The Sun. — London, England, 1861-03-23 00:00:00

IRE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NAVY The following most important report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the manage ment of the dockyards was published yesterday : To THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT M AJESTY . May it please your Majesty,—We, the under signed Commissioners, appointed by your Majesty on the 21st August, 1860, to inquire into the sys tem of control and management of your Majesty's dockyards, the purchase of materials and stores, the cost of building and repairing, altering, fitting, and refitting the ships of your Majesty's navy, the best mode of keeping the accounts thereof, and the ex penditure of former years connected with the above subjects (not, however, including any period prior to the year 1848): To ascertain whether the system of shipbuilding in your Majesty's dockyards has been efficient, and whether the expenditure on the alteration of the ships of your Majesty's navy, either in converting them from sailing to steamships, or on other altera tions during the progress of their construction, has been judiciously applied : To suggest such changes as may in our opinion be best fitted to render these establishments more effective for the maintenance of your Majesty's naval power, together with any measures which may appear to us calculated to secure the more vigorous and economical administration of your Majesty's naval yards : Do most humbly certify unto your Majesty, that we have visited and carefully inspected your Ma jesty's dockyards at Deptford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, Devonport, and Pembroke; that we have inquired into the general manage. ment and the mode of keeping the accounts; that we have called for such papers and returns and have taken such evidence, both in London and at the dockyards, as appeared to us likely to afford the best information on the subject of the inquiry. The minutes of the evidence taken by us are an nexed, as well as the minutes of the evidence taken by the Commissioners appointed by your Majesty on the Bth June, 1860, to hold a similar inquiry. 1. We humbly submit to your Majesty the con clusions at which we have arrived, under the follow ing heads, viz.:— I. The system of control and management of the dockyards. 11. The purchase of materials and stores. 111. The best mode of keeping the accounts. IV. The cost of building, converting, fitting, re fitting, and repairing the ships of your Majesty's navy. _ _ V. The expenditure in converting and altering the ships of your Majesty's navy. I: THE SYSTEM OF CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF YOUR MAJESTY'S DOCKYARDS. 2. We regret to state that in our opinion the con trol and management of the dockyards is inefficieet. 3. We are of opinion that the inefficiency may be attributed to the following causes :- Ist. The constitution of the Board of Admiralty. 2d. The defective organisation of the subordinate departments. d. The want of clear and well-defined responsi bility. 4th. The. absence of any means, both now and in times past, of effectually checking expenditure, from the want of accurate accounts. 4. The Board of Admiralty consists of a First Lord, who is a Cabinet Minister, four Naval Lords, and a civilian, who is a member of the House of Commons. There are two Secretaries, one of whom is permanent, the other ispolitical, and the organ of the Admiralty in the House of Commons when the First Lord is not in the House of Commons. Any two Lords constitute a Board, and an order signed by any two Lords is of equal validity as if signed by the whole Board. 5. There are five principal officers of the civil departments of the navy—namely, the Surveyor (recently called Controller) of the Navy, the Accountant-General of the Navy, the Storekeeper- General of the Navy, the Controller of the Victualling, and the Director-General of the Medi cal Department. There is a sixth department— namely, that of the Director of Engineering and Architectural Works. All these officers are independent of each other, and are subject only to the control of the Board. Each department is placed under the superintendence of one of the Lords of the Admiralty. The Controller's depart ment is under the supervision of the First Sea Lord. The Storekeeper-General's department is under the Third Sea Lord. The departments of the Account ant-General and of the Director of Works are both under the Civil Lord. 6. The principal officers communicate with the dockyards through the superintendents. It is stated in evidence that contradictory orders are given, causing delay and prejudice to your Majesty's ser- vice. 7. Sir James Graham stated in evidence that " the Board of Admiralty can only work by the First Lord exercising power to such an extent as really to render the Board subordinate to his will." Again, " that a Board only works well when the head of it makes it as unlike a Board as possible." Again, that " the First Lord is technically not a Minister of Marine, but virtually the system can never work unless he really be so." It appears to us that the power which under the existing system the First Lord is stated to assume, if he would per form his duty efficiently, should be conferred upon him by Act of Parliament. 8. The fluctuating character of the Board of Ad miralty has been brought under our notice as being incompatible with effective and economical manage ment of the dockyards. The late Controller, Sir B. Walker,states that he has seen six or seven changes in the 13 years he has been in office, every change cousin. , different arrangements and alterations. Sir Richard Bromley, the Accountant-General, states that there have been 15 First Lords, 65 other Lords, and 17 Secretaries of the Admiralty since 1829, making a total of 97 changes within that period. There have been six Civil Lords in succession over his department since he became Accountant-Gene ral in 1854. Col. Greene, the Director of Works, states that in 11 years he has acted under six Supe rintending Lords. 9. The fourth cause of inefficiency is stated ander the head of" Accounts." 10. With a view of renderin g the control and management more efficient, we humbly offer the following suggestions :- Ist. That ZMinister for the Navy Department should be appointed, and should be held entirely responsible for the control and management of the dockyards. 2d. That the dockyards should be looked upon as large manufacturing establishments for the purpose of building and repairing the ships of your Majesty's navy. 3d. That the Minister of the Navy should have the power of appointing a Controller-General ac quainted with and qualified to manage such estab lishments. 4th. That th e Controller- Geheral should have the power (subject to the approval of the Minister), of selecting the superintendents of the different' dockyards, as these officers are the instruments for carrying out his instructions. sth. That the Superintendents of the dockyards should (subject to the approval of the Minister) have the selection of the officers under them, with the exception of the officers in the accountant's and storekeeper's departments. 6th. That the Storekeeper-General of the Navy should be appointed by the Minister, but ehould be under the Controller-General. 7th. That the Storekeeper-General of the Navy should (subject to the approval of the Minister, have the selection of the officers in his department Bth. That the director of engineering and archi. tectural works should be appointed by the Minis• ter, but should be under the Controller-General. 9th. That the director of works should (subject to the approval of the Minister) have the selection of the officers in his department. 10th. That the Accountant-General of the Navy should be appointed by, and be responsible to, the Minister for the navy department ; that he should have the entire control of the whole accounts con nected with the dockyards ; and that he should furnish all r — 2ounts required by the Controller- General. 11th. That the Accountant-General of the Navy Should have the selection of the officers in his de partment, subject to the approval of the Minister. 