The Sun. — London, England, 1866-02-27 00:00:00

'PERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS.-LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. THE TRUSTEES OF THE KING OF THE BELGIANS. The Earl of DERBY gave notice that on Friday next he would draw the attention of the house to this subject, and move the abolition of this office as being un- necessary. THE LAW OF EVIDENCE BILL AND THE DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL. On the suggestion of Lord CHELMSFORD, The LORD CHANCELLOR consented that tho second reading of these bills, which were on the orders of the day, should be postponed until Monday next. THE CATTLE PLAGUE BILL. Earl GRANVILLE said, in reference to what had fallen from the noble earl (Derby) the other evening, ho thought it would be most desirable if some course were adopted with reference to this bill when it came to their lordships' house to-morrow evening. As he had stated previously, the bill was not one that in its present form the Government _ would feel justified in recommending to their lordships' approval. He gave notice that he would on the part of Government move different amendments to the bill when it came from the other house, which would have a very considerable effect on the measure. As far as his opinion was con cerned he was in favour of the bill being referred to a select committee, where ho thought it would receive more careful consideration than it would by a committee of the whole house. Tho Earl of DERBY expressed his regret that Govern ment would not take up this bill, which, though it may be susceptible of improvement., was not to be entirely rejected. In what shape the bill would come to that house he was not in a position to state, and it had undergone so many alterations in the other house that the hon. gentleman who introduced it was scarcely able to recognise 11:s own measures. Many other alterations might be deemed neces sary by their lordship; and he agreed with the noble earl (Granville) that the bill should be referred to a select committee. Earl GRANVILLE said that eventually the Govern. mint would take charge of the bill. After some remarks from the Earl of DERBY, tho subjec dropped. THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. Lord LIFFORD called the attention of the house to the present condition of Ireland, and asked her Majesty's Go vernment whether it was their intention to introduce any measure into Parliament providing for the support of the Roman Catholic clergy of Ireland, independent of the con tribution of the Irish people? Ho moved also for a return of the parochial clergy of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, distinguishing be tween those mho were parish priests and curates. The noble lord commenced by referring to the Fenian movement in Ireland, and expressed the deep sorrow ho felt, in common with other Irish proprietors, at the igno rance exhibited by that movement in that part of his coun try, and their want of duo appreciation of the benefits they at present enjoyed. Having next adverted to the social and political phases through which Ireland had passed, he next passed a high eulogium on the Orangemen of Ire land, whom he described as one of the most loyal bodies that ever a sovereign possessed, although he himself had never been an Orangeman. He next drew the attention of the house to the most meritorious conduct of the Roman Catholic clergy in the outbreak of 1848, and in the present Fenian movement; and he advocated that they should receive a stipend from the Crown. Earl RUSSELL said he would confine himself to the last part of the noble lord's speech. The question raised wasas to whether there should be an application of the property and estates of the Church of England to the Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland or a State endowment. Lord LIFFORD—I said nothing about the approp. iation of the Church revenues in Ireland to the Roman Catholic clergy. Earl RUSSELL was under the impression that the noble lord had made such a statement. The noble earl then re ferred to the occasions upon which the subject of a State endowment of Irish Raman Catholic clergy had occu pied the attention of statesmen, and the refusal of the Ito man Catholic clergy to entertain the same, being of opinion that it would diminish their influence over their flocks. There was a large body of persons who objected to all State endowments for ecclesiastical purposes, and the Roman Catholic clergy themselves were indisposed to a course which would certainly tend to lessen their influ ence over their flockq. The Government, therefore, did , not intend to make any proposal on that subject. Neither did the Government intend to introduco a measure for the purpose of applying any portion of the funds belonging to the Established Church to educational uses. Adverting to the evils which were now complained of in Ireland, Lord Russell remarked that some of those evils were of very long standing, and it was impossible by measures passed in one session of Parliament to remedy the grievances of Ireland and restore its people to happiness and prosperity. Since 1829 various beneficial measures had been passed, such as the scheme of National Education, the Poor Law, and the Encumbered Estates Act, and every disposition had been evinced by Parliament to promote the welfare of Ireland. Lord CLANRICARDE argued in favour of State pro vision for the Roman Catholic clergy, and denied that the bulk of the people of Ireland were disaffected or disloyal, although they were certainly discontented, for which they had many reasons. The gentry were not allowed any share in the government of the country, which was left to the Lord Lieutenant and the police. The people wore dis contented because no measures of improvement were adopted, and because everything connected with Ireland was neglected. Lord GREY, although ho had been at one timo a strong supporter of appropriation in connection with the Esta blished Church in Ireland, could not now support such a plan, because he believed the time for it had gone by. He agreed that the present state of Ireland proved that there are evils which ought to be removed, although he also con curred with the Prime Minister in believing that no one or two measures would be adequate to redress those evils immediately. The whole condition of the country re quired mature consideration, and on a future day ho should invite the house to bestow that consideration upon this important subject. Lord DUNSANY believed that the Irishßoman Catholic clergy would not refuse State payment, but in any case he approved the offer being made to them. - discussion then terminated. The Art Bill was road a third time, and their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAsT EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. Mr. Goschen took the oaths and his seat for tho City of London. THAMES EMBANKMENT (NORTH) APPROACHES BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this bill, Mr. TITE moved that the bill be read a second time on the 6th of March. The bon. member defended the Metro politan Board of Works from a charge of bad faith with the Duke of Northumberland in proposing that a street to the Thames Embankment should be made through the gardens of Northumberland House. They had no idea of any discourtesy to the Duke of Northumber land, but it was thought that the duke was by no means anxious to keep Northumberland House. He (Mr. Tite) was empowered on the part of the Metro politan Board of Works to state that as it was now known that Northumberland House was not to be touched, to agree to a clause stating that the building, gar dens, and grounds were to be exempt from the operation of the bill. It was also quite right that it should be positively known that the Savoy Chapel was not to be touched. He moved the amend ment with the view of embodying a clause to that effect. Mr. B. HOPE altogether dissented from the proposi tion of the Board of Works, and he should be content with nothing but the rejection of the bill. _ Mr. LOCKE sa id the Board proposed to make a splen didm aeatt. One t from Trafal gar - square t o th e Th ames Embank ne house stood in the way. The member for Stoke had become eloquent upon the subject when the house of a noblwas introducede m t a n was touched, but when a railway bill thousands, and thaerir'fg down the houses of the poor in m oan turned out to go Heaven knows where, it momase looked upon altogether as a matter of little why, when the heu„nt. ofl He could not understand with, that a nobleman was inter feredspeciia_leree vas should be introduced to protect his rights, groun i d in talsaea nobleman with a house with five acres of and because it was thought a splecaqtre of the metropolis, be effected it was to be abandoned hiedeaimprovement might in the way. The proposition to effec t he only hous e s t oo d had rested on a gentleman Opposite, an d e ement when the houses of the labouring classes hoped that were interfered with something of the same spirit might b e evinced Th e proposition of the hon. member