The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-25 00:00:00

wMeh the British Museum was open they would find it
wa% open for a greater number of hours in the year than
nny other in Europe. He could also inform the House

that 65,000 persons had read in the library last year, a
trreater number of p.Tsons than had read io any other
library on the Continent. It was a gratifying fact that
not only the visitors but the readers of the library had
increased greatly during the last few years. The
former, according to the returns, had increased three-
fold the last six years. In speaking of foreign libraries,
and the access given to them, it ought to be observed
that there were secret police inside of them to watch
over the proceedings going on, whereas they had no
such thing as police inside of the British Museum.—
(Hear, hear.) He begged leave to apologise for occupy-
ing the House so long in the explanation he had made.
Mr. P. BORTHWICK said, in speaking of the readers
of the Paris library as compared with the British
Museum, they ought to bear in mind that Paris was a
much smaller city than London. He considered they
might adopt, with advantage, the liberal arragements of
the French Government.

Sir D. NORREYS wished to remind the Hon. Member
who last spoke, that the Paris library was only open to
the public for two days in the week.

Mr. BORTHWICk, in answer to that, would inform
the House that he knew from his own knowledge that
the library was open every day for students and those
who wished to read.

Sir D. NORREYS thought a Museum of this kind
ought to be a truly national institution and embrace
within it specimens in every department of science and
art, bosh national and historical relics, and specimens of
architecture.

An Hos. MEMBER said he saw there was a sum of
10.0001. put down for the purchase of old books, now he
wished to know what this was for?
Sir IL H. INGLIS replied that the parties who had
charge of the library had made an elaborate report to
the trustees, in which they pointed out its deficiencies,
and amongst these deficiencies the library was sadly de-
fective in its stock of old books. On the fact being
communicated to the Treasury, they generously agreed
to devote 10,000/. a year for purchasing collections of
old books to supply the deficiency.
The vote was then agreed to.
NAVY ESTIMATES.

Mr. WARD said, having been so short a time in office,
of course, he was not then in a position to make any ela-
borate statement upon the navy estimates ; but the ob •
servations lie had to make, which must necessarily be
few, he should confine within the narrowest possible
limits. He would commence by stating the position in
which the estimates stood. The numbr of men which
had already been voted was 40,000, and for the purposes
of wages, victuals, and naval stores, three votes, amount-
ing in the aggregate to 20,900,0001., had already been
agreed to. Now the gross expenditure for the year was
estimated at 70,664,4431., deducting from which the cre-
dits of the year, would mike 70,476,9151. to be voted for
the service of the year. The number of men he had
already stated at 40,000, being 27,500 seamen, 2,000 ap-
prentices, 5,500 marines afloat, and 5,000 ashore. The
tetal vote for wages was 1,032,852 E, which, after deduct-
ing the credit, would leave a sum of 32,0001. The sum
required for clothing for the service of the year was
10,294,720/., being an increase of 5,177/, on the vote of
last year, notwithstanding the number of men was the
same ; but the fact was, the credits of the present year
was considerably less than those of last year.—(Hear,
hear.) The third vote, which was for provisions, showed
an increase of 34,533/. upon the vote of last year, but
this could easily be accounted for when they con-
sidered the rise which had taken place in the
price of provisions.—(Hear, hear.) The fourth
vote, which was for what was called " The
General Registry and Record Office, " showed an in-
crease of 28,0001. ; but the results which this institution
had produced were so gratifying that he was sure the
Committee would not begrudge it.—(Hear, hear.) This
office was ably managed by Lieutenant Brown, and the
system of registration had proved a great check upon
desertion in the merchant service. In the past year the
registration and issue of tickets had been very great,
and it was gratifying to think that this registration sys-
tem would ultimately be a substitute for " pressing'
a power which, however useful it might be for the Crown
to possess, bad always been unpalatable to the country,
while in many instances its results had been anything
but successful.—(Hear, hear.) On the fifth vote there
was only an increase of 470 L, but on the sixth for moving
establishments the increase was 1,115/.—(Hear,
hear.) -In maintaining the dock-yards and trans-
port establishments the estimate was 22,552 E,
which showed an increase of 945/. over last year. Vote
Bth was somewhat larger, comprising wages for hired
hands ; there was an increase of 61,7921.; the total
amount being 752,4271. The estimate for last year was
690,0001., and the increase this year arose from the sub-
stitution of free labour for convicts in the dock-yards.
In the previous year there were 2,670 convicts employed,
but this year only 800 were employed, 300 of these at
Woolwich. Vote 9th was for wages in the establish.
ments abroad, and the increase war only 1,7004 In
vote 10, was tho principal increase for the
year, it was for naval stores, for fitting out of
the fleet, and amounted to 1,694,1521. ; the net vote
being 1,636,000 E, being an increase of 437,2515/. over the
vote of last year. This increase arose from the great
activity of the fleet towards the close of last year ; and,
under the circumstances, he believed that such an in-
crease would not appear to have been made before it
was called for. Vote 11 was for new works, improve-
ments, and repairs. There was an increase of 40,460.,
principally arising from the substitution of iron roofs
over the slips, for the old, most foolish, and most dan-
gerous mode of roofing them in with wood, paper,and tar,
thereby exposing the establishments to destruction from
a spark, and the country to a loss of millions. The vote
also included the construction of sea basins at Davenport,
and Portsmouth, at an expense of about 156,500 E, with a
view to the accommodation of large steamers ; and a
similar work was going on at Malta. Vote 12, he
passed by without remark, and came to vote 13, which
was miscellaneous objects, pilotage. distressed seamen,
&c., and was the only estimate of the year showing a
decrease, which amounted to 47,000/. Vote 14, was for
half-pay, and showed an increase of 3,700/. Vote 18,
was for freight of convicts, being 93,859/., the number of
convicts sent out last year being 5,065. There had
been a reduction of the charge from 41. to 31. 17s. per ton.
The next vote was for the packet department, their
being packets to the West Indies, Valparaiso,Hong-Kong,
and other places abroad. He said he had now gone very
shortly over the whole of the votes. The present
Board of Admiralty were not responsible for the votes
of the year ; they had been handed over to them by the
Board of last year, and they had been adopted. For the
future he could not hold out any false hopes of reduc-
tion. Any reduction would not be desirable, or even
possible, so long as the establishments abroad were kept
up on such a footing. He thought it would be wrong
for England to run the same risk which she had twice
run already.—(llear, hear.) The superiority of the
country was the same in all but preparation. Wool-
wich, he said, was the only steam factory which we pos-
sessed of any size ; and the basins at Plymouth and
Portmouth were not completed. He did not think that
this country could depend fora large supply of men from
impressment. That the country should trust for defence
against such a navy as that of America to untrained men,
pressed into the service for the time, would be absurd
and foolhardy. He thought they ought to recall those
elements which were scattered over all the ports of the
world, and he wished that another mode should be
adopted of treating these gallant men. Much might be
done by kind treatment, the training of boys, and by
putting down that foolish practice of breaking up the
crews of ships as soon as they came home. It was a
practice he said which no officer in the navy but would
scout.—(Hear, hear.) He wished to see those gallant
men permanently interested in the service of the Crown.
Indeed, he thought the duty of the present Government
would be to organise and systematise the elements which
had been brought together. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded, by moving the first vote of 245,480/. for wages
and maintenance of seamen.
Sir C. NAPIER said he had listened to the Right
Hon. Gentleman with the greatest satisfaction, and he
agreed in nearly everything which had fallen from him
in the course of his remarks. At the very moment that