12th That the officers and men in the dockyards Bil°11 ; Id belacedunder the same restrictions as to votin g at the elections as the officers at the Post-office, Customs, and the Inland Revenue. 13th. That in each dockyard the captain of the steam ordinary the fittingot should be appointed to superintend sponsible for say ships ; that he should be held re deviations from the established rules as to fittin7 and d ich he may in his judgment think necessary4.s'should be the medium of communication betweenthe officers of the navy and the superintende n t of the dockyard. 14th. That all th e department s of the Admiralty tonn e ectnd e with the d oc k yards should be brought unde oa roof. 15th. That the Minister should be empowered to employ scientific and practical men when he may find it advisable to consult them upon i nventions and improvements connected with the department. 16th. That the estimates laid before Parliament should be accompanied by the annual prog ramme of shipbuilding works, as given in appendix N a . 3 to this report, for the year 1860-61, with the esti mated cost of each ship under the head,, of " Mate. rials and "Labour." 17th. That a surplus arising on one vote of tab navy estimates should not be permitted to be ap- plied to make good a deficiency upon another vote, even with the sanction of the Treasury. 18th. That the power of the Treasury to increase the expenditure on one item of a vote by applying the moneys voted on another item of the same vote should be limited. 19th. That vote No. 10 be divided into five votes under the heads of 1. Timber. 2. Other stores. 3. Vessels built by contract. and that each vote should be set out in detail, show ing the establishment in each case ; the different descriptions of timber and other stores to be pur chased ; the names of vesselsto be built by contract, their armament, horse-power, and estimated cost ; and the ships for which the steam machinery is to be provided. 20th. That a return to Parliament of the ex penses incurred on your Majesty's ships should be made in the form annexed, marked A, and be laid on the table of the House of Commons with the Navy Estimates. IL—PURCHASE OE MATERIALS AND STORES. 11. We have found a general complaint in the dockyards as to the mode in which stores are sup plied. In some cases it has been a want of certain articles which has delayed the progress of the works. In others the complaint has been, espe cially with regard to timber, that the descriptions sent have not been in accordance with the requisi tions from the officers of the yards. 12. We consider that the suggestion we have made under the head of " Control," to the effect that the department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy should be placed under the control of the Controller-General, will have the effect of making that department work harmoniously with the other departments in the dockyards, and of remov ing the causes of complaint just adverted to. 13. We would further suggest under this head : Ist. That the large contracts, especially' for timber, should be more divided. 2d. That the period for which standing contracts are entered into should be reduced. 3d. That timber not of contract dimensions, or in excess of the quantity required, should be. rejected, instead of being received under the authority of the Storekeeper-General, as at present. This was re commended by the Committee of Revision of 1848, of which Sir Baldwin Walker and Sir Richard Bromley were members, but their recommendation has not been carried out. lII.—THE BEST MODE OF KEEPING THE ACCOUNTS. 14. The system of accounts is elaborate and mi nute, but, so far as we can judge, its results are not to be relied upon for any practical purpose. 15. An account of the expenditure of the dock yards has been kept in various forms for many years. In 1848 the Committee of Revision recom mended that the annual accounts No. 88 and No. 89, which profess to give the expenditure on ' yard services' and ships' respectively, should be made up monthly. The Admiralty Board Order of 1849, to give effect to this recommendation, appears to have been obeyed for a short time, but the Accountant-General states that the monthly accounts soon fell into dis use. When the accountants were appointed to the yards in 1856 they were instructed to make up the monthly accounts, but these accounts have fre quently been in arrear, and when made up have been sent to London only on one occasion—namely, in 1859, when they were asked for by the Accountant- General of the Navy, to enable him to make up an account of expenditure ordered by the Board of Admiralty. 16. The annual accounts, No. 88 and No. 89 have been sent to the office of the Surveyor (now Con troller) of the Navy, but no use whatever appears to have been made of No. 88, while up to 1860 the only use we can discover to which No. 89 has been ap plied has been in the compilation of the Doomsday Book, a record which has seen kept in the Sur veyor's office for more than 150 years, and which professes to give an account of the expense of build ing and maintaining every ship in the navy during that period. 17. In 1860 a return, No. 174 of that session, founded on these accounts, was presented to the House of Commons, purporting to show the expenditure on building, converting, repairing, fitting, &c., the ships of your Majesty's Navy during the nancial year 1858-59. A similar return has just been presented for 1859.60. 18.' As a proof of the inaccuracy of the de tailed accounts we refer to the report of an investi gation into the accounts of Woolwich Dockyard. The examiners report that they have discovered 7,906 errors in the accounts from April 1 to Nov. 30, 1860, of which 6,566 are in the rating, valuing, and totalling of timber and store notes in the store- keeper's department, varying in amount from ld. to £490 ; 208 in the rating, valuing. totalling, and proving of workmanship notes in the accountant's department, varying in amount from ld. to £ll ; 874 in the postings, totalling them, and preparing Returns Nos. 88 and 89, in the accountant's depart ment, varying in amount from ld. to £400; 71 in the postings and totalling of factory portion of Returns Nos. 88 and 89 in the chief engineer's department, varying in amount from ld. to £4 9s. ; and 187 in the postings and totalling of Return No. 8, in the storekeeper's department, varying in amount from ls. 6d. to £365 It appears from the same document that a sum of £4,480 for engines and boilers of the Ranger was omitted to be entered into the monthly return for May; and that a sum frorr. £l,OOO to £1,200 per annum, for the time of certain workmen, was charged twice from the 2st of April, 1858. 19. A subsequent report to the Admiralty from Commodore Drummond, who suggested the original investigation, shows that a sum of £5,210 for ex penses incurred in the factory department was omitted to be charged against the Weser, in the annual Return No. 89 for 1859-60. 20. While recommending that an inquiry similar to that just finished at Woolwich should be insti tuted in the other dockyards, we think it right to state that we attribute the errors in this account to the complex and elaborate system, the incon venient printed forms on which the accounts are kept, and the fact that the accounts were seldom used for any practical purpose. 21. The accounts of the steam factories profess to give the cost price of the articles supplied to your Majesty's ships. We find, however, that they are made to balance by an entry under the head of general expenditure, which is in fact the difference between the valuation of the work done and the materials and wages charged against the factory. No charge whatever is made for interest on buildings or plant, or for the supervision of the principal officers. 22. This system of accounts encourages a belief on the part of the officers of -the dockyard, which is communicated to the Board of Admiralty, that 4. Steam machinery. 5. Coals. the steam factories in the dockyards can produce articles at a cheaper rate than private establish ments. This belief has, in our opinion, tended to a greater extension of the factory system than was requisite to render 'them efficient as repairing establishments ; and if these accounts are not placed at once upon a proper footing, we fear that this erroneous system will be still further extended. 