The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-04 00:00:00

TEEE SUN, ONDOlst

out venturing to predict what will be the course of events
in the next year, I may say that the present aspect of affairs
is favourable; nor is there any reason to suppose that
France is making the military preparations my hon. friend
has referred to. With regard to the naval arsenals of
France and the great activity described' as prevailing in
them, we all know that a great change has taken place in
the character of naval warfare. (Hear, hear.) It is made
a matter of speculation in books and pamphlets what the
character of the next naval war will be. The Government
of the late King of the French, Louis Philippe, drew up a
plan for increasing the strength of the French navy; every
ruler of France for nearly the last 100 years has endeavoured
to increase and strengthen its marine. They have all con-
sidered, naturally enough, that France ought to be a great
maritime Power. Both England and France have endea-
voured to be strong at sea, not with a view to any rivalry,
but from a belief that each nation ought to maintain its an-
cient character. I cannot say, therefore, that the naval pre-
parations of France ought to be a matter of jealousy to us.
If the two nations agreed that there should be no such pre-
parations and no strong navy, we might expect France to
follow our course in that respect; but, while France deter-
mined to make herself strong at sea, and we like to have a
strong navj also, I do not think it is a reason why the two
nations should lutc;S any dispute with each other. In reply
to the question of the hon. And gallant member for Dun-
gannon (Col. Knox), I have to state that the treaty which
he mentions cannot be laid on the table of the house before
Monday next. I may add that the persons who were em-
ployed, and who received full powers to negociate that
treaty, were Lord Cowley and Mr. Cobden. (Cheers.)
DISEMBODIMENT OF THE MILITIA.
Colonel DICKSON rose pursuant to notice, to call the
attention of the house to this subpsit, and expressed his re-
gret as a soldier that militia regiments, which had cost so
much time and trouble to bring them to their present pitch
of efficiency, were upon a sudden to be disembodied. A. suffi-
dent reason upon such a stop was, he might be told, to be
found in the fact that a certain number of regiments of the
line were about to return from India ; but it should be
borne in mind that those regiments were but mere skele-
' tons, and would, as a consequence, by no means supply the
deficiency which the proposed disembodiment of militia would
create. He might add that the proceeding was one which was
in his opinion uncalled for, and which would, owing to its
suddenness, inflict great hardship, especially upon the junior
officers and sergeants, who had nobly come forward at the
call of their country, and who had for some four or Ave years
past been leading a life which, more or less, rendered them
unfit for other occupations. But altogether independent
of that consideration, he should beg the right hon. gentle-
man the secretary for War not to lose sight of the fact
that, although we were now at peace with France, and
although the French Emperor had shown himself to bo a
loyal ally, yet that he was but the creature of circum-
stances, and that we might at any moment stand in need
of the force with which the right hon. gentleman was about
to dispense. He (Col. Dickson) did not, of course mean to
contend that the militia should be made a permanent insti-
tution of the country, but he was at the same time prepared
to maintain that the various regiments of which it was com-
posed ought not to be disbanded without sufficient notice.
The subject was therefore one which he hoped the right hon
gentleman would take into his consideration.
JERSEY COMMISSION.
Mr. HADFIELD, in whose name a notice stood upon
the paper relative to the delay which had occurred in the
progress of the inquiry into the operation of the laws of
Jersey, which a commission had last session been appointed
to institute, complained that the commissioners had ceased
ever since August last to pursue the investigation, and that
great inconvenience had in consequence been oceasioned.
eHteampeiginhtt
of the
ethiantqwuihryenwthhieeyhadwjaeourf adjourned they einthearlt to thearrived
inhabitants of Jersey—the law connected with the tenure
land—and that they could diseover no good reason why
they should have allowed a period of more than five months
to elapse without resuming the duties which they had been
appointed to discharge. It was of great importance to the
district that this commission should be speedily executed,
and two royal commissions, involving much more labour
than this, had, since it was issued completed their inquiries
and made their reports. In these circumstances he had felt
it his duty, at the request of the inhabitants of Jersey, to
call the attention of the Home Secretary to the delay which
had taken place, and to ask why the commissioners had
not completed their inquiries, and when their report might
be expected ?
Sir G. C. LEWIS—A commissionwas issued last spring
to inquire into the laws of Jersey. The commissioners
visited the island in the course of the summer and
autumn ; and in August they left the island, having com-
pleted that portion of their inquiry. They have since been
occupied in the consideration and preparation of their re-
port. lam assured by their secretary that it is in a state
of forwardness, and may be expected to be presented at no
distant period.' With regard to the question of land tenures,
bankruptcy, and insolvency, the commissioners have made
inquiry into those subjects, and are in possession of docu-
mentary evidence relating to them. The hon. gentleman is
doubtless aware that, although he may have a very strong
opinion as to the policy of assimilating the land tenures of
Jersey to those of England, the people of Jersey have a
considerable attachment to the old laws and institutions of
their island. When this commission was appointed there
was an understanding that it should net last for more than
one year, but I am not able to specify the precise time when
their report will be made.
NAVIGATION OF THE GODAVERY.
Mr. J. B. SMITH rose to call the attention of the house
to the importance to the commerce and manufacturers of
this country of opening out the navigation of the river
Godavery ; and to ask the Secretary of State for India what
are the intentions of the Government in respect thereof.
