The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-25 00:00:00

CHINA.

Upon the motion for adjournment until Monday,
Sir C. NAPIER rose, and said the affairs of India had
caused great excitement ; and he wished to make some
observations in reference to the conveyance of troops to
that country and to China. Tne gallant admiral drew
attention to the advautagee which would attend the em-
ployment of steam vessels insti ad of sailing ships. The
Peninsular and Oriental Company's vessels took in coals
sufficient for the voyage, because they used coal only
during light wind and calms. He would suppose two
vessels maid, one a screw and one only a sailin4 vessel,
and it must be evident to every gentleman in the house
that the sailing vessel must meet with delays from light
winds and calms, whilst the screw vessels might be ad-
vancing at the ordinary rate. The ships sent would get
into the Bay of Bengal in Oitober, when the north-east
monsoon would prevail, and they would consequently
have 8,000 or 10,000 men beating about in the Bay of
Bengal for a long time if they were sent in sailing ves-
sels. He bad seen in the newspapers to-day that six
steam vessels had been taken up ; and he was extremely
glad that the First Lord of the Admiralty, or whoever
had the management of the business bad done so.
Those steamers would take 4,000 men: but the cost of
each man on landing in India in two of the vessels would
be 491. and in the others 431. 15s From As
enormous price of these vessels, it must be very clear that
had the Channel fleet been kept np, and the ships taken
troops, they would not have cost so much as they would
when conveyed by merchant ships, There might be
some reason which he had no knowledge of for paying
off the Channel fleet, but after that they had still in port
nine vessels of the line, including four screw vessels, and
if instead of paying off screw ships we had paid off sail-
ing vessels, we should then have had ships in which to
send troops to India. He thought that this would be a
lesson to the government not to leave the country with-
out a provision for such emergencies. He had no hesi-
tition in saying that with the fleet and with Aldershot,
in forty-eight hours—as was done in Mr. Canning's
time—we eou!d have sent 4,000 or 5,000 men off to
India. If these ships bad Leen at Portsmouth, with
assistance from the Coast Guard service, we could still
have sent 5,000 men to India, even though the Channel
fleet had been paid off. We had eight block ships, and
if proper attention had been paid to them, they might
have gone to India, and have carried 4,000 or 5,000
men. If we bad had the foresight to be prepared at all
times we might have had the means at this moment of
sending out to India in those Llock ships and some other
vessels 10,000 men, without going into the market to
get vessels at all. (Hear, bear.) The sailors who had
been discharged had probably found their way to Ame-
rica, and they were now asked to vote 2,000 more.
Sailors, like other persons, did not like being called upon
to serve one day and turned adrift soon after. He al.
mitted that in the ease to which be referred the men went
away of their own accord, but they all knew what wale
the character of sailors, and if they could not get em-
ployment in one place they would go elsewhere, and he
tdoubted w i
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required.
be ableßewagthoafippnyd
to perceive that the Admiralty had recently taken up a
number of steam vessels, and were now endeavouring to
meet the necessities of the case, but he trusted the, in
order to pacify the public mind, and especially the minds
of those who had friends in India, the right hon. ba-
ro 01, would answer the following questit ate;—How many
slips have sailed ter India or China, the date of sailing,
their names, tonnage, how many troops they took,
the number of days stipulated fur the passage, and what
forfeit if they fail • their cost, and whether steamers or
sailing ships. How many more vessels are taken up
for troops, their names and tonnage, the number of
troops each are to carry, the length of voyage stipulated
for, the forfeit for nonperformance, and the cost, and
whether steam or sailing vessels. If any ships of war
are commissioned for carrying troops, their names and
rate, when they will be ready, and how many troops
they will carry, and whether steam or sailing vessels ;
what number of troops of all arms are left in Great
Britain and Ireland. Whether steamers have been
engaged to tow the vessels into the trades, and their
cost. 1111614

Sir C. WOOD said the lion. and gallant admiral
wished for more information than it was in his power
to supply. Tne vessels taken up for the conveyance of
troops to India were omploy,d by the East India Com-
pany, and not by the Admiralty, and therefore be wan
not able to answer the questions put to him on that
snuject. He believed that the &moon took a regiment
about 700 strong, while the other vessels conveyed alto-
gether from 4,700 to 4,800 men. As regarded the
vrssels taken up by the East India Comprny, he had no
knowledge as to what vessels they were, what were the
conditions made with the owners, or what was th e
amount to he paid to the owners. It was not in his
power to state what number of troops of all arms would
be left in Great Britain and Ireland. The present
emergency was one that could not have been foreseen.