fornitthat a house. l effected all that was req uired to p rotect and conserve thet rights of the Duke of Northumberland, and therefore h e could not soo the good to bo derived by altogether re jecting the bill. Mr. COW PEE, defended the Metropolitan Board o f Works from a charge of breach of faith. lie must say having frequently heard of poor and labouring people being driven from their houses and homes, and in many cases en tirely ruined by such removals, ho felt a little callous tc the sufferings of a wealthy man, who, by spending his money, could easily build himself another somewhere else. He knew there was a historical feature with respect to Northumberland-house, Charing-cross, and that there were certain interesting associations connected with it ; on that ground alone he was glad it was not to be interfered with, but notwithstanding that ho hoped to see the communica tion opened in another direction. After a short discussion, Mr. B. Rope withdrew his amendment for the rejection of th e bill, an d the motion of Mr i to was agreed t o, an d t h e bill was or d ere d t o b e read a second time on the 16th March. DISEASED SHEEP. Viscount HAMILTON asked the Secretary of State for tho Home Department whether the Government had received any authentic additional information on the sub ject of the late attempt stated to havebee l n re m la a n d d y e b to b l o a a n t d sheep surreptitiously on the north coast of from a ship bound from a Scotch to an English port ? Sir G. GREY said that attempts to evade the law in the matter referred to had come to the knowledge of tho Go vernment. Strict inquiries had been directed to be made, and instructions had been given to prevent the violation of any of the orders in Council. THE CATTLE DISEASE. Mr. NICOL asked the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether any steps had been taken to obtain, through the local authorities in districts affected with the cattle disease, accurate weekly information, as to the number of cattle "attacked, killed, died, and reco vered ;" and also as to the success of preventive and cura tive treatment in those districts; and whether there was any change in the character of the disease since its first appearance ? Mr. BRUCE said the veterinary department which had been instituted in consequence, of the cattle disease were in communication with over 800 inspectors. The secre tary had been directed to prepare a report, which would be made without the slightest delay. With respect to another portion of the hon. member's question, he had to say that no positive evidence had been received that the disease had changed its character. There was, however, a gra dually increasing percentage in the recoveries. The re port he had alluded to would contain the fullest informa tion on the subject it was possible to obtain. RATING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS. Mr. H. SURTEES asked the President of the Poor-law Board to state on what principles he considered electric telegraph companies ought to be assessed for the purpose of the poor rate ? Mr. VILLIERS said the matter had been decided by a court of law. The principle applied to water companies was that acted on with respect to electric telegraphs. MARINE APPRENTICES. Mr. H. TRACEY asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Government had been called to the great decrease in the number of apprentices and boys borne by our merchant ships and the increased employment of foreign seamen; whether their attention had been called to the great prevalence of scurvy in the merchant navy; and whether, under these circum stances, any measures could bo taken to cottond to the crews of merchant ships the benefits derived from that system of inspection of provisions and accommodation now in force in respect to emigrants, convicts, and other pas- sengers 2 Mr. M. GIBSON said the attention of the Board of Trade had hot been called to the great decrease in the number of apprentices annually entered in the mercantile marine. The number of apprentices for. the last four or five years had been about 6,000 annually, and that number, he believed, was still kept up. With re spect to the increase of foreign seamen in merchant ships, ho believed that was the fact. Representations had been made to the board with respect to the non-supply of anti-scorbutic medicines in two cases, and prosecutions had been directed against those parties for an infringement of the Merchant Shipping Act. It was not intended to extend the inspection of provisions which now took place in emigrant ships to merchant ships. ELECTORAL STATISTICS. Mr. BOUVERIE asked whether the statistics relative to the electors of the United Kingdom wore yet complete ? Sir G. GREY replied that a little more time was yet re quired to complete them. NEW WRIT. Mr. BRAND moved the issue of a new writ for the borough Of Richmond to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late J. C. Dundas, Esq. GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE. On the order for going into committee of supply, Mr. WHITE rose to move the following resolutions:— "That the expenditure of the Government has of late years been excessive. That it was and is now 'taken in great measure out of the earnings of tho people, and forms in no small degree a deduction from a scanty store which is necessary to secure to them a sufficiency, not of the com forts of life, but even of the prime necessaries of food, of clothing, of shelter, and of fuel.' That this house, whilst mindful of its obligations to maintain the security of the country at home, and the protection of its interests abroad, is deeply impressed with the urgent necessity of economy in every department of the State, and is of opinion that no Administration is deserving of the confidence of this house and the country which shall not relieve the present burden of taxation on the unrepresented and other classes, by making an early and large reduction of the Government expenditure." In submitting these resolutions the hon. gentleman declared that he had no hostile feeling to the Government, but that he considered the estimates just laid on the table as dictated by the same prodigal instincts which had characterised those of its predecessors. He also reminded the Chancellor of the Exchequer that no one had professed a greaterdevotednoss to the principle of retrench ment than he had done, and, appealing to the newly-elected members especially, he called upon them to assist the economists in the house to keep the right hon. gentleman to his word. Mr. BAXTER, in supporting the resolutions, argued that, as we had passed into a time of non-intervention, and ran no risk of being involved in a quarrel with any of the great powers, our warlike expenditure was enormously in excess of our needs. He blamed the Govoinment for a want of moral courage in dealing with the services, and, after canvassing the estimates of the present year, which he said could only be justified in their amount by the de mands of war, contended that no reductions of taxation could be expected without greater economy. Mr. MARSH complained of the confused and clumsy manner in which the Civil Service Estimates were framed, of which he gave several striking instances. Sir S. NORTHCOTE made soma remarks in vindica tion of the economical tendencies of the Opposition, and pressed upon the house the importance of supporting the Government in their resistance to motions leading to in creased expenditure. Mr. LAING referred to the history of the last ten years to prove that the increase in our expenditure had in a great measure arisen from causes beyond our own control, and showed that this increase had not been proportionately as great as in the budgets of France, Rolland, and Belgium. lie mentioned a variety of causes from which greater eco nomy might bo expected—such as a less officious fsrei ,, n policy, a change in our colonial policy, and improved ad ministration in the public departments ; and he augured from the pacific policy of the Emperor of the French that a general reduction of armaments was possible. In com bating the language of Mr. White's resolutions, he entered with great minuteness into the financial history of the last 15 years, with the object of showing that the taxes which p!esse • d most heavily on the working classes had been so lected for reduction or remission, and that the deficiencies thus created had been supplied by taxes levied on the middle and upper classes. Alluding to the possibility of a Reform agitation, ho deprecated any attempt to make poli tical capital out of financial grievances, and assured the working classes that whatever other advantages the pos session of a vote might give them, their interests could not be more honestly attended to. Mr. 3PLAREN quoted statistics to show that an unfair amount of taxation was levied from the working classes. