The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-04 00:00:00

THE CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.

Six voluminous Parliamentary papers were issued
yesterday, showing the probable cost of the civil depart-
ments of the Government during the year ending on the
31st of March, 1861. The first document relates to
" Public 'Works and Buildings," the second to the
" Salaries and Expenses of Public Departments," the
third to "Law and Justice," the fourth to "Education,
Science, and Art," the fifth to the " Colonial, Consular,
and other Foreign Services," and the sixth to' "Super-
annuation and Retired Allowances and Gratuities for
Charitable and other Purposes."
The total cost of public works and buildings during
the financial year on which we have just entered is
estimated at £621,990, showing a decrease from last
year of £171,854. A large portion of this decrease
arises from the diminution of the expenditure on Holy-
head Harbour, which absorbed £BO,OOO last year, and
will only require £30,000 this year. £24,130 is saved
in the expenditure on probate courts and regis-
tries, the cost of maintaining which during the year
will not exceed £5,000. The large expenditure of last
year on Portpatrick Harbour is almost totally extin-
guished, and a saving of £20,000 thus effected, and
£lB,OOO are saved in the expenditure of the new Rouses
of Parliament, which are expected to absorb £39,597.
Of the thirteen items in the estimate, all but one—that
of " Kingstown Harbour "—require a smaller disburse-
ment than they did last year, and in the exceptional
case the increase is trifling. •
The second estimate, that of the salaries and expenses
of public departments, is more serious in its amount
than the first. The total for the year 1860 i 9
£1,413,503, a sum, strange to say, within £8 of the
corresponding sum last year. The most considerable
item in this estimate is that of Printing and Sta-
tionery," and although the cost is slightly less than it
was last year, it remains at the large amount of £335,285.
The detailed account of this item is accompanied by
a letter from Mr. J. R. M'Culloch, the comptroller of

:he stationery office, to Mr. Samuel Laing, m.p.,

explaining the efforts which have . been made in his
department for the reduction of expenditure. Par-
liamentary printing, he says, will cost less than
formerly, the patent of lier Majesty's printers having
expired. " Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode have, how-
ever, been continued as printers of the acts, under an
arrangement which may be terminated at any time that
Government may think fit, and at rates of charge that are
more than 50 per cent. under those that were formerly
allowed 'for the same se►vice. It is but fair to
Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode to say that they
offered no opposition to the new arrangements, which
it is hoped may be fur their advantage as well
as for that of the public." Mr. M'Culloch anti-
cipates a diminution of £12,000 of expenditure in
consequence of the repeal of the paper duty. "The
cost of printing for commissions is much greater than
would be readily imagined. There are at this moment,
or were very lately, about eighteen commissions iu
existence; and they all, or mostly all, either have had,
or will hare, very large demands for printing.
And were it not for the new plan that has been
adopted of printing the evidence taken by commissions,
its cost would have been much greater." The new
plan to which he refers is that of printing the evidence
in double columns, by which arrangement a smaller
type can be used,. and, a saving effected in paper.
The "Postage of public departments will cost £21,375
more this year than formerly, the total amount of
the item being' £128,625." 'The War Office is
guilty of the greatest expenditure under this head,
requiring £20,000 to defray its postal expenses.
A very important item in the estimate we are now
examining is that of "Poor-law Medical Relief," its
amount being £103,000, but its details are not explained.
Large as the sum is, it is not the whole required by the
Poor-law department. The Poor-law Commissioners
require £68,669, the Poor-law auditors of unions
£19,300, and the Poor-law schoolmasters £32,000. The
offices attached to the Houses of Parliament require
£87,485 for their maintenance, and the Foreign Office
£62,145. In the expenses of this office a reduction of
£20,655 has been effected, the expense of last year being
greater by that amount than those of the year 1860.
The total cost of Law and Justice in the United
Kingdom is to be £2,565,301 during the year on which
we have now entered. Of this sum England requires
£756,943, Scotland £140,951, and Ireland £857,816.
The remainder of the two and a half millions, £779,591,
is absorbed by the prison and convict services at
home and abroad. Each. of these items is greater than
that corresponding to it in the estimates for the past
year, and the total increase is £20,651. In addition to
these sums, £422,679 in England, £112,539 in Scotland,
and £177,202 in Ireland, arc chargeable on the Con-
solidated Fund under the head "Courts of Justice."