they wanted to man their ships of war it was
to find min, and the present Board of Admiralty had,
by not taking steps to prevent that state of things, fallen
into the same careless system that their predecessors had.
The Gallant Admiral opposite had told them .the -:other
evening that there was no difficulty,in obtaining aeatn?,a
to man their ships. He (Sir CI 2apier?
rate Gal/ant Officer that he hacthi/iiii lisimrhafirate captains
of the ships at Woolwich thdi tfityWittettry was the fact.
The House of Commons declared themselves perfectly
willing the other night to adopt any feasible plan that
might be suggested to remedy the present defective
state of the naval department, but in consequence of the
statements of the Secretary of the Admiralty, they had
been persuaded to desist taking any step. It was quite
clear that the expenses on the dockyards and stores
were most lavish. He felt confident that the expenses in
those departments might with safety be reduced at least
half a million. Hon. Gentlemen might, perhaps, con-
sider that statement a very extraordinary one, but he
could clearly prove it by documentary evidence. Had
not the experimental squadron taught them, during the
last two years, that their present system was a bad one.
Their men-of-war were of the worst description; they
were narrow-bottomed and sharp bowed. In a gale of
wind they rolled most fearfully. The Gallant Admiral
opposite shook his head, but he (Sir Charles Napier)
had got documents to substantiate his statement—docu-
ments which were signed by the captains of those ships.
They bad an instance of one ship rolling 45 degrees in a
gale of wind, so that if for instance we were at war in a gale
of wind with such ships, they would receive in their
bo, toms all the shot of the enemy. It was the most
wild scheme in the world, to go to the expense of cutting
down those vessels and making them into block ships ;
they were perfectly useless. Ile did not think the pub-
lic money should be allowed to be thrown away on
building large screw and steam vessels. Ile had heard
that there was a large iron steam frigate of 2,000 tons
burden, he did not think it would be worth anything
when completed. A few days sir.ce he visited Woolwich
dockyards, where he saw a large number of boilers
lying about in all directions, some of which were as large
as the House of Commons. He thought that there
should be a Commission appointed to investigate all the
men of war and the steam vessels, and report
upon them. He thought that the five Lords of
the Admiralty were all working different ways,
and they did not know what they were doing. The
steam navy of this country was yet in its infancy; the
merchant service was not so; go where they would they
would find they beat the navy. If this country con-
tinued to adopt their old course they would continue in
their infancy for twenty years longer.
Sir G. COCKBURN said that the vessels which were
kept in the Channel could be exercised in the sea with-
out the necessity of their being full manned, but there
was no intention of sending them abroad until they were
all full manned. It was quite necessary that the
marines should be exercised. The present articles
were net gadeieut t 9 keep WA WI 0 the We AillY