Mr. BOUVERIE opposed the vote, urging that by the
terms of the contract the subsidy was dependent on the
sanction of Parliament, and it was postponed last year for
the purpose of inquiring into the facts ; and therefore the
house had a right to deal with it as they should think fit.
The expenditure was a needless one, as there was already a
contract with the Cunard line to perform this very postal
service, ' He had felt it his duty to investigate this subject
of the paid-up shares, and had moved for a return, which
had been laid upon the table of the house, and which hon.
gentlemen would do well to consult. It would be seen that
the company had nothing whatever to do with two of the
ships which the hon. member Tor Galway described as le-
longing to them, they having been, in fact, mortgaged to
two clerks of a London capitalist to guarantee a current

account. (Hear.) -Up to that time it we; a bubble company,
perfectly incapable of performing what it had undertaken.
Tho new ship new on its voyage between America and
Galway had been mortgaged to the builders for the full
of its value, or rather it had not been paid for at all. He
could not understand Lord Derby's conduct except on poli-
tical grounds. The date of the contract was April 21, and
on the 19th of April Parliament had dissolved. He did not
scruplo to say that this was an election job on a gigantic
scale. (Hear, hear, and Oh, oh.) The whole of the evi •
dance warranted him in saying so. The house ought there-
fore to refuse to ratify and fulfil such a contract. It would
be cheaper and better to pay off all the shareholders than to
fulfil the contract, for the share capital was only £500,000,
whereas they would have to pay them £546,000 during the

next seven years.
Mr. 'Wr HITESIDE said the right hen. gentleman had
made
1a
charge of this kind last year, but failed then from
the same cause that he failed now—he forgot the facts by
which his allegations could be substantiated. He was
asked why Lord Derby signed this contract. He answered,
because he was the First Lord of the Treasury. But it
seemed that it was wrong for the prime Minister to do