The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-28 00:00:00

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

The house then went into committee of supply.
On the first vote of 50,0)01., for defraying the charges
for the Royal Naval Coast Volunteers,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS said, he wished to call the atten-
tion of the First Lord of the Admiralty to several points
in connection with these estimates. It appeared from the
votes that there were 16 admirals in active service of
whom two were in command of dockyards, and four were
what were denominated port-admirals, so that only ten
were actually employed on board ship. There were, how-
ever, 261 admirals in a state of idleness, receiving half-pay
or pensions. Then there were 93 captains and 127 com-
manders, altogether 220 of both ranks on the active list,
but there were 544 captains and 920 commanders receiving:-
half-pay or pensions, and in a state of idleness. The num-
ber of lieutenants to be employed was 519, while 1,143
were unemployed. This was a monstrous state of things,
which, in his opinion, well deserved the consideration of
the First Lord of the Admiralty. Only 755 officers of all
ranks were to be employed in a fleet which they were told
was the most powerful ever sent to sea by this country,
while 2,868 officers were left in a state of idleness. He
(Mr. Williams) must say that, since the present First Lord
of the Admiralty had been in office, he believed the manage-
ment of that department bad been much more economical
and efficient than was formerly the case ; but he wished to
call the attention of the right hon. baronet to the fact that,
since the termination of the last war, there had been an
expenditure of 62,000,0001. upon wages, machinery, and
other items in the dockyards, and he would like to know
what practical advantage the country had derived in return
for such vast expenditure. Within the same period, also,
there had been an expenditure of 10,500,0001. for the en-
largement of the dockyards. He was quite sure that if
the right hon. baronet would take stock in his department
he would find there had been, since the war, fully
25,000,0001. sterling spent, and very little left to show for
it. He would also suggest that much advantage and saving
might be effected by placing the navy agencies in the colo-
nies under the commissariat ; and, in conclusion, he
trusted that the right hon. baronet would take measures
for promoting savings-banks in the navy.
Sir J. GRAHAM said, with reference to the large num-
ber of officers on half-pay, beginning with those in the
highest rank, the hon. gentleman would recollect that full
inquiry had been made by the committee which had sat
on naval estimates under the presidency of the noble mem-
ber for Totnes, and upon the recommendations of which
considerable reductions in the list complained of had been
made ; of lieutenants on the effective list, indeed, the num-
ber had been so much reduced that in the recent armament
considerable difficulty had been experienced in making up
the requisite staff of lieutenants—so much so that an alte-
ration of the rules which had been introduced with refe-
rence to promotions from this very valuable class of officers
would probablybe necessary. (Hear, hear.) There was no
doubt that large expenditure had been incurred in the
adaptation of existing ships to a more useful construction,
and more especially in the adaptation of vessels to the
screw system ; but the result, as manifested in the pre-
sent condition of our navy, would, he thought, be accepted
as a valuable consideration. (Hear, hear.) The plan of con-
centrating the naval agencies in the colonies with the com-
missariat had been tried, experimentally, at Hong Kong,
but it had been found productive of such complication of
accounts, and such inconvenience to the naval service, that
it had been abandoned. The importance of encouraging
savings-banks in the navy was by no means new to him,
for he had, twenty years ago, carried a measure for that
very purpose. The measure, he was sorry to say, had not
been so successful by any means as the introduction of
savings-banks into the army ; but he was disposed to attri
bute this rather to the different mode in which sailors were