The expenses to be incurred in advancing education,
science, and art during this year are, in all, £1,305,912.
Of this £798,167 are spent on public education in
Great Britain, £270,722 on public education in Ireland.
The only other large item in this estimate is that of the
British Museum, which requires £100,850. Although
there are certain item° which are heavier this year than
they have been formerly, their total shown a diminution
of expenditure from last year to the extent of £22,541.
The colonial, consular, and other foreign services,
will require £484,012 during this year, about half being.
paid to consuls abroad. The superannuations and retired
allowances will require £177,713, and the donations to
charitable institutions raise the vote to £263,910, a
greater sum by £lO,OOO than the equivalent in 1859.

THE COMMISSION OF VOLUNTEER
OFFICERS.

Yesterday an influential meeting of the officers of the
Volunteer Corps' of Liverpool and Birkenhead, took
place at the Cotton Sales-room, Exchange-buildings, to
• protest against the interference with the meaning of
the law respecting the position of Volunteer officers
recently made in some quarters: Colonel Brairne, the
• senior officer of the Liverpool Volunteers, was called
upon to preside. There were about seventy-seven
officers present, amongst whom we noticed the following
gentlemen : --:Lie utl-Col. W. Brown; Major Walter, Artil-
lery ; -Lieut. Cunningham, 42nd Lancashire ; Ensign
Bacon, 16th Lancashire ; Ensign Horsfall ; Ensign
Baron.; Captain Cadell, Ist Cheshire ; CaptainM'lnroy ;
Captain Parr, 22nd Lancashire ; Captain Bushby, 6th
Lancashire; Captain poulei ; Lieut. Jones, 39th Lan-
cashire; Captain Tinley, sth Lancashire ; 'Captain V.
King, Cheshire; Captain F.-J. Eaton, 15th Lancashire;
Captain Harrison, Cheshire i Captain Bentley; Lieut.
Henshall, Ist, Lancashire; Captain Griffiths, 39th Lan-
cashire ; Ensign Cotton, Lieut. JKing, Captain Bons-
field, Captain Robertson; list Lancashire ; Captain
M'Cullock, Captainitforgan, Artillery; Captain Brady,
Lieut. Gee, 14th Lancashire ; Limit. C. Bean, Artillery ;
Captain R. C. ,Hamilton, 15th Lancashire ; Captain
Radcliffe, Artillery ; Captain Tucker, 15th LanCashire ;
Captain Campbell, Lieut. It obertson, Artillery; Ens4U
Deeley, Limit. Martin, 38th Lancashire ; Lieut. Howard,
Ensign bfaeon,.lst Istneashire. .
,The Chairman .briefly opened the business of the
meeting, regretting that some person of. greater ability
than himself had not beeO placed in' the 'chair. From
the little experiente whieh•hahad, he felt that -gentle-
men who gave a large portion of their time ,to their
country. were entitled to rank equal with the officers of,
militia and the line.
Colonel Biow's moved that, inasmuch as by the 26th
section 'of the General-Volunteer Act, under which the
office/4 a Volunteer ems receive their commissions,
it is enacted "Tbst all officers in Corps of Volunteers,having commissions from his Majesty onLietitenants of
Counties, shall rank With the officers of his" Majesty's
Regular and Militia Forces. as the youngest of their
respective ranks,",--we, officers of Volunteer Corps, in
public meeting assembled, having been informed that
attempta to interfere with the full meaning of the law
have been recently made, and feeling that such proceed-
ings are calculated seriously to diminish the influence
which our:commissions are, intended tuconfer, earnestly
protect !gal.* any infringement of our, just .privileges."
He stated that if the Volunteers were to be discouraged,
, ,
the object for which • they were organised would be
defeated. To- be unable to appear in Court with his
uniform on, .and a's a .colonel, he felt was .degrading,
and should not
-be snbmitted 'to. The VOlimteers sup-
ported themselves, and took no money from the State in
order to preserve her Majesty and maintain the honour
of the country among 'the nations of -the earth. Al
interference with their• jnst rights aga., privileges was
unjustifiable; and, if continued, would certainly, lead
to the resignation of many partiei. •
Major WALTER seconded the resolution, and read the
following letter from Captain Adam S. Gladstone :
" Dear• Major Walter,---I regret exceedingly- that I
am called out of town this afternoon, and will not,
therefore, be able to second the resolution to be proposed ,
at the meeting of the -volUnteers. Desiring, as I heartily
do, to see thein'in the enjoyment of their, rights and
privileges accorded • under - the commissions; which
appear to me very. clearly defined in the Act
of parliament, h entirely concur in the object of
the tiverPool Meeting." Ue (Valor Walter) said, that
to hear their venerable colonel Say lie felt it a *lda-
don to be iinehle 1o: rear hid 4111ifirm in 9(009 was a
sole* exKlopeineutpf the resolution, and they required
very few wards from_ any other person. The act was
plain enough; tb,ey asked fur uothilig new; they only
desired 04.4 t their just privileges might be accorded to
them,
Colonel BOURNE said that he felt that it was all a
miktake, and that no insult was intended.
.rte !notion wag tmaninfoully.carried.
Captain Bonstimm Proposed " That a copy of the
previous resolution beforwarded to the T 4014 ilitell.a4t.
of the county, with a respeetfill'resnest that he Fill exert
his intluence to maintain .the privileges accorded to
the volunteer body by act of Parliament," which was
seconded by Captain Vincent' King.
' On the Motion breelonel Brown, seconded by Captain
Hamilton, the thanks of-the meeting were accorded to
the chain:anti for.preding, •