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER defended the estimates of the Government, and took credit for a sensible reduction of from 4,000 to 5,000 men in the ser vice of the army for the present year. With regard to the charge on this account, ho observed that it was eminently connected with our colonial policy, New Zealand alone having for years past employed between one-twelfth and one-tenth of our whole efficient military strength. In the navy, too, there was a saving of £350,000, although ho granted that that was neutralised and counterbalanced by an increase of the v,te for works. But to what scurca was that increase due ? Let the house read the report of the committee which sat last year, and they would at once see that it was due to the recommendations contained in that report. In saying this, however, he had no wish to evade the responsibility that justly rested upon the Govern ment. 'With respect to the motion before the house, he did not deny that in certain cases great good might be dono by general declarations ; but against the doctrine of Mr. White he might quote the example of the late Mr. Hume and the effects produced by him on the system of expendi ture; and it was the habit of Mr. Hume to make himself thoroughly master of the details of the various departments of expenditure, and deal with the estimates in that way, instead of making vague and unsupported declarations. So fares the Government were concerned, the house would ever find them ready to agree to the freest and openest discussion and the most searching criticism. He hoped Mr. White would not consider it necessary to divide the house, but consent to go into committee of supply. The motion was then withdrawn. CONFLICTING JURISDICTIONS OF THE METROPOLIS. _ _ ----• Lord R. MONTAGU called attention to the inconve niences created by the conflicting jurisdictions in the me tropolis, particularly in the matters of paving, lighting, and cleansing the streets, contrasting London in this respect most unfavourably, not only with Paris, but oven with the smallest corporate towns in the kingdom. As illustrations ho narrated the history of the demolition of the now street in Southwark, and gave an amusing ac count of the miseries of London streets after the last heavy snowstorm, and he mentioned also the numerous deaths by accident and the stimulus given to fever by the over crowding produced by the system. He ridiculed the absurd l v e e a n t e o ra t t h io is n a f n o r t h e h e y p , r a i n n c d i p r l e e e ° o n % c e t n ti ci s e e d l f t - h g, a o t over general s w u h p iecrh intendence over the metropolis should be committed to the Metropolitan Board of Works, tlniedmthirprritiaprad principal being rsteo tained to perfor m l ocal duties a , be named by the G overnment. Sip Q. GREY agreed that it would bo desirable, though perhaps not very easy, to reduce the conflicting jurisdic tions of .the metropolis under ono uniform system and intimated that an opportunitir "for inquiring into the subject would-be afforded by the Conmittee which Mr. Ayrton would move for to-night. , %TUE NAVY ESTIMATES. The hou;S then went into Committee of Supply, when Lord C. PAGET moved the Navy Estimates. After touching on some minor changes in the form of the esti mates, he stated that the total amount asked for the year 1866-67 was £10,388,153, and explained that though the apparent reduction on the esti mates of last,:year was only about £4,000, the reduction on the ordinary expenditure was in reality much greater, as would have been apparent but for the increase of £350,000 in the vote for the dockyards. This, he reminded the house, was in obedience to the decision of a committee of the House of Commons in favour of an immediate con struction of the now works which were rendered necessary by the changes in our navy, and it conse quently would appear in the estimates for some years to come. To show that there was a decrease in the ordinary items Lord Clarence mentioned that while the cost of the personnel of the navy for the 11 years ending with these estimates was £48,000,000 as against £47,000,000 for the materiel, the cost of the materiel this year was only £2 ; 500,000, against £4,000,000 for the personnel. On the vote fer the men there was an apparent reducticn of £172,803, but a real reduction of £BO,OOO, the reduction in the number of mon being 1,330. Passing to the vote for the dockyards, Lord Clarence explained that though the apparent increase on this vote was £64,776; the real in crease was only about £35,000. He next described what the Admiralty proposed to do in regard to shipbuilding this year. On this vote the chief reduction was on con tract-built ships—viz., £229,000, and Lord Clarence entered at some length into the reasons which had led the Admi ralty to make this reduction. He stated that by the Ist of April we should have 30 armour-plated ships afloat, and that it was intended to commence a double turretted ship to carry four 22-ton guns, of 5,092 tons, 1,100 horse-power, and a speed of 14 knots. It was also intended to build two largo non-plated vessels of the Amazon class, and a smaller vessel, which, with the Hercules and another iron-plated vessel now building, would make 15,000 tons of shipping proposed to be constructed during the coming year. He mentioned also that, since July, 1859, the Admiralty had got rid of 320 useless vessels. With regard to the expen diture on the dockyards, Lord Clarence said that very little had been spent on Woolwich and Sheerness, but that con siderable progress had been made with the great works at Chatham, ani it was hoped that equal progress would be made at Portsmouth, where it was proposed to provide ad ditional facilities for repairing our iron fleet; He described the new works at Devonport and Bermuda, and mentioned that the now dock at Malta was progressing fairly. Without entering into details, he announced that the Admiralty was preparing a scheme for retirement, which it was hoped would create a better flow of promotion, and another for bettering the condition of the medical officers. He quoted some gratifying statistics as to the discipline of the navy, which showed that crime and punishment were greatly on the decrease, while education was on the increase, and augured from this that the navy was become more popular. and that the comforts and interests of the men were fairly attended to. Sir J. PAICINGTON concurred in the necessity of pro viding- larger dock accommodation for the immense shipS that were uow being built, and expressed his willingness to support the vote for this object. Ho also approved of the Admiralty's determination to build a dock at Bermuda ; but thought that both in the case of this and the other docks the expenditure should not have been spread over so many years as were mentioned in the estimates. These works were so necessary that Government should have determined to proceed with them more expeditiously than they proposed. The question of turret ships was ono re garding which he was rather at variance with th e Admi ralty. Last year the noble lord had promised that a sea going turret-ship was to be built, and on the present occasion he but repeated this promise. Ho criticised the delay that had taken place, and objected to the Govern ment proposal to build a ship of this kind of 5,000 tons tonnage as an experiment. Ho thought turret-ships of much less tonnage could be built which would be seaworthy, and cost less money to the country. He wished to know why the delay he had referred to had taken place in the building of these ships? why the Admiralty had determined to build one of such large burden as 5,000 tons ? and who was to be the designer of the new vessel ? He contended that Capt. Coles' experiment had not been fairly tested, and blamed the Admiralty for their conduct in connection with this matter. He desired moreover to know whether the tur ret-ship which they were promised . was to be built under the superintendence of Captain Cole; or of Mr. Reed, the chief constructor of the navy, who was the advocate of a rival system ? (Hear, hear.) The committee acceded to the building of those ships on the condition of their being vessels of great speed. Now, the Amazon, the first of the class finished, was a perfect failure, as her utmost speed was only 12} knots. He was informed that the Pallas was constructed on such improper principles that she failed altogether in speed. He feared these failures were due to the Admiralty losing the great ship-building ability they once possessed. He understood the hon. member for Tavistock (Mr. Samuda) was paying a large sum for the services of Mr. Oliver Laing, whose services had been lost to the country by the injudicious course adopted by the Admiralty some few years ago. The hen. baronet regretted that the expenditure on the School of Naval Architecture had been diminished. In conclusion, he referred td the pro posed change in the position of the medical officers of the navy, and expressed his satisfaction with any improve ment that could be made in the position of those officers, and in the proposed increase in the flow of the promotion to combatant officers of the navy. Mr. SAMUDA analysed the constitution of our iron fleet, contending that we had only ten ships