The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-20 00:00:00

STATE OF THE NAV Y.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The Times of the lt;tla ins. has bestowed
some labour to prove that it has not acted an unpatriotic
part in its persevering attempts to show that our navy
is in a most inefficient state ; and has taken great um-
brage at the Devonport paper confuting its statements
by a fair and candid statement of the British naval force
in the Mediterranean.
The undertaking to prove that it is not unpatriotic
—that it has not been for a length of time past " de-
crying" and " undervaluing" the British Navy, is a
Herculean task ; the proving a negative being unknown
in logic.
I am not now going to enlighten the Times, for
" if ignorance is bliss, 'tis fully to be wise."
It will suffice to say that this country never bad so large
and efficient a fleet during peace. The efficiency of the
ships, their officers, and crews, has been recently tested
on the Syrian coast by deeds not to be excelled by the
brilliant ones of last war. The " weak" and " meagre"
peace establishment of our navy, as asserted by the
Times, is quite overthrown by the Devonport 7'elegraph
in plain figures. Again, the Times states, "We have
not sailors or marines to man our ships." Never was
there a time when men entered the navy more freely.
Let the Timis compute the thousands of seamen now
serving in and hourly entering the navy, all by a volun-
tary enlistment—no conscription—no forced service—
no Lord Mayor's men—no foreigners—ail British sub-
jects. Let the Times remember the short space of

time a first-rate (the Howe) was from her being ordered
for sea and her arrival at Spithead. The ships recently
commissioned at the various ports establish the effi-
ciency of our ships in " reserve," and the plentiful- i
ness of the materiel for their equipment in all our dock-
yards. Unfortunately for the Times it is likewise in
error, by saying that " our last disposable company of
marines are embarked on board the Indus."
The Times states " there is such a thiag as a Navy
List published at stated intervals by authority.'"
Does the Times forget that not very long since a mem•
ber of the Admiralty Board stated in his place in Par-
liament that the Navy List in question was not pub-
lished by authority of the Admiralty.
The Times has made the important discovery that,
upon the name of the Royal Frederick being, previous
to her launching, changed to that of the " Queen," the
name of the Royal Frederick was not erased from the
Navy List ; to this the Times clings with the greedi-
ness of a boa constrictor. Did the Times never, in it;

juvenile days, read the fable of the mountain in labour ?
But few rational people will envy the Times the si-
tuation it has taken up—that of caterer for the croakers,
disaffected, and disappointed. However, in undertaking
to administer food to vitiated tastes, the Times should

not 'forget its position of the " leading Conservative
Journal," by fallina into the views of so democratic a
writer as Oliver Goldsmith :
'Till half a patriot, half a coward, grown,
I fly from petty tyrants to the throne.
The concluding exhortation of the Times is quite
uncalled for. With a commercial marine comprising
some hundreds of thousands of seamen ; with a power-
ful reserve of ships-of-war at the various ports ; with
our dockyards well stored with the " materiel," ;and
our fleet in commission in the highest state of effi-
ciency, Great Britain can, when circumstances may
require it speedily bring her gigantic energies into action.
Apologising for this intrusion on your columns,
I remain your's, &c.
PRO BONO PUBLICO,
November 18, 1840.