23. In all the other manufacturing establish ments, such as the smitheries, foundries, metal mills, mast, boat, and capstan houses, roperies, sail and colour lofts, the joiners' and plumbers' shops, &c. (with the exception of the conversion of tim ber), the net cost of the articles manufactured is increased by the share of general expenditure, as is done in the factory accounts ; but in addition to this 10 per cent. is added to cover wear and tear of machinery, use of buildings, and supervision. 24. The S torekeeper -General states that in some of the manufactures the cost of the machinery and es ah in on w ntao h hdpt a esar t h e mi ecn v ao e tsouh r ennes i etr s to c ofo o ro pmr: therefore does d rid opco s eece e rnasstene. e u soni n st dt.aeomrr fair at believehya n e bay h en t e uhoh a niu d andntg o et of plant likehpt hea l a en n dmi t t d p:r o e manu facturing accounts show less than the cost of the manufactures of the dockyards. 25/ With regard to the conversion of timber, the evidence leads us to believe that the rate-book price of converted timber charged to the ship or service is much too low, and that it does not cover even those charges for incidental ex penses connected with landing, surveying, re ceiving, carting, stacking, removing to pits or saw mills, wages paid to attendant converters, sawyers, ares, usedpp supposed writers, reducers, and issuers , and share of general expenditure for cost of pettystores,llwhich u &c. the saw-pit and sawmills, ,, a to be included in it, still less the cost of repairing and maintaining the buildings and machinery con nected with its conversion. 26. It may be observed that although there has been an Accountant-General of the Navy since, 1832, the expense accounts of the dockyards have never been placed under his control, notwithstanding the fact that the most experienced accountants who have examined this question have recommended this improvement. 27. The cash accounts of the dockyards are made up by the accountant of the yard, and are under the control of the Accountant-General. 28. The store accounts as re g ards q uantities are made up by the storekeeper of the yard, examined in the office of the superintendent, and are under the control of the Storekeeper-General. 29. The valuation of the store notes is done in the office of the storekeeper, but is not checked in any other department. 30. The expense ledgers, which are the basis of the Returns No. 88 and No. 89, are made up by the accouaccountant from the wo r kmanship notes, and f rom the Untrue 'o4. n. and return notes of stores after they have rated and veined by the storekeeper. The practice i s , and al has been, to send these ac- TrIE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 23, 1861. counts to the St trveyor (now Controller) of the Navy. 31. The account No. 8, which professes to give the detailed cost or each ship when built, is made up by the storekee per, and transmitted by him to the Controller of the Navy, the detail relating to workmanship being furnished to the storekeeper by the accountant. 32. The factory accounts are made up by the pay clerk and bookkee per of the factory, and transmit ted to the Controller's department. 33. The accounts of the other manufacturing establishments area signed by the storekeepers, and transmitted to the. Storekeeper-General. 34. Although the expense and factory accounts are transmitted exclusively to the Controller's de partment in London, the late Controller stated that he did not consider himself responsible for the ac counts made up in the dockyards. The fact is that no one, either in London or at the yards, is respon sible for these accounts as a whole. 35. These and many other considerations which have come out in evidence, such as the intricate character of the accounts, and the absence of any uniform system of classification of heads of service, causing ambiguity as to the services to which the expenditure is to be charged, have led us to the conclusion that these accounts are useless for pur poses of comparison, and not to be relied upon as statements of fact. 36. If the accounts were kept so as to show the exact cost of ships, a competition in economy would be established between the different yards, which would be attended with great benefit to your Ma jesty's service. 37. We have already suggested under the head of " Control," that the whole accounts connected with the dockyards should be put under the control of the Accoutitau-General of the Navy, and that he should have the appointment of the accountants at the dockyards, subject to the approval of the Mini ster for the Navy. 38. We would further suggest : lat. That the Accountant-General should be in structed to frame a new system of accounts on the principle of double entry. 2d. That the accounts should be made up in the dockyards each month, and transmitted to the Ac countant-General by the 15th of the following month, 3d. That an annual account should be laid before Parliament, giving a detailed statement showing how the money voted for the dockyards has been expended on ships and services. 4th. That the forms of account should be care fully revised. sth. That the Accountant-General should con sult with the officers and decide upon an uniform system of classification of heads of service at the different yards, with the view of removing am biguity in heading the issue and workmanship notes, and for the purpose of enabling the Con troller-General to institute comparisons between the cost of similar descriptions of work at the different yards. 6th That the storekeepers should be cashiers, add should pay the wages at the yards. 7th. That the practice of issuing stores without vouchers should be immediately checked by the superintendents of the dockyards. 39. Having pointed out what in our opinion is essential to secure a proper system of accounts, we refrain from going further into detail upon this most important subject, feeling convinced that the Admiralty possess in Sir Richard Bromley, the present Accountant-General of the Navy, an officer well fitted by his great experience and acknow ledged ability to remodel this department. IV.—COST OF BUILDING, CONVERTING, &C., THE SHIPS OF YOUR MAJESTY'S NAVY. 40. Such being the very unsatisfactory condition of the value accounts of the dockyards, we abstain from expressing any opinion upon this head, based upon data furnished by these accounts. 41. Various views have been expressed to us by some of the witnesses that we have examined as to the cost per ton for building, converting, &c., the shins of your Majesty's Navy, and as to the causes of the discrepancies which are admitted, on the face of the accounts, to exist between the cost of building, &c., at the different yards. But as these opinions have been offered in reliance upon the accuracy of the accounts, we do not think it ad visable to enter more minutely into the question. 42. With a view, however, of obtaining some thing like an approximation to the cost of building, per ton, which should be, as far as possible, unin fluenced by the erroneous system of accounts, we called for a return from Pembroke, which is solely a building-yard, stating 1. The total expenditure for all services at Pem broke Dockyard from the Ist January, 1848, to the 31st December, 1859. 2. The valuation of vessels on the slips and o timber oon,ortod on the Ist January, rolo. 3. The amount (included in the first item) ex. pended on the slips, dock, buildings, and machinery, between the Ist Jan., 1848, and the 31st Dec., 1859. 4. The valuation f vessels on the slips, and of timber converted, on the Ist January, 1860. 5. The total tonnage of vessels launched at Pem broke during the period from the Ist January, 1848, to the 31st December, 1859. 43. From this return, which will be found in the Appendix, it appears that, without taking into con sideration the sum of £323,210, which has been expended upon works, dock, slips, buildings. machinery, &c., since 1848, the vessels built at Pembroke Docyard during that period, amounting to 65,435 tons, have cost £33 3s. sd. per ton for the hulls alone, and exclusive of fitting, which is always done at other yards. 