The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TINES.

Sir,—May I request that you wilt he good enough to
publish the followiug explanation of my remarks on the
Naval Estimates, part of which you have in your co•
lutnns cy to-day.
_ _ _

1. I distinctly followed your advice. given in your
article of a few weeks since; that is, I attacked the
items palled " wages to artificers" and materials for ship-
building. These together account for nearly 1,500,0001.
I contended, and contend, that that amount ought to give
us many more hne-of- battle ships than we
possess. At
the rate of 1,0001. a gun, we ought to have for our money
ten ships a year at the least; and as these ought to last,
with care, in time of peace 40 years, we ought now to
possess, after 37 years of peace, 370
such ships. In
point of fact we have nothing like this number. Where
has the money gone to? One
portion has gone in
building ships, and the other in destroying them, and
hence " the beggarly account of empty" hulks we now
haye to deplore. The dockyards are the huge vortex
into which the public resources have been poured and
wasted.

2. I contended that our expenditure for 40,000 men
ought to be 2,000,0001. at the outsido, on the ground
that able seamen can be obtained for 11. a
week to find
themselves. Our payment for wages, victuals, half-pay,
and military pensions and allowances' is 3,173,6851. The
above sum of 2,000,0001., in addition to 1,000,000/ de-
voted to ship-building, and a margin of 1,000,000/. for
pay of officers.( who are placed on half-pay too soon) and
sundries, would make 4,000,000/. in 511--3
sum ample
for the naval defence of the nation on the supposition
that we keep the bulk of our force at home, and send
steam fleets to points where their
presence is wanted.
Now, our actual cost this year will be 5, 600,000/. and
more. My proposal would, therefore, save over a mil-
lion and a half a year, which might be applied to liqui-
date debt.

3. I pointed out the inadequate defence of the arsenal
at Plymouth, showing that our expensive fortifications
may bo easily •' turned" from the land side south of the
dockyard.

4. I showed that Keyharn was the wrong place for
steam docks, which should have been at Mill-bay,
where nature had made a splendid basin, now used fur
mercantile purposes, and in the course of bring
partially
filled in to matte a kind of wharf in fact, a stranger,
watching what goes on at
- Plymoutht would say, " These
people are insane. Elena is human labour employed in
digging out one leviathan dock and filling up another,
while mud is thrown into the entrance of the harbour,
and shipi pulled to pieces as fast as they can be built."
It may now be too late to mend the Keyham case ;
but,
if so, and if the dock be absolutely and immediately ne-
cessary, why do the Admiralty
only ask for 40,000/, for
this year's expenditure on that work ? The whole es-
timate was 1,225.0001., of which the amount already
voted has been 833,000 L, and the further estimate is
352,0001. before the work can be completed. Conse-
quently many years will elapse
betore the "jib' will
be done, if we only spend 40 0001. a year on it ; and
before the happy period arrives we may find out we
could have dispensed with our labour altogether.
5. Inquired of the Admiralty whether in future it
was intended to re-commission ships " all standing,',
that is, when in a state of highest efficiency, when a
practised and thoroughly-disciplined crew is on board of
each ship, and when " things have shaken well to-
gether" atter three years' experience, or whether they
meant to dismantle each craft entirely on coming home,
hewing, hacking, and destroying materials to save time
and show " smartnese in the art of pulling to pieces,
and sending the men about their business—in other
words, to be plundered by sharpers of both sexes who
await the unhappy seaman on the shore of his grateful
was satisfactory.
country. The reply of the Secretary of the Admiralty
Trusting that, as my remarks were made in the capa-
city of a fellow-labourer of your own, attacking waste-
ful expenditure, you will make that clear which the
reports of the morning papers have made
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
J. S. TIIELA.WNIr.
vuenriyntdelilffigeribet,enl

London, March 23.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT...4H accident,which
resulted fatally, occurred yesterday on the Brighton, Chi-
chester, and Portsmouth Railway. As the 2.10 train was
proceeding from Brighton to Portsmouth, the driver, on
leaving a curve just beyond the Angmering station,
saw' a
short distance before him, and near the Ruslington Brook-
crossing (occupation road), an old man trudging towards the
avoid, havingp all the breaks on
e, the danger
possible, Littlehampton station, on the six-feet space between the up
and down trains. He immediately used the steam-whistle,
and finding that no notice was taken of the sound, he con-
which appeared imminent. The man turned out to be an
aged agricultural labourer, 74 years of age, Scott by name.
' on, at
t ho
redsearme to time
Being very deaf, he did not hear the whistle, and it would
con-
tinued
train
a itno
put use i
seem that his attention was attracted to some boys, who
were playing by the side of the railway southward, for just
before the train reached him he stepped from the six-foot
middle space to the down line, and was immediately knocked
down
by the engine. As soon es possible, the driver
" brought up."
It was then found that one aim and one
leg had been completely severed from the body, and the foot
was so firmly wedged into the side of the " metal," at the
Ruslington Brook-crossing, that it could not be removed
without the aid of a crowbar. The poor fellow was of course
killed on the spot.
ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL.--
The Rev. R. Whiston has been officially informed that the
hearing of his appeal against the Dean and Chapter of Ro-
chester is fixed for Monday, the sth of April, at heloYeu
V 0194, iia Dcfctoro' CANDI29O6