The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-20
ENGLAND's PARLIAMENT.
uome Rule for the Whole United
Kingdom The Navy.

Home hu16 4OI L4lS w hO46
Kingdom The Navy.
ropdon, Dec 19.-In. the House of Com
,ons to-day Donald McGregor, liberal
,,cmber for Invernesshire, asked if Mr..
Gladstone, when he reintroduced the
home rule bill, would make it embrace a
.cbene applicable to all countries of the
I-nited kingdom, with a view TO relieving
The imperial parliament o. the conduct of
their local affairs.
Mr.. Gladstone said he doubted if the
-ovprument could obtain the same amount
If information from England, Scotland
md Wales as from Ireland justifying
eTc1 scheme. He could not say what
erolution was required to meet the
necessities of Great Britain, and it, there
fore would be impossible to dispose of
tbe question in a bill.
THE NAVY.
Lord George Hamilton, formerly first
lord of the admiralty, then. made the mo-
tion relative to Great Britain's navy, no
tee Of which was given a few days ago.
The motion declared that it was neces-
sary that large additions should be imme-
5iately made to the navy and that the
House therefore demanded to be in
formed what the intentions of the
government were IN re gard TO strength
eBing it. Speaking on this motion, Lord
George Hamilton said that nobody could
serve a term of Office in the admiralty
without being impressed with the dis
parity between the naval expenditures
Of the different nations. The British
nation, compared with the others.
remained almost stationary. Great Brit
ain S former distinction as sea power,
eoual to hold her own against European
hoe he
vas to be kept in a condition to meet the
combined fleets. of any two nations, larger
expenditures, coupled with prompter
construction than had hitherto ap-
peared in the plan of the
government must be undertaken.
He did not desire that the house should
consider his motion a party move invok-
ing censure of the government. It was
made with a view to afford the govern
ment a chance to explain it's policy to the
House and also in the hope of elieiting a
statement calculated to allay the anxiety
Of the country.
GLADSTONE REPLIES,
When Mr.. Gladstone arose to respond
to Lord George he was loudly cheered
The prime minister, when quiet was re-
stored, said that it must have astopished
the house to hear THE right honorable
member for Middlesex, Lord Hamilton,
describe his motion as one of private
member, free from party character and
Standing entirely apart from vote of
want of confidence in the ministry. A
motion implying that the house should
take out of the hands of the executive of
the governmet one of its primary duties
certainly amounted to censure. It was
now too late for the right honorable mem
Der to shrink from accepting the full
ell fo1s
the condition of the navy. IL was not
upon a chance debate nor in response to
assertions, which even if they were
true, did not embrace the whole
subject, that the house could
pronounce reliable Judgment. It would
be premature, dangerous even, for the
government to make a full statement as
toits views concerning the navy, but to
contend that the situation of Great Brit
tain to-day was one of emergency
and danger was to pronounce an
opinion which was irrational and
absurd. Great Britain remained notably
advanced in all her propositions for future
contingencies In the work of cons ruct-
ing the vessels required the country was
so far before other countries that it could
Justly be said that the strength of the
British navy excelled that of any two
other countries. To compare
We relaJlVe NUMBER. OF BRUSH
war ships with the French and Russian
yessels,w was fallacious test. The British
ships were larger and of better material
than those that could be set against
them Great Britain at this moment had
in battle ships $50, 900 tons Of fighting ma
teral against Frances and Russia's com
bined 353, 900 tons.
THE RIVAL BATTLEsHIPs.
Great Britain has nineteen battleships.
and France and Russia fourteen. OF war
ships Of all classes Great Britain is
stronger than any three powers. Cheers l.
Eight of the ships figuring in French and
Russian navies are old wooden armored
ships of the style discarded as inefficient
Tor the British navy. In every class of
warships the British had larger and moro
powerful vessels than the French or Rus
slams. Cries of ''hear, y 'hear'l It was
therefore absurd to describe the present
as moment of danger calling for pre-
nature settlement. Great Britain's
superiority in the. power of constructing
war ships was still more striking than
her superiority in. existing strength. AS
70 the future, Supposiug no new ships
we're laid down, he believed that in 1897,
although France and Russia might have
eight more battle ships. they would still
De IN the minority as regards tonnage.
Of course, MIR. Gladstone added, there
Will be additions to the British navy
The admiralty is, engaged ia considering
as TO the plan that ought to DO adopted to
strengthen the navy, but this was no rea-
son Tor prematurely disclosing what was
contemplated. When the opportuae time
arrived the bo1sl Nt.ctI1d laaIp IF bo