The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

It is a matter of much surprise and comment in
naval circles to find that no sum has been appor-
tioned in the Naval Estimates for 1862-3 for the
commencement of the long-talked of increase in the
dock and basin accommodation of Portsmouth dock-.
yard. tinder these Estimates immense sums will
be spent on works in the dockyard, which, when
completed, will be found useless. Of this class
will be the north inlet, or No. 11 dock, the total Esti-
mate for which is £77,160, but which, like No. 10,
now occupied by the Black Prince, will possibly
exceed the original Estimate by some £21,000, the
extension of No. 8 dock at a cost of £19,292, and
the deepening the present steam basin—a work
often begun and as often only partially completed
owing to the scarcity of dock and basin room in the
yard. The north inlet dock may be constructed,
No. 8 extended, and the bottom of the steam basin
this time excavated, but when all is done there will
be no depth of water at their entrances. In the
plans for the north inlet dock is shown an outline
of the Achilles midship section, but should that ship
ever become a reality she will never get inside the
north inlet unless the latter has deeper water ap-
proaches given to it. The new dock (which has
been commenced by the contractor) is to be 426 feet
in length, 99 feet in width from coping to coping,
33 feet in depth from coping to entrance invert., and
with a depth of water at spring tides of 28 feet 6
inches. This depth of water might, however, be
found sufficient in the majority of cases if the dock
was in an accessible position, which, as already
stated, it is not. It is unfortunate that works should
be executed in such positions, as plan after plan has
been prepared and submitted to the Admiralty for
the creation of a new steam basin and docks at the
north part of the harbour, adjoining the dockyard,
where basins and docks of any extent could ho
created at very little cost, and adjoining the present
steam basin and factors . Another provision in the
Estimates relating to Portsmouth is equally useless
and objectionable :—X12,000 is set down for dredg-
ing the harbour and its channel of entrance, in ad-
dition to the thousands that have been spent upon
the same object during the few past years. A series
of groynes, costing but little more than has been
paid for one year's dredging, would confine the ebb
tide to the channel proper, and more effectually
deepen the channel and remove the mud from
the bed of the harbour by doing away with the
existing eddies than any process of dredging
that engineering skill may devise, and would
render Portsmouth harbour capable of receiving
or sending from within our largest men of war.
The patching up of old docks and the completion
of others in situations where they can never be of
service to our Warriors and Minotaurs, and the
dredging of a harbour, an operation often to be re-
peated, instead of at once applying effectual reme-
dies can never render Portsmouth harbour equal to
the service required from it for the accommodation
of our first-class ships. Twenty years ago Ports-
mouth supplied all that could be desired for the
building, outfit,repair, and reception when afloat of
our fleets, but now our ships have outgrown our
docks and harbours. If the intention of the au-
thorities be not to extend Portsmouth dockyard and
improve its harbour and entrance channel, wby are
those endless lines of defence being constructed, the
outer circle of which is nine miles in diameter ? In
Portsmouth dockyard all is puny and insignificant
as compared with our present wants, and the occu-
pation of one dock stays the work of the port. If
Portsmouth dockyard is to remain in its present
state, why all this costly expenditure to defend an
establishment, which, if continued in its present
state would, in the event of an action in the chan-
nel, bo brought to a dead lock for want of the
common resources which would be required for the
quirk repair of an iron steam fleet. The dock
question has been discussed more than once during
the past year, and cannot be much longer delayed.
There must be additional docks formed, whether
their site be Portsmouth, Hamble,Portland, or any
other part of our south coast. The existence of
iron ships is not a more imperative necessity.
The Emerald and Shannon, screw frigates, at
Spithead, have discharged their extra 32-pounders
(16 each), and have each received four 100-pounder
Armstrong guns, thus rendering them now, in fact,
40-gun frigates. The Emerald has also landed her
8-inch guns, which are being replaced by others of
the same calibre that have been re-vented.
The Jasper, screw gunboat, 80-horse power, fit-
ting for commission in the steam basin at Ports-
mouth, yesterday received her armament--one
100-pounder and one 40-pounder Armstrongs.
The Warrior, 40, iron frigate, Captain Hon. A.
Cochrane, C. 8., is ordered to Portsmouth from Gib-
raltar. Her list of defects, sent home from Lisbon,
is somewhat formidable. It is asserted that the
statement of the ship's labouring
heavi▪ ly and refus-
ing to answer her helm on her outward voyage to
o
Lisbon was actually less than the_
truth, although
partly contradicted by:Lord C. Paget i▪ n his answer
to the question recently put by Sir John Pakington
in the House of Commons.
The Arethusa, 51, screw frigate, 3,141 tons, 500
horse power, had an experimental trial of her en-
gines yesterday in the basin at Sheerness dockyard.
mostis,
power, It. A. Powell,
Thielteripalewfeansce,satisfactory.
s horse
ery
C. 8., finished the adjustment of her compasses on
Wednesday,
and was inspected yesterday by Vice-
J. Hope Johnstone, Commander-in-
Admiral W.
the Nore, and staff, after which she got up
Chief at
steam,and proceeded to Portsmouth to wait further
orders.

The undernamed Lieutenants wore yesterday pro-
moted to the rank of Commander :—Edwin A.
Porcher, Joseph Robinson, Alfred P. H. Helby, the
Hon. Henry W. Chetwynd, Henry M. Bingham,