remember that if a mistake was made in the masters. ["Hear, hear!"] The the matter it could not afterwards be Amendment covered two important remedied; and, after all, naval men were points. In the first place there was the best judges in such a question as the question whether there should be a this. ["Hear, hear."] He would not college on shore in place of the Britannia, take the extreme course of moving to and in the second place whether that expunge the Vote, strong as his views college should be at Dartmouth. As to were in favour of a ship for educating the first point, he could not but think the cadets, and therefore he hoped the that the hon. Member for King's Lynn First Lord would not show unreasonable and the hon. and gallant Member for haste in the matter, but have further Eastbourne altogether overrated the investigation made. The right hon. change in naval education which would Gentleman had heard that competent be made by transferring the cadets from authorities had stated that Dartmouth the Britannia to a college on shore. was open to grave objection as a site for ["Hear, hear!"] The other night he the college, and in those circumstances called the attention of hon. Members to he appealed to him to reconsider his the actual condition of things in regard position in the matter. The question to the Britannia. At first sight, doubtwas not a Party one; it was a national less, there would seem to be some weight question, for it was of the utmost in the contention that men who were to importance that our naval officers follow the sea should be trained on board should be trained in the best possible ship. But here the question arose way. He therefore again appealed to whether the Britannia could, in any the First Lord of the Admiralty to proper sense of the term, be called a seriously consider the suggestion he had ship, and whether an education on board made with reference to the appointment the Britannia could be considered equal of a Committee, and sincerely hoped he to training at sea. When the question should receive a conciliatory answer. was last before the House he wished to ["Hear, hear!"] quote from the report of Admiral MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN Luard's Committee on the education of said, with reference to what fell from naval officers, but he could not place his the hon. Member for King's Lynn, he hand upon the document at the moment. should like to emphasise a remark He had it now before him, and he would which had been made on the question read the opinion they gave of the by his right hon. Friend the First Lord Britannia. [Admiral FIELD: "What is of the Admiralty-namely, that the the date?"] The date of the Report system of education which the Admiralty was 1885, and the Committee stated proposed whether it was a right or a that "the internal arrangements of the wrong one-was not at all dependent Britannia were utterly unlike those of a upon the establishment of a college. man-of-war, and that she might be The changes which the right hon. better described as a floating school than Gentleman proposed in the system as a ship." That was the point he of education for naval cadets would have wished to emphasise, because it simply been proposed regardless of the suggestion reduced the question to this that of a college, and a a college would it was not a question between a have been proposed whether those changes ship and a college, but a question had been suggested or not. In regard to between a floating school and a the suggestion of the hon. Member school on shore. ["Hear, ["Hear, hear!"] that the Admiralty must have made The Committee went on to say that this proposal to erect a college in the Britannia, as time passed, became place of the Britannia with levity, and less and less like a ship and more in order to please the masters who like a school. If some other ship desired houses on shore, he could assure were chosen to replace the Britannia, the Committee that nothing could be further from the real state of the facts. ["Hear, hear!"] It was on the advice of competent naval authority that the change was proposed, and on account of no suggestion or desire on the part of

was it not likely that its evolution would be the same, and that in the end they would only have replaced one floating school by another? He did not pretend to say that naval opinion was unanimous on this question, but he could say that

there was a great amount of very dis- to the important items of boating and tinguished naval opinion in favour of bathing, and the opportunities which the

the establishment of a college on shore. The Admiralty had been charged with having acted with levity. But twenty years ago the same proposal as was now made was put before the House by the Admiralty of that day and had the approval of men like Sir Geoffrey Hornby and Sir Alexander Milne. It could not be seriously contended that a plan which had been under consideration for so long a time was made with levity. ["Hear, hear!"] With respect to the question of the site of the new college, his hon. Friends inclined to the view that Dartmouth was not the best place that could be chosen. He might remind the Committee that this proposal, when made twenty years ago, was not defeated upon its merits, but in consequence of the rival and conflicting claims of the places where the college could be established. In these circumstances, he thought he might say to his hon. and gallant Friend, "In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird." He was not prepared to treat the site as an open question and to involve the House in an Inquiry into all the eligible sites in the Kingdom. What he maintained was that the proposed site was a most eligible one. His hon. and gallant Friend would prefer a site near the Solent, but the Committee reported in favour of Dartmouth.