which we could place in the front line of battle, and censured• the vacilla tion of the Admiralty in their alternate preference for fully armed and partially armed vessels. He recommended the addition of six turret-ships to our navy, of about 3,000 tons each. The discussion was continued by Mr. H. BAILIE, who criticised severely the Admiralty's treatment of Captain Coles, Admiral Walcott, Admiral Erskine, Admiral Sey mour, and, on the motion of Sir M. Peto, the debate on the Naval Estimates was adjourned until Thursday. The supplementary Civil Service Votes were agreed to. The Pensions' Bill passed through committee. The Jamaica Government Bill passed through com mittee. The remaining orders were disposed of, and the house adjourned at five minutes past one o'clock. Napoleon the Great's Correspondence. The nineteenth volume has just been published. It fills 634 pages, and contains 751 letters written 1 or dictated between the 14th of May, 1809, and the 15th of October of the same year. It is surprising says the Pari s correspondent of the Times, ho t ; many letters a private :individual will find he has written during a year on ordinary matters, and without being conscious of any exertion. But look ing at these volumes, and knowing what vast projects Napoleon was engaged in during the whole period they embraced, one is astounded how even he could write or dictate on an average five or six a day. The first letter in the present volume, dated Schonbrun, ' is addressed to the Prince of Neufchatel (Berthier), Major-General of the army of Germany, and con tains detailed instructions for certain military dispo sitions to be communicated to the Duke of Istria (Bessieres). The second is an " order of the day," with reference to disorders that took place in the rear of the army, with instructions to prevent them, and to punish summarily the men found straggling under pretence of fatigue, but really for plunder. The third is an order for the dissolution of " the militia called the Landwehr." The fourth relates to the rations to be supplied to the States of the Confederation occupied by the French army. In this last no detail is omitted : " The troops are to have their food in their lodgings, ac cording to the old-established usage of Germany; the officer at the table of his host, as ordered in the preceding cam paigns. Tholibi -officers and soldiers shall receive, inde pendently of their rations of bread (21oz.)—at breakfast soup and the 1-16th of a pint of eau-de-vie; at dinner, soup, 10oz. of meat, vegetables, and half a pot of beer or wine ; at supper, vegetables and a half a pot of beer or wino. Thus the rations of the privatesoldior shall consist of 240 z• of bread, 4oz. of bread for soup, 16oz, of meat, 2oz. of rice, or 4oz. of dried vegetables, the IGth of a pint of eau-de-vie, a pint of beer, or a bottle of wine, according to the place he is in." Then follow a series of instructions to the officers for the strict carrying out of the order. The Commissary-General of the King of Bavaria, in the circle of the Lower Danube, represents that the Emperor's order to destroy the Faubourg of St. Nicholas, at Passau, involves the demolition of the buildings of the Royal Saltworks ; he entreats the Emperor to spare those buildings, as their destruc tion would be a great loss to the Government and the inhabitants of the town. The Emperor replies that everything must give way to the safety of the place. Passau mustbe fortified, not for the moment, but for good and all, as Bavaria had no place bet ter situated. Ile is, moreover, dissatisfied with the inhabitants, for of all Bavaria they were the least opposed to the Austrians, and they did not expel, as they ought to have done, the br..l citizens. The Emperor closes a day full of matters of the highest moment with a letter to his private librarian, M. Barbier, at Paris " Schonbrun, May 14, 1809. "The Emperorthinks that his library is badlyorganised. There are many useless books in it. Of this number are the following: —The Works of Paruy, 5 vols, in 12mo; ditto of Bertin, 2 vole, in 12mo ; Theatre of Second class authors,' 8 vole, in 12mo ; 'Discourses on Sallust and Tacitus,' 4 vole, in 12mo ; The Lives of Celebrated Mari ners,' 12 vole, in 12mo The Letters of Dupaty on Italy, 3 vole, in 12mo; Th',3 Three Kingdoms,' by Delille, 2 vole, in 12mo ; History of Joviarins,' 2 vols, in 12mo ; The Letters of Madtrate do Sevigntf,' 11 vols, in 12mo; 'The Bu celias,' 1 Yoll iri PEP seioctiins frota 1 vol, TIIE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 27, 1860. in 12mo ; The Memoirs of Rochefoucault,' 1 vol, in 12mo ; The Recollections of Madame de Caylus,' 1 vol, in 12mo ; The Bible of Cologne,' 1 vol, hi 12mo ; ' The Iliad,' 2 vole, in 12mo ; Tasso, 2 vole, in 12mo ; Camoens, 3 vols, in 12mo ; ' The ZEneid,' 4 vols, in 12mo ; Milton, 3 vole, in 12mo. The last six works are to be exchanged for aDo Sacy Bible, in 12mo ; the Iliad,' in 12mo ; Tasso, in 12mo, Italian and French ; Camoens, in 12mo ; 4 .7Eneid,' prose, in 12mo, and Milton, in prose, in 12mo. All to be of small size. The Emperor will not have any works of poetry and literature in 12mo. This size should be reserved only for history and chronicles. The collection of Greek romances is too large. The print of the Cologne Bible in not legible. The 2Eueid,' and Milton are in verse, and his Majesty desires to have prose translations. Eleven volumes of Madame de Sevigne take up too much room; you must get a collection of her letters of small size. All the others above mentioned are rejected as useless. Here are the books which M. Barbeir will put in their places—Tacitus, in French, in 12mo ; Gibbon, in 12mo ; Diodorus Siculus, in 12mo ; the poem of Piti6, in 12mo ; and Gil Blas,' the same. The 'Memoirs of De Retz' are printed on horribly bad paper, and the printing is equally bad; they must be exchanged for something better. Finally-, the following must be sent-1. Tacitus, in French ;2. Gibbon ;3. Dio doriS Siculus ; 4. ' Memoirs of De Betz ;' 5. A selection of 'Madame de Sevigne's Letters;' 6. De Sacy Bible— the whole six in 12mo. ; 7. ' The Iliad ;' 8. ' Tho 2Eneid,' in prose ; 9. Tasso, Italian and French ; 10. Camoens ; 11. Milton, in pro se ; 12, a se l ec ti on of Greek romances ; 13, Gil Bias ;' and, 14, 'La Piti6,' a poem. All these from the 7th to be of a small size." Paruy, whose works were thus excluded from the Emperor's library, was once dignified with the name of the French Tibullus. He wrote a great deal of amatory and irreligious poetry ; and his Guerre des Dieux, in particular, was one of the most impious and licentious productions of the time. He was born in 1753 in the island of Bourbon, and died in 1814. He had been intended for the Church, and at one time his religious ardour was such that he thought of embracing the Order of La Trappe. This, however, soon passed away. He entered the army, became captain of Dragoons, and served as aide 7 de-catnp to the Governor- General of Pondicherry. Bertin, like Paruy, was a native of the island of Bourbon, and was also a captain of Cavalry. His elegies, .Les Amours, were at one time very popular. lie died at 38 in San Domingo, on his way to church to be married to a young Creole. Napoleon writes to his brother Jerome, King of Westphalia, then in command of the 10th corps d'armee:— " Schenbrun, June 9. "My Brother,—l have got your letter of the 4th inst. I had already received letters from Stettin, from General Liebert. There is nothing to show the intentions or the strength of the English. To take the island of Rugen they only need 1,200 men. All their forces are in Spain and Portugal. They will do nothing, and they can do nothing in Germany. lam far from opposing your plan of march ing one of my divisions into Hanover ; nor can I give you any sort of instructions. You have from 3,000 to 4,000 men of your own troops, the King of Saxony as many, the Dutch division has the same number,which makes 12,000 ; I shall leave 18,000 at Hanau ; total;30,000. It is not by disseminating them that any result can be gained. Schill is of little importance, and is already out of the question by his retiring in the direction of Stralsund, and General Gra tier and the Danes will probably give a good account of him. The Duke of Brunswick has not 800 men ; the for mer Elector of Cassel not 600. Before making a movement you should see clear before you. It is because that I per ceive that you act too promptly, and before allowing the plans of the enemy to be developed, that I have forbidden my troops to quit Hanau. You will learn by experience the difference between the rumours the enemy spread abroad and the reality. I have never, during the 16 years I have commanded, given a counter-order to a single regi ment, because I always wait till an aftair is mature, and I know it thoroughly before I manoeuvre. My troops shall not quit Hanau before I know what they may have to do. You suppose that a great English expedition has just landed. How, then, can you wish a weak division of my troops to get into the centre of Germany ? • Exercise your