44. We are of opinion that the system, or task and job, as at present carried on in the dockyards, is open to great abuse. It is based upon schemes of prices consisting of 94,762 items. This can hardly fail to lead to numerous errors in pricing the work done. Another grave objection is the multiplicity of measurements required. 45. If task and job is to be continued, we would suggest that it should be employed only when ships can be divided into sections, and the exact amount of labour to be paid for in each section estimated in the constructor's office. But if the sectional system cannot be applied in the dockyards, we recommend a return to day pay, with increased superinten dence, and that task and job shpuld only be re sorted to in cases of emergency, and even then should be confined to the building of ships, and should not be applied in cases of fitting, altering, or repairing. 46. We recommend that with the submission for building of a ship, the Controller-General should also submit a carefully prepared estimate of the entire cost of the ship, distinguishing materials, labour, fitting and rigging, and engines. That in all cases where alteration or repair of a ship is proposed a similar estimate should be prepared. That these estimates should be signed by the Con troller-General, the Constructor, the Engineer-in- Chief of the Navy, and the Master Attendant, Master Shipwright, Chief Engineer, and Store keeper of the dockyard where the ship is to be built, altered, or repaired. V —THE EXPENDITURE IN CONVERTING AND ALTERING THE SHIPS OF YOUR MAJESTY'S NAVY. 47. So far as we are able to erpress an opinion upon a question so purely professional, we believe that the workmanship in the dockyards is excel lent ; but we are of opinion that, under a proper system of dockyard management, large retrench ments may be made in the expenditure, without im pairing the efficiency of the yards. We base this opinion partly upon the evidence, and partly upon the personal observations which have been made in going round the dockyards. 48. We have felt it to be our duty to inquire what alterations have been made in vessels from their original designs, in the course of construction. Excluding the cases of conversion of sailing ships to screws, either before or after they have been launched, the only instances we find of such alte rations are,— The Howe, ordered to be built at Pembroke in Jan., 1855. In Dec., 1857, being at that tirse only in frame, it was decided to lengthen her 15ft. by the bow. The cost of this alteration is said to be £384 ss. 3d. The Immortalite was commenced as a sailing ship in 1849. In June, 1856, being then in frame, she was ordered to be lengthened 14ft. by the stern, 33ft. 6in. in midships, and 4ft. 6in. by the bow, in order to adapt her for the screw. So far this ship is in cluded in the class of alterations from sailing to screw ships. But a second alteration took place by an order dated Feb., 1858, by which she was again lengthened 14ft. by the bow. The difference of ex pense between lengthening the bow 18ft. 16in. at one operation and doing it in two, has been esti mated in the Controller's•office at about £2OO. On the Bth of February, 1845, a drawing was sent to Pembroke to build the Encounter, and on the 19th of May of the same year the Conflict and Desperate were ordered. On the sth of March, 1846, the Enchantress and Harrier, and on the 11th of September, 1846, the Falcon, were ordered to be converted as duplicates of the Encounter, Conflict, and Desperate. By others of the 15th and 19th of July, 1848, the Des perate was altered and lengthened 7 feet by the stern. _ From the memoranda of the superintendent of Pembroke, of the 21st of July, and the 22d of Sep tember, 1851, it appears that portions of the frames of the Enchantress, the Falcon, and the Harrier No. 1, then lying in Pembroke dockyard in a co; verted state, were ordered to be appropriated for building the Swallow of 484 tons, the Ariel, of 486 tons, the Harrier, No. 2, of 747 tons, and the Curagoa, of 1,569 tons. The Petrel was ordered to be built at Devonport in 1857, like the Pantaloon, of 577 tons. In 1858, when the conversion of her frame was nearly com plete, according to Mr. Peake, the Master Ship wright, or onlypone-fifth according to the Controller, she was ordered to be lengthened 9 feet by the bow, and to be built of the increased breadth of 1 foot 3 inches, thereby increasing her tonnage to 669 tons. No alteratiob was made in the Petrel after her keel was laid down. The. Pelican's name first appeared in the list of vessels ordered to be built at Pembroke in 1854; she was then intended to be like the Cruiser, of 748 tons. In 1855 she was ordered to be the same as the Mutine, of 878 tons. In 1858, when her frame was about three fourths cut out, she was ordered to be built of increased length to give her finer lines, and some of her bow-timbers had in consequence to be reconverted. The loss was £75. The Orlando was designed as a 40-gun frigate, and actually built as a 50-gun frigate. No altera tion was made in her at Pembroke in the progress of building. The bulkheads of her magazine were put up at Pembroke ; the fittings of the interior part of the magazine for receiving the powder were done at Keyham ; and it was 'not until these fittings were completed that they found that the quantity of powder that the ship would stow was not equal to the quantity which the Ord nance Department said she must take as her sup ply. The deficiency of room was for about 200 cases. An alteration was therefore proposed by the officers, and approved of by the Surveyor, for taking a piece out of the spirit room and adding it to the after magazine, and for taking down the light room and lighting it from the outside of the shaft alley pas sage. These alterations were carried out an expense of about £4OO. The cause of the magazine being insufficient to hold its powderFwas partly that the Orlando was built for 50 guns instead of 40, and partly that the Ordnance nearly doubled the esta blishment of shells to be kept on board the ship. Other alterations of minor importance were made in the fittings of the Orlando. 49. The evidence of the master shipwrights on the subject of the alterations in these ships is that they were judicious and great improvements on the original designs, and we see no reason to doubt their opinion,_ • 50. The policy of converting a large number of sailing ships to screws can only be justified by the necessity which existed of constructing a screw navy with the least delay, 51. In 1854.55 several floating batteries were constructed with iron defence plates of great thick ness. These batteries were never practically tried, although similar batteries belonging to your Ma jesty's allies were used at Kinburn and found highly efficient.. 52: The principle of the protection afforded by iron defence plates was proved, but no attempt was made to apply it to ships of war generally until 1858. Even now the capabilities of an iron ship of war of the first class protected by iron plates have not been tested, and it remains to be proved whether such ships are efficient for service in your Majesty's navy. 53. We are of opinion that iron shipbuilding should not be carried on in your Majesty's dock yards under the existing system of accounts. It has been stated to us as a reason for commencing iron shipbuilding in the dockyards that it is necessary that your Majesty's Government should have it in their power to test the cost of that de scription of work, so asto have some check upon the contract prices asked by the private builders. This object, if attainable, would be useful, but we believe that under the present system of accounts no such lest could be obtained. In conclusion, we have to report to your Majesty that we have received from the Lords Commis sioners and the officers of the Admiralty, and the officers of the dockyards every facility for carrying out the objects of this Commission. Witness our hands and seals this 11th day of March, 1861. ROBERT DALGLISH. (L.S.) GIFFORD. (L.S.) HENRY POLLARD WILLOUGHBY. (L.S.) ARTHUR PRICE, Secretary. (From the Times.) If