The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-23 00:00:00

TE SUN,

expenses for the maritime force of Eng-
land the latter dropping to 6,418,4221.,
and the former rising to 6,487,0741. Up to 1847,
inclusively, the diminution in the Navy, compared
with the increase of the Army Estimates, became yet
more apparent—the sum devoted to the support of
the sea forces being for 1847 just 7,540,4051.,
while the sum for the land forces reached a grand
total of 8,013,873/. Thanks to the movement
made of late in the way of fiscal reform and
financial economy, there have been effected im-
provements so remarkable that monopoly has given
way to free trade, and the Navy Estimates have
been reduced by about 2,000,0001. sterling. Every-
thing considered, therefore, the moneys voted last
night in the House of Commons for the support of
the maritime strength of the empire cannot
be considered exorbitant in themselves—being only
associated with regret by reason of the average
inefficacy of their application. Among the items
making up the total already specified,
it will be seen that there were—for
Admiralty offices, &c., 134,6331. ; for salaries in re-
gard to the scientific departments, 50,3531. ; for
salaries of officers at home, 132,6471., and abroad,
23,2631. ; for wages of artificers at home,
666,929 L, and abroad, 35,331/. ; for naval stores and
building of ships 782,4951., and for new works and
improvements in the yards 265,140/. Besides
these amounts there were also voted, 23,000/.
for medicine stores, 50,8501. for miscellaneous ex-
penses, and 707,5201. for half-pay, reserved
half-pay, and retiring allowances—constituting alto-
gether, the sum of 2,872,161/., for the six months,
and making consequently for the year, a total of
5,744,322/. Upon the plea that Ministers were
desirous of hurrying through the necessary votes
as quickly as possible, for the purpose of admitting of
a speedy dissolution of Parliament, the Cabinet
entered last night into no deliberate explanation.
Nevertheless, it was briefly intimated last night by
the Secretary to the Admiralty that the Government
had resolved upon strictly limiting the system of
nominating to cadetships. While regulations of this
rational kind are being adopted, it is to be hoped that
some more reasonable mode of conducting the system
of promotions will be introduced, so that many most
deserving and grey-headed veterans may not be over-
leaped by such lucky, golden-spoon-mouthed scions
of the aristocracy as the present Captain GRENVILLE
GOWER LOCKE, R.N. Again, while the necessity for
some new and properly organized mode of manning the
navy is by this time universally recognised, we may
be sanguine that an innovation may be at last
effected in a direction long pointed out by our-
selves—some such innovation as the one inge-
niously mentioned last evening by the Honour.
able and Gallant Member for Christchurch.
Various other changes of a no less important nature
are eagerly awaited from the present Lords Com-
missioners, of the Admiralty—changes, for ex-
ample, like those affecting the retired list and
the multiplicity of flag officers, or tending
to the application of the screw-propeller to the large
vessels of war now building in the dockyards. A
single fact in reference to the lsat-mentioned sugges-
tion may not be here inappropriately specified—
namely, that by altering four ships now on the stocks,
so as to apply to them the almost vitalizing power of
the screw, a less expense would be incurred than
must be required for the construction of an
additional man -of-war—four efficient vessels being
at the same time secured, in place of five of a
very inferior character. Happily, there is some
likelihood of beneficent changes of this kind being
at length forced upon the acceptance of the Admi-
ralty, seeing that that board is at length presided
over by a naval officer as distinguished by his devo-
tion to the interests of the service as his Grace the
Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND,

It appears that " the factious opposition" to her
MAJESTY'S Government, respecting which so many
just complaints have been put forward, is to be
abandoned, and that Ministers are to be allowed
to state to the House and country the nature of the
measures which they are about to bring forward for
Chancery reform and the national defences. It
would have been fortunate for Lord JOHN RUSSELL
and his coadjutors if this prudent course had been
adopted in the first instance, and that he bad not
entered upon a line of policy in which he was so
thoroughly and completely foiled, and which
alienated the feelings of many who might otherwise
have given him a certain moderate support. It is,
however, "better late than never." And as the
Noble Lord has at length exhibited symptoms of re-
pentance, as the great cause of Free Trade will not
be endangered by his injudicious conduct, we shall
not scrutinize too closely the motives by which he
was actuated either in entering on or abandoning the
obstructive policy, nor inquire whether the possibility
of too searching interrogatories being exhibited into
the principles on which the future RUSSELL Adminis-
tration, if the Noble Lord should again resume office,
is to be conducted had any effect in producing
this salutary change. On Saturday we suggested
some points on which information was desirable,
respecting the financial, legal, and Parliamentary
policy of the Whigs, and which would greatly
assist electors in making up their minds respecting
the merits of the different candidates. We know not
whether the ex-Premier is desirous of maintaining
silence on these topics, or whether the fear of his own
shafts being turned back against himself may have
influenced his resolution. Suffice it to say, that no
further time will be uselessly consumed in endea-
vouring to compel greater expedition or to drive the
Government into the pitfall dug for their reception.
We shall now, then, at length be permitted to
learn the nature of the Chancery reforms proposed
under the auspices of the new LORD CHANCELLOR,
and to judge whether they strike at the root of the
evil. Judging from what the Noble Lord had al-
ready effected in Ireland in the way of diminishing
expense and expediting business, we are prepared to
indulge in sanguine anticipations as to the proposi-
tions about to be brought forward, hoping that they
will be of a nature and extent suited to the enor-
mous abuses which are to be got rid of, or mitigated.
When Lord ST. LEONARDS applies his powerful mind
to the subject, we may be sure that he will bring for-
ward a real measure, not for the purpose of procrastina-
tion, or amusing the people for a time with vain expec-
tation that some great object was about to be obtained.
The mere introduction of the Bill, and the explana-
tion of the principles on which it is framed, will be
of the greatest importance, even should no further
progress be made. It is one of the questions that
must be brought prominently under the notice of the
several constituencies at the forthcoming general
election, and every opportunity should be afforded to
enable the parties interested to form their own judg-
ments on the subject, so that if the measure be not
satisfactory there should be a general demand for its
extension, but if it be really suited to the wants and
Wishes of the country, more especially of the suitors
in
equity, it may be promptly carried by the next
Parliament, should any undue impediments be in-
terposed to its receiving the legislative sanction pre-
vious to the dissolution.
We may, from what has already been stated
on the subject, venture
to assert that the re-
commendations of the
it, very probable that
will be fully carried out, and it is, Chancery Commissioners
something
more say
t
egoingbeyond the most sanguine
hitherto been indulged in. It
is manifest that
the least of
ministers think it their best trump
aa
tici
pwai
tl
obnes et ffb ea ct t
he da
v,
card. It has toferred
on every oc-
casion in Parliament and on
the h
been re
hustings
by the leaders of both Houses, and by the prin-
cipal Law Officer of the Crown, when addressing
his constituents. There can be no doubt that they
have been as anxious to bring it forward as their
opponents have been to prevent the explanations of
its details. It requires, therefore, no extraordinary
power of vaticination to predict that it will
prove popular, and go far to remove
the well-grounded complaints that have been so
long and so loudly put forward, that it will
remove one of the greatest blots on the national es-
cutcheon, and render our courts of equity, as they
ought to be, blessings, rather than curses, to the
nation.

Nor is this subject so utterly unimportant that it
is to be cast aside contemptuously for furthering a
party manoeuvre, apiece of Parliamentary strategy,
intended to bring back one set of men a little sooner
into power, to enable Lord Joßri RUSSELL and his