The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-21 00:00:00

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MOD WATIR AT LONDON BRIDOR.
Tim Ur —Mnteser. Ik. Aftnalsa. Mi.
Twoosto. —Marais. A. U.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21.

YESTFRDAT, we gave an enumeration no less
startling titan instructive of the flouting garrisons
we maintain on the maritime frontiers of Turkey,
Portugal. China, Guinea, and Brazil, while our own
shores are lett undefended by ramparts either of
wood or stone. For purposes of cosmopolitan
philanthropy wo keep an armed flotilla of eight ves-
sels,- —five of which are fast-sailing steamers,—having
a total of eighty-eight guns,—off the eastern come d
South America. For similar benevolent objects vs
keep no fewer than twenty-three vessels of war en
the slase-trading coasts of Africa :beside nine ships,
including three steamers, at the Cape. Then theist
are between the North American and West Indian
statiims fourteen ships, out of which five are steamers,
bearing a total of 253 guns: while in the eastern
Ocean there ate notes' than fourteen vessels, four of
them steamers, mounting 286 guns; and in the more
remote. Perak:, fifteen, carrying 292 guns. The
Lisbon Nitration consists of eight vessel. with 318
guns; amid, finally, the Mediterranean fleet cons-
runs a furry of six line-of-battle ships of 120 to 78
guns each, two fitly-gun frigates, and nine steamers,
which, with lesser craft, make up twenty in all,
carrying 780 guns.
Now here is an amount of naval power at the dip-
lomat of a single state such as the world never before
raw there may have been a longer list of armed
sail in our granafathers' time; but wind and tidol
were the n irresistible, for steam as a counter-
vailing impulse was unknown. But taking all things
into account, whether we regard celerity of movement,
prevision of direction, or weight of destructive metal,
we repeat that Great Britain possesses the most
wondrous naval force that has ever floated on the
world's waters. Strange and humiliating, that in
the same breath we are compelled to own that the
seaboard of the United Kingdom should nevertheless
lie—as it does at the present hour,- denudedof all pro-
tection from its natural guard - a ready and a tempt-
ing prey to any piratical adventure or perfidious
coop de main. How is this? Who is to blame?
What is the remedy fora state of things so intolera-
ble ? And how can it most speedily and of
be secured? These are grave questions which will
mess for an immediate and explicit answer at the
Lands of ministers on the re-assembling of parlia-
ment. Let us endeavour to anticipate a little in
what manlier they will be answered.
We can readily imagine with what consummate
rhetoric Lord JOHN RUOELL will begin to wind
up the sentimental patriotism of his hearers in the
lower house, on the theme of the "coast in danger."
We can fancy the enthusiastic chorus of lordlings and
would-be lords which will be awakened by every his-
torical allusion to " the flag that braved a Hanna
years the battle and the breeze." And we art but
too readily realise the rollicking air with which Sir
eit.times Wow, may offer to whistle away the seri
plus of revenue, in order to raise now regiments and
commission additional ships for the benefit of the
united service, and all younger sons and brothers
who are anxious to belong thereto. We have little
doubt that every true tory would hail with
delight such an announcement. Increased ar-
maments mean two things in prersenti; be-
side much more in expectancy. They mean
increased outlay among the idle elasses,—and
upon the most worthless portion of them whose
maintenance in economic times is often burthensome
to heads of noble and honourable families. They
further imply the probability of some quarrel with
somebody or other being speedily picked, in order to
give the new battalions something to do--a prospect
full of charms to those self-same classes. Then in no
distant perspective there is seen gorgeous visions of
enhanced prices and augmented customs duties. A
corn law was but a substitute in peace for the
unlimited blessings of war; and the landed interest
would cheerfully relinquish their pauper-spirited
demand for protection were they assured of the
surpassing benefits of a general European war.
It is not in preference that they harass
their own people and strip their native fields of the
fruits of the peasant's industry. They would rather
be let loose against neighbours or strangers, in the
Christian-like acquisition of prize-money or other
kinds of what is considered honourable plunder,—
with the comfortable assurance of pensions, titles,
and decorations at the end of the campaign. The
military profession is more than sufficiently repre-
sented in the present House of Commons. But
were it not so, the instincts and sympathies of the
classes who contrive to make their own of it in the
maw, would be certain to insure any proposal for
more armaments a rapturous reception from the
irresponsible members for uncontested counties and
inimutestibly corrupt or controlled boroughs.
It remains, however, to ask, how would such a
ministerial announcement be received by those who
really have been sent by intelligent and independent
constituencies to parliament, to watch over their
interests, and to defend them against evils from
within as well as dangers from without? Both
duties manifestly are devolved upon them; and from
the discharge of neither can they be exonerated.
No good and wise citizen can be indifferent to the
obligation which, as a ruler, he owes to the state, of
taking all necemary means for its safety and pre-
servation. No such man will feel himself at liberty
to trifle with the integrity of the realm, or to leave
at the mercy or =prise of Imam despots the lives
and pioperties of a posestal potpie. But on the
other hand, no god sad wise_ loginistor will suffer
himself to be haaboodsd or bellied into refitting
upon his country's auk the blood-stained and
blighting yoke in which, (au 1793 to 1815, the
landed oligarchy held the native, until its strength
bad been wasted, its constitution undermined, its
debt enormously increased, and its =siss:rt tainted
by incessant thoughts of ruthless and mor-
ale= revenge. We know how many years of peas
it took to restore anything like a laniard, morel, or
industrial tone to the *yds., prostrated u it was
lett at the end of the last Beropess war. We were
indeed victors; but at what a cost were our martial
triumphs purchased? Have we paid id the in-
curubrances of that infatuated struggle yet? or do
we ever look forward to being able to do so ? We
cannot easily forget our eight hundred millions of
debt.
No : and therefore we say let us in our pinint
emergency think, speak, and act as sober-Waded
and as honest men. Let us, instead of remak-
ing blindly into new taxes or new debt is
=der to provide gold lace and glory for our idle
gentry and nobility, look narrowly into the acted
resources we fortunately possess; and see if the,
may not be found sufficient for all our real nee&
Let the fleets in the Tagus, on the American coasts.,
and wherever else they can best be spared, be ell
once summoned home. If there be positions which
wo cannot abandon, let these be still maintained;
but let the Quixotic and questionable function of
acting as nasal sentry on the courts or (oasts of
foreign nations be relinquished, as it ought to have
long since been. When England has been made
secure,—and her free people can once more sleep in
an assured piwce,—then let hoed JORM propose a
new tax, or a new loan, to equip a fleet for the we
of the Queen of PORTCOIL,--end let him go to the
hustings on that hopeful cry. But let not the nation
be jockeyed into estimates for the defence of the
realm, when we have actually afloat in foreign waters
the most powerful and magnificent fleet the world
has ever seen.

Tim clergyman and congregation of the English
chapel at Rouse hare repudiated the authority of
their own protestant bishop, on the ground that the
Port:, as Bishop of Rome, is sole ordinary of all epis-
copal churches in that diocese. The jurisdiction of
the Bishop of GIBRALTAR is disowned; but it does
not appear that the authority of the Poem has been
formally acknowledged. These poor people, there-
fore, for the prrent are stripped of the henefit of
episcopal superintendence and favour. They are
banging in mid-air between the two churches: hut
we hope that, with the help of the fertile brains and
ample stores of casuistry possessed by their party,