The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-20 00:00:00

vice of the current year is 902,8171., which exceeds by
95,3101. the corresponding vote for 1853.4 (807,5071.).
The total number of officers and men is raised from
17,598 to 19,266, and the increase is divided between
the Royal Regiment of Artillery, the number of which
is to be 15,013 instead of 13,855, and the Sappers and
Miners, whose strength is to be 2,640, instead of 2,200.
The amount of pay is consequently increased liy nearly
70,0001., and the charge for the recruiting service is
raised from 20,0001. to nearly double that amount.
Other additions of less magnitude make up the total in-
crease of 95,001/., but it may be observed that the item
entitled " movement of troops" remains almost at last
year's amount.
2. COMMISSARIAT AND BARRACK SUPPLIES, &c.—The
proposed amount for the current year is 557,1761., while
that voted for 1853-4 was only 373,2171. ; so that the
increase is nearly 260,0001., or about 50 per cent. on the
former grant. The details show that. this variation is
due in a very great measure to the rise in the price of
necessaries. Forage enters for about 240,0001., instead
of 160,0001. ; coals for 74,0001., instead of 54,0001. ; and
paillasse straw, for barracks, is estimated at 10,4361., in-
stead of 6,571/. An increase of 120,000/. is accounted
for under these and similar heads :—Barrack supplies,
at home and abroad, will, it is expected, cost 125,7211.,
instead of 57,8291., the amount which was last year pro-
vided for ; and the permanent staff of the militia, for
which no vote was taken last year, now appears in the
estimates, with 7,344/. as the sum which will be reqr,4,•'-'
3. ORDNANCE-OFFICE.—The vote is almost exac...,
same as that which was taken last year, bui,lshsre is a
trifling diminution, the amounts being 73,71 1. ;and
73,9691. Under this head are included the salaries of
the Master-General, Surveyor-General, &c., and those
of the clerks belonging to the Board, the total number
of the recipients being 185.
4. ORDNANCE ESTABLISHMENTS.—The amount pro-
posed is 281,6451., which is 10,,012/. less than that granted
last year. The establishments in the United Kingdom
are nearly fifty in number, of which those at Woolwich
and at the Tower are by far the largest. Neither of these
is much increased, and the total charge for this is 53,6411.
In the colonies there are about the same number of sta-
tions as at home, and the total estimate is 40,4011. For
barrack establishments in the United Kingdom the pro-
posed vote is 73,8141, and for those in the colonies
64,3531. To these sums 28,727 must be added as the
pay of clerks of the works, &c., in the United King-
dom, besides, 20,7091., designed for the saute purpose in
the colonies ; and these items make up the total which
has been mentioned. There is no variation worth notice
in any of the particulars.
5. WAGES.—The amount proposed is 162,3341., which
exceeds by 20,897/. the amount granted last year. The
only change in the Home Establishment which need be
mentioned is, that several departments at Woolwich re-
quire increased grants—the vote for the laboratory being
28,1271., instead of 16,016 ; and that for the carriage
department 47,5611., instead of 39,230. In the Colonial
branch there is a reduction of about 3,0001., occasioned
mainly by the non-appearance of a vote for two canals
in Canada, which was taken last year. The recapitula-
tion gives us, as the total wages of establishments in the
United Kingdom, 142,215, and as the total of the same
in the colonies, 20,1191.
6. ORDNANCE STORES FOR LAND AND SEA SERVICE.—
The proposed vote is 639,5521., and that of last year was
371,6971. ; so that the increase is 267,855. The items
are but few, and the most important among them may
be mentioned. For the supply and repair of small arms,
161,4001., instead of 135,8001. ; machinery and build-
ings for the manufacture of small arms, 100,0001., in-
stead of nil ; supply of iron ordnance, shot, shells, &c.,
33,3191 instead of 31,161 ; saltpetre for the Tower esta-
blishment, 16,1631. ; gunpowder for Woolwich, 16,5001.;
and miscellaneous stores for the former 24,975—f0r the
latter, 150, 7841. The aggregate of the Ordnance
stores for the two establishments which have
been mentioned is estimated at 285,8051., instead of
148,2861., the amount voted last year. There is also an
increase from 10,700/. to 15,863/. in the provision made
for materials for packing freight, and carriage of arms,
stores, and other miscellaneous expenses.
7. WORKS, BUILDINGS, AND REPAIRS.—The vote pro-
posed for the current year is 902,8211. ; and that taken
last year having been 695,6551., the increase is 207,1661.
BO that, considering the large augmentation under this
head, this is the vote most deserving of analysis. New
fortifications at home are estimated at 217,5241., and
repairs to those already existing at 22,8971. In these
items there has been no great alteration ; but for civil
buildings at home it is proposed to take 103,047/., in-
stead of 18,9661., and for barracks at home, 238,7211.,
instead of 171,0921. In the charge for these three
classes of buildings abroad, there is very little variation.
Passing to details, we find that the items exceeding
10,000/. are, for the defences of Dover and the coast of
Kent, 30,0001.; for the improvement of the fortifications
of Guernsey and Alderney, 61,750/. ;for new barracks
at Devonport, 25,0001.; for the fort at Gosport, 12,0001.;
for improving the artillery practice at Woolwich,
P.5„,_000/.; and for the puzeltase,of land. at Aldershott,
ior a camp, 100,0001. Neither of the two latteriteins
appeared last year, and it is somewhat singular to find
the very necessary training just mentioned included
under the head "civil buildings"—which, by this addi-
tion of 85,0001., are made to enter for 103,0471., instead
of being placed at 18,047/., and thus showing no in-
crease on last year. The total required for fortifications
abroad, including repairs, is about 60,0001., and the only
large items are 12,0001., in addition to 90,80001.
already expended in the defences of Malta ; 15,0001. for
the improvement of the defences of Fort George in the
Mauritius ; and 12,981/. towards the construction of a
new barrack at Fort Needham, near Halifax, Nova
Scotia.
It is, of course, needless to institute a minute com-
parison between the details of this vote in different
years, because the works undertaken are of great mag-
nitude, and the proportion to be accompanied in any
particular period must always be matter of discretion ;
but we shall, under present circumstances, do well to
accelerate our progress, and the total increase is by no
means extravagant.
8. SCIENTIFIC BRANCH.—Under this head the amount
of expense proposed is 154,368/., and the increase over
last year i 527,155/. It is intended thatll7,2oo/., instead
of 92,000/., should be taken to wards the completion of
the survey of counties, and the trigonometrical survey
now carrying on in Great Britain and Ireland ; nor can
there be any object of the kind in which money may be
more usefully expended. The Royal Military Academy
is provided for under this vote, and the total allowed
for its expenses is 26,2181. Other less costly establish-
ments raise the total to the sum which has been men-
tioned, but the variation above noticed is the only one
of any magnitude.
9. ORDNANCE NON-EFFECTIVE SERVICES, MILITARY
AND CIVIL.—The proposed vote amounts to 171,4461.,
and the excess over that of last year is 2311. The num-
ber of military superannuated, among whom are included
306 widows in receipt of pensions, is 1,096, and the sum
to be apportioned among them is 104,0541. The civil
superannuations and pensions provide for 295 superannu-
ated and reduced civil officers, 388 artificers and labour-
ers, and 193 widows, making a total of 876, and the pro-
portion of the vote allotted to them is 65,417/.
The total addition which will at present be made to
the charges on our national revenue by the intended
increase in our forces will be clearly shown by the fol-
lowing summaries, which present the aggregates of the
estimates for the current year, and for its predecessor.
The totals of charge for the two periods are :-
1854-5 1853-4 Increase.
Navy £7,487,948 £6,285,493 21,202,415
Army
Ordnance 3,845,878 3,053,567 792,311
oal