Lord Panmure has left Brechin Castle, N. 8., for the
german Baths.

IDAY, MAY 4, 1860.

TRAINING SHIPS.

If ow that the state of our naval reserve has attracted
considerable attention, some account of the training
ships, in which the naval volunteers are drilled, will
not be without its interest.
Those who go on board expecting to see the neat
dicipline and uniformity of dress which prevails
on board a regular man-of-war, will be disappointed.
Gold lace and quarter-deck routine is wisely kept
as much in the back-ground as possible. Thus
the men, being all merchant seamen, come in what
dress they like, and as long as they go through their
28 days' drill iu the course of the year—doing duty
at whatever periods are most convenient to themselves
—they earn their £lO, and can go about their business
till the twelvemonth has expired, when they take
twenty-eight days more in the same manner. Those
on board the Brilliant, a 26-gun frigate, now lying in
West India Docks, are all in the West India trade, and
as a matter of course prefer to take their twenty-eight
days' drill at once. Those in the coasting and home
trades take four drills of seven days each, whenever
they choose, in the intervals between their regular
voyages. On board the Brilliant, as in all the other
vessels, the men come on board at half-past nine in the
morning, when they are mustered and told off to their
guns in time to commence at ten o'clock. From this
till twelve they work at the guns, when they are allowed
two hours for dinner, falling in again at two and drill-
ing till half-past four, when they dismiss and go home,
having, of course, all the rest of the d.ty to themselves.
These hours are easy enough, yet, short as they are,
from the men liking the exercise (especially the broad
sword), they contrive to make astonishing proficiency
when the time of their drill is taken into consideration.
Yesterday on board the Brilliant, from the time the
word was given to fall in till they had tired three rounds
from each gun at 400, 600, and 800 yards' elevation.
was only four minutes—a most creditable result when it
is recollected that some of the men had only been a week
at quarters and none had fully completed their twenty-
eight days.
The advantages which are held out to induce the able
seamen to join this reserve are apparently so great that
one requires to investigate carefully the causes which
have led the mass of the able seamen, up almost to the
present time, to regard the whole plan with a feeling
which, if not quite dislike, was at least one of con-
siderable suspicion. Each man during drill receives
a guinea a week pay, in addition to the £6 yearly,
paid every quarter, half-year, or year, as he may please.
During actual service in the navy (if they are ever called
upon) they receive the same pay as continuous service
men, or about 9s. a month more than other able seamen.
They are entitled to receive the same bedding, clothing,
and mess traps on joining as those that ship for con-
tinuous service ; and after enrolment in the volunteers
for 15 years. whether called out or not, they can claim
their discharge and their pension forthwith. With such
inducements it was not unnaturally thought that the
men would flock to be enrolled in hundreds. Yet,
though some three months have elapsed since the
scheme was promulgated, very little more than 1,000
able seamen have been entered. These, however, it
must be admitted, are all picked men ; and, as the
weekly number of enrolments now shows a steady
increase, there seems very little doubt but that before
the year expires at least between 3,000 and 4,000 will
be on the lists. The proportion of petty officers and
able seamen to ordinary seamen and boys employed in
the navy is about one-third, and scarcely any of the
best manned vessels now in the Channel Fleet muster
more than 250 able seaman among their blue-jackets.