nothing of note has been done or promised thus far in the session, our legislators have just been provided with occupation not only for the Easter Recess, but for the year 1861. If we mistake not, this year will be marked in our annals with the Reform of the Admiralty. The Report of the Com missioners appointed to inquire into the control and management of her Majesty's Naval Yards reveals a mystery and a chaos compared with which the 'administration of the various war departments was order itself, and the Government of India responsi bility. It would be hypocrisy to affect either sur prise, or delight, or consternation, or satisfaction. or any other feeling on the perusal of this marvel lous document. The truth is everybody know how it was—that is, everybody at all in the secret of public affairs. For many years men who had been Lords of the Admiralty themselves de nounced the Board as a mere cloak for irresponsi bility. We have lately heard a Secretary of the Admiralty estimating at five millions the expendi ture which he could not check or control. We could any time have filled our paper with stories of dockyard waste and embezzlement, gangs of men idling the whole day, timber and other materials passed and shortly after disposed of as old stores, accounts in hopeless arrears—always with the pro viso that we were not to mention names, but were ourselves to take the part of public prosecutor. We believe there is no man who ever was in office, and not even an intelligent member in either house, who does not know this to be the ordinary state of things in every one of her Majesty's dockyards. The difficulty is how to get at the mischief--how to bare it without making a wound still worse than the original sore. That difficulty has now been boldly met. The slough has been exposed to the light. Here it is—a region without form, and void —void of order, organisation, light, and even offi cial life. It gets worse and worse as we go on. One may understand it taking two or three years to systematise and audit the accounts of the Russian War. One may excuse the accounts of the Irish Famine Relief having never been audited. One is prepared for a Duke running into debt a good mil lion without knowing exactly how. What almost surpasses the power of imagination is that in this businesslike country.and this age, wide awake to every failure and every fraud, the management of our naval yards should'for many years have had no other check than the one single limit which the public impatience might impose. It has had, and still has, ten thousand leaks, without an attempt to stop them. At this moment, with all this hue and cry, there does not appear to be any means of stop ping any amount of waste and fraud. For any thing we can see, all the employes in all the dock yards, seeing the sword of Damocles now actually descending upon them, may resolve to make hay while the sun shines, and this very Easter, before Parliament can apply a remedy, pillage the nation of another million. • The accountants employed by the commission have discovered errors by thousands in every account —errors as to quantities, errors as to times, errors running up from a few shillings to several hundreds, and even to several thousands. Very large items have been omitted in the cost of ships ; items omitted, or repeated, always to the injury of the public. There have been no proper vouchers and receipts. A ptodigions system of jobwork, with a hundred thousand tests, has only entailed the fur ther cost of infinite measurement. There has been no check on the fulfilment of contracts for material Immense accounts have been neither audited nor put to any practical use, till Parliament asks for the cost of some one work, when the accounts are found. insufficient. In the only yard where the calcula tion could be made, it has been found that, exclud ing the cost of fitting up, excluding, too, the immense expenditure on the yard itself, the cost of the mere hulls has been at the rate of £33 a ton. The work has certainly been well done, if that can be a satisfaction where so mach has been done only to be undone, or to be altered, or to be superseded and thrown away altogether. But the cost has been so enormous, and the want of check so clearly proved, that the commission are forced to express an opinion against the dockyards undertaking our new iron-plated ships, As there are not the means of ascertaining the cost of a ship built in the Queen's dockyards, it can never be ascertained whether work can be done cheaper there than elsewhere, even with the plant, the superintendence, and any other expenses left out of the comparison. In all the calculations of cost that have been attempted, about a score of items enumerated in the report, and necessary to the estimates of a private shipbuilder, have been wholly omitted. It has been thought sufficient to add up the artisan's wages and the material used. The convenient item of "general expenditure" has been always at hand to balance any account. These are not doubtful or contro verted points ; they seem to be admitted on all sides, and none are so anxious to extricate the Ad miralty from this "Slough of Despond" as the department itself. At present they are powerless. They feel their situation to be ignominious. It is one the difficulties and miseries of which must ever increase. The greater and the more urgent the demands of our naval defences the less check:will there be on the cost. The recommendations of the Commissioners amount to the same change as that which has been lately accomplished, under the pressure of a similar necessity, in the Departments of War and in the Government of India. We have never yet had a Naval Minister, and till we have one neither ' the House of Commons nor public opinion will ever have a real voice in the management of the Queen's Dockyards. It is therefore proposed to have a Minister of the Navy Department, wholly responsi ble for the management of the dockyards, which are to be conducted as much as possible on the model of an ordinary manufacturing establishment. He is to appoint a Controller-General practically acquainted with the business. This latter is to appoint the Superintendents of the Dockyards, and they in their turn the subordinate officials, in both cases subject to the approval of the Minister. The other arrange ments proposed are of much the same character, all tending to concentrate the responsibility on the Minister himself and alone. It is proposed to place the employes of the Dockyards under the same restrictions as to voting at elections as the ser vants of the other public departments. In fur ther compliance with the demand for entire responsibility no surplus arising on one vote for the Navy Estimates is to be applied to make good a deficiency upon another. With more dis tinct Estimates and Returns it is hoped that Par liament may be better able to see where and how the money goes, and " the reason why" things are not fetter done, or not done at all, The pre sent system of accounts appears to be elaborately devised to elude responsibility, and certainly answers that purpose. The Commissioners illus trate this at a considerable length, and prove their point. They propose a system aiming at an un interrupted chain of subordination, a monthly check, and complete responsibility to Parliament. One principal feature is a complete estimate of the cost of every ship proposed to be built, and any other work to be done. The Commissioners do ample justice to the skill and ability of the dock yard management, as regards the work done, the ships built, or altered. They only believe that the cost has been much more than it need have been. At least, we have had no check upon it, and have no means of knowing whether the bill is fair or a mass of overcharges. The object of the new system proposed is, that we may at least know what we are about for the future. TILE NAVY. The Isis, 44, Capt. F. L. Barnard, destined for the coast of Africa, will, according to orders re ceived yesterday, leave Chatham this day, and drop down to the Nore, where she will be inspected by Admiral Hope Johnstone, Commander-in-Chief. She is still a number of seamen short of her proper complement, but on the vessel