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

PRINCESS'S.

Tuts Eynon. PAUL'S itiffl:TßN. Messrs. Vining, Netton,
Fisher, ForresterAleUon, Payton, Cathcart . Mesdames Murton,
C. Canon. Powell, sad Kato 8111"ille.—And HARLEQUIN
LITTLE TOM TUCKER.

LYCEUM.

Tev ETTIIII4I, THE Ica:tiaiTL.D. Mr. Widdicomb and
Min Y. Inetercs.—Bn DZMOSIO. • Love Story. Masora.
Yachter. Brougham, [marry. Charles, and Jordan ; Wass
Katt Tray, Uranus, and Eloworthy, and Mrs. Las.

MyrrA.NNIA.

EYWPO. THE 5171CTif9. Mesdames Yarnold and
Miles—And HICKORY. DICKORY, DOCK. tleadaraes S. Lw
and W. Cranford.—First-rate Pantoommista.—Arthur and
Bertrand Fairy Fountain—Commence at haltpast S.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BUDGE.
DAY Morning, 4h. INi... .Aftensooe. ati. Mau
TOJIORIOW -- Yornty. 412. . ADarsoca. th. 51..

LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26.

NAVAL Estimates, as "discoursed" by the pre-
sent SECRETARY of the ADMIRALTI, are very pretty
music for the ear of the House, and very pretty
reading for the public in the morning. No man
knows better how to make things pleasant, to
paint a smiling picture of content, and exhibit it
in the happiest light. Et-et/thing is for the best
in the best possible of Admiralties, is the moral of
a theme which year after year the Noble Lord
" embroiders," as musicians say, with delightful'
grace and dexterity, and with a visible satisfaction
which even the select critical audience of experts
who compose the "Committee " on the occasion,
are not quite churlish enough to resist. And to
do a well-abused Department justice, the condition
of the favourite national service is in many respects
entitled to the congratulations which the SECRE-
TARI so generously bestows upon its administra-
tion. The service is popular, he tells the House.
Line-of-battle ships and heavy frigates are easily
and well manned within a month. The conduct
of the men is most creditable ; the squadrons at
sea efficient ; the dockyards amply stored with
well-seasoned timber ; and one of them, at least,
capable of turning out armoured frigates of the
largest class, and so rendering the Govern-
ment independent of contractors, while the
contemplated extensions of Portsmouth and
Chatham will probably, at no distant date,
enable the country to dispetse altogether
with one or two of the entailer establishments.
The construction of the iron-clad fleet is proceeding
with judicious alacrity, though not with haste.
There are twenty•five built and building, of which
seven are already in commission, six are to be ready
this year, six in the course of next year. Our
neighbours are no longer pressing on their naval
armaments with a concentration of energy and a
celerity which to alarmists on this side of the
water looked like a struggle for the empire of the
seas, and England has quietly reasserted that
superiority which, to an insular and purely mari-
time Power, is not so much a question of self-
defence, as of existence. Such is the SECRE-
TART', flattering tale, and we dare say the country
may reasonably accept it without tuiagivings.
Last night, however, Lord CLARENCE PA.: rr was
not a little indebted for the brilliant effect of his
annual tableau of the British Navy to the mag-
nificent sombre background which Sir JOHN WALSH
had prepared for him with the darkest and
heaviest brush. That patriotic baronet indulged,
the absent House, and whiled away the dinner
hour, with an oratorical effort which respect for an
eminent historian forbids us to describe as Ausos
and Water, though it was evidently studied
" after " that famous master of style. Sir Joim
had made a notable discovery, and it was of the
utmost importance that the House should be made
aware of it at the earliest moment. RIP VAN
WINKLE could hardly be more sensible of the
,Changes that had occurred in the world
within the last half-century. The worthy baronet
awakes from a nightmare, rubs his eyes, and
shudders at " the existing state of things," and
the " menacing and lowering future." He comes i
down to the House with a Resolution that " the
" great changes in naval warfare and the critic►l
" state of our foreign relations reqe;re the most
" vigorous and immediate national efforts to
" maiqtain the maritime supremacy of the country."
Ina few discursive and sonorous periods of lofty
rhetoric he describes the hißtary of Europe since
the Peace of 1 Al 5 ; and coming tl the state of
the Navy, he becomes almost pathetic are li
-
markable paraphrase of a passage in the speech'
which Mr. CANNING spoke " from Ilamoaze,"
when that statesman apostrophized the three-
deckers in ordinary slumbering in their might.
Sir Joe,: regrets that the number of these
slumbering three-deckers which held the
world in awe thirty years ago (when
it took six months to man a line-of-battle ship,
and to man her 1, idly) is diminishing daily. We
have a few iromclads it is true, but " not one
"quarter sufficient of them." So that one hum
dred iron-clads, costing a quarter of a million a
piece, is Sir .1, QIN idea of a proper Naval Estimate
for the times we live in. Sir don N it seems voted,
on general pr::.ciples, for Lord l'ALmeitsvoN's fixed
forts ; but the surrender of the Dannewerke gives
him pause, and suggests the rational doubt whether
" the noble lord had not extended his fortifications
" a little too widely." After his curious historical
prolusions, his extravagant homage to the Emperor
of the FRENCH, and his regret for the slumbering
three•deckers which CANNING addressed "from
" liamoaze," it Is a pleasure to find this pro-
fusely patriotic orator concluding with the'
common arise remark, that "if we expend
" twelve or thirteen millions on fortifications,
"it is a great deal more necessary
" that we should expend ten or twelve millions in
" constructing ships which could defend the forti-
" fications." Unfortunately, Sir .TOIINA hundred
iron•clads would cost at least double that modest
estimate, aluch we fear no secretary of the
Admiralty will have the courage to propose.