The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL ,DEFENCES.

Sir DE L. EVANS said it was more than a month since
he had placed on the notice paper the resolution which he
was now about to move—

Mr. D. SEYMOUR (who had given notice that he would
call the attention of the house to the undefended state of
the coast between Weymouth and Southampton) rose to
order. He was unaware that the htst subject had been dis-
posed of, and as his notice was placed immediately after-
wards on the paper he believed that he had precedence of
the hon. and gallant general. (" Order 1") _ _

The SPEAKER said he motion before the house was
that he should now leave the chair, and the hon. and gal-
lant officer, haying risen to submit another resolution, was
rightly in possession of the house. (Laughter.)
Sir DE L. EVANS, continuing, said he should not trou-
ble the house with many observations in support of his mo-
tion, as he understood the Government intended to assent
to the appointment of this commission. It was hardly
possible to mention at the present moment a matter of
greater importance than the subject of the national defences.
Some persons thought the expenditure on this head was far
too great, while others believed our means of defence were
still far from sufficient. Great were the differences of
opinion which existed, and he thought some attempt ought
to be made to inquire into the real facts of the case. For
his own part, he was sorry to say he did not think this
matter had been gone into by the present and by former
Governments as it ought to have been. The present Go-
vernment, it was trae, were hardly yet seated at their
bureaux, and with regard to the late Ministry, he quite
concurred with those who thought that the bright spot in
their administration had been their efforts to maintain the
maritime forces of the country. He trusted that those ex-
ertions would be continued, and he believed this would be
the case, for he had every confidence in the judgment and
ability of the noble duke now at the head of the Admiralty.
Vast interests were concerned in this inquiry. The value
of the commerce which every year went into or passed from
our ports was, he believed, £300,000,000; and if any dis-
agreement arose between this and a foreign country, so as
to endanger these vast interests, what terrible ruin would
result to the people of England. (Hear, hear.) As
the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Sydney Herbert) had been
kind enough to say that he would assent to the motion, it
would only be necessary now to submit to the House :
" That in the opinion of this House, taking into considera-
tion the relations existing between some of the great mili-
tary Powers of the continent, it is advisable that a commis-
sion be appointed, consisting of civilians and military and
naval officers, to inquire into and collect information con-
cerning the present condition of our national defences; to
ascertain what improvements may be made therein in order
to ensure the utmost efficiency combined with economy ;
and to report thereon to Her Majesty's Government."
Mr. D. SEYMOUR then rose, pursuant to notice, to call
the attention of the house to the undefended state of the
coast between Weymouth and Southampton. The hon.
gentleman, in doing so, took occasion to say that while a
large expenditure had been incurred by the Government for
the construction of thirty line-of-battle ships, that portion of
our shores to which his motion related—or rather that
which lay between Weymouth and the Needles, which stood
opposite to Cherbourg, and which in case of attack would be
found the most accessible to an invading force, had been
left without any adequate means of protection. It had not,
however, been left thus undefended in former times, for he
found on reference to a map, which bore the date of 1765,
that no less than five or six batteries were then erected
along that part of the coast. As an illustration of the danger
which might arise from leaving things in their present state,
he might mention that while Poole, the borough which he
had the honour to represent, was sixty miles from Cherbourg,
it was at a distance of thirty miles from Weymouth, and
that in case of a hostile attack the fleet which might be
situated at the latter place could hardly be brought up in
sufficient time.to be of service in keeping off the invading
force. He should, therefore, urge the Government to turn
their attention to the subject, and to allay, if possible,
any feeling of panic which might have arisen in the
public mind by placing themselves in a position to pro-
claim to the country that they were prepared for every
emergency. He'might add, that it seemed to him desirable
that inasmuch as it was difficult to establish rifle corps in
maritime towns, gunboats should be employed along the
coast—a large number might, for instance, be draughted
from Portsmouth to the port in question—in working the
rifled cannon placed on board which as well as batteries
erected at different points on the shore volunteers from
these towns, who would not be found disposed to join
rifle corps, might with ad vantage be employed. He
should, above all things, recommend his right hon. friend
the Secretary at War not to rest satisfied with im-
perfect information on so important a question as the
state of our defences. Hon. members were no doubt aware
that some time ago the Government of Belgium stated
that the defences of Antwerp were in a perfectly efficient
condition, and that they had gone to great expense to attain
that object. It had, however, turned out, when the matter
had been sifted before a committee, which had been moved
for by a member of the Belgian Chamber, that all the good
will which the Government had exhibited had not availed
to secure the end which they had in view, and which they
imagined they had accomplished. It was, therefore, he main-
tained, the duty of his right hon. friend to take nothing on
trust, but to examine into the subject for himself, and to
see that no part of the country was left without adequate•
means of defence. (Hear, hear.)
Ir. S. HERBERT—I have got, sir, a somewhat multi-
farious number of questions to which to reply. (A laugh.)
I shall commence by answering those which have been put
to me by my right hon. friend,opposite (Mr. Adderley), in
the greater part of whose observations I must say I en-
tirely concur. My attention was some time ago called to
the subject of the payments by different colonies towards
their own defence, and I confess it is scarcely possible to
conceive anything more capricious or unreasonable than the
varying proportions in which those payments are made.
(Hear, hear.) The Government of the mother country
sends troops to the colonies for the purposes either of defence
or of internal police. So far as the first object is concerned,
they have some sort of claim to ask her to bear a share of
their military expenditure, inasmuch as she arrogates to
herself the settlement of all questions of peace and war,
and their
,interests may suffer as the result of the policy
which she chooses to pursue. That is a doctrine which,
however, may be pushed too far, because if the prospects of
a colony are injured by war, she enjoys all the advantages of
being placed under the protection of a powerful State in
time of peace. These operations apply not only to colonies
which have great wealth, but to those garrisons which belong
to us in the Mediterranean and whose strength makes their
possession coveted by other nations. Now, with respect to
the question of the maintenance of troops in our colonies for
the purposes of police, I must say I think such a course is
one which is indefensible. (Hear, hear.) We at home pay
our military and police expenditure ; the one out of the pro-
ceeds of Imperial taxation; the other out of local rates.
That is a distinction which ought, in, my opinion, to be as
far as possible maintained in our colonies. The question,
however, is beset with difficulties, but, before I proceed
to state the views of the Government with respect to it, I
shall quote, for the information of the house, from a
document which I hold in my hand, the propor-
tion in which the mother country and• the colonies pay
for the defence of the latter. In the case of the North
American colonies, £141,539 are paid by Great Britain, and
only £218,111 by these colonies ; the greater portion of that
sum being paid by Canada. For Australia the Home Go-
vernment pays £228,000, the colonies themselves £156,000,
to the payment of which amount Victoria is the principal
contributor. We have, however, entered into arrangements
with them which I think ought to be extended to other
colonies, and,in accordance with which the colonists pay a
certain allowance, and confer several advantages on the
troops in the way of procuring provisions for four com-
panies ; their agreement being to maintain entirely at their
own charge any troops which they may require above that
'limber. The result' is that we do.not receive from those
colonists such pressing solicitations for troops as we do from
other quarters—(a laugh)—while the relations which exist
between them and us are placed upon a much sounder foot-
ing. (Hear, hear.) For our colonies in the Mediterranean