arriving at Ports mouth, at which port she is to call, she will have her required number of blue-jackets made up from the supernumeraries at that station. Admiralty orders were received at Chatham yes terday directing the steam floating battery Trusty, 14, 150 horse power, attached to the steam reserve, to proceed forthwith to Woolwich, for the purpose of being fitted with Captain Cole's newly invented shield for protecting the vessel from the effects of shot. On receipt of the order a party of 40 seamen from the Wellesley, 72, guardship at Chatham, were sent on board the Trusty, to navigate her round to Woolwich. The Trusty was the floating battery experimented upon a short time since with the Armstrong and Whitworth guns at Shoebury ness, when the damage she sustained was compara tively trifling. The Etna, 16, 200 horse power, and the Thunder bolt, 14, 150 horse power, floating batteries, now lying at Chatham, have been selected by the Ad miralty to be stationed in the Thames, a short dis tance from Gravesend, for the protection of the river during the erection of the proposed forts and de fences ordered to be built at Thormsted and Coal house-point. The Mersey, 40, screw steamer, Capt. H. Cald well, C. 8., arrived at Spithead yesterday morning from the West Indies under canvass. The news brought by the Mersey from the station has been anticipated by the arrival of the mail steamer at Southampton. The Mersey is very defective in her machinery. The Marlborough, 131, screw, Captain W. H. Stewart, C. 8., was paid off yesterday at Portsmouth in an exceedingly quiet and creditable manner. The whole proceedings only occupied three hours and a half. The ship's cook, Winter, and Chiver ton, one of her boatswain's mates, each received the medal for long service and gOod conduct, and gra tuities. The ship will be recommissioned at once. She is to be supplied with the rigging and gear prepared for the Royal Sovereign, a sister vessel lying in tho steam reuerva at Portemouth. On Thursday it was rumoured at Devonport that the screw steamship Princess Royal, 91, Captain Fellowes, was to be condemned, and that the Re venge or Howe was to take her place. Yesterday orders were issued for transferring her crew to the hulk Vengeance in Hamoaze. The Princess Royal was appointed to go into dock in Keyham steam yard in the afternoon. The gunboat Porpoise was put in commission at Plymouth on Thursday as tender to the Princess Royal. Steam was got up on Thursday on board the gun vessel Surprise, 5, lashed to the jetty in Keyham basin. The screw steam gun vessel Pantaloon, 11, hav ing been masted, was placed yesterday in the basin of the Devonport Dockyard to be rigged. The contract-built screw steam vessel Steady, 5, at Plymouth, is rigged and stored for the first divi sion of the steam ordinary. Yesterday she was hauled out of the basin of the Devonport Dockyard and taken to the south jetty. The gunboat Procris, 3, Lieut. the Hon. J. Car negie, at Plymouth, is intended for the service of the Governor of Gibraltar. The screw steam corvette Jason, 21, Captain Edward P. B. Von Donop, at Plymouth, will have an alteration made in the fans of her screw, and take 'another trial trip before she leaves, and she will probably first embark a 100-pounder Arm strong gun. The very boisterous weather which has prevailed more or less during the last two or three weeks has shown in a marked manner the value of the new harbour of refuge now approaching completion at Portland. During this period there has been fre quently at anchor, sheltered by the breakwater, a number of vessels, amounting to about 100, which have proceeded to sea as the weather has moderated. Since Saturday last, however, the number of vessels seeking shelter has largely increased, and there are now lying at anchor no less than 170, many of them ships of large tonnage on their outward pas sage, and others from foreign ports driven past Cork and Falmouth during the heavy gales that have prevailed since Saturday. All these vessels made the harbour easily, and anchored with perfect safety, no collisions such as frequently occur in more confined roadsteads having taken place. This fact alone is an evidence of the value of Portland as a harbour of refuge, and shows that in this case at least the sums of money so liberally granted by Parliament have not been spent in vain. The ex tent of anchorage protected from every wind is 1,500 acres. On Thursday evening the usual fortnightly lec ture was given on board the gunnery ship Cam bridge, Capt. Jerningham, R.N., in Hamoaze, by Lieut. P. Colomb, Flag Lieut. to Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley. The subject was the rise and progress of the British Navy. The War Department screw steamer Lord Pan mure, H. T. Moore, master, left Plymouth on Thurs day for Woolwich with returned stores. The riggers and seamen from the steam reserve, under Commander Paul, Second Master-Attendant at Devonport Dockyard, embarked on Thursday at Plymouth on board the paddlewheel steam-sloop Geyser, Commander Jackson, and she left for Pem broke. In consequence of the boisterous state of the weather she was compelled to put back, but left again in the evening. Mr. Abethell,7the master shipwright of Ports mouth Dockyard, is appointed an assistant to the Controller of the Navy at the Admiralty. Mr. Moody, late assistant to Mr. Abethell at Ports- mouth, has received an acting order as master shipwright of that dockyard. • A committee have been receiving evidence at the Admiralty on the present mode of paying the men in the navy, which was spoken of in our report of the arrival of Her Majesty's ship Marlborough at Spithead from Malta in The Sun of the 11th inst. It is said to be the intention of the Admi- ralty to give a seaman freer access to his pay in future. According to the present system a man allotting half his pay home can receive all the rest within a balance of about 188, through the year. On the other side, a non-allotting man, if he wishes to enjoy the same privilege of drawing his money close up, must remit it first to England. He can not receive it direct, but is compelled to remit. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty :—W. S. Luke, master, to the Marlborough ; A. E. Mackay, surgeon, to the Marl borough; W. Rumble, inspector of machinery afloat, to the Marlborough ; Walter W. Williamson, chief engineer, to the Marlborough ; Henry Jones, acting first-class assist.-engineer, to the Marlborough; Walter Ash, second-class assist.-engineer, to the Marlborough; Charles Platt, third-class assist.- engineer, to the Marlborough ; G. Purkis, acting third-class assist.-engineer, to the Majestic, for service in the Dapper; Andrew Scobie, W. Pratt, and J. Warner, acting third-class assist.-engineers, to the Marlborough; the Rev. H. T. Clerk, chaplain to the Marlborough; Robert C. Saunders, naval instructor, to the Marlborough ; Francis W. Davis, assist-surgeon, to the Marlborough ; Rinso R. Siccama, assist.-surgeon, to the Impregnable for Plymouth Hospital ; H. M. C. Welsh and H. W. Davidson, master's assists., to the Marlborough ; Frederick Brady, paymaster, to the Marlborough; John H. Mooney and Herbert F. Roe, assist.-pay masters, to the Marlborough ; Robert W. Parish, assist.-paymaster, to be secretary to Commodore Seymour, C. 8.; Bertram Mitford, assist.-paymaster, to be secretary to Commodore M'Cleverty, C. 8.; John F. Rule, clerk, to the Marlborough ; Robert R. Hopkins, assist.