paid than to any inherent defect in the sailors themselves,
as compared with soldiers. (Hear, hear.) Receiving their
wages as the sailors did, in comparatively large sums,
with long intervals, and when the ship was paid off in
some port where every temptation to spend his money
was presented to the seaman, it was not much to be won-
dered at that savings-banks were of less avail in the navy
than in the army. He was very desirous, therefore, of
remedying this defect by assimilating the pay of the
sailor, in its mode of payment, as nearly as possible to that
of the soldier. (Hear.) The existing condition of things
was altogether inopportune for the introduction of so great
a change, the various classes of seamen now afloat receiv-
ing, from circumstances, wages so various in their nature
and amount; but he could assure the house that he would
take the earliest practicable occasion to lay before them a
measure to carry out the principle, calculated as that prin-
ciple was, he thoroughly believed, materially to improve
the character of our navy.
Captain SCOBELL considered that the system of offer-
ing large bounty and other special advantages to the naval
coast volunteers was unfair to the other seamen who were
invited, at this critical juncture, to enter the navy, and
who, if really seamen, were quite as worthy of this en-
couragement as any particular class of their profession.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that to extend bounty to all the
seamen required for the present emergency would involve
the country in an immediate outlay of not less than
200,0001.—an expenditure which was entirely unnecessary,
since the full number of seamen who were required were
found ready to enter without that inducement. (Hear.)
With the gallantry and high spirit so conspicuous in their
profession, as our seamen saw danger to the country in-
crease, so increased their willingness to enter the service.
Some few months ago, indeed, there was a difficulty in
getting seamen for the fleet ; but since it had become clear
to the seamen of this country that danger was at hand,
they had come forward with a spirit which could not be
too highly admired. (Hear.) He was most anxious to
give to every seaman a fair remuneration for his services,
but, with reference to the naval coast volunteers, it should
be recollected that they stood in the same position towards
the general navy with relation to the bounty question as
the militia occupied in reference to the army.
Sir G. TYLER thought it would be extremely useful to
the house if some information could be given them as to
how the force of naval coast volunteers had been
raised, and whether the number of men who had come
forward—many of whom could not be altogether seamen—
was equal to that for which the vote had been taken last
year. He had always been of opinion that we must look
to the merchant service for our seamen ; but it was most
desirable that there should be always at hand a sufficient
supply of sailors for continuously manning our fleet when
required. The plan proposed, in a pamphlet written by
Admiral Bowles, was, that there should be a naval mi-
litia, independent of the coast volunteers, formed along the
coast and within fivo miles of it, and also that there should
be a quota established for each great seaport town in Eng-
land. This force the author proposed to divide into classes,
and suggested that the first class, composed of men from
18 to 30 years of age, should be made available for the
service of the Royal Navy for a certain fixed period, liable
to be called out like the militia, and with equal bounties
and advantages. The second class would consist of men
between 30 and 40 years of age, liable to limited service in
the United Kingdom ; and in this way a force would be
established which would be at all times available. He
hoped the right hon. gentleman would give to the plan of
the gallant officer that consideration which he (Sir G.
Tyler) thought it deserved.
Admiral BERKELEY said, it was true they had been
obliged to take a certain number of landsmen in the force
which had been raised; but the progress which these
young men made in the schools was perfectly wonderful.
The coast-guardsmen were a remarkably fine body of men,
and the various captains whose ships had received quotas
spoke of them in the highest praise. The enrolment of
volunteers had not fully commenced; but the force already
raised in the three weeks during which enrolment had
been going on amounted to about 1,000 men.
Captain SCOBELL said, that in proposing a system of
bounties he wanted to induce men to come forward for a
longer period of service. He would not give a bounty to
any man who did not enter for 10 years, and would ex-
clude ordinary seamen and landsmen from the system alto-
gether.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS was convinced that the diminu-
tion of corporal punishments on board Her Majesty's ships
had been an inducement to seamen to come forward. He
hoped the right hon. gentleman at the head of the Board of
Admiralty would keep his attention fixed upon that
point ; for, sure he was, that whenever an officer was
found continually inflicting punishment on board his ship,
that officer was not fit for command.
The vote was then agreed to.
On the vote of 51,722/. for the expenses of the scientific
branch,
Mr. BENTINCK called attention to the very long inter-
terval which elapsed between the completion of certain of
the coast surveys and the publication of the charts.
Sir J. GRAHAM acknowledged that the more speedy
publication of the result of the surveys was a matter of
great importance. He had given his attention to the re-
organisation of the hydrographical department, and an
officer well known for his scientific acquirements, Captain
Washington, had been appointed as assistant to Admiral
Beaufort. The attention of these officers had been di-
rected to the urgent necessity of a more speedy publication
of the surveys which had been made, as charts became
comparatively useless if their publication was long de-
layed, and he believed the result of their joint efforts
would be that the wishes of his hon. friend would before
long be accomplished.
Captain SCOBELL would suggest whether it would not
be desirable for the Government to offer some premium
for the best lifeboat or liferaft.
The vote was agreed to, together with the following :
131,4511. for salaries of officers, &c., at her Majesty's
naval establishments at home.'
22,2971. for her Majesty's establishments abroad.
On the vote of 883,6481. for wages to artificers, &c., em-
ployed in her Majesty's establishments at home,
Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE wished to express his gratifi-
cation at the exertions in our naval establishments, which
enabled England to put forth such a magnificent display of
strength at such short notice. (Hear, hear.) As he had
thought it his duty to express some disapprobation with
regard to the proceedings of the Government he was
glad to see there had been more vigour in execution than
there had been unity in council.
The vote was agreed to, together with a vote of
37,2591. as wages to artificers in our naval establishments
abroad.
On the vote of 1,142,7321. as naval stores for the buip-
° in.' and repairs of ships,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS owned that, comparing the votes