The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-03 00:00:00

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expenditure, it rose, including the China war credit,
to £13,540,000 in 1861-2. This increase had been
caused by the necessity to reconstruct the navy, in
the doing of which they had to make experiments
which had before been untried. But since
1861,-2 they had been able to reduce the navy ex-
penditure about two millions. Last year it was only
10,400,000, or including the purchase of Mr Laird's
rams, £10,710,000. Supposing the reduction had
approached two millions a year, they might ask
whether the revenue bore its fair proportion to the
general position of the country. In answer to that
question they might first, compare the taxation with
trade. The entire expenditure in 18589 was
£65,300,000, and in 1863.4 about 69 millions, or a
difference of about per cent per annum. If they
omitted that portion which was due on account of
the national debt, the increase had been about 21
per cent per annum. In the first period, 1858.9,
the amount of income was 258 million ; and in 1863
the gross import and export was 346 million ; or
while the taxation had increased 1 per cent—or
irrespective of the national debt, 21 per cent—
foreign trade had increased about 8 per cent
per annum. Another fair criterion of prosperity
was the savings banks. In 1858.9 the labouring
classes were able to lay by 371 millions, and in 1863
they could afford to invest 44 millions. In both
these respects wealth had increased quite as much
as the proportion which had been deducted from it
to meet the public expenditure. (Hear.) He might
also give another illustration, He had ascertained
..04.41413. It3s2,the quantity of solid food consumed on
an average by the Population of this country was
1201 b per annum; in 1858 it was 1701 b, and at the
present time it had increased to 2001 b. What were
the causes of all this increase in our prosperity ?
Peace was no doubt the first, and the next were
two principles of commercial liberty—one commonly
called free trade, and the other the consolidation of
capital under the system of limited liability. As an
illustration of the increase of trade under free trade
principles, he might state that the import and ex.
port trade under the French treaty had increased
more'than £12,000,000 per annum, totally irrespec'.
tive of the foreign produce of France passing there through
England from other foreign countries. We had gained by
the French treaty almost the whole amount of our loss in
our trade with the United States. Of course we had not
gained the loss on the additional price we had had to pay
for cotton; but with respect to other trades we had gained
by the French treaty. In 1850 wo were importing from
America 560 million pounds weight of cotton—in 1852 it
was 780 millions—in 1858-9 it rose to b7O millions—in 1860,
the year before rebellion, it rose to 1,140 millions. That
amount fell in the two successive years, first, to 960 mil-
lions, and next, in 1862, our imports of cotton were not
more than 310 million pounds, of which but a small propor-
tion would be American. In 1863 the imports rose t0:430
millions, and for the first nine months of this year to 540
millions, or within 20 millions of the net imports in 1850.
In spite of the great increase there was still much distress
in the cotton districts, which was caused to a great extent
by the reduced profits of the millowners :rather than from
the inability of the men to find work—(A Voice—Say a
word on reform) He had previously stated his views upon
that and other public questions, and he had only to repeat
what he had said last year, that he saw no reason to
change any opinion he had given on that question. (Hear,
hoar.) All political reforms must come from the people
themselves•—(cheers)—and he did not think it was for them
or for Parliament to come down to the people and tell them
what they wished with respect to the reform of the represen-
tation of the country. (Applause.) In conclusion, he would
say a few words with reference to the duties with which ho
had lately been entrusted by her Majesty. Ho would not
say whether they wero light or heavy, but at any rate they
were those which no ono would undertake who wished to lie
on what is called" a bed of roses." Ho did not suppose that
any department was so thoroughly public as the business of I
the Admiralty, and sometimes before they had settled to 4
do a thing everybody seemed to know what had been de- I
decided upon. (Laughter.) He did not regret that public
men were so sharply criticised, or that the public were well
posted up as to their acts. (Hear, hear.) Since he came
to Pontef ract he had been asked one or two questions which
he could not help answering. The first was, " What about
the Victoria ?" The second, "What about the Royal
Sovereign ?" The Victoria was a large wooden ship of the
line, which had been sent to the Mediterranean as the 11 ig-
ship of the Commander-in-chit 1. Why had they sent her
instead of molding an at rn :ur-plated vessel ? It had been
cu, ternary to use those large three-deckers es d ig-ships, and
al the present moment the commander of the Channel fleet
hoisted his flag in one, and there had never been a word of
objection raised to his doing so. It was not that the com-
mander of the Mediterranean fleet might have a stately
residence, but it was because the admiral had entrusted to
him the whole municipal business of the fleets scattered
over the Mediterranean. It was necessary that he should
have a large staff under his eye to carry on its operations.
Ho was not kept at any particular place, but had to go to
Malta, Gibraltar, and different parts of the Mediterranean,
and the staff must accompany him. That was an arrange-
ment which could not be changed, except when it became
necessary to put the admiral in a position which would
enable him to be first in going into battle. At present how-
ever there was, in the opinion of the Admiralty, no imme-
diate prospect of a war, and therefore no evident necessity
for changing the system which allowed of the admiral car-
rying on the administration of the Mediterranean fleet
under hie own superintendence. As to the Royal Sove-
reign, she was a turret ship, built on Captain Cole's prin-
ciple, and was not the only ship in the fleet built on that
model, there being the two rams recently purchased from
Mr Laird. But it was not the case that the Royal Sove-
reign was going to be shelved. She was not adapted
for ordinary cruising purposes. If very necessary she
might go to the Mediterranean, but her special fitness
was for harbour defence, and for practice in gunnery for
that purpose they had decided to attach the Royal Sove-
reign as a tender to the gunnery ship at Portsmouth, the
Excellent. She was now being altered in certain respects
for that purpose, and trials of gunnery under the peculiar
conditions of her turret would be carried on, which was a
good reason for not sending her out as an ordinary cruising
ship. It was really the wish of the Admiralty to keep the
navy of England efficient; not to let it be behind the disco-
veies of the age, but at the same time to carry on improve-
ments with judicious economy. (Hear, hear,) Ho hoped
that such would be the result of what was going on, and if
he found that what he had done was approved, and that his
constituents continued to him their confidence, it would tell
on what future exertions he might make in the public ser-
vice, and at any rate he should still hope to have his reward
at their hands. (Loud applause.)
A vote of confidence in Mr Childers terminated the pro-
ceedings.