The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-12 00:00:00

COPYRIGHT IN WORKS OF ART.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained that the notice
of his intent ion to move for leave to introduce a bill upon
this subject had by an error been placed upon the paper this
evening. He should make that motion next Monday.

Mr. CARDWELL obtained leave to introduce bills for
the registration of births, marriages, and deaths, and for
the better regulation of markets and fairs in Ireland.

BANKRUPTCY COURT.

On the motion of Mr. MURRAY, returns were ordered of
the revenue and expenditure, balances, and the number of
sittings of the Court of Bankruptcy for the year 1860.

CHATHAM DOCKYARD.

Lord C. PAGET moved for leave to bring in a bill ena-
bling the Admiralty to acquire property for the enlargement
of her Majesty's dockyard at Chatham, and to embank part
of the river Medway. The immediate object of the bill was
to enable the Admiralty to close St. Mary's-creek, near
Chatham, with the ultimate object ofenlargingthe dockyard
in that direction. When the naval estimates were brought
in he should state the amount that would be asked for this
purpose, and describe the plan of the works proposed.
Sir F. SMITH was glad the noble lord intended to
introduce this bill. No arsenal required enlargement so
much as .Chatham. In the last session he had himself
brought in a bill on the subject ; an enlargement of the works
at Chatham was proposed so long ago as 1814, and he be-
lieved the plan then suggested was the best ever devised.
No doubt the Government had some other to bring forward,
but in a great work of this kind plans ought to be called for
from the most eminent men of the day, and thoroughly dis-
cussed by the Government or a committee of the house,
that they might know exactly what they had to deal with.
The question of acquiring the land he perfectly agreed with,
and should support the proposal ; but he hoped the plan of
the works in detail would be laid before the house. If the
arsenal of Chatham had been extended some years ago, they
would have saved the immense outlay of money at Woolwich
and Deptford—places incapable of defence. Chatham, with
proper works, could be better defended even than Ports-
mouth. No doubt, a large amount would be demanded, both
in the present and succeeding years to divert the Medway,
embank it, and enclose St. Mary's Creek; but if it was in-
tended to increase the navy by the addition of large vessels,
they must enlarge their docks to receive the ships of in-
creased dimensions. There was no locality better adapted
for such docks than the Medway, provided Government
made itself certain that the liver was not silting up, or that
the present depth of water could be preserved by dredging.
He hoped the house would be well informed of the extent
and plan of the works to be carried out.
Mr. WHITE observed there were only seven,members
present on the Opposition side of the house, and about a
dozen on the Ministerial benches, most of them members
of the Government. He supposed the noble lord's elo-
quence had been frozen by the empty appearance of the
house; but he ought to have told them a little more about
the bill he asked leave to introduce ; other Government
measures that had been introduced that evening had been
explained at considerable length. He should,:not be
surprised if hon. members were told next year this
was part of the £75,000,000 they were spending ; and
it would be thrown in their teeth that they were not in
their places when the bill was brought in, doing their duty
by watching the action of an extravagant Government.
When the noble lord was asked why the Admiralty had
dismissed a large number of the workmen at present em-
ployed in the dockyards he stated that the Government
were now building ships in private yards. If experience had
shown that ships could be built more cheaply in private
yards than in Government establishments, the noble lord
ought to give good reasons when he asked for an extension
of the dockyard system. He (Mr. IN kite) thought the whole
system a blunder. When the noble lord was on the other
side of the house he was most eloquent in denouncing it.
He proved satisfactorily that vessels could be built cheaper
and better in private establishments than by the Govern-
ment. or if net better, certainly cheaper. The noble
ought to have given'some oxplanatiun of the plan, before
afilrjPg the 139114 Q t 9 Gen e t eyeu tg, the lAtiValiNti9ll of the

bill. But in the present state of the house he would not
divide against it.
Lord C. PAGET said the reason he did not raise a dis •
cussion on the subject at present was that in a few days
the Navy Estimates would bo produced. He should then
have to ask an inconsiderable sum of money, which, how-
ever, he was bound to say, would be only for the commence-
ment of a very large work. It was then his intention to lay
before the house a general plan of that work. He could not
promise to produce a plan minute in all its details, but it
would be sufficient to give the house a general idea of the
whole plan proposed by the Government. The object of
the bill was not to enable the Admiralty to purchase more
than a very small portion of land, and he doubted whether
it would necessary to purchase any. The main object of
the measure was to enable the Government to reclaim Bt.
Mary's Island, by which ran a creek, little used, but which
it would be necessary to appropriate for the purpose of en-
larging the dockyard. He assured the house ho would
not conceal from it any of the ultimate intentions of the
Government.

Leave was also given to Lord C. PAGET to bring in a
bill to enable the Admiralty to acquiry property for the
enlargement of the Royal Marine Barracks, in the parish
of East Stonehouse, in the county of Devon. The bill was
read a first time.