OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 21 June 1859)

§ SIR CHARLES NAPIER
said, it was his intention to postpone the Motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the state of the Admiralty of which he had given notice; and said that he had been made very uneasy by a statement which he had heard had that forenoon been made by the Earl of Derby.

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, that the hon. and gallant Admiral could not make a speech unless he intended to conclude with a Motion.

§ SIR CHARLES NAPIER
said, that he would conclude with a Motion for an adjournment of the House. He had heard that the Earl of Derby had that morning, at a meeting of his friends, stated that he understood from Mr. Gladstone, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, that he was quite shocked at the expenditure of the country and that he was determined to reduce it. The Chancellor of the Exchequer might reduce the expenditure of the country as much as he thought proper, but he trusted that there would be no reduction of the defences of' the country. He gave the late Government great credit for what they had done towards putting our defences in a proper state and condition; though he did not think they had gone far enough. If they had done what he thought necessary for the defence of the country he could not have conscientiously voted against them, and he hoped that the Government which had just acceded to office would go much further than they had done. He trusted that they would persevere and that there would be no reduction of our fleets and armies, but that on the contrary they would be augmented. He was happy to see it stated in the papers that day, that the late Government 438 had commissioned two more ships of the line, which gave them twenty-six sail of the line now in commission. When they saw the preparations for a great battle now making in Italy — when they considered the unquiet state of Germany, and that Russia was making very extensive naval preparations, they could not tell how soon a state of things might arise that would call for the mightiest exertions on the part of this country. France had a fleet nearly as large as ours, and Russia had one much larger. With regard to Russia he had read the following important statement in The Times of Saturday: — The shipments of machinery to Russia since the opening of the navigation are stated to have been on a scale which will go far to account for the necessity that has existed for the transmission of gold from St. Petersburg to London, especially as similar orders have been executed in America and elsewhere, many of which are paid for by draughts on this country. Within the past month the Hercules steamer has landed from St. Petersburg five complete sets of engines for first-rate men-of-war, and many of our engineering firms have still large commissions to execute. According to the last dates the utmost exertions were being made in all the naval departments, in preparation, it was said, for the return of the Grand Duke Constantine. The Neva division of the Russian fleet is now asserted to comprise 80 first-class gunboats, constructed on the best recent models, while the Baltic fleet consists of 35 sail of the line, 14 of which at present at Cronstadt are screw line-of-battle ships of from 80 to 120 guns each. It is affirmed that during the last month a continental contract has been in execution in this country for 60,000 bags of ships' bread. This would suffice for 30 sail of the line for six months. Looking, also, at the purchases of horses, coal, and other material, the flow of money to England, which has been one of the first consequences of the war, is easily explained. This was a statement well worthy of the consideration of the House. Russia could send thirty-five sail of the line into the North Sea, and if she were to do so the confusion caused in this country would be such as we could form no conception of. He trusted, therefore, that such a fleet would be got in readiness as would enable us to meet France, Russia, or any other nation upon the sea.

§ MR. W. WILLIAMS
thought that the gallant Admiral should have waited to hear the statements of the Government before urging upon them the expenditure of money. The hon. and gallant Admiral was always anxious to spend the public money, and he believed no party that would be in office would ever satisfy 439 him on that head. He thought both the late and present Governments were better judges of what was necessary for the defence of the country than the hon. and gallant Admiral who was the only naval officer in England who seemed to be always afraid of attack from foreign countries.