The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-25 00:00:00

THE NAVAL REVIEW.

Mr. STAFFORD—Sir, in rising to move that this
house de now adjourn, I beg to express my strong sense
of the excellence of the Government arrangements yester
day. (Loud cheers ) Having witnessed the arrangements
of the Government both at home and abroad, I desire to
testify to the oneness of the system and the similarity of
the principle on which it is based. (Cheers and laughter.)
It was not possible for the Government at so short a no-
tice to cover the docks of Southampton with mud, nor
are they responsible for the sunshine ; but in as far as iu
them lies they did their best to make that particular loca-
lity resemble Balaklavaas much as possible. (Cheers and
laughter.) Whether we consider the character of those
for whose comfort and convenience they undertook to
arrange the proximity of the point of embarkation to the
scene of the review, or the facilities afforded at the spec-
tacle itself, I think there will be no difference of opinion
either in this house or the country at large as te tile
merit or demerit due to them. (Citeers.) You, fete I
understand, were kept waiting nearly:two hours—(several
voices, "Four hours")—without being able, as we may
say, to form a house—(a laugh)—and when hon. mem-
bers did arrive I apprehend you never saw a house so
perplexed. (Laughter.) But, whatever may have been
the fate of.the House of C unmons, that of the other
house was, I understand, even worse. I have been in-,
funned that it was not till broad daylight this mornine
that those members of the House of Lords who trusted
implicitly to the arrangements of the Government were
able to reach their homes. The lay lords, I understand
—at all events the greater part of them—have already,
recovered, but some of the bishops are completely ex-
hausted. (Great laughter.) Still, lam given to under-
stand that these right rev. prelates will soon recover,
and therefore we may congratulate ourselves that
no member of either House of Parliament has been
drowned upon this occasion. For that we desire
to tender our best thanks to the Government.
Whether their arrangements were made fur the pur-
pose of predisposing our minds to peace, whether the
terms of that peace might be, by enabling us to see to
what hands we were to intrust the management of our
fleets—(cheers)—l will not presume to say. We have
tried our Government upon two elements, land and
water, and it only remains to test them upon that more
inflammable element to which the right hon. gentleman
opposite intends to call the attention of the house next
week. I would suggest that among the other fireworks
with which the public are to be amused in the course of
a few days one special illumination should be dedicated
to the sale return of those members of Parliament who
intrested their persons to the awkward keeping of her
Majesty's Government. (Cheers and laughter.)
Lord W. powLErr—l can cerroborate from per-
sonal observation and experience what has fallen from
the hon. gentleman as to the extremely discreditable na-
ture of the proceedings yesterday from beginning to end.
(Cheers.) Undoubtedly the Government are not respon-
sible for the misconduct of the railway company, but
they should have taken care that the ships appointed
to convey the two houses of Parliament to the scene of
the great spectacle were all in an effective state. (Hear.)
It so happened that, being in Southampton at an early
hour, I was desired by a person on board the steamer
allotted to the House of Lords to take my place in that
vessel, because, in all probability, the House of Com-
mons would not arrive till a quarter-past four—(a laugh)
—I accordingly went on hoard the Transit, where I re-
mained the whole day, but I must say that a more dis-
creditable state of things I never witnessed. (Hear.)
The whole of the machinery was out of order ; it not
only broke down, but we were detained half an-hour at
a time, and I was told by the captain himself that he
knew the machinery was in an inefficient state. I think,
sir, that the head of the Admiralty ought to have ascer-
tained whether the ships were in an effective state or not
But the worst is yet to come. We did not arrive at Spit-
head until the review was over, and when we reached
Southampton in the, evening there was no train waiting
for the House of Lords. We were detained an hour until
one was formed in the station, and the journey to this
metropolis occupied four hours and a-half, the train
going at the rate of 10 miles an hour. (Laughter.) I
must say, Sir, in conclusion, that the proceedings of
yesterday reflect great credit neither upon the members
of the Government nor upon the directors of the South-
Western Rail w ty. (Cheers.)
Mr. 0. STANLEY.—I do not know whether the
First Lord of the Admiralty is in his place or not—(cries
of "He is not," and laughter)—but, the house will re-
collect that, when I put the question to him a few days
ago as to the arrangements which had been made for I
conveying us to the scene of the review, the right hon.
gentleman informed me that if I did not like to go I
might remain at home. I have only to say now that, if
he had told me what his arrangements were, I should
have been glad to remain at home. (Cheers.)
Lord PALMERSTON.—I would suggest that it
would be better les postpone this discussion until
my right- honourable friend the First Lord of the
Admiralty returns to town, his duties detaining
him for the present at Portsmouth. (Laughter.) I
really see no occasion for laughter in that statement.
I am unable, of course, to explain the nature of the ar-
rangements which were made by the Admiralty, but
when my right hon. friend .shall be in his placel erasure
that he will be able to.show that, the Admiralty made
the best arrangements which could prospectively be ma le
for such an occasion. That there was undoubtedly great
delay in getting from London either to Portsmouth or
Southampton I myself can bear witness. for I was in the
railway- train from 7 o'clock until past 12 on the journey
between Waterloo station and Portsmouth. When we
arrived at l3ishopstoke it was intimated to us that the
tide bad ebbed, and that there would be considerable dif-
ficulty in getting to our vessel at Spithead. lam told
that it was so ; and that no doubt produced a difficulty
in getting from Southampton to the vessels which were
destined to convey us to Spithead, lam sure that my
right hon. friefid will deeply regret if there was any error
in the arrangements ; Ibut I would again submit to the