The province of India to which his question chiefly re-
ferred contained an area of 130,000 square miles, and was
four times the extent of Ireland. It contained iron and
timber, but what he particularly wicked to call attention to
was its produce of flax, hemp, and cotton. The manufac-
tures of this country were increasing so rapidly that the
consumption of the raw material was overtaking the pro-
duction; and it was natural, therefore, that manufacturers
should look to those places which would supply them with
the raw material, especially when those places happened to
be under the dominion of the British crown. Gentlemen
who were connected with the linen trade in Scotland and
Ireland told them that the progress of that important
manufacture was absolutely stopped for want of an adequate
supply of flax and hemp ; and, as regards cotton, who could
look with unconcern on what was taking place in the
Southern States of America at the present moment, espe-
cially when they considered that eight-tenths of the cotton
consumed by our manufacturers came from those States ?
Some might say this was a Manchester question, and no doubt
it was ; but when they considered that the cotton manu-
facture amounted to upwards of £60,000,000 per annum,
was not this, he asked, a question of great national interest
also? (Hear, hear.) They had abundant evidence to show
that India could grow all the cotton we requi. ed. Dr.
Forbes Boyle estimated the amount at double the quantity
produced in the United States. Retaining the great bulk
of their produce for their own people, they had but a small
quantity for exportation. But the reason we received so
small a quantity of cotton from India was the great expense
of conveying it to the port of embarkation. If the Govern-
ment would but give roads, the export of cotton would in-
crease rapidly. The hon. member read an extract from an
Indian correspondent, describing the difficulties and delays
occasioned by the present mode of carriage over almost im •
passable roads. It was difficult to estimate the annual loss
thus arising both to the district and to the country. This
was pretty much the case all over India, with the excep-
tion of some cotton which was grown on the coast. It was
particularly so in the most important part of the eountry of
Berar, where the largest quantity of cotton, and the finest
in quality, was grown. The cost of transit to the Indian
planter was about 100 per cent. To remedy this state of
things they had only to avail themselves of the river Goda-
very. It could be made navigable for a sum of about £300,000.
The cotton of Borer could then be brought to the place of
shipment at one-eighth of a penny per pound, and the cot-
ton planters of India and America would be placed on the
same footing. Captain Haig was so deeply impressed with
the importance to the commerce and manufactures of this
country of opening the Godavery that he felt it his duty on
his return to India to address a letter to the Secretary of
State for India on the subject, pointing out not only great
commercial but also military advantages. He showed that
if the river were made navigable the diminished cost of the
transport of troops and stores would of itself pay the interest
of the outlay. They all knew the revenue the Government
derived from salt—it was a - Government monopoly in
India. It was to be regretted that the necessities
of Indian finance had led to the increase of the tax on salt ;
but if this river were opened out the people of that
district, notwithstanding the increased duty on salt, would
obtain that commodity at less than half its present price.
By the increased consumption of salt the Gouernment
would gain enormously. The increased duty, accord-
ing to the Government, by the opening of the Godavery,
would amount to about £64,000, paying the interest of the
outlay three times over. There was some controversy, in-
deed, as to the practicability and importance of opening the
Godavery. The hon. and gallant member for Aberdeen
held it to be impracticable. Sir C. Trevelyan, the Governor
of Madras, had gone into the district with a board of seen-
tiflo men to tr at the value of these opinions, and he had
made a minute, in which he stated that these works were
of such great importance that he should feel it his duty, as
long as he remained Governor of that Presidency, to visit
them every year. Sir C. Trevelyan also stated that the
works would open up the most fertile regions of Central
India, and serve to develops a new trade to the extension
of which no limits could be assigned. If this river were
rendered navigable a supply of cotton might be obtained
which was capable of indefinite expansion, and which would
go far to preserve us from those accidents to which our
manufacturers were now subject. He wished, therefore, to
ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Govern-
ment intended to open out the Godavery, and, if so, when
tTemhnraeaerbvkliotyrthakhaniweGhameesvhi
minute
Government
tembedeet4
there
ctetahrrteer ie
statewep carried
proceed
cintoteohefidet
hwer
eaffi
tterhhenetdt.rhi
Indian
nsilsrwneeeovuSrekrinar.l,l,Cei
discouraging
woulde!
Were
e-s
they, then, to wait for a surplus in the Indian finances be-
fore they heard of the commencement of the opening out
Company to executeit hadthei
their
epeunbtlhiee policyweks of
outthe e Eastf rev
eI
nn
ud India
was not the
ment. The legitimate fundopfoliSetyate for India would tell
of the Queen's Govern-
He trusted the Secretary
works should be defrayedfunds out of which these
could reproduc-
tivenever
e I,e r
dis
resource had been resorted to h
ewereia leans ; and until that
bene-
fit being conferred upon India. India hope of any
charge its debts until its people had the means of pay-
ing their taxes supplied to them through the stimulus
feel works were carried
of great public works. Whegnreesuncdh
yforTroceedine• ;Mir tired, fitfully,
I)encoorduitngofasretvheenumeeatnhse
hand. They therefore cost double the amount Iflotcalravll3*
they might be completed if they were executed Unintlectrho-
ruptedly and with vigour.
Mr. S. H ERBE RT wished to answer the questions which
'had been put to him in the course of that discussion. With
regard to the disembodiment of the militia regiment which
the hon. and gallant member so worthily and successfully
commanded, ha could only say it was always very painful
for the Government to come to a decision that would be d's-
tasteful to individuals; but the interests of the public ser-
vice necessarily overrode all considerations of that kind, and
ho had taken the earliest opportunity of communicating to
the gallant officer the conclusion at which they had Arrived.
He had stated last year, in moving the army estimates, that
in his opinion a large and continuous embodiment of the
militia in time of peace was radically wrong in principle. It
was unwise to anticipate the resources which ought to be
kept in reserve for periods of emergency. Holding that opi-
nion, he followed the course that he had announced, viz')