-clerk, to the Marlborough ; and Augustus M. R. Hamilton has been nominated to a naval cadetship. BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE. The committee for letting the Bridge-house estates have just presented to the Court of Common Council a report, recommending the demolition of Blackfriars-bridge, and the erection of a new one, and asking for authority to obtain designs and esti mates for the construction of the proposed edifice. They state in their report, which was finished yes terday, that the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail way Company had submitted to them a plan and elevation of the bridge proposed to be constructed under their act for carrying the railway across the Thames at a point below Blackfriars-bridge. The design laid before them had been prepared with the view of constructing the railway bridge in harmony with the existing one, and with nine arches, exactly corresponding in position with those of the old bridge, an arrangement which they state would he very desirable, if that bridge were always to remain in its present condition; but having regard to the proposed embankment of the Thames they think it advisable, if not absolutely necessary, to take down Blackfriars•bridge and erect one with a less number of piers, founded at a greater depth, so as to allow for the future deepening of the river, in which case they say it would be attended with great inconvenience to have a railway bridge of a different construction within the short distance of 110 feet. In April, 1853, the Court of Common Council agreed to a report of the Bridge-house Estates Committee re commending Blackfriars-bridge to be taken down and a new one built. The committee, however, were induced to believe that the bridge might be so well and substantially repaired as to render it equally useful for all purposes required for many years. The resolution, therefore, of the Common Council, authorising the building of a new bridge, was, with the sanction of that body, allowed to drop. Pending the consideration of the repairs suggested to be made to the present bridge, the proposed embank ment of the Thames having been made known, the Common Council determined not to take any further steps for putting the bridge into a permanent state of repair. The committee add that they have exa mined the various plans submitted to the Select Committee of the House of Commons for the Em bankment of the Thames, and that from information they have obtained upon the subject, it appears to them that an embankment according to any plan likely to be adopted will project so far into the river as to stop up some of the present arches of the bridge, and will increase the scour of the river and velocity of the current through the bridge to such an extent as to endanger the stability of the struc ture, unless effectual means be taken to prevent it, the expense of which they consider would be almost equivalent to that of building a new bridge. Under all the circumstances they recommend that the bridge should be taken down and a new one erected, and that they may be empowered to make temporary provision for the traffic. The report is signed by all the members of the committee, 22 in number, including among others, Mr. Valiance, the chairman, Sir Henry Muggeridge, Aldermen Abiss, Rose, and Mechi, and Mr. Sheriff Lusk ; and the whole subject is to be discussed on Tuesday at a Court of Common Council especially convened for the purpose. RAILWAY INT'ELLIG'ENCE. TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE WEEK. -.7 Miles Opened. Receipts. heßailways. ~..___,..____, ~....____.....____, al m X Ballymena and Port Rush.. - - x 1 - / - Belfast and N. Counties, - 100 100 1,472 • 1,528 at Belfast and County Down.. 39 39 611 589 Birkd., Lane., & Ches. June. - - _ _ ss Bl'th and Tyne 22 22 1,376 1,360 Bristol and Exeter 125 125 5,734 ;5,720 Caledonian 11 Cockermouth& Workington 84 84 181 245 Cork and Bandon 2O 20 312 300 in Cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6l 0 1 191 175 Cork and Youghal .... 26 - 212 - Cornwall 531 531 1,202 1,041 r- Deeside l7 17 242 239 Dublin & Belfast Junction 63 63 1,279 1,265 n Dublin and Drogheda 63 63 1,718 1,593 Dub. & Wicklow (in. Kingst ) 401 • 401 1,400 1,236 Dundalk and Enniskillen 5 Dundee and Arbroath l7l 171 643 800 . -2 Dundee, Perth, & Aber. Jun 3l 31 1,120 1,030 4.- East Anglian 671 674 1,006 955 E.Counties,Nrik.,&E.Union 499 499 23,395 23,123 IS Edinburgh and Glasgow 142 142 5,912 5,539 d Edinburgh, Perth,& Dundee 78 78 3,502 3,360 Forth & Clyde Junction Furness , Glasgow & South-Western 1831 1831 7,151 6,528 - Great Northern 283 283 25.0 6 23,894 d Great North of Scotland qt.Southn. & Westn.(lrind.) 329 2494 7,3,1 6,785 Great Western 58 31 5 78 i 35,509 34,198 „ Inverness & Aberdeen June 55 55 721 613 " Irish South-Eastern 251 e Lancashire & Yorkshire 3951 391 33,920 33,415 Leominster and Kington DI, Limerick and Ennis. Limerick and Foynes 2 2 e 177 138 Llanelly 4 4 422 443 London & North-Western London and Blackwall 5l 5 4 1,366 1,349 London & South-Western 1 Lond. Brighton, &S. Coast 221 223 4 13,294 11,573 London, Chatham, & Dover 5 196 818 24 .9 Lond., Tilbury, & Southend 42 40 970 917 slan.,Sheffield, & Lincolnsh 173* 174 11,030 10,581 ' Manch. S.Jun.& Altrincham, 9 4 1,012 , 914 t Maryport and Carlisle Midland (incl. N.-Western) 6141 6144 38,362 37 ,849 . Midland Gt.Westn. of hind 177 177 3,920 3,980 Monkland Monmouthsh. Rail. & Canal 19 44 5 9 6 1 131_5 44 5 709,2 6 : 32:3 2 1 ,,: , 03 , 247 3 5 031634 / 3 800 3 3 1 15253 2 1 1 234 4 2 4E6 7 9 490 8 1 Newcastle and Carlisle 7B North British (incL Selkirk and Gal ashiels) North Devon 35 35 403 427 I N-Eastern(Bedale&Leybrn) 764 764 , North London 9 9 2,360 2,347 North Staffordshire 246 233 7 , 655 7,680 ' Oswestry and Newton 21 9 04 Rhymney 691 620 St. Helen's Canal & Railway 30 Scottish Central Scottish North-Eastern ll5 115 3,880 3,795 Shrewsbury & Birmingham 291 294 7 - 72 54 24 81 1 2 1 :9 8 7 9 1 7 1,659 Shrewsbury and Chester Shrewsbury & Hereford 27 5 291 1 4 Shropshire Union 17,4 9 3 7 0 5 1 2 6,2 17)01 4 5 3 8 South Devon South-Eastern 306 306 South Wales l7l/ 1711 6 ,860 6,371 S. Yorkshire and River Dun 118 118 3 , 4 53 3,268 Stockton and Darlington Taff Vale 5B 54 4 ,2 0 3 4,756 Ulster Ulverstone and Lancaster Vale of Clwyd.. lO - 157 102 Vale of Neath 35 35 1,748 1,460 Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 352 345 Waterford and Limerick 77 77 1,475 1,137 West Cornwall 271 274 .731 668 W. Hartlepool Harbr.&Rail 39 39 3,706 3,593 West Midland. W'haven,Cleator,&Egrmnt 7 7 406 441 Whitehaven Junction l2 12 635 686 Whitehaven & Furness Jun 35 35 608 681 FOREIGN AND COLONIAL Antwerp and Rotterdam 52 52 876 752 Austrian B2B 673 36,58.) 51,356 Belgian Eastern Junction 264 264 242 260 Buffalo and Lake Huron Demerara (fortnight) Detroit and Milwaukie lB5 185 1,664 1,575 ' Dutch Rhenish lOBl 1081 3,313 2,850 Eastern of France 1032 1006 49 , 55 1 42,777 Grand Trunk of Canada 970 970 13,009 11,601 4 Great Indian Peninsula 2974 2731 4 , 37 6 3,934 Great Luxembourg l2B 128 2,866 2,108 Great Western of Canada 345 345 9,056 8926 Lyons and Geneva . 142 142 5,178 3 446 Madrid, Saragossa &Alicant 301. 284 14,470 10,413 ... Northern of Canada Northern of France 620 602 Norwegian Trunk 44 44 43,404 42,536 Paris, Lyons, & Mediterrn 879 840 .- B _ 9 _ l 70 5 Paris and Orleans 922 922 oa,zu3 65,681 Paris and Strasburg - 51,034 44,273 Royal Danish 69 69 Sambre and Meuse 6B 574 537 1 , South Austrian 904 Southern of France ~ 777 826 40,494 32,37 1 Welland .. 25 773 21,230 18,326 -75 34,400 33,8 g West Flanders .. • 75 W. and N.W. of France.... 742 730 [ADVERTISEMENT.] Pills and medicine invariably ag gravate and perpetuate diseases; their annoyance, dis appointment, and expense may be avoided by persons in indifferent health sending only their address to E. Barry,s. Esq., 77, Regent- s t reet, W., London, and they will receive gratis and free by post the "INVALIDS' OwN GUIDE," or Natural Restorer, without medicine or ex p'nse, of perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, and refreshing sleep, to the most enfeebled, insuring the removs. of indigestion (dyspepsia), constipation, liver complaints nausea, epilepsy, paralysis, debility, nervousness, palpitatiot , cough, asthma, consumption, dropsy, flatulency, diarrhoea, dysentery, biliousness, fevers, sore throats, catarrhs, colds, noises in the ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, palpi tation, heartburn, headache, despondency, cramps, spasms. sinking, fits, bron 9lll t lo . — "UnQUestionnbly Ike naiad aside tt? health.", COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL—MARcH 22. There was a fair attendance of both town and country dealers at this morning's market, and we had but a mode rate consumptive demand for wheat, at an advance of ld per cental. More inquiry for flour, at the late advance:of 6d on the week. Oats and oatmeal in limited sale, but at the previous currencies. Barley and peas were also un changed. Indian corn not much inquired, at barely former rates. WAKEFIELD-MARCH 22 The supplies of grain here to-day were very good. The wheat trade rather firm, and for good descriptions there was a quiet demand, but at no advance on the former rates ; other kinds a limited trade. Fine barley at late quotations, but other sorts is cheaper. Beans steady. Oats for seed at late rates, but other kinds at lower values. Averages for the week : Wheat . 