The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-25 00:00:00

some proportion at least to the degree in which our
vast and wide-spread interests, dependent on naval
protection, exceed those of other nations. Upon
their preservation our greatness and prosperity
are staked ; and, as is so often observed by members
of the commission, the dispersion of forces their
defence will require must be a cause of weakness,
especially against an enemy who has nothing to
defend abroad, who is secure from serious invasion
at home, and is at liberty to concentrate his force
on whatever object he may choose for attack. It
is not our policy to strike out new instruments of
war ; but whatever real improvements are adopted
by others we are bound to provide ourselves with
also. As Admiral de la Susse well observes,
" nothing is improvised in naval affairs ;" and we
must organize our resources and prepare our ships
during peace. The latter, the most costly branch
of naval preparation has never been neglected,
and perhaps occasionally has been carried to
excess.

As regards the adoption of the screw propeller,
our condition is highly satisfactory. We have a
larger and more efficient fleet of screw ships--those
recently constructed being triumphs of naval archi-
tecture—while our means of adding to the number
are far beyond those of any other Power.
We must follow the course of France in discard-
ing our paddlewheel steam-frigates and in getting
rid of the small craft that now crowd the Navy
List. But, looking to the past for future guidance,
we may ask whether vast sums might not have
been saved had the measures for rendering mer-
chant vessels available for the naval service been
more effectually carried out t The heavier classes
of ships must be in the highest degree efficient and
must be devoted exclusively to the service of the
State, but, as regards the smaller classes of vessels
required for the coast defence, every object might
be fulfilled if the merchant steam-vessels were fitted
to receive an armament (as M. Daru suggests), and
were thus ready at any moment to be taken into
the public service. Until some system of this de-
scription is put into force, the enormous mass o
merchant steamers must be wholly incapable of aid-
ing in the public defence if occasion should arise.
It would be too late to fit them when the hour of
need arrived._

Considerable advantage would also be gained if
the Revenue cruisers and the Coastguard. service
in general were made an effective part of the navy,
instead of being, as at present, a totally 'distinct
force. The men, it is true, have engaged Ito serve
in the navy if required ; but this is a civil cc 'ntract,
such as exists between master and servant„ which
cannot be enforced, and the breach of it c; In only
be punished by an appeal to the magistrate..
Some other recommendations of the corm) aission,
having reference to the arsenals and the mageriet of
the fleet, require notice.
Besides the erection of great steam facto ries at
Toulon, Brest, and Cherbourg, the commission re-
commends that the State shall provide the > means
of repairing steam-vessels at Algiers and a t Mers-
el-Kebir, if no such establishment should be formed
by private enterprise.
The only port that can be conveniently s applied
with French coal is Toulon.
equal
The commission , there-
fore,alwa resolves that a supply
always
tionaaitnil
,ianstecione
year's consumption should at
the Ocean Ports.

The commission recommends that henc el 7orward.
ships of the line shall be built only at !Toulon,
Brest, and Cherbourg ; the ports of L'Ot4ie nt and
Rochefort being deficient in space, and be st suited
for dispatching the squadrons destined for distant
expeditions, which may slip out thence uno h Served,
are hereafter only to build frigates and ;smaller
vessels.

The commission adopts the opinion of ea e sub-
commission, urging that the shipwrights an other
artificers in the maritime districts shall be raised
for seven years, and formed into companies under
a regular military organization ; that they s. be
compelled to serve afloat when required (from
which they were before exempt) ; that thil s mea-
sure shall be at once put in force, and the "no
more free workmen shall be admitted into the ar-
senals from the day on which the military organi-
sation commences." This is a curious recommen-
dation emanating from a Republican AI is embly,
chosen by universal suffrage and vote by ballot.
The progress of the gigantic works at Chzerbourg
have been checked by the financial conseqt to nces of
the revolution.

" The breakwater," says the report,
" Is, we may say, finished. This work, the fix test and
without dispute, the boldest ever executed by man, is
un fait accompli.
" The anchorage is secured, but the arsenal :and de-
fences are far from being finished, We must not dis-
guise the fact that, if war broke out now, immense sums
might be lost ; a few steam vessels might speedily ruin
what we have constructed with so much labour and at
I such heavy sacrifices. _ _