The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-13 00:00:00

1.01,1)01,1, TUBS E. Y NOVEMBER 13, 1849,

Spc>sliin:r of the wi-e and glorious government of
OLIVER CROMWELL, "the greatest prince who has
ever sat upon the throne of England," Mr. MacAuLair
observes in his criticism on Mr. HALLANt (Essays,

Vol. 1., p. 185), that " he took a peculiar pleasure in
encouraging that noble service which, of all the in-
struments employed by an English Government, is
the most impotent for mischief, land the most power-
fal for good." Perhaps the most unpopular of all our
sovereigns, the unfortunate though able and energetic
King JAMES the Second, was conspicuous for the interest
with which he fostered the maritime profession of Great
Britain—that gallant and heroic profession which has
transferred to our " snug little island " the supreme
dominion of the seas, planting the royal standard in
every clime, and carrying the enterprises of com-
merce and the researches of science to regions where
the Dutch, or the Venetian, the Genoese, the Por-
tugu.-se, or the Carthaginian had failed to penetrate.
Most profoundly is it to be hoped that what was
attempted by the last of the STUARTS) and aspired
to by his Highness the LORD PROTECTOR of the
British Commonwealth, may be accomplished in the
golden days of VICTORIA, when England, according
to the felicitous remark of Mr. Roßsucx, presents
to Europe the majestic spectacle of a crowned Re•
publicanistn, and a royal Democracy.
Only the other evening, when referring to the
mismanagement of the national Exchequer, we ob-
served that even the enemies of a financial retrenchment
confess that according to the present system no less than
1,2.50,000/ of the naval estimates are wasted. Now,
we are clamouring neither for a reduction nor for an
increase of our naval estimates—we are only solicitous
that henceforth 1.250,0001. shall not be squandered
without any adequate compensation, we might
even say without any good effect whatever,
but that by a judicious reorganization of the arrange-
ments relating to the great ',national service, these
1,250,0001. shall be applied to the advantage of a
noble set of fellows, one of the finest races of men
in the empire, the renowned and lion-hearted sailors
of England. For it is monstrous, it is absolutely
monstrous, to reflect that in a great maritime country
like England we have a large standing army and no
permanent navy—on the contrary, an entire absence
of any plan by which the British tar might obtain
continued employment. As matters are at present
managed, or rather, we should say, as they
are at present mismanaged, the ablest seamen,
after toiling for a number of years in the service, and
becoming in the highest degree proficient in the
discharge of their duties, may be turned adrift, are
actually turned adrift upon society to go to the dogs,
or to go to the devil, just as accident may lead their
fortunes. Fine stalwart fellows, ready to stick their
fis's into a tar-bucket, or, according to their own

blithe and gallant expression to "work with a will"
whenever the boatswain pipes his whistle, are by this
wretched system paid off in some one of our seaports,
and compelled thenceforth to shift for themselves. The
consequence of this is, that we are going the very best
way to work to estrange the hearts of our brave
tars from a service which was formerly the object of
their love and enthusiasm ; be~i•les which every year
increases the diflicutty of manning a vessel just put
in commission. For the life of him, the captain has
no notion where to go fur his proper complement—
s() that he is at last forced to tout for mariners in
one port or another, and to content himself with the
stragglers picked up in any pot house or brothel.
It is needless, of course, to say that the evil of all this
is truly lamentable. Good seamanship throughout the
whole crew, in some cases—throughout even half of it,
becomes altogether hopeless. Properdiscipline is ren-
dered wholly impossible. The character of the entire
service is undermined and jeopardised. We would see
these miserable effects of the present mismanagement
at once dissipated, and their recurrence sedulously
prevented. Not only the interest and the safety of
the empire, but the considerations of national economy
combine to render this wish imperative. Something
must be done for the most valuable class of men in the
whole empire, and the most ill considered—our sea-
men. We have a large standing army. Why
is it we have no permanent navy ?—a navy

being absolutely requisite for the mainte-
nance of our rank among the nations, and for the
conservation of our maritime supremacy. If
only upon an economic calculation, the matter is de-
serving of serious reflection, and demands the earnest
attention of the Parliament and the Admiralty. Let
not the navy of England any longer be dependent on
the merchant service on the colliers, or on the fish-
ing-smacks, on the offscourinto of the lowest haunts
of our seaports; but lst the commander of every ship
put in commission know exactly where he may ob-
tain his requisite complement, secure that each
mariner drafted into his vessel is not only able-
skilful but honest, well-disciplined,
bodi;:d and
and cordially attached to his profession. The better
performance of the duties required on board a man-of-
war, the facilities thrown in the way of officers
anxious to increase their complements of men, and
the appreciable enhanee—,,,.ent by this means of the
strength of this the strongest arm of
the empire,
would soon afford mare than mere compensation for
all the disbursements demanded for the support of the
Kamen during the intervals which might elapse
between the perio7.s of their engagements. All the
time desired by JACK for a holiday-gap between
his voyages is simply time enough to spe
his loose cash. So long as he has a sho
in his locker he will continue to have his