ADMIRAL FIELD pointed out that what the Committee said was this

"If a site equally eligible with that of Dartmouth could be found on the banks of the Solent, it would be preferable to select the

latter."

boys would have of exercise on shore. If Dartmouth was so relaxing a place that it was not a proper spot to select, what was to be said of the successive Boards of Admiralty that had kept the Britannia moored there for so many years? If the objections to Dartmouth were as great as his hon. Friends alleged, surely the ship would have been removed years ago. [" Hear, hear!"] Admitting that the Britannia

was not unhealthy, still healthier would be a college built on the top of a hill. The opinion of the medical advisers of the Admiralty was very favourable to the site selected. He trusted he had said enough to show that by this proposal they were not bringing the country nearer to the end of its naval greatness [laughter and "Hear, hear!"] and that it would be impossible to find a better site for the college than the one chosen, and difficult to discover one as good. ["Hear hear!"]

*CAPTAIN PHILLPOTTS (Devon, Torquay) said, he had listened attentively to the arguments and conclusions of the hon. Member for King's Lynn and the hon. and gallant Admiral the Member for Eastbourne without being convinced by the one or impressed by the other. It had been said naval officers did not agree. He was not fortunate enough to agree with the hon. and gallant Admiral to-night, but if he disagreed with that Gentleman he was in agreement with the vast number of naval officers who were serving at present, and who were responsible for the well-being of the Service. He reminded the hon. and gallant Admiral that during the considerable MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN time which had elapsed since he had said, that that was so, but that the Comany experience in a sea-going manmittee were unable to find such a site, of-war a great deal had happened, and accordingly reported that, except in many changes had taken place throughrespect of the moisture of the climate, out the Service. With regard to the the Dartmouth site must be pronounced necessity of a college, there was little the best. "Hear, hear?"] If 20 years to be said after the able speech of the ago it was difficult to find a site as eligible Civil Lord, and he would merely say that near the Solent, it had become more the hon. Member for King's Lynn was difficult now, when the Solent water was very much mistaken in his contention much more crowded than it was then. that Dartmouth was in any sense Great would be necessary expense before an unhealthy place; indeed, the men at a site near the Solent could be made Dartmouth who had least work to do available for the purposes of the college, were the doctors. As to the boating including sailing, boating, and bathing. facilities, since the Britannia had The Committee reported that the Dart- been stationed there there had not mouth site was very good, having regard been a fatal accident to any of the Mr. Austen Chamberlain.

*THE CHAIRMAN said, the hon. Member would not be entitled on the present Question to go into the various items composing the Schedule.

DR. CLARK said, the First Lord had, he thought, committed a breach of faith in moving that the £4,500,000 should be closured.

*THE CHAIRMAN said, no reflection on the previous Resolution could be entertained.

cadets while in one of the ship's the Spanish side, had been pointed out, boats. That fact alone answered the and he thought the suggestion had been objection that Dartmouth was not a good made that the docks should be at the place for boating. As to nautical train- east instead of the west. ing, he contended that when the present gunboat or old yacht was replaced by a sloop, as he understood it was to be, the nautical training would be efficient, and the mere fact of the boys living in a house instead of a hulk would make no practical difference. The rainfall at Dartmouth was the same as at the Isle of Wight and along the whole south coast as far as Brighton, with the exception of the month of February. Indeed, the whole tenor of the Report of the DR. CLARK said, on the Second Committee from which the hon. and gallant Reading of the Bill the question of Member for Eastbourne had quoted was in Gibraltar was raised, and the right hon. favour of Dartmouth as a site. Having Gentleman then pointed out that that studied the question closely he was per- was а question for consideration fectly satisfied that no more suitable in Committee. They had now got to place could be found on the coast of the Committee stage. He only wanted England, and therefore, he trusted the to point out the strong reasons Admiralty would not yield in any degree that had been urged by the two to the request of the hon. and gallant hon. Members who had protested last Admiral. One point not touched upon was year against this money being spent in that the winter was short at Dartmouth. | such a place as Gibraltar when the There was finer weather there during the money was so much wanted at home. winter months than in any other seaport He should like to ask the First Lord of in England, so that there was less inter- the Admiralty why this sum of ference with the out-of-door work of the £2,600,000 was to be spent upon cadets than there would be at other Gibraltar. Up to now no information places. Dartmouth had been selected for on the subject had been given by the the site of the naval college, not owing Government. to any outside influence, not because there was any powerful Member to speak for it; it spoke for itself. He was the only representative of Dartmouth, and if it had not been for the natural advantages of the place, and the fact that successive Boards of Admiralty, Committees of Inquiry and others had reported that Dartmouth was the most suitable site, it would not have been chosen.

Question put, "That the word 'Dartmouth' stand part of the Schedule."

The Committee divided :-Ayes 237 ; Noes 42.-(Division List, No. 74.)

