The Sun.
London, England, 1814-04-26 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The first and great object of BOUNAPARTE was
indisputably the crippling our naval supplies : his
unprovoked attack on Russia bad this principally
in view, and his intrigues with America were di-
rected to the same end. It will not therefore be
uninteresting to our readers to b presented with
a cursory glance of the demEnde which this
" main prop and pillar of the state" daily made
upon our resources. Assuming four hundred
thousand tons as the amount .of tonnage to be
kept in cominission, and the average duration
of a ship-of war at the 'moderate period of twelve
years and a half, there would be required an
annual supply of tonnage, to preserve the navy it
its present effective state, of 32,000 tons ; and as
a ,load and cY half of timber is employed for every
ton, the annual demand will he 48,000 loads.—
The building of a 74-gun ship consumes: about
2000' oak trees, or 3000 loads of.thnber ; so that
48,000 foads will build eight sail. of the line, and
sixteen frigates. Allowing one-fotirth part more
(which is an -extrepe allowance), for casualties,
the annual consumption for the whole navy in
building, repairs, 'and waste; 'trill be about
60,000 loads, or 40,000 full grown trees ; of
which 35 will stand upon an acre of ground.
The quantity of
.iimber, therefore, necessary for
the construction of a 74-gun ship will occupy. 57
acres of land , and the annual demand will be the
produce of 1140 'acres. Allowing. only ninety
years for the oak to arrive at perfection, there
ought to he now standing 102,600 acres of oak
plantations, and an annual felling and planting, in
perpetual rotation, of 1140 acres to meet the con-
sumption of the navy alone ; -huge as this may,
seem, it is little more than twentylone acres for
each county of England and Wales ;• which is not
equal to the belt which surrounds the park and
pleasure grounds of many estates.
It is to be observed, that the preceding calcu-
tion, and Which-will be admitted by the Officers
of Government to be beyond the actual consump-
tiw of the navy, is made up with a view to' cover
all casualties. The consumption of English oak
in the building of merchants' ships of all denomi-
nations; does not exceed 72,500 loads 4,year, that
is for building and repairs; taking it on the average
quantity of tonnage annually built since Lord
IIAwKEsEORY'S Act ; so that, instead of the eon-
spmption of English oak timber being so great as it
is represented by Mr. MONEY, and theother Advo-
vates (if India shipping, namely,loo,ooo loads for
the navy, and 170,000 loads for the merchants'
service, together '270,000 loads per annum, it is
fdr both services, on a fair and liberal allowance,
only 132,500 loads per annum, and which is made
on an estimate, as if ships and vessels of all sizes
were entirely built of English oak. The contrary
is, however, the fact,
and the inaportatiocts of oak
and pine from British America and other places,,
IN BIIITISEI snips, for strip-building -in Great
Britain, shows how important it is-to retain that
valuable branch of basiness within the kingdom.
The oak timber' for naval purposes, and the
masts and spars imported into Great Britain in
1812, were, •

From British North America. , ' From all other Countries..
' Oak Timber, 18,138 loads. ' Oak 'Timber, 1,255, loads.
Masts. 1 . Spars. , Masts. I Spars.
22,774. I 17,2.11.

'But the importation from these ColonieS in the two
preceding years were' considerably 'greater, and
may be increased to any extent; under the fostering
protection of Government, but not otherwise.
1810.-29,:305 masts. 1810.!-31,275 spars.
.181 T.-30,158 ditto.! 1811.-19,560 ditto.
The oak timber imported from British North
America in these years, was— _

In 1810. L0ad5,17,2r;7 lln ►Bll.' Loads, 24,470.

After this satisfactory exposition of the compe-
tency of these Colonies to supply the mother coun-
try with the preceding articles, and with staves,
pot-*ish, fish, furs, &c. which has been shewn on
former occasions, "surely there can be no hesita-
tion as to what ought to be the policy to be pur-
sued AT THIS Grail's by the Cabinet of Great Bri-
tain !