troops. Make yourself liked by means of economy, order, and a sort of good-nature which is characteristic of the Germans. Be less disquieted; you have nothing to fear. All this is but rumour." At 3 o'clock in the morning of the 7th of August he writes to General Clarke, Minister of War, at Paris, a long letter on the Walcheren expedition, from which the following is an extract : "If the English take the island of Walcheren, and con tinue the campaign either in Franco or in Holland, you have a mouth before you to prepare. I cannot think they have undertaken this expedition merely to get back to their ships, and return home. But wo must go on this principle, that it will have no influence on my operations hero. At the interval I shall go there tnyself, but without taking a man with me. In this sense everything must be organised and decided. You may keep the three companies of Artil lery of the Guard, and the 24 guns that are at Strasburg. In general, all that I have asked of you is useful to me, though not indispensable . It is 'for you to distinguish what you should send from what you should keep, if the English expedition be serious. Ido not believe it will get reinforce ments ; and, indeed, where could the English find so many troops. It appears that Lord Wellesley has entered Talavera with 25,000 men. If this be true, the English, whomust want troops for this Spanish expedition, cannot have men enough to take Walcheren and make a powerful diversion. I sup pose the King of Holland will have put himself in move ment, and formed his National Guards. He must have from 6,000 to 7,000 men in hand." The following is sent to General Clarke on getting news of the battle of Talavera : "Schonbrun, Aug. 25. "You will find appended to this the report of General Sebastiani, which the King of Spain sends me. As soon as I receive that of the Duke of Vellevue (Marshal Victor) which a he announces, I will seo whether it is proper to insert it in the Moniteur. You will also find by the report of the English General Wellesley that we have lost 20 guns and throe colours. Express to the King (Joseph Bonaparte) my astonishment, and to Marshal Jourdan my dissatisfaction at their sending me their carmagnoles, and, instead of let ting me know tho real state of affairs, presenting me with schoolboys' essays. I want to know the truth. Who are the gunners that abandoned their pieces, and which are the divisions of infantry that let them be taken? Just hint to the King that I see with pain how he has been telling the soldiers that they are the victors ; tell him that he only ruins the troops, that the fact is I have lost the battle of Talavera; that nevertheless I want to have accurate intel ligence, to know the number of the killed and wounded, the number of guns and colours lost ; that in Spain things are undertaken without due deliberation and without any knowledge of war; that the day of battle matters are con ducted without proper combination, without plans, with out decision. Send word to Sebastiani that the King has sent me his report of the battle of Talavera; that I have not found in it the tone of a soldier who gives an ac count of the situation of things, but only mere bombast ; that I wish he had informed me of tho loss, and had given precise details and true of what occurred, for he is bound to tell me the truth for the good of my service, Tell both how they neglect their duty to the Government by keeping back things which we learn from the soldiers and officers who write to their relatives, and force us to trust to the accounts' of the enemy." He writes to Count de Champagny, Minister 01 Foreign Affairs : " Sehonbrun, Sept. 21, 1809, 10 a.m. " Monsieur do Champagny—The 20th has arrived. My letter to the Emperor (Austria) is cf the 15th. .I think that to-morrow you shall know what to think of the disposition of the Plenipotentiaries. As soon as I have the English newspapers translated =T have them Up to the 10th inst. I shall send them to you. You must make the Austrian Ple nipotmatiaries remark that the difference between what I write to the Emperor and what you put in the protocols, is 1,200,000 souls—that is to say, I demanded, in Bohemia► 400,000 souls ; in Upper Austria and on the line, 800,000 ; on the Italian frontier, I ,soo,ooo—maing a total of 2,700,000 souls. I no longer ask for more than 1,600,000. I therefore cede more than a million, besides the renunciation of the basis of the Uti possidetis. You know that what I want is the circle of Villach, Carniola, and the line of the Save, which I calculate only at 1,200,00050u1s ; the enclaves about Dresden 30,000; Salzburg, and a little to keep the enemy distant from Passau, and which I calculate at 400,000. The Austrians have sent a courier toLondon, whoarrived there on the Ist. The English, as was foreseen, have an infinite numbar of sick. You will see in the English newspapers Gon. Wellesley's letters in which he tries to justify his ex pedition to Spain. M. de Metternich has told you that if the Monarchy remained independent, the Emperor would willingly give up his crown. If this be to know whether the Monarchy would form part of the Confederation of the Rhine, you may tell him —and the occasion will often offer —that, if the Emperor wishes to abdicate in favour of the Grand Duke of Wurzburg, I will give up the country,such as it is, with its present independence, and form an alliance with him which will enable both of us to finish the affairs of the Continent. As I have every confidence in the cha racter and good disposition of the Grand Duke of Wurz burg, I shall consider the repose of the world as secured by that event. You may say that I put faith in the moral character of the Emperor, but that IL is with)ut voEtion ; that he 'is always of the opinion of the last who talks to him ; and that those who will always have influence over him aro Balducci and Stadion. It is certain that this last manner of arranging things would suit me well enough ; if it cannot take effect, it is always won to speak of it as a proof of the little interest we have in weakening the Monarchy." In a letter to the Emperor of Russia, compliment ing him on making peace with Sweden, and on ob- taining all the advantages he desired ; and informing him that he (Napoleon) hoped soon to sign a peace with Austria, he adds (Schonbrun, Oct. 10, 1809) : "T send to your Majesty the latest English newspapers. You will see in them that the Ministers are fighting with each other (alluding probably to the duel between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning) ; that there is a revolution and perfect anarchyin the Ministry. Words cannot describe the folly and inconsistency of those men. They have just caused from 25,000 to 30,000 men to perish in the most horrible country of the world, and so pestilential are the marshes of Walcheren that they might as well have thrown those men into the sea. In Spain, too, they have lost great numbers. General Wellesley has had the extreme impru dence to get himself into the heart of Spain with 30,000 men, having on his flanks three corps d'armee forming 90 battalions, and from 40 to 50 squadrons of cavalry ; and in his front the artr7 commanded by the King, and of equal strength. Ono cannot fancy such presumption. It remains now to bo seen what Ministry will take the place of the late ono. The United States aro on the worst possible terms with England, and appear desirous of approaching sin cerely and seriously to our system." The last letter (Schonbrun, 15th October, 1809) to the Emperor of Austria will, for the present, close the specimens from the 19th volume : Monsieur mon Frero,—l have received your Imperial Majesty's letter of the 25th of September. I have seen with pleasure Field-Marshal the Prince of Lichtenstein. His mission has had the success your Majesty desired, and peace was signed yesterday between us. Your Majesty could not have a Minister near me more agreeable to me, and more competent to arrange your affairs. This is the fourth war terminated between you and me. lam about to leave Vienna, and I quit it in the hope that all our dif ferences are settled, that peace will be perpetual between us, and that war will never again break out. Let your Majesty intrust the management of your affairs to Minis ters who aro well acquainted with the respective positions of the two States. They will be convinced that the friend ship of France and peace can alone make you happy, as well as your family and your people. The wars and the hatred which your Majesty's Cabinet have hitherto cherished against France have been the cause of great mis fortune to your Majesty; but peace and the friendship of Franco will restore prosperity to all." The New Atlantic Cable. During the last few days the Telegraph Con struction and Maintenance Company have begun, in real earnest, work upon the new Atlantic cable. Little had been done since the return of the expe dition in August last, as there was no reason - why the cable should be ready very much sooner than it will be - needed. The Great Eastern still lies at her moorings in the