§ MR. HERMONsaid, he wished to call attention to the correspondence between the agents of the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company, the War Office, and the Admiralty, relative to the despatch of the 80th Regiment from Fleetwood to Dublin towards the close of last year. It appeared that about the end of August it became known that the 80th Regiment would be sent to Ireland on service, and the agents of the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company wrote to the Horse Guards offering to convey the troops to Belfast or Waterford. The reply received stated that arrangements for the conveyance of troops were made by the Admiralty; but a note had been made of the application, which should be borne in mind if steamers were required for the service. There appeared to be some want of harmony between the two Departments, otherwise the Horse Guards would have simply handed over the letter to the Admiralty, whereas the Steam Navigation Company were obliged to write another letter to the Admiralty, placing any one of their three steamers engaged in the passenger trade between Fleetwood and Belfast at the disposal of the Government. The Admiralty then inquired at what rate the company would be willing to convey the 80th Regiment from Fleetwood to Belfast. A tender was made at the rate of 8s. 6d. per man, provided the number of troops was not less than 500. The Admiralty, however, stated that no requisition had been made at present for the removal of troops to or from Fleetwood; but the offer would be 1820 noted for consideration if any service were required to be executed. It appeared as if the intention of the Government had changed. No troops were sent over; but subsequently it was rumoured they were to be despatched to Waterford, and the company wrote again to the Admiralty, when the same reply was received—that no requisition had been made to provide conveyance of troops to Waterford. The company, therefore, were under the impression that the Government had abandoned the idea of sending over troops to Ireland. But, after all, the troops were very shortly after sent over, not from Fleetwood to Belfast, at a cost of 8s. 6d. per man, or to Waterford direct, at a cost of 10s. 6d. per man; but by way of Holyhead, at the increased rate of 12s. 7d. per man, for their conveyance by water, while the personal comfort of the officers and men had been to a great extent disregarded in the arrangement. What the expense was to send them to Holyhead he did not exactly know, but he believed it to be considerable. Hoping that the right hon. Gentleman would be able to give a satisfactory explanation of these facts, he begged to ask the Secretary of State for War, Why those troops were sent viâ a Holyhead, at considerable increase of cost and discomfort, in preference to availing of the tender of the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company for their direct conveyance from port to port?
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, he hoped he should be able to satisfy the hon. Gentleman, in the tone of whose statement there was nothing to complain of. The 80th Regiment was divided into two wings, one being at Fleetwood, the other at Liverpool. In December they had been called on rather suddenly to reinforce the troops south of Dublin; the natural thing, therefore, in the judgment of the Quartermaster General, was to send over the second wing of the 80th Regiment to Dublin, not to Belfast, to which port the vessels of the Fleetwood Company traded; and having a standing contract with the London and North Western Company for the conveyance of troops, they had availed themselves of that contract. He understood from the inquiries he had made that the Fleetwood Company had mentioned to the Admiralty their willingness to change the port, but only in 1821 case there were over 500 men. He did not think so great a number was sent. But it became at last a matter of time, and that pressing, the other arrangement was considered preferable. He hoped that explanation would be satisfactory. All he could say was, it was perfectly right not only that that economy should be consulted on these occasions, but if there was any reason to suppose that the administration of the Department was at fault attention should be called to it. As to the comfort of the men involved in the arrangement, it might be a matter of taste; but, for his own part, if he had to go from Fleetwood to Dublin in the winter months, he should infinitely prefer going viâ Holyhead.