The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-05 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

Mr. O'CONN ELL presented a petition from the Corpo-
'ation of Dublin, in favour of a repeal of the legislative
union. The petitioners stated that they were of opinion
that a repeal of the legislative union was necessary for the
peace and happiness of the country, and that in granting
it Parliament would only be performing an act of justice
towards Ireland. The petition was sealed with the cor-
poration seal.
The Hon. Member then said that he had 67 petitions
to present from the province of Leinster, 57 from Mon.
ster, 43 from Ulster, 35 from Connaught, and several
from other places, in all amounting to 196 petitions, and
signed by 387.864 individuals, and they all prayed for a
repeal of the legislative union.
The Great Western Railway Bill was read a second
time on the motion of Mr. C. Russell, and ordered to be
committed.
The order of the day for going into committee of supply
having been read,
Mr. S. CRAW PORD moved an amendment, to the effect
that the consideration of the estimates be postponed until
the grievances of the people had been considered and re-
dressed. The Hon. Member contended that the present
house did not fairly represent the people, neither did it
possess the confidence of the country ; therefore he con-
tended that they were not in a fit situation to vote away
the public money.
Col. RAWDON seconded the motion.
After speeches from Mr. Fielden, Mr. T. Duncombe,
Dr. Bowring, Mr. Roche, and Mr. Gisborne, the house
divided, when there appeared—
For Mr. S. Crawford's amendment .. 11
Against it ..
Majority ..
Sir C. NAPIER called the attention of the house to the
constitution of the Board of Admiralty. Some years ago
the navy was under the direction of three boards—the
Admiralty Board, the Navy Board, and the Victualling
Board ; and the principle on which, under that distribu-
tion of business, the building of ships was conducted, had
been quite abominable. Sir James Graham, when first
Lord of the Admiralty, had, with the assistance of Ad-
mirals Hardy and Dandas, destroyed that wretched sys-
tem of management; but it was now to be inquired whe-
ther the system substituted for it had been a good one.
He disapproved the way in which the civil patronage of
the Admiralty had, until lately, been distributed • it had
been bestowed for the most part, not upon old sailors, but
upon persons who had never been to sea in their lives ;
but recently, be was glad to say, an order had been made,
directing that a preference should be given in the dock-
yards to men coming home from actual service. He then
dealt with the subject of promotions. strongly pressing
for a retired list, upon which old officers should be led by
some small inducement of pay to place themselves, so as
to make vacancies for the promotion of younger and more
serviceable men. He urged the propriety of enabling the
masters—a very useful and deserving class of officers—to
rise in their profession like lieutenants. The gallant
commodore then submitted to the House a scheme of
his own for the constitution of the naval administration.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT was well disposed to give to
naval men whatever appointment they were adequate to
Ell. lle entered fully into the subject of ship-building,
and in other details to which Sir C. Napier had adverted.
He declared himself unable to underAand what advan-
tages would result from the changes suggested by Sir C.
Napier in the constitution of the board, which, he con-
tended, had been found by experience well fitted for its
objects.
The house having resolved itself into committee,

Mr. SIDNEY HiiteEar explained the general nature of
the reductions and additions, respec'ively, which had been
made in,the estimates for the present year.
Mr. WILLIAMS cmidemned their amount. He took
an objection, in particular, to the proposed number of
marines on shore.

Sir GEORGE COCKRUR.N vindicated the usefulness of
this force. e,pecially with reference to any sudden out-
break of war.

Sir C. NAPIER concurred in this opinion, and recom-
mended Mr. Williams not to press his objection.
Admiral DUNDAS was persuaded that no other nation
would have a chance in the Channel against England on
the breaking out of a war, especially considering how
many steamers there now were which carried guns.
Mr. WILLIAMS followed the advice of his friends, and
the house soon after adjourned.