On the Question, "That this be the Schedule of the Bill,"

DR. CLARK said, that last year there had been a strong opposition to the proposal to allot £360,000 for the purposes of the dock at Gibraltar, but now this proposal had developed into one for £2,670,000. The absurdity of making the docks at the proposed place, where they could be controlled by guns from

*THE CHAIRMAN: Order, order! The hon. Gentleman must see that it would be a most disorderly thing to discuss matters which the Committee have already agreed to. He must confine himself to a general discussion.

DR. CLARK said that surely, he was entitled to ask the question of the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Admiralty. He was not bound to vote for this money being granted for the objects of the Bill unless he received full information from the Government on What he wished to ask the the point. right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Admiralty was, whether these new docks that were to be made at Gibraltar, were to be constructed still further to the west than had been proposed by the late Government, so as to bring them under the guns of the Spanish forts?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY said, that he should be out of order if he attempted to follow the hon. Member who had just sat down

through all his observations. MR. CALDWELL said, it might be only say in reply to the question of the perfectly true that the right hon. Gentlehon. Gentleman that the new dockyards man had had no intimation from his side at Gibraltar would not be constructed of the House, as he said; but, at the further to the west than had been consame time, it must be remembered that templated by the late Government. no one on his side of the House had the slightest intimation that the right hon. Gentleman intended to closure this portion of the Schedule.

of the House, and it would be convenient, proposed to be prescribed, and public notice of if they could find out from the Govern- the proposal to make the Order shall be given in such manner as Her Majesty in Council may ment whether they intended to deal with direct." an important branch of business that the whole House hoped they would be discussing. He did not suppose the House had ever before been so surprised and disappointed as at that moment. [Cheers.] *MR. SPEAKER: Order, order! The right hon. Gentleman will be in order in strictly confining himself to the question whether the Naval Works Bill should be taken on Tuesday or another day. But he would not be in order in discussing any other matter.

MR. MORLEY then said he would postpone his remarks until the Motion for the adjournment of the House. ["Hear, hear!"]

Bill to be read the Third time Tomorrow.

(3.) If within thirty days after the publication of the notice aforesaid any petition is presented to the county council of any of the counties affected by the proposed Order against the proposal to make the Order, the draft Order shall be laid before each House of Parliament for not less than thirty days on which that House is sitting, and if either House, before the expiration laid before it, presents an Address to Her of thirty days during which the draft has been Majesty against the draft no further proceedings shall be taken thereon, but without prejudice to the making of any new draft Order.

(4.) If no such petition is presented, or having tion of the thirty days first aforesaid, or if on been presented is withdrawn, before the expirathe draft of the Order being laid before Parliament no address adverse thereto is presented, Her Majesty in Council may make the Order."

*MR. BRODRICK said, it was not intended by the Government that the Bill should be put in force for a long period, and he moved that it should not be put

MILITARY MANOEUVRES (COMPENSA- in operation for more than three months

TION, ETC.)

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

"That it is expedient to authorise the payment, out of moneys to be provided by Parliament, of compensation for damage caused to any lands, within the limits prescribed by order of Her Majesty in Council, that may become payable under the provisions of any Act of the present Session to facilitate the execution of Military Manoeuvres; and the payment of remuneration to the Compensation Officers and Members of the Court of Arbitration appointed under the said Act."-(Under Secretary of State for War.)

Resolution to be reported To-morrow.

MILITARY MANOEUVRES BILL. Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.) [Mr. J. W. LOWTHER in the Chair.]

APPLICATION OF ACT BY ORDER IN COUNCIL.

"1.-(1.) This Act shall, so far as relates to the passing over and occupation of land, be in force within such limits, and during such period, as Her Majesty in Council may by order prescribe, and the limits and period so prescribed are in this Act referred to as the prescribed limits and the prescribed period.

(2.) Not less than three months before the commencement of the period proposed to be prescribed, a draft of the proposed Order shall be sent to the county council of every administrative county wholly or partly within the limits

at a time.

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE, on a point of order, submitted that there should be an Act of Parliament for each particular case. It was possible the Military authorities might seize upon a valuable common, utilised for recreation, and pay a certain amount of compensation, which could have no relation to the injury inflicted upon the public, and could not be distributed them. among It was not at all desirable that the Military authorities should be able to do this simply by giving three months' notice. The House had just refused to allow the promoters of a Bill to take away the rights of the public even on paying compensation. The Military authorities ought not to be able to seize land without coming to the House of Commons, in order that the merits of the case might be fully discussed. He moved the omission of the words