The New York herald., 1862-04-17

| ve ses carrying very heavy guns 70 maaeuvre s6o'
the Admrs ty seemed ways the iesl TO take aiv ln
OF those Inventions. He attributed IL TO there bene
otmpe ent ard 70 decide what in<enti ns should
Is'a I Insrs, , s.,d snss . a. san as Msro
fcw words would not be with ,ut in9erest: (H a.
hear There was some msapprehensioa with rfga,
g. her. Although che was a most werf0 20 sol, sh
was not calculated Tor anything but smo II ater. Wv
Tug ~ the wc,-it % the is leS put upon er o. "t-
m 'rssi TO that extent thas there nothing sbov
ws'eI bit the deck for he gun ports The ssses W
o'rsd up ut an angle Of forty hve and at tho Cop WA
o. open bar rooaing the s,luonce OF which wss ta
stripping sea would certainly sink her. (ear, sea'
uCs 9a~ 10 a. Mo- itor. 10 ugh she ws Ssre po'oer
Ja, DO use she had made voyage IL rough wea' iai
rom New ork 70 Fort Monroe, but II was no a 8
pa 10 the galantry of tho officers anu Grew u
the hsrmac TO say that she only 1t Tor river pur-
Pses. and that the anticipation Of her being sbs to
Gross tho Atlantic was not vel founded (Har, hear
The honorable member for Chatham was eN.tled &, Ac
gvatitsde of I've House fr hacsmg t~oM fo,wsd this i'm
po'taa qustion, and he submitted that the time Vas
come when tho government should reconsider the mat
ter and pause In the construction OF costly nd for
tres which practical Of opinion would not
DO 10 scaoous a. thoss now iron vessels In defending
our coasts and harbors (Hear.)
Sir G. q. LKwI-Two questions have been raised
during thts debate One has boon raised by the honca
bio and gallant member for Chatham Of which he gave
aotcevz wheshsr the recent action on tho ooast Of
America has given se govorsnsa any reasoh Why <hsy
should stop tAe orts = oosrss e oeassru. tsss sssr
slxsy -whssisr u eonssi,,eaos sf that sneGsmsat,
struc,sro our aavy. sus shssd wooden .0i !.
dor - build n0thlng bus iron shps t has bees sug
esstod that ths rsvolatastxinx asv dsssaoes will
venture cypress my opinion that from all the exPs
rence have had OF rev0lutioniZng armaments,
new system Of defence is likely 70 lead NOT TO dimnu
ton hut 70 great increase OF public expeudture and
that. In faot nothing Ia 90 expensive as asystematc
ohsngs Of srmaments on great scale. (Cheers.)
rewcc Of me recent engagement, to make vast
chdn0s IN ewr naoai defences | am not express
ing auy opinion upon that subject and its neces'
sty but warn the House asanss entertaining any OK
pecaton ts0 a change be ~sdie oAsWise than BY
corresponding large sacrifice Of public ntowey (Cheeps)
ente into that largo discussion ut the present moment
(Hsar, hear) It's. In fact, question mainly afcctin
Che naval estimates II the House be of opinion thpt
bably be the duty Of my noble friend sitting near me
lord isSe 70 propose S SUI sSpp..moary & estimate Of
,oisch has leon SkecteL But abstain ent cy from
entering upon that part Of the question: merely wish
60 advort 70 tho question Of which tho hon able and
gallant member for Chatham gave notice. Tho question
which he submitted to the House Is Identical with ons
which brought under the notice tho Defence Com
mission BY Lord Herbert the 18th Of FebruAy 1861
and ujon which that commission made careful report
The question referred 10 them "ths possible sub
stuton Of ron-cased ships In certain localities for such
Of tho permanent defsnces oan be constructed only at
large cost, and 0annOt In all probability be completed
for long time" Tbat suggestion had particular rsie
renoe Portsmouth and the lso Of Wight Tho Dcsuoe
Commission, composed of professional military men
opinion In tho following man
uer:-
formerly expessed 70 tho necessity for the fors for the
q :ps :: S
protection 70 the anchorage harbor OF refuge for
rsos ss & S osI and
owing 10 the depth Of water near them being insufficient
ss easesSs which occupied
.S ns e
tho starbrdse s In our opinion only second IA mpor
% s
y sss g che
be a. a
defence or the passage ofthe Needles.
