QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 23 February 1886)

§ VISCOUNT SIDMOUTH,

in rising to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will lay on the Table the reports of Admiral Hamilton on Coast Defences and on the Royal Naval Volunteer Artillery Corps; also reports from any other officer commissioned to inquire into either or both of the above matters? said, the question was a very important one, and he was anxious about it, and thought it most desirable to know what the action of the Admiralty was likely to be in this matter. Their Lordships were no doubt aware that, before the close of last Session, the Admiralty had taken steps to inquire into this matter; 1009 and the late Administration had appointed Admiral Hamilton to inquire into the Coast Defences of the country, and to specially report upon the condition of, and the probable services likely to be rendered by, the Naval Volunteer Corps. Admiral Hamilton, however, shortly after had gone to China to assume the command of the Fleet there; but he (Viscount Sidmouth) believed that his Report was in the hands of the Government. He would, therefore, ask the noble Marquess to give the House some information with respect to it, as soon as he had made himself master of its contents. He would remind the House that the late Government, before leaving Office, announced their intention of granting what was greatly required—namely, a capitation grant to the members of the corps in the same manner as the grant was given to military Volunteers. He desired to know whether the Government were prepared to continue and to extend that practice? He should like to point out to their Lordships that the present condition of the Naval Volunteer Corps was not such, either in numbers or in position, as would be naturally expected from a great naval nation like Britain. He understood that the late First Lord of the Admiralty (the Earl of Northbrook) had had his attention called to the subject, and he believed that the noble Earl was favourable to the capitation grant which had been subsequently given. From that grant, however, there had been deducted a sum of money for raising an additional corps at Greenock, at the mouth of the Clyde. He could not understand how it was that out of a naval and fishing population around our coasts numbering, he thought, 150,000 men, a Volunteer Force of only 2,000 men had been enrolled for the defence of the coasts, while in the military Volunteer system there was a force of 200,000 men in a very high state of efficiency. He believed, if the truth were known, this was caused by the Admiralty. Some years ago Sir Thomas Brassey said that at least 10,000 to 15,000 men ought to be and would be readily enrolled among the Naval Volunteers. He was very enthusiastic on the subject at that time; but somehow or other after the right hon. Gentleman had got into the Admiralty his ardour cooled, eventually dying away altogether. He wished to 1010 impress upon their Lordships that the gentlemen who were employed in this service at this moment spared neither time nor money to make themselves efficient to discharge those duties which were imposed upon them by Act of Parliament. Those duties were not light, involving as they did training, gun, rifle, and cutlass drill, rowing in boats, splicing, &c, and many gentlemen had done a great deal more than was required of them. He did not know why the Admiralty should wish to throw cold water on this naval corps; but he understood that there was a feeling that there would be some jealousy on the part of the military force. He did not for himself, however, believe that such a feeling existed. At the time the movement was originated, that feeling might have existed; but now, if military men were asked what they thought of the drill and the practice of the Naval Volunteer Corps, he thought they would find that their opinion was that those men and regiments were ready, should the occasion arise, to undertake a leading part in the defence of the country. It was, in his opinion, desirable to foster the naval spirit, and to place the defence of our coasts in the hands of those who were on the spot. All that the Admiralty appeared to have done before the establishment of the capitation grant was to supply a few boats, to give a gun or two, and to give permission to drill, at the same time allowing a ship or so to be used when a suitable vessel happened to be in the neighbourhood of the seaport town where the force existed; but the restrictions which they placed upon those who enrolled themselves and the requirements which they exacted were very severe indeed. He impressed on their Lordships how important it was for our naval interests that those forces should be encouraged, and that our coasts should be defended by trained men. He hoped the noble Marquess would be kind enough to lay the Reports he had referred to on the Table as soon as he possibly could.

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (The Marquess of RIPON),

in reply, said, he would not follow the 1011 noble Viscount into the details which he had brought under the notice of their Lordships. The noble Viscount was, of course, aware that he (the Marquess of Ripon) had been but a very short time at the head of the Admiralty. He entirely admitted the importance of the subject to which attention had been called; but just on account of its importance and of certain complications connected with it, it required much attention and careful examination from the Board of Admiralty before they came to any final decision with respect to it. He was certain that their Lordships would not expect him to offer any opinion on the question before he had had an opportunity of discussing it with his Colleagues at the Board of Admiralty. His noble Friend the late First Lord of the Admiralty (the Earl of Northbrook) entrusted Admiral Hamilton with the duty of making a careful inquiry into the matters to which the Question of the noble Viscount related. Admiral Hamilton set to work to examine carefully into the subject, and he visited various ports with the object of reporting upon their defences. Not long after he had begun his inquiry Admiral Hamilton was appointed to a command in the China Seas, and had to leave this country. Before he did so, however, he sent into the Admiralty an interim Report, not by any means dealing exhaustively with the subject, but stating the results of his inquiry and the views which he had been led to form so far as he had had time and opportunity. The late Board of Admiralty appointed as his successor Sir Robert Molyneux, and he had been engaged in completing the investigation. Admiral Hamilton's Report was sent in to the Admiralty in the course of last autumn; but it was not complete, and the late Board thought it better to wait for the further Report of Sir Robert Molyneux. He believed that Report was ready; but it had not been printed, and had not yet been before the Board; and in those circumstances he would ask the noble Viscount not at present to press for these Reports. It would be for the public interest that the matter should not come before the public in an incomplete form. The late Board of Admiralty took certain steps in regard to the matter before they left Office, and the present Board had no intention to interfere with them; but they 1012 were only of a partial nature, because Lord George Hamilton thought the Board should have the whole question before them before coming to any final decision. He agreed in that opinion, and he should reserve his own judgment until the Reports were complete and had been considered, and then he would lay them on the Table.