£17,621,312 £15,364,076 £2,257,236
and the effective strength of each service in the two
years will stand as follows :-
1854-5.

1853-4.

Increase.

Navy (including
marines)
,694
Army 112,977 102,283 10
Ordnance
Prudence in past years enables us to enter on a war
without requiring any vast addition, in the first instance,
to our national burdens ; and it will be well that, until
further demands become necessary, the wealth of the
public should fructify in the pockets of its possessors.
But no one will be surprised if larger votes should before
long be asked for, and there can be very few who will
not cheerfully submit to an satcs which, in so righte-
ous a cause, may be required their hands.

THE Grow__ RuNIA.—We were present en Thursday at
the Windsor works, in the City-road, where the Ame-
rican Gold-crushing and Amalgamating Machine is at
present exhibiting. The place was at times crowded by
p of wealth and distinction, and we remarked
several ladies of title amongst those interested in the
workings of the patent. Ten tons of quartz from a
Welch mine had been selected by first class assayists—
Johnson and Co., of Hatton-garden, as we understood—
and this being divided into two portions, the one was
submitted to the powers of Berdan's discovery, the other
being tried elsewhere by another process. The conclu-
slOile are to be sent in sealed covers to a committee
chosen for the purpose, and to be made public imme-
diately afterwards. Berdan's machine appeared fully
impressed with the importance of its task and the con-
sequences which hung upon the results ; for there was
a gravity and dignity in the action of the immense balls
which contrasted singularly with the bopping and skit-
tish movement whieh we have observed upon other
occasions where its duties were light, in consequence of
the insignificance of the weight of ore thrown to its
merciless operations.
The result of the examination of the out-pensioners of
Greenwich, in the second Portsmouth district, under the
command of Captain Wilson, staff officer, shows 43 fit
for sea service, 144 fit for Coast-guard duty, and 150 fit
for duty in the fleet in ordinary —total, 347. There were
found unfit for further active service 237. The first
Portsmouth, the Southampton, and the Brighton dis-
tricts were included in the inspection, but their results
are not yet ascertained.