The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-24 00:00:00

SUPPLY.-NAVY ESTIMATES.

The house went into committee of supply on the navy
estimates.

Lord C. PAGET proceeded to explain the naval esti•
mates for the coming year. In doing so the noble lord
said he should carefully abstain from entering into a 'com-
parison of our navy with that of France or any other
powers, which he thought was calculated only to excite imi-
tation and ill feeling. The votes for the current year
amounted to 11,794,3061., whilst those for 1863-64 were
estimated at 10,736,0321., showing a decrease of 1,038,2731.
There was only one item upon which there was any im-
portant increase, and that was for the transport service;
upon all the others there was a decrease, with the exception
of the vote for the pay of the seamen, upon which the decrease
was apparent, not real. The diminution in the vote for arti-
ficers was chiefly caused by the great redaction which had
taken place in the construction of sailing ships. With re-
gard to the progress made in armour-plated ships, we had
now 21 under construction and at sea. The Warrior, Black
Prince, Defence, and R4.1111i111)00, which were all at sea,
bad been tried under various circumstances, end he was
happy to say that they had proved to be good sea bosta.
The Resistance, however, which was of the smaller clue,
was the fastest of the whole, having steamed 1l knobs at
the measured mile. These ships would be followed by
the Royal Oak, the Prince Consort, and the Hoo-
ter, which would be ready for sea in July. The
Caledonia would be completed in September, the
Enterprise in October, and the Royal So
one of Captain Celee's turret ships, io Novemberveovret-
camber. By the end of the year, therefore, we should
have altogether nine heavy armour-plated frigates and one
small one ready for sea; and by the spring of next year
be anticipated having a still farther development of
iron- plated ships by the completion of the Ocean,
Valiant, Prince Albert (another of Captain Cole's
turret shine), Achilles, Royal Alfred, Zealous, Fa-
vourite, and Research ; making altogether eighteen ar-
mour-plated ships reedy for sea. Then came the ships of
the Leviathan claas, which were to carry five masts, and
were of 6.800 tone burden—the Agincourt, ?Cooties.,
and Northumberland—but he was unable to may when they
would be ready. That depended upon the contrectoes,
who, it was right to state, were making great exertions to
get them ready. It was also proposed to convert the
Repulse into an iron-clad chic...Finn:Raz to the Zealous, and
to make frames for five more armour-plated frigates.
Having mentioned the distribution of the ships, the noble
lord spoke in high terms of the character and conduct of
the men, than which nothing could be more satisfactory.
Nearly all the loose characters who bad helped to swell
the returns of corporal punishment in the navy had bees
got rid of. Three-fourths of oar seamen were continuous
service men ; 87 per cent. belonged to the Bret clams, and
only 13 per cent. to the second. It was the intention of
the government to establish naval barracks, and • beginning
would be made this year at Portsmouth. And with the
view of increasing the usefulness of the veval reserve,
whose services were at present only available within 100
league' of the English coast, he should shortly ssk leave to
bring in a bill for the reorganisation of that body, and toes-
tend the sphere of their employment. The noble lord also
notice in paring the several improvements that had been
introduced in the ventilation of the shim the dietary. of
the men, and the discipline of the crews, and in condoms
moved a vote of 76,000 seamen and boys, including 18,000
marines, for the service of the year ensuing.

Sir J. PAKINGTON was happy to find that then was
nothing either in the eatimates themselves or In the speech
of the noble lord to induce him to raise a serious objection
to any part of the proposals of the government. It must
be satisfactory to the house and the country to hear that
the estimates were lees by a million sterling than they were
last year ; and he thought the government were justified in
claiming credit for hiving effected such • reduction
without impairing the efficiency of the navy. The
determination, nevertheless, to maintain the num-
ber of men at the former figure was equally
wise and prudent. He commended them also for com-
mencing the establishment c 4 nasal barracks, but was sorry
the vote for this purpose wee so small. He hoped, how-
ever, that no onneoreasry delay would take place in prose-
cuting the work. The right hon. baronet further expressed
his regret that the Admiralty should have taken such •
step as to place Mr. Reed over the heads of efficient met)
like Mr. Oliver Lug and Mr. Abethel as constructor in
chief of the aim.
Mr. BAXTER, though regarding the number of men
proposed as based upon • war estimate, accepted the
aggregate reduction in the votes as • proof that the govern-
' meet were in earnest in their desire to retrench the public
' expenditure. He hoped they would continue in the same
comae, arid effect still further reductions next year.
Sir J. ELPnuierroza and Admiral WAtcorr having ad.
dressed the committee,
Mr. OOBDEN mid none could dispute that England, as
an insular nation, unable to communicate with other coun-
tries except by sea. sod having the largest commerce to pro-
tect, had a legitimate right to have the strongest navy in
the world. But the effieiency and strength of • envy
did not DOW necessarily depend upon the number of
men. It was no longer a question of brute force and
numbers, but one of science, skill, and intellect.
When, therefore, 76,000 men were asked for he took
exception to it. He objected because they could
not be employed is the ships we had so as to
be of say use to the country. What, thee, must be done
with them? A large proportion most be held es applicable
to those large wooden line(-tattle ships, the days of
which the secretary to the Admiralty told them seven years
ago were gone, and which the gallant member for Harwich
once said would be mere idanghter.houses in an adios
with iron-clad ships. He thought it would be much
better to have 30,000 fewer milers and our finances in
better order, than have Um men floating about the world
in vessels which the highest naval authorities admitted we
should never use in actual warfare. We were mow rumbles
into the manufacture of iron-plated ships, and he called
upon the government to stop building any more wooden
vessels coated with iree until they had seen the results of
Captain Coleit's experiments. It was the opinion of scientific
men that ships built entirely of iron 5 or 6 inches thick
would be indestructible. Let them build their ships, them,
of iron, and no more of them than was warded, and they
would not have occasion to vote such an enormous number
of men.
_ . . .

bir. LAIRD believed that the wooden ships cased with
iron which Mr. Reed was building would turn out
to be failures so far as their strength and durability
were concerned. Be agreed with Mr. Cobden that it would
be better to suspend operations. and see the results of
Captain Coles's experiments before they constructed any
more of these ships.
After some observations from Mr. LLIIIMAY and Mr.
BM/M
Lord C. CI,
PAGET replied to the various objections urged
by some of the preceding speakers.
The vote for the number of men was then agreed to, as
were elan the votes for wages, victual,, and clothing, and
the Admiralty Of
The home then resumed.