One cause of dissatisfaction still remains, and that is
that the seamen du not receive their quarter's bounty on
entering the reserve, but only when they have completed
the three months, and this rule is adhered to, though in the ,
great majority of instancesno drill is demanded at all during
this first quarter. No Glass of the community is more accessi-
ble to the inducements of ready money payment than sailor,
and none, as a general rule, areso little influenced by pro-
spective advantages. Therefore, when to the suspicion of
being sent abroad is added to the drawback of having
to wait three months before they get their bounty, only a
very superior and provident class of seamen (always a
minority) wilt join the reserve at all. There is not the
least doubt but that if the men received their bounty in
proportion as they completed a quarter's or six months'
drill it would be easy to raise a reserve of 8,000 or even
10,000 men, within a very short space of time.
One most important feature in favour of the Naval
Reserve is that some of the seamen's unions in the north
have through their delegates now warmly taken up its
cause, and are forward in advocating its claims upon the
support of the men. Such aid on the part of the most
provident and careful body of seamen in the country, is
of course most important, and will soon yield good
results. Masters of vessels also give a decided preference
to reserve men, as naturally the most steady and best
trained, and this also is slowly, though surely, producing
its effect. If the government were only bold enough
and liberal enough to take one step more and pay the
able seamen in the navy at the same rate which they
now receive in the merchant service, we should hear of
no more difficulties as to want of seamen. This increase
Would add only £140,000 a year to the estimates—a
small sum for so great a good.