Medway, with the remainder of last year's cable on board ; and this will again be used during the present year, when that part of the cable which will have then enjoyed a twelvemonth's rest on the bed of the Atlantic will be grappled for. Cap tain Anderson will once more have charge of the big ship, and he will again have the invaluable 'as sistance of Mr. Halpin, the chief officer. Mr. Canning and Mr. Clifford will be, as in last summer, in charge of the laying of the cable, and Mr. De Sauty will be again in charge of the electrical department. Thus, so far as skill goes, there is everything in favour of the success of the coming expedition, which will set sail in the beginning of June, bearing with it the good wishes of all Europe. As at present arranged the Great Eastern will carry the new cable, will lay it to Newfoundland, will there coal and return to the mid-Atlantic, where she will, with her consorts, grapple for the lost end, the locality of which can be ascertained within a quarter of a mile, through the observations taken last summer by Capt. Anderson and Capt. Mori arty. It is not intended that the part of the old cable which now lies in the Great Eastern's tanks shall be again stowed in her hold on the outward trip. It will be carried in another vessel until it is needed. The grappling will be done in this way. Three vessels, including the Great Eastern, will be provided with grappling apparatus. Last year, it may be remembered, the grappling was done with makeshift appliances. In fact, the grappling lines were only buoy ropes, and the swivels which broke while the cable was being hauled up were never in tended to bear any such strain as that to which they were subjected. In the new grappling tackle there will be no swivels ; perhaps even no shackles. Each line will be, if possible, in one place, certainly not in more than two joined together by a strong shackle. There is, therefore, little fear that if the cable is grappled, of which there can be no reason able doubt in the mind of any one conversant with the subject, it will be brought to the surface. And there is the more probability of this because the cable will be grappled in three places, at intervals of about two miles. One vessel will grapple, and, if necessary, cut her end by means of a steel blade set in the grappling iron ; the middle ship will haul up, and the third vessel will also raise the cable to lessen the strain. There will therefore be three bights on the cable, or two bights and an end, and this end will be prevented from slippling by the formation of the grappling iron in which the cable will be jammed. No one connected with the project appears to entertain the slightest doubt about the success of this section of it. When the end is recovered and a message sent through to Valentia, as a test of the electrical condition, the splices will be made with the cable now lying in the Great Eastern, and then all will be plain sailing, except in case of another accident similar to that of last, year, when all would have to be done over again ; but this would be the worst damage. If one grappling is successful there is no reason why a second should not be, and even a third and a fourth, if it should come to that. The laying of the old cable may therefore be considered a certainty, so far as anything about cable laying can be certain. But hope deferred will probably not make sick the hearts of shareholders beyond next July. The new cable, which is to be laid first, is very different in appearance from that of 1865. That was black, but not at all comely. This is fair to see, in point of colour, but rough withal, and fibrey----to coin a word for the occasion. But, save that there is no dark composition soakedinto the Manilla hemp which forms the covering . of the outer wires, this cable is identical with the last. So far, however, as strength goes, the new rope will bear a strain of from 15 cwt. to a ton more than that of last year ; and, as is obvious, this additional strength may just make the difference between breaking and holding, if it should unfortunately be necessary to haul back to the ship at any time. The reason why it is pos sible to dispense with the composition for coating is that in the new cable the outer or protecting wires are galvanised. About 160 miles of the new cable have been already made, and when all the machinery is set to work, as it soon will be, the manufacture will proceed at the rate of 100 miles a week. By working overtime this immense speed could be nearly doubled ; but, of course, overtime will be avoided if possible. In all departments of the machinery the capacity has been much increased since last year. For instance, there are double the number of tanks which hold the core of the cable ; and there is one new machine which alone turns out four miles per day of completed cable. It is unnecessary to enter at any length upon a description of the process of manufacture, as the subject has been so frequently treated in these columns, but a short summary of the method may not be useless. The core is received from the gutta percha works on great reels, four coats of gutta percha enveloping the seven copper wires which form the conductor; and these reels are at once placed in tanks until required. An ingenious machine coats this core with Manilla hemp, prepared with a com position ; and this rope is coiled away in tanks until required for the next stage. The ends of the galva nised wire for the outer covering are united by scarf joints, which are cut in a die, then whipped with smaller wire and brazed, so that the joint, if well made, becomes actually stronger than the wire. This wire is then covered with five strands of Ma nilla hemp, of which four tons a day, spun and reeled on the premises, are now used, and this quan tity will be shortly increased. The machines which twist these strands round the wire will produce from 160 to 180 miles per day, eight or nine miles being finished by each machine in the ten hours during which the men are at work. The unfinished cable, which we left in tanks, is then put on one of the large machines, and 10 strands of this Manilla covered wire are twisted round it, the spiral being lin 12. As it leaves this machine the cable is finished, and is conducted to the large tanks, in which it will be under water until it is payed out to she hulks for conveyance to the Great Eastern. In a mile of the cable there are, therefore, besides .he Manilla which holds the composition, seven miles of copper wire, four miles of gutta percha, ten miles of galvanised wire, and fifty miles of Manilla spun yarn. That is to say, again exclud ing the loose Manilla which laps the gutta percha, in every mile of the cable there are seventy-one miles of material. Obviously in putting such a mass together the greatest care is requisite, and Mr. Clifford and his assistants at the works of the company have plenty to do in looking after the men employed. The operatives who make the joints in the wire, and those who spin the Manilla yarn, and those who attend to the machines that twist the yarns round ithe wires use separate premises, and are not admitted into the works in which the core is bound with hemp and wire and so completed. The men who coil the cable in the great tank wear soft shoes, supplied to them by the com pany, and their weight has no appreciable effect upon the structure of the cable, which lies in white flakes, that look not unlike ordinary Manilla rope coiled down on a ship's deck. Every working day now for three months the manufacture of the At lantic cable of 1866 will proceed. Who is there that does not wish it success ?—Herald. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TI3IES.—The practical turn of the national mind is perhaps that quality upon which we are most dis posed to pride ourselves, and everybody is ready to declare that it reaches its highest development just where it should—in the House of Commons, the embodiment of our national ability and strength. Everything that is done there has an immediate effect, and is directed to some definite end. We do not debate on an Address in answer to a Royal Speech for a whole month ; we do not indulge in prophecies of " the manifest destiny " of the Eng lish people and read pajnphlets for two or three days together ; we discourage professional dis quisitions on things in general. These may be done by a French Legislative Body, an American Senate, an Italian Chamber of Deputies, but they are unknown at Westminster. The debate of last night was, it must be confessed, a strange com mentary on our familiar boast. Mr. White's motions in favour of economy and retrenchment were withdrawn, as it was perfectly w e ll k nown f rom the beginning they would be, and three or four hours were spent in discussions which came, and which throughout were expected to come, to no con clusion. A Social Science Congress could not have been more absolutely theoretical, more completely given up to mere talk. Mr. White made one single practical suggestion, but although many members rose after him who sympathised more or less with his views, no one had a good word to say for the Sessional Committee on the Estimates which he proposed as a check upon excessive expenditure. The debate on economy, in fact, came to nothing, and we fear it was one of those which will not bear fruit hereafter. Mr. White was laborioas and persevering, and at least one part of his speech might easily have been made exceedingly effective. In dointing out the inconsistencies between Mr. Gladstone's private utterances and his official action as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. White carried his audience with him. There was, indeed, reason in the charge. Mr. Baxter on one side, and Sir Stafford Northcote on the other, took it up and enlarged upon it. Mr. Gladstone himself attempted to explain the apparent contradiction between his words and his deeds, but his explanation could only apply to one of the speeches which he had " pre sumed" to utter. When he told his constituents at Liverpool that he was not satisfied the expenditure of the country had been reduced to the lowest point consistent with honour and security, it is obvious that he was complaining of the estimates brought in by the Government of which he was a member, and adopted by the House of Commons, and not of some daring attempt of a private member to raise' the salaries of the Post-office letter carriers. 