The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-19 00:00:00

DEFECTITS OUR AND MORTAR BOATS.

The report of the mama committee appointed "to
inquire into the circumstances which have mused the
alleged &heti,. state of a considerable number of gun and
mortar boats, and vessel' of the royal navy," has just been
issued It bean date the 13th of Amgen.
The document meth that as consequence of the Russian
war, there were built by contract for her Majesty's *orrice,
betimes the years 1854 and 1837 inclusive, 286 gun and
mortar hods sad vessels, of which 58 were of kw The
speatinetions stipulated that the vessels should albs ma-
Amsted in "a substantial and workmanlike manner, and
with coed, mead, awl proper materials of every kind, to be
approved by sech Aker or offioer• as should be appointed
to saperiatend the mime." CertiAostes of the Mapleton
were M ash ere temeired, before instalment's were paid to
W esaterstan, bet " the number of such inspecton wee
so small IS some of the private yards, that it was difficult
fer 011111 to secure the dm performance of the coetrect,
emnideriag the necemity that existed for the works being
anemia with the utmost possible despatch." Nix Baldwin
Walker also informed the committee that it would have
her impossible to augment ths member of eampey.t in-
spectors, without seriouslymippling the eslabLshmeete ia
her ilta dockyards. Defects, however, had bees di*
ervend which rellested discredit epos three teed, few
die mew essetramissi of the vemele--nomely the promo
of sappy tinehar, a eaelseched bats, and late too Men
for their reepedive pesitien• The me of sappy thaw
repeated I. have teen a char beach of— the eon-
week and it i .i_.d that timber has frequently
101811.1111 by the t alone on that amount. As
sepeede the sheet measeshed bolte, the hese& of eon-
loud 6601,686 8878. " be too severely coadenwed ."
It "emenee a • rims WINS • strops temptation was offered
Mw mirth= to use baits that came readiest to hand,
whether et the peeper or sot—partly
the sepplies heats hem the Admiralty mole' is slower
than tie dermeed, sad partly owing to the system on which
W rem& were Malt 14 many of the private yards—that
by pap of werkmes taking portions of the vessels by
piseewai IS W be evident that as each workman e
dare cif pock depended spathe time taken to complete the
section is whisk he was espied, the greatest inducement
'aided to thish the week in the most expeditious rather
than in the mast purled inathsr." The memifeet evils of
neeli • system, it is added, " only be met,
..p vile.,
be mat at all, ley the mesa vigilant sod rigid
and the evidence thews that there the not is mew mese a
walkelemey of imposters sad foremen."
coseml the gem and nbUllier boas were not belt =ger
cover, se
their exposers to weather sopseeled say ea-
pael defect in the timber. A bone ef 30• per Is. um
paid to the seitracton who finished their work within •
certain period, in consideration of the high wages Shop
lead been comps/led to pay, but the evidence has shown
that some of them have nevetthelese lost imp sem it
mosey upon the contract..
As to the advisability of hauling up the boats at Radar,
W evidence is oinflictiim.
In conclusion the committee observe that " from the ex-
perience which late event. have afforded, it seems impor-
tant that the eathhhahment of timber in bar Majesty's
dockyards should he jemmied, and • large supply kept HI
store to meet sudden and unforeseen einergeacant and they recommend that is the wonting of all future trade
it shall be distinctly specified that the timlor,de7rs, and
planks to be used in the building of vessels for her Ma
jestecy's service should be entirely free from lap and ether
defts."