" Bridget, bring me the castor oil, the baby is sick."
" It's all gone, marm, not a drop left." " All gone.!
why, we have not opened the bottle." " Sure you ha*
had it every day,_and I have seen you use it myself on
your salad." "Why, you don't say we have been eating
castor oil every day during the salad season ?" " Sure you
have." "But did you not see the bottle was labelled
Castor Oil ?" "Sure and I did, marm ; and didn't I
put it into the castor, eyery day
THE WEATHER IN THE LARE DISTRICT.—North-east
winds 'still prevail, with occasional snow and hail
showers and severe frosts at night. Skiddaw and the
adjoining mountains continue to wear their wintry garb.
Vegetation makes no progress, and the mountain sheep
are consequently suffering severely from the protracted
rigours and want of fodder. So severe a winter has not
been experienced in the lake district for the last twenty-
three years. The destruction of mountain sheep being
very, great, the loss on the sheep farms must be immense.
—Cumberland .Pacquet. - .
PROVERBS WORTH PRtfilitOlNo.—Hasty people drink
the wine of life scalding hot.—Death is the only master
who takes his servants without a character.—Content is
the mother of good digestion.—When pride and poverty
marry together, their children are want and crime.—
Where hard work kills ten, idleness kills a hundred
men.—Folly- and pride walk side by side.—He that
sorrows binds.himself with his neighbour's robe.—He.
that is too good for good advice, is too good -for hit
neighbour's company.—Friends and photographs never
flatter.— Wisdom is always at home to those who call.—
The firmest Mends ask the fewest favours. , .
The chief gainers in the re-distribution of European
territory by the Congress of Vienna were the four Con-
tinental Towers—Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Holland.
France herself lost nothing and gained nothing in terri-
tory at the Congress.; but was obliged by the Treaty of
sienna to give up, several of her most important frontier
ortresses---towarcls the Netherlands, on the Rhine—and
at the Alps.-whiell were delivered into the hands of an
allied army 0f.160,000 men, for the term of three years,
in order to consolidue the throne of Louis XVIII. The
latter was, even to Talleyrand, the most humiliating
part of theme' of 1815, and remains as a kind of insult
which the French nation has scarcely forgotten.—From
" The Great Congretses of Europe," in Once a Week.
Brwiair OF At( It,i, TE*esa.,---Parents, whose chil-
dren are the most sensitive and have the greateit
docility, take heed to this :—Ye seek teachers for them
at home, or masters at the public schools—men of com-
petent erudition, of urbane.habits, of unsullied morals,
of cultivated tastes—and ye do well. 'Tet some such
qualification's, at least, may. be found by us every day in
conjunction with nn-Christianlike propensities and con-
tentious tempers. These last are not less teachable
than Latin or Greek. It is easier to cross the bridge 9f
dogmatism than that of science. A man's feelings and
affection* are as Momentous to his happiness as a first
class. Our children's -faces are like mirrors, with this
difference, that the evil tempers which they reflect from
other faces may :remain, all life long, both there and
upon the heart.
EAST COAST PISUIRIES.—The fishing interest on
the east coast, frota London as far north as Scarborough,
embraces 1,757 vessels, with a total tonnage of 75)633
tons, and empl9es- 23,072 men, and an invested capi-
tal of about £002,099. The export of cured and'
salted fish to. foreign countries is large, - but not
so extensive as it alright be in consequence of ,E%-
lish tsh 'being practically excluded—by ditties in
'many cases more than double- file 'value of the fish—
friom the Preach. and Spanish markets. Taking 1121b.5.
weight as an illustration, the average value of fish on
the east coast is:—Soles;-355; turbot, 50s;~ cod, 31:13;.
plaice, skate, and roker, 8s; fresh herrings, 12s; salted.
ditto, lOs i dried heriings, 16s ; fresh haddocks, 12s ;
dried ditto, 20s; mackerel, 30s;
,pilchards, 12s; - and the'
parties engaged in the trade urge on the Board of Trade
the importance of obtaining a moderate and uniform ad
valorem duty, not exceeding 30 per cent, upon British
fish imported.- into France, Spain, and other European
countries.
VISIT OF PRINCE ALFRED TO WOOMF AND
BLACKWALL. —His Royal Highness Prince'. Alfred;
accompanied by Lieut.-Colonel T. Cavendish, hai bein
at Woolwich, and-visited the ateain factory department,
for Ale purpose' of i4ecting ti- vertical bciiler, made at,
Birmingham, . ftOut a design Of the Earl of Dan.
donald, and forwarded to Woolwich for experimental
purposes: • After ' 'visiting - the . numerous fActories,
and inspecting the ponderous Machinery of the depart-
ment, the improvements in which were pointed
out y Mr. Atherton, chief engineer, his Royal High-
ness prOCeeded to the basin, fo,r the purpose of viewing
the Bane; OW first of a new °lase of gunboats
now completed, and other vessels in a fatter a. - state.
The Prince afterwards visited the works of. the Thames
Iron Shipbuilding Company, and his Royal Highness
was much interested in minutely inspecting the enormous
steamram vessel now building for the government at
Bow-creek. He then visited the East India Docks, in
order to inspect the diagonal principle of ship,Widing,
as exhibited in Mr. Robert Tnylerson,'s, Uoutper-
ship, Fanny *twat, klr. Tuyierion explaine the
copstruotion 9f..t4e iibip to his royal visitor, - Ourlously
e 11010; the 'eery ship On - wire in, built lately at
Port-Glasgow, haft Iktistoelt4 a very severe collision in
=lug round, and had received scarcely any injury at
all. She had actually been run down by a large vessel,
which struck her nearly amidships, and beyond aania
injury to the deck bulwarks she was perfAiiTseathelen,
the iron plates not having eA driVdi 'in' at alit 13tit
for
11,Cx. .4;1i1 Ml‘itTAtti!6 947
After
In* Drobegly have
Uee,ll. si4 trodoß t* 944,10,1. r partaking of some
slight refreshment tile Prince left,. aunt* tlle-varm
Cheering of' the few' accidental- paverk li)y.. Nita. had
gathered near the ship, eiiid too boat 14 Blackwell with
hiS military aid naval ettepdat*,