1,562 qrs., at 58s lid Oats 8ar1ey......... 655 4os 81d Peas ... 66 — 46 s Oid Beans ll5 — 47 s 11td Rye — -3 —d EXETER-MAROR 22. Wheat, white.. 78 6d to 8s 6d Barley.. 4s 3d to'ss 9d I Ditto new .6s 6d to 8s Od Oats .. 2s 9a 1.,:t 38 Od Flour, fine, 48s to —s; seconds, 46s to —s per sack. CATTLE. There was a good supply of cattle, with a dull sale, at about last week's currencies. Fat beef,p score, lis to 12si Ewes, per lb .... 61d to 7id Pork carcases,do 10s 6d to lls Wethers, d 0...... ad to 8d Sheep, per lb. Od to —d Fat calves, d 0.... 6d to bid Rough fat, 4td per lb. SHEFFIELD—MARCH 19. Red wheat, per lead of 3 imperial bushels...24s Od to 288 Od White 7, 7 , ...258 Od to 28s Od New red , ~, ...20s Od to 22s Od New white ~ 1 , ...22s Od to 26s Od Beans ff ~ ... 16s Od to 22s 6d Peas, per qr Grindmg barley, per qr 33s Od to 35s Od Malting ditto, „ 3ss Od to 43s Od Oats ~ 2ss 6d to 348 Od Millers' prices for flour-2s 3d, 2s sd, and 2s 8d per 141 b. HIILL--31A.RcE 19. Wheat.... Old white per qr. 658 Od to 68s ea Old red New white .. „ New red .... , Dantzic, Konb , &c. old white 63s Od to 68s Od Dutch, Belgian, and French. 60s Od to 62s Od Baltic and Hamburg, red 6os Od to 62s Od St. Petersburg and Riga, old s2s Od to 55s Oct Barley.... English malting 3 Bs Od t o 44s ua Grinding 328 Od to 36s Octa Saal and Oderbruck Holstein and Danish 3Bs Od to 40s Od Grinding Oats English, old Archangel and Riga, per at Os 14d to 140 Friesland and Dutch oBl4ld to 0815 d Swedish and Danish oBl4d to 08140 Beans ....English, old, per qr sos Od to 65s Od New pigeon 44s Od to 45s Od New tick Egyptian 3Bs Od to 40s Od Peas Foreign breakers Grinding Tares .... Spring , —s Od to —s Od Indian Corn Linseed, feeding crushing Linseed cakes (Hull) £9 15 0 to £lO 0 0 Foreign 9 5 oto 10 0 0 Rape cakes 6 6 oto 610 0 Bones 515 oto 6 0 0 MELTON MOWBRAY—Mh.noR 20. There was about an average show of wheat to-day, which sold at last week's extreme rates for good descriptions. Barley little inquired for, at barely late rates. For oats our quotations were sustained Prices :—White wheat, 543 Od to 63s Od; red, 50s Od to 60s per 36 stone; beans steady, but slow, at 60s to 55s for old ; new 50s per 38 st. ; barley, 32a to 42s for malting, and 28s to 34s per qr. for grinding ; oats, 29s to 38s Od per 24 stone. NEWARK- White wheat, new, 608 to 78s Red do. 548 to 728 Old white 6os to 78s Red do. s4s to 72s Barley, malting 388 to 43s Peas, .... MARCH 20. Barley, grinding 30s to 35s Oats, old, . 34s to 37s New do 289 to 329 Beans.. 52a to 58s Beans, new 38s to 45s 44s to 555. LYNN—MARoa 19. Old white 56s to 62s I Old red 51s to 56s Barley . . 3Bs to 43s I Oats.. Beans .38s to 44s I Peas 48s to 548 CORK—MARcu 21. The following were the quotations this morning :—Red wheat, 22s Od to 29s 0,3 ; white, 29s Od to 338 Od; barley 17s 6d to —8 Od ; oats, 13s Od to 160 d. EDINBURGH GRAIN—MARCH 20. Wheat on the top 7s Od up average 2s Od down. Barley on the top 2s Od down .average Os Id up. Oats on tho top Os 4d down average Os 10d up. Beans on the top is 6d down average Os lid up. Averages per Imperial quarter, Wheat.... . £2 16 2 0-12ths IsTcw vs , 1a.c.6 -12ths Barley 2 0 3 3-12ths Oats 1 11 0 8-12ths Beans Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .1016 qrs Sold 741 qrs 8ar1ey........ 803 qrs Sold 639 qrs Oats 2179 qrs .. Sold 1351 qre Beans 334 qrs Sold 263 qrs BRISTOL SUGAR—MARCH 22. We have again had a very quiet market for raw sugars, without any quotable change in values. Refined goods in retail demand at late currencies. No change in rum, and little business doing. COAL MARK] (frloes of Coal per Ton ai .T —MARCH 22 the dose of the market s. d. Lambert's West Hart ley 15 3 Carway and Duffryn Malting 24 0 Tanfield Moor l3 0 Tanfield Moor Butes 13 0 Hastings Hartley l5 0 Walker Primrose . . l2 6 Davison's West Hart ley ....15 3 Holywell 15 6 Straker's West Hartleyls 0 Wylam 15 6 s. d. Walls End. Framwellgate l6 9 K T S South II ett o n 18 6 . 17 0 Keiper Grange.... ..17 0 Heugh Hall 16 9 Tunstall Cassop South Kelloe.. 17 6 Sheriff Hill 14 6 Hetton .. lB 9 Acorn Close l6 9 Eden 16 9 88 ; sold, 39. Ships at marks' THE MAILS. MAILS DUE. Australia, Ceylon, and Mauritius (via South. ampton) . • • • • • • • • .. Mar. 21. Do. (via Marseilles) April 12. Brazil and Cape Verde .. • .. April 4. Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. Cuba and Mexico .. .. April 1. Canada, &c. (via L'derry) •• .. March 20. Cape o Good Hope, &c. • .. April 3. China, Penang, and Singapore (via S'ampton) Mar. 21. Do (via Marseilles) Mar. 29. Gibraltar (via Southampton) .. .. Mar. 21. India (Calcutta), Ceylon, &c. (via Southampton) Mar. 21. Do. (via Marseilles) Mar. 29. India (Bombay), (via Southampton) .. Mar. 28. Do. • (via Marseilles) .. .. Mar. 22. Lisbon Mar. 21. Malta, Egypt, and Aden (via Southampton) .. Mar. 21. Do. (via Marseilles) .. Mar. 22. Vigo, and Oporto .. •._ . .. Mar. 2/. United' States, California, &c. .. Mar. 28. Western Coast of Attica ' Madeira, Teneriffe .. April 10. West Indies and P ac ific, Carthagena, Cuba, &o. April 1. LADVERTISEMENT.3—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills. — Relief for all Sufferings. —The grand secret of attaining happiness is to secure health ; without which, whatever other blessings are possessed, life is stripped of all its plea a nd surer. aa € r The ig h right first y i r t r h e a g u sufferer,l ari t y o f w fu h n o c t lo a n . shoul d alway always a d c o h s e o ck4 using Holloway's purifying medicaments according to his instructions; which are so intelligible that all who read can understand them. Holloway's remedies, seasonably applied, always prevent, or cut short, disordered action, and save families much anxiety and suffering. In all throat and chest affections, so common to our climate, this Oint ment well rubbed upon the throat, back, and chest, will successfully oppose every insidious symptom and re-esta blish health. BIRTHS. LANE. --On the 21st inst., at pebden Hall, Saffron Walden, the wife of Captain Douglas Lane, late 17th Lancers, of a daughter. SITWELL.—On the 20th inst., at 32, Brook-street, Gros venor -square, the wife of Sir Reresby Sitwell, Bart., of a daughter. SHIRLEY.—On the 20th inst., at 118, Eaton-square, the wife of Evelyn Philip Shirley, Esq., M.P., of a daughter. M A. RR [AGES. FITZMA.URICE—OUSELEY—On the 21st inst., at St George's Church, Hanover-square, the Hon. Jas. T. Fitzmaurice, R.N., son of the Right Hon. the Earl of Orkney, to Frances R. Ouseley, daughter of Sir W. Gore Ouseley, K.C.8., LL.D. WELSTEAD—WYATT.—On the 20th inst., at St. Holier's, Jersey, John R. Welstead, Esq., of Kimbolton,: Hnnt ingdonshire, to Brenda Fanny, eldest daughter of Colonel Wyatt, 65th Regt. DEATHS. AUBERTIN.—On the 20th inst., at Banstead, Surrey, Ca therine, the eldest surviving daughter of the late Peter Aubertin, Esq., aged 91. BEST.—.On the 19th inst., Norris Best, Esq., of Bilston, Staffordshire, aged 81. BENTHAM.—On the 22d inst., at Woolwich, Mary, widow of the late Major Bentham, R.A., aged 70. HAY.—On the 19th inst., at Dunragit, N. 8., Sir James Dalrymple Hay, Bart., aged 72. HARKNESS.-011 the 21st inst., at 9, Finsbury-circus, W. W. Harkness, Esq., only son of the late Geo. Harkness, Esq., formerly of Lloyd's, aged 25. LAVANCHY.—On the 21 st inst., at Passy, near POO Francis Frederic Lavanchy, Esq., aged 65. LONDON : Printed and Published by 3IURDO YOUNG, of Na 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office, No. 112,Straud , in the Precinct of the Savoy, In the County o t mildlesex Saturday, March 23, 1861. Ine( Mei to E lax; Ileg dea find ser i and cres E reg.' 2s. c 0 deb our sor( blot Lon hei abo , Los of b en M. ad im T] en ou gai ea] Co fro Pr( an. an. bil cx4 Lo