'When, again, he charged the late House of Commons with having authorised an expenditure never before reached in a time of peace, he simply echoed Mr. Cobden's epithet of the "prodigal" Parliament, and managed to protest that he was " a sad good Chris tian in his heart," however much his actions belied his aspirations. In attempting to explain away the natural construction of these sentences last night, Mr. Gladstone seemed in danger of assuming the most terrible of characters, " un homme incompris," and it is the more necessary to point this out because the responsibility of an 'exaggerated expenditure does rest between Parliament and the Ministry, and not wholly with the latter, as might be inferred from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's latest opinion. When estimates have been introduced and ac cepted by the House of Commons, the latter be comes particeps crinzinis with the Government, and its easy indulgence makes the path of retrenchment more hard. Mr. Gladstone was, therefore, quite justified when in past years lie appealed from the House of Commons to the country, provided only that he had indeed used every means to promote economy himself. It still, however, remains to be seen how far his economic zeal will carry him. The two resolutions brought in by Mr. White declared that we spent too much, and that we drew the means of our expenditure unjustly from the different classes of the State. We are all more or less convinced that there is some truth in the first state ment, and Mr. Laing's elaborate argument failed to dispel the impression. Mr. Laing proved, indeed, conclusively that our total expenditure hadincreased at a less rate than that of our neighbours in France, Belgium, or Holland, attributing the general in crease to the revolution in the science of war and the rise in prices consequent on the gold discoveries. But this consolation, indifferent at any time, was in truth fallacious. He forgot to take into account the large proportion of our expenditure which is fixed and unchangeable. The total amount may have increased no more than 10 per cent., but the interest on the National Debt has not increased at all, while the cost of the army and navy has risen from fifteen to twenty-five millions, or 661-per cent. Mr. Laing wa s more successful in his refutation of the notion that our system of taxation bore unjustly on any class of taxpayers. The precision of his ar gument contrasted very favourably with the vague statements advanced byMr. M'Laren in confutation of it. The legislation of the Reformed Parliament has liberated almost every industry, and freed every article of necessary consumption from taxation. The few imposts which have been left affect only objects which may properly be described as articles of com fort, if not of luxury, and are imposed upon them at very reduced rates. Bread, butter, salt, cheese, eggs, are absolutely free; the tea duties and the sugar duties have been reduced; the malt duty— I though yielding a large re t urn to the Exchequer . — adds but little to the price of beer. Food is untaxed, clothing enjoys an absolute immunity, so does fuel of all kinds, and the approaching removal of the last relics of the timber duty following the aboli tion of the Excise duties on bricks and glass and of the window, will leave the means of shelter free from any impost. The primary necessities of the workman can thus be satisfied without their price being enhanced by the intervention of the tax gatherer, and his labour is unfettered by any legisla tive restrictions. The vast increase in the consump tion of primary luxuries attests the benefits of the legislation of the last quarter of a century. The legislation in question must not, indeed, be regarded as a boon, it was but an act of justice ; it freed the lower classes from invidious taxes and burdens, but it has left them bearing a just share of the national obligations. Mr. Laing very appropriately referred to the fact that the United States' Revenue Com mission bad recommended the adoption of our system of taxation as economically satisfying the necessities of • Government and doing justice to the several classes of the people, and the fact is indeed unde niable that if we analyse the proportion of the in come of the workman and the millionaire which is absorbed by taxation, we shall find very little dif ference between them. Though we do not expect any practical benefit from the discussion of last night, we must not be supposed to condemn the practice of levelling a broad resolution at such an abuse as extravagant expenditure. We only regret that in this instance it was not aimed more efficiently. The House of Commons cannot pursue the Executive through all the details of administration, but it can and often does give a significant hint on the general necessity of retrenchment. Mr. Gladstone last night paid a high tribute to the late Mr. Joseph Hume, and yet it is very doubtful whether any considerable saving was effected by his amazing industry, acute ness, and assiduity. Mr. White's review of the practical working of retrenchment in detail must, however, be deemed conclusive. It shows, by what has been done, what can be done in Committee. In a dozen years we have stopped the building of a chapel in Paris, abolished a Register of Sasines•in Edinburgh, and cut short the career of the travelling buyer of the National Gallery ! These are large exploits, especially when contrasted with the expen diture of the period. We can, however, call to mind an occasion when a general resolution was followed by a considerable reduction ; and although it would be dangerous to abate our vigilance in watching separate votes, experience show that it is by general resolutions that large results can be obtained. HERALD.—In bringing forward the naval estimates for the year 1866-67 Lord ClarencePaget has hardly fulfilled the confident prediction made by the organs of the Government of the economy of administration which would be applied to every branch of the pub lic service under the new Ministry. Now that the American civil war is over, with all apprehension of the troubl es th a t seeme d likely to arise from it ; now that there are no longer any - disturbances in Italy, when there is no jealousy of Russia, no rivalry with France, it might seem that retrenchment, if advisable at any time, might have been applied to the esti mates for the navy, if only to the extent of a few thousands of pounds by way of a beginning and a n example of a peace establishment to the rest of the world. The British navy is, however, still kept up to the war footing. We are quite willing, for our own part, to admit the principle that even in time of peace it is desirable, as a measure of security, t o maintain the supremacy of this country at sea by keeping up a larger naval force than that of anY, other naval power, o r even any t wo o ther naval powers combined. In these days of armour ships a Minister who should willingly lag behind any other country in promoting the construction of the only effective engines of maritime warfare would be guilty of a serious dereliction of duty. But why talk to us of economy, when the necessity for such an arma ment is not only admitted, but acted upon ? W h y promise us a reduction of the public burdens, when schemes for the enlargement of our dockyards and the fortification of our arsenals are presented to us side by side with a proposal for a paltry reduction of some 500 men in the personnel of the navy ? Th e friends of the Government have promised for them what they are unable to perform, and preferred a claim to applause on false and dishonest pretences. The naval estimates for the year amount to a sum of £10,388,153. Those for 1865-66 