There are ssms further remarks, and they say -
d. mt1sa 81 ;asns 2, sssses s fort: asd sss
e .s. e 3 srs re q SpoH Ss q ne .
ios In the forts In constructing
purpose.
Tho report Of tho Defence Commission amounted sub
stantAy to thishat the best plan Tor the defence Of
Portsmouth combined system Of forts and irou-coe
ships They did not rely on ono or the other but
Of both. Tho question Ia how much that
system ought to be modified consequence Of tho expe
rience derived from subsequent events. (aoar hear
The honorable member for Galway seems 10 think that
tho action points to revolution In tho art Of
authority on tho question. merely judge from tho
reports which receive from those who have profession
ally and technically studied the subject. The
Information which l have lately obtained leads me
70 the conclusion that, In the opinion OF the most
experienced persons the engagements In question throws
is w s.sss sn. whs model Of IL. side Of the
Warrior set up ss Shoeburyness and made tho sub
oct OF experiments Ia order 70 test s resistance to very
heavy ordnance at very moderate distance. The result
was that scarcely any effect produced the plates
Hear hear) In that instance had complete proc;
Of tho qualities Of iron clad vessels as was afforded In the
recent action There Is no doubt that the Mcrrimac is
not sea going vessel The Monitor. perhaps. might 60
oome distance to OF course must not assume
that an attack coast IL over tske place. will be
IA ain, utv -
vessels might have an easy victory We must c1ed 10
see iron opposed iron. The question becomes ~Aehr
bv the improvement Of artillery forts might no. be enabled 70
,o;,,ain TIE same advantage floating batei.s vhica
thsy hare hitherto possessed II Is MAXIM apprehend
in naval warfare that all floating batteries are inferior to
those on land am assured that tho effect OF the recent
experiments with ironcased vessels will only be to
stimulate the inventive powers OF our engineers in the e
fort produce SONS ordnance ohtch % Be orcbIe enrh
70 sash rs sides of te iron clad SHIPS and hope they ui
not be oro in hispng that result. laugh, and Hear
hoar ~ that s the problem which The military engineer
his art he contrves gun which those ships which
now inyulnerabls to artillery viii not bo able to resist
(Hear) There is nothing unreasonable in the ambition
which encourages him In that aim. (Hear) We have
grounds then for holding that complete revolution In
the act oil war will not be elected but that IN few
years tho disproporton which Is now said to ex
st In point Of strength between floating and
nxed batteries will disappear. (Hear, hear.)
observe that tho honorable member for Birlsen
head at meeting which he presided lately, read
Ietter from a correspondent In New York, who said
he SUCCESS OF the Roruan gun has nducedour govern
meut try experiments on scale stu larger. and
they are about constructing guns OF wcntyinch bore
throwing shot Of 900 lbs, which 1t is thought will
crush IN the aida OF any iron plated ship mator what
the thickness OF tho plato" This shows that tho belief
in the progress Of artillery Is not confined TO s country
GIear) am fully aware Of the Importance Of this
question and OF tho necessity for adopting those
pedents which are suggested by recent experience We
must however, beware of taking precpi'ate step
(Fear hear.) The government ought TO be guided By
scientiac advice given on mature consideration, ant
ought not 10 rush Into series Of stly changes The
sunes will receive the careful attention OF tho govern
mont but cannot hold out any hope that the construc
ton or forts FOR contracts bsve been entered Into
aud which are already in progress will b. abandoned
Mr. BRgHr--I think the speech OF the right honorable
rsntIeman will not BE- deemed p7y sctisfdcory by IN
House (IIsar, hear.) He was modest enough TO say
that he did not hold himself 10 be authority on ques
tion OF this kind but must say the fscs he quoted dc
not appear be much 10 the point The report or th
usfence Commission was written more than year ago
and canuot therefore refer TO event which happened
about fortnight since. (Hear.( The right honorable
has therefore said really nothing TO the propo
stiou of the honorable member for Chatham. (Hear
agree with the right honorable gentleman In his com
menta on tho remarks of this honorable member fo
Galway On the occurrence OF single event sueh as n,
recent acton esyayss iID's'.n'-.-" ." man m,.