The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-07 00:00:00

FRENCH 19 .ND

We have endeavoured, with all possible impar-
tiality, to obtain trustworthy information on -the
subject : and having received the French naval
estimates for the year 1854, submitted by the
Government to the Council of State but not
yet published, or even adopted, we think it will
be a relief to our countrymen to be able to corn-
' pare them with the naval expenditure of the
' current year, and of the last year of the reign of
Louis Philippe. The estimates appear to us wholly
to negative the idea of great preparations on the
part of France—for though they show an increase
upon 1853, the increase is not great—not a quarter
so great as the increase of our own naval estimates
—and we are solemnly assured by men of high
station in France that, such as it is, the increase is
the consequence (instead of being the cause) of the
naval preparations of England. The French naval
budget for 1854 slightly exceeds that for 1853; viz.,
by 3,814,054 francs (152,5621. sterling) ; but that it
is still 16,046,865 francs (641,8741. sterling) below
the naval expenditure of 1848. The French naval
expenditure has been as follows :

Francs. £ sterling
Naval expenditure of 1848 ...r115,679,720 or 4,627,188
Do. do. 1853 95,818,801 or 3,832,752
Estimates for 1854 —. 99,632,855 or 3,985,314
Now what is the naval expenditure of England ?
In the year ended Jan. 5, 1852, it was 5,849,9161.
Last April Mr. Disraeli stated the naval estima cs
for the coming year at 6,493,0001. And in his finan-
cial statement of Dec. 3 he announced an increase
of 600,0001. in those estimates. We believe these
amounts include the cost of the Post-office packet
service, which (if we recollect right) is something
like 600,0001. or 700,0001.; but it must be borne in
mind that a considerable number of the ocean
steam-packets are capable of being used as ships of
war, and are subsidised by the Government with
the avowed intention that they should be so used.
Moreover part of the Ordnance expenditure belongs
to the naval department ; so that we believe the
navy estimates may safely be taken at the full
amount given under that head for the year, and
even beyond it. There was a gradual and im-
portant reduction in the Navy expenditure from
1847 to 1851, but since that time there has been a
very rapid increase :
Navy expenditure for 1847
1848
1849
PP 1850
1851
Then came the turn, when an alarm sprung up
of possible invasion ; and the following are the
results :

Navy expenditure for 1851 ...... £5,849,916
SP 1852 6,493,000
SP 1853
Now it will be seen that the expenditure on the
English navy very far exceeds that on the French ;
and that the recent augmentation in the former
very far exceeds the recent augmentation in the
latter.

ENGLISH AND FRENCH NAVAL EXPENDITURE.
ENGLISH. i PRENCH.

Years. £ Years. £
1848 7,922,286 1848
1851
1852 6,493,000 I 1854
1853
The proportions of the expenditure (looking at
the latest estimates for each country) are as 56 for
France to 100 for England. And whilst France
has made an addition of 152,562/. to her naval
expenditure, England made an addition of 643,084/.
for 1852, and of an additional 600,0001. for 1853.
Then, as to the number of seamen in the respective
navies, it is 42,000 in the English and 22,000 in
the French. In the month of December, 5,000
were added to the number of our seamen, and
1,500 to our marines. The augmentation of the
navy then, we believe, has been immensely greater
on the side of England than on the side of France.
On the whole, we see not the shadow of a proba-
bility of an invasion ; and we are persuaded that
Mr. Cobden's 10,0001., to be paid to General
Brotherton on an invasion, is as safe as any money
in any part of the United Kingdom.—Leeds
Mercury.

LEEDS, BRADFORD, AND HALIFAX JUNCTION RAIL-
WAY.—The report submitted at the general meeting of
this company, held in Bradford on Saturday, is very brief,
and to the following effect : " Your directors have to
report satisfactory progress in the construction of the
line. The long continuance of wet weather will, however,
it is calculated, cause a little more delay than was pre-
viously anticipated. Your directors are now prosecut-
ing the application to Parliament for powers to enable
them to construct the proposed coal branches, the plans
and sections for which have been duly deposited, and
the standing orders of Parliament complied with." The
statement of accounts to the 31st December shows the
total receipts to be 31,1361. 14s. 2d., and the payments
14,310/. Os. 6d., leaving a balance in hand of 17,826/.
13s. Bd. The principal items among the payments are
Parliamentary expenses, 9,7611. 11s. ; Mr. Hawk-
shaw for engineering, 450 t. ; and contractor on account
of making the line, 8,877 10s. -