The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-07-29
THE WAR SPIRIT IN THE ENGLISH HOUSE
OF LORDS

The recent debate in the English House Of
Lords, introduced hy Lord Lvntlhurst. and in
which Brougham ElIcnhorunch and others rar
t'c'rated. indicates the state Of public feeling
in England on the suffice. of French invasion
and in connection with the various movements
t" increase the navy, strengthen the fnrtifica.
ti"ns. and organize the volunteer rifle corps.
shows tn" extent of the public arnrrhrnsion
a descent upon England. and an ,"i".,", be-
tween France and England nrc cnnt,r = .,rics
against which It is necessary to provi.: aud
Lord Lyndhurst rrro!nmcnis the ,nnirt e. nee.
OF n regular army in England of lOnn' ,-i,,
and the sam. number in Ir"lnnd {" resi-: iuvn
son-alsc the inc"ras" of the navy so ,s to he
able to cope with the combined navics of
France and Russia. We mike the follow ing
extract from the speech
Lord Lyndhurst. in calling the attention Of
the House to the military and naval dcfrnces of
the country. snid that the observations he WIS
about I" max" were dictate by ii purely dc.
frnsive feeling. The confidence which this
country had iniulgcd in former times, had
been ru'ieiy destroyed by the application Of
steam t" naval warfare. In drawing attention
/" the state Of the navy he stated tha, in tn.
line.of.battle ships in only n small proportion ::
but IL frigates their superiority was enormous
At the p esent time. however. we exceeded
them in line -nf.hnitlr ships, but were still in
trrlor 1" them IN frgates; and next year we
should exceed them still more in line Of hatil, Il,
ships, but not in frigairs. Proceeding t, in.
form the House what he considered necessary
for the deien"" Of the country. he statetf.tl t.
we ought to have a force III the (bas,essA aa}fila
to that of France, and III addition to It a pow:
erful reserve. This would rot, however. I'D
sufhcient without fleet capable of coping with
any two navics, in case of n combination be.
tween Russia ami France. In addition to this
tieet would tie required to command the Al.d
Herranean. and o prevent the French tlecfsnt.
tneklng. 10y that outlet, our commerce. and
colonies, and also to preserve for ourselves the
control of til. Overland route to India An
other fleet ought also to he fitted out for The
protection of the West Indies. In pnss;Sis Il
collateral subjects. he. commended The fhiines
date formation Of n reserve Of senm.n. .n,t e.,
iargemeDt of our nrsenals dock wards and
ships in accordance with The increased siz. Of
modern vessels and the introduction of n more
powerful machinery for forwarding the equip
| ments OF Vessels OF war. Our naval detences,
he remarked. were only part Of the question.
1t had been truly said that steam has conyert.
| ed the channel into a river and thrown q
/ br dye across it," for he believed that in n few
hours a mighty army might be brought by rail
way to the French ports. embark ed with the
greatest facility, and thrown upon the shores
OF this Kingdom In addition to providing a
suthcIent force to oppose such al attempt; the
different fortresses and arsenals would have to
be garrisoned. For this purpose 100. 900 regu
iar troops and embodied militia, combined witl
another luU,O00 dsembodi but trained mill
tia. would suffice.