The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-26 00:00:00

THE NAVY EITIMATES.

Sir J. WALITI47allad atientiroi•whathe alleged to he
the inadequacy of oar state of naval Um to the
present exigencies of political affairs. He objected to the
estimates oo the ground that they were not formed in ac•
oordanos with the lima the times. He mooed that the
great change io naval warfare, and the critical state of our
foreign relations. require the most rigorous and immediate
national efforts on a scale calculated to maintain the marl-
. tbrempremacr of England.
-...—..

ColoOel SIKES expressed an opinion that the present
navy of agland was equal to all the navies of the world
combined, and showed by statistics that the alleged advance
in the strength of the French war marine relative to our
own was a fallacy.
The motion was withdrawn.

The house thee west into committee of supply.
Lord PAGET brought forward the navy estimates.
He stated that in consonance with a recommendation of
the Committee on Public Accounts, a statement had been
prepared, showing the net coat of the service provided for
to the naval estimates, after taking Ist* account the extra
receipts payable into the Exchequer. The astimatee for
the preassi year were 10.7:16,032/., ea compared with
10,432.6101., showin; a decrease of 103,4221. This
had been effected by the reduction in men and
materiel. There was a reduction of seamen, coast-
guards. and boys, amounting to 4.050 ; the marine!

7emaising at lii,ooo men, the relative numbers of
nee for the last and prevent years being 76,000 to
71,950. Till/ did not reduce efficiency, as it was caused by
the smaller number of men required for armour-plated ships.
The number of ships in commission had been increased by
four this year, with • vast increase of power in the shape of
iree-clad vessels. The decrease bad been also caused by a
system of weeding the fleet of the worst men. The reduc-
tion of 2,000 boys was caused by ceasing to send se-
cood-clam boys into sea-going ships, sod therefore • lees
number of that class was required. This reduction would
also allow of the reception of 1.000 seamen a year
from the merchant *mica 1,500 coast-guard men
had been reduced, because there were that cumber
of vacancies in that branch of the servim. lo
reference to the manning of the navy, he showed
that all difficulty in that respect had ceased, for he
named a number of ships which were manned last year on
the average in leas than • month, instead of their bean
compelled to wait for four or firs months. The conduct of
the seamen was aonually improving, a fourth of them wear-
ing good-conduct badges. The Naval Reserve was going on
most favourably in every respect. Referring to the vote
foe the "scientific branch," he stated • sum had been taken
fee establishing • school of meal architecture. On the
votes for naval stores, for building, repairs, and outfit of
the fleet, steam machinery, and ships built by maiming,
there was in the store-keeper's dartineut • reductiou of
169,9514 and in that of the controller of the navy ow of
195,137/. An item in this vote was for six double crowed
iron•plated gunboats. On the vote for wages to artificers,
, thin was an increase of 162,4381. There were 23 iron-clad
ship built and building ; of which sevee were in gem-
minim, six would be ready in the middle of this year, six
mom b 7 the end of the year, and early the next year the
remainder would be ready. There were only 21 built and
building last year. There was an increase in the item of
repairs, that of drill and training shim, and for the ini•
prevenient of steam machinery. The increase dim ships
did not Freesia the neomeity of keeping ups large somber