were, £10,392,224, showi ng a pe tt y sav ing e" . about £4,000. The real saving last yea r, as compared with the ye ar b e f ore , was £35,00'' but the estimates for 1864-65 were increased by & supplementary vote of £61,000 for increased retir ing allowances and £220,000 for the purchase of Mr. Laird's rams. In the year to come it is esti mated that there will be a saving in the ordinary expenditure of some £360,000, owing to the , dimi nished number of ships b u ildi ng , or t o b e built, and to the reduction of th e f orce o f seamen by 550 ) marines by 400 men. This reduction, however, is counterbalanced by an excess of £356,000 in tale vote for dockyards, basinS, and works. In th e course of three years these will involve a further outlay of more than one million sterling. Such rigid economists as Mr. White might think the apology offered by Lord C. Paget for the mainte nance of this enormous naval force very lame and unsatisfactory. It does certainly seem rather lib' surd that the chief arguments brought forward for an annual expenditure of ten o r e l even m illions 0 1 money should be the fact that British merchants in China complain of being harassed by pirates, and it is considered advisable to proceed with the open ing up" of Japan by mhintaining- a large naval force in the Inland Sea. If Chinese pirates an d Japabese Daimios are the only enemies that the, British Government has t o con t en d w i t h, it migh t be imagined that a small fl ee t o f gun b oa t s would b 3 sufficient for both, and might be commissioned at a cost of a million a year or th erea b ou t s . On sueh low grounds as this the maintenance of an immens e force cannot be defended for a moment. It is be cause we wish to keep up our moral position by our positive strength, to show to all comers that we ar° ready for them, and more than a match for them , at any time, that we keep afloat the largest navy ill , the world. Th e ac ti v it y di sp l aye d d ur i ng the lai:u few years in the construction of ironclad ships 18 made to excuse a diminution in the estimates fo r that branch of shipbuilding during the coming year. In this department, however, it is very be regretted that so small an advance has ch beet made since last year. Ou r 55 woo d en s hips ' 9 ,1 the line, our 37 frigates, our 26 corve tt es , and sloops, which figured so b rave ly on o ld n aval re turns, are now unhappily reg ar d e d as so m any tar" gets to be demolished in ti me o f war b y i ronc lads, which would riddle the m th roug h an d throuh cable themselves invulnerable. The ironclads area he flee t of the future. What p r o gress h as our Admiralty . made in the construction of th e on l y vesse l s on wbieL: we are now able to rely i n ti me o f war ? At the end mu to of 1865 there was a fleet of 29 armour clad ship s completed. We shall have now 30 of that Cl afloat, an increase of o ne , an d th a t on l y promisol us by the Ist of Ap r il. O ne more i s t o b e e xpecte soon after that time. Then what have the Admi ralty been doing in turret ships? To what purpos e have they turned that invention of Captain Cowp er Coles, which is acknowledged on all hands to be th e most perfect adaptation of th e p r i nc i p l e o f armou r , clad shipbuilding, the most f orm id a bl e m ethod 01 warfare ever proposed ? We have three turret shil 3B ,l , -the Royal Sovereign, and M r . L a i r d' s t w o rams, a ll three pronounced to be only fit for coasting serl ie l e t ; While the Americans have bee n building a whop fleet of seagoing turret ships, affirmed by Mr. Dona ld Mackay to be more than a match for all the navi es of the world, we have positively not one. The A d. ~ miralty, we are informed for our comfort, are about to commence the construction of a seagoing turret vessel, to be called the Monarch. Lord C. Paget gives us a description of this vessel, which is still is nubibus, or hidden somewhere in the brain of th e Chief Constructor of the Navy. She is to be of a burden of 5,099 tons, to carry two turrets, in each two guns of 22 tons weight each, and also two 100: pounders, one fore and one aft. She is to be plated with 81in. of iron, and to b e wor k e d b y engines of 1,400-horse power, at the speed of 14 knots as hour. No man can say how this ship will turn out when completed. P er h a p s , lik e the roya l i Sovereign, she will b e i gnom i n i ous ly condemne,u. to " coast service." W e can h ave n o corm, dente whatever in the cons t ruc ti on of a turre t ship under the auspices of a board which has un gratefully dismissed from its service the only lu,ar, who thoroughly u n d ers t an d s th e ma tt er , for th e offence of ha v i ng cr iti c i se d it s procee di ng s in t u s columns of this ne ws p a p er . C ap t . C owper Coles . 1 assisting in the co ns t ruc ti on o f t urre t s hips for al most every countryin the civilised world but his 0 ; 1 1 1; The British Gove rnmen t h as d e t erm i ne d t o use t invention, and cast ad r ift th e i nven t or . We trus s that it may not fare so b a dl y as th e son o f Dxcit who was shipwrecked in m a ki ng t r i a l o f a mach'" nery which he had not learned t o use r i g htly. ' t do not wonder that the st a t emen t o f L or d C. rage and his admission that we have not ye t one sea going turret ship, wa s commen t e d upon severely by j Sir John Pakingto n an d th e spea k ers w h o followe d him in last night' s d e b a t e . O ne an d a ll condeon't. the treatment of Capt. Col es by th e Governme nt. Mr. Samuda tell s u s , for our consolation, that ,0 have only ten ships fit for the first line of bat tle l a among all our armour-clad s . If any w ar shou ld come upon us inopportunely, a n d our fl e et be ove r powered we pt powered or sent to the bottom by an enemy w t,s , a prepared with turret ships, th e G overnmen t that ' le taken ten millions a year out of our po c kets for maintenance of the navy, and expended it s° n wisely as to leave us practically defenceless, seem deserving of something worse than mere ve' reproof. Foreign Mail Packet List MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton Mar• 23 Ditto, via Marseill es gar. A Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packet r. 6. Ditto, by French packet mar. 7 4. Cape of Good Hope, A scens i on , an d St . H e l ena. . • - Mar' China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southam pton mat 5 . Ditto, via Marseilles Feb- 27 ' Falkland Islands . Gibraltar, via Southampton ...... Feb 23• India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.... Ma r . 5 Ditto, via Marseilles •. Feb. 27 India (Bombay), via Southampton. Feb. 25 Ditto, via Marseilles . Mauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via Marseilles, Mar. 14. Newfoundland . Portugal Nar Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon.. • United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp ton Ditto, via Cork ... • .. Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry— Mar* 2 ,, West Coast of Africa. Madeira, and Tenerife Mar. I" West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas, Cuba, F 13- 28 and Mexico Cuba and Mexico Bahamas, via New York. Mar. 4 Bermuda, ditto Births. ,„ A r ch!' ARCHIBALD—On the 25th inst the eofC. v" bald, rsq., of a son. tb° CHILDERS —On the 26th inst., at 17, P r i n ces-garden °, wife of Hugh C. E. Childers, Esq., M.P , of a daug hte b r e y GRIMSTON— On the 23d inst., at Rosenan, The .It,b, Park, Torquay, Mrs. Walter Grimston, of a daegb'e"..3. SUDLOW—On the 24th inst., at 1, Vanburg-park - ro ad IY° ' Blackheath, Mrs. Sudlow, of a daughter. Marriages. PHILLIPS GREAVES—On the 22d inst., at Longford, 13 . erk t g e ' John S. Phi. Esq., of Culham House, Oxfordshire, vest Maria Elizabeth, only dau g hter of Henley G. " r " - Esq., of New House, Abingdon. TIIOMPSON—DANCE-- On the 17th. inst. at Trinity Church' Tunbridge-Wells, Emma, third daughter of H. 1111°114 ; son, Esq. ; of 2, Calverley-terrace, Tunbridge -Wells, Henry Dance, Esq., of Dap - liar-road, Camberwell. Deaths. ALDER.—On the 24th inst ,at 74, Clarendon-road, Notti°o: hill, Mrs. Alder, widow . of James Alder, town, aged 91. DouGLAs— On the 25th inst., at 19a, Grosveno r-508,1 " Lady Doughts,'Nvidow of James, the last Lord nong'3' aged 79. Earl Of HARRINGTON—On the 22d inst , at Cannes, the Harrington, aged 21. . LOGIN— On the 20th inst., at Pau, Basses Pyrenees, Fri3s,c:!. Lena Margaret Campbell, eldest daughter of the late o" John Spencer Login. Smrrit.—On the 25th inst., at 10, The Grove, Trighg gi c e ; road, Alice, widow of Mr. James Smith, late of Lauren c 0 ICentislia Pountney-hill, aged 94. ____.......--_-'!"-1 London : Printed and Published by WIL LIAO s' 12. Strand, in of No. 112, the n P red,cinct Punterof, the at T Savoy. i the itz SUN (ACCG°— '" an t; of n February_27, 186 d. t D e p It is lut e pa 'Pa oa of be Th e P a irLe The lkle sc 4es; Mess 40 8 , ,t. , "Aes B . 121( Ni o Tia F 9aa~ _ f e e , 4111 ti th e 1 lie wi th e d IC' lliel Of h o ofLial ti CI 1311 In quir e Lana fa voi terk, 1 T 4olevell z.,t).: N I( 4kr e , kro E 84,4 T fr ( ki r; Vint