§ THE EARL OF CARDIGANwished to ask the noble Lord the Secretary for War whether it was true that the reinforcements of European infantry and cavalry about to be despatched to India for the purpose of suppressing the serious insurrection which had broken out in that country were to be sent out in sailing vessels instead of in steamers? After what had happened during the war in the Crimea, the Government would be profiting little by past experience if, when they had so many war and merchant steamers at their command, they sent out these troops, whose speedy presence was required to meet a critical emergency, by sailing vessels.
§ LORD PANMUREsaid, he could assure the noble Earl that the most attentive consideration of the Government had been given to this question of the best means of sending reinforcements to India with the greatest expedition possible. The difficulty in the use of steam vessels was the delay necessarily caused by coaling. This operation made it necessary for steamers to call at several ports; whereas sailing vessels were able to shorten the course by keeping further from shore. The result was, that the sailing yessels arrived at their destination as soon, if not sooner, than steam vessels. It was on a conviction that this would prove the case in the present instance which had induced the Government, after an attentive consideration of the matter, to give the preference to sailing vessels.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHsaid, that he could not speak on that matter from very recent experience; no doubt steam navigation had since then greatly improved; but when he was in India no steamer made so good a passage as a sailing vessel, and this arose in consequence of the coaling difficulty referred to by his noble Friend (Lord Panmure). He should add, that this was the most favourable season at which a sailing vessel could start with troops for India.