The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-06 00:00:00

Lumber of our frigates should have,heen increased.. A
eighbouring country had now niUCicen-,frigateshuikl-
ing, and s'xteen in dock, making a toia*T'of thirty-five.
He thought, too, that we should hay.? male a gr( weir
se of the new power of steam. We hed now but six
steamers, while France had thirti-Ihree,
Admiral ADAM observed, that we could well dis-
pense with an increased number of frigates, so long as
we were well supplied with seventy-fours, which were
much more efficient in battle. With regard to steamers,
the British Government had been yearly increasing
them, as much as was consistent with a proper economy.
Seven vessels had been built this year, and six more
were on the stocks, and the Government were entering
into contracts for engines for six or seven large steamers,
and the Hon. Officer might be certain that the subject
would n(t be lost sight of.

Captain PECHfiLL said that in the last war they
bad been left a legacy of forty sail of the lice, which
eery properly be denominated the forty thieves.
flis ()Elect in replying to the Hon. Gentleman, was
vith respect to the steam-vessels. Now it was noto-
rious that the French Minister hai complained in the
Chain! er of Deputies that none of the French vessels
vera to be compared with those Of this country. For
my one therefore to stand up and say this country was
leficient in vessels, showed him that he had overlooked
shut hcd taken place at Acre, where the vessels had
(lone tie greatest service.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM wished for explanation
upon one item in the present vote. When he had the
honour of being at the Admiralty, the best relations
.xisted between this country and the United States,
but it had always been considered necessary to
adopt such a course as would keep up the su-
perior character of this country. Now, he saw
in this vote an outlay of 29,0004 for the pur-
pose of steam vessels for Canada. Now, he wished
to know for what purpose that charge was
.rack, and whether any change was contemplated at the
Admiralty different to that which was adopted by him
to keep up the naval spirit of the country.
Mr. M. O'FERRALL said there was no change
contemplated in the policy to which the Right Bon.
Baronet had referred. It was not intended that the
steamers should be armed ; all that was intended was

to transport troops.
Mr.- 'HUME thought that preparations of this de-
scription excited suspicion. At the present time it WdB
not necessary to lay out such a sum.
Lord J. RUSSELL observed that the vessels were
intended chiefly to operate on Lake Ontario.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that although our amicable
relations nits the United States should be maintained,
it was not unimportant to consider that a military de-
fence vias the best that could be adopted. That was
the substance of the resolution& adopted by the Go-
vernment of which be was a member.
Mr. WOOD said the House would remember that
on one occasion, at Lake Erie, there was great diffi-
culty in conveying troops from one place to another.
Lake Ontario belonged chiefly to this country, but on
Lake Erie, where the 'steam-boats were principally
American, the greatest difficulty was Gxperienced.
Sir J. GRAH AM said that if the steamers were
intended merely to transfer troops,, it was quite consis-
tent'tVith fc s vlew. If they were preposccl with a view
to Laval superiority, he objected to the scheme.
Lotd J. RUSSELL said they were intended to as.
sist in the military defence.

Sir DE LACY EVANS deprecated the practice
of referring tl what any former Government might
have decided with regard to tho best course to be
adopted for the defene of Canada in any future war.
Mr. HUME said it appeared to him very extraordi-
nary that. three years after the insurrectionary move-
ment was at an end there should be this proposal to in-
crease the expenditure. The money of the country
was uselessly expended by keeping the navy in a coa-
ti:von for war When the country was in a state of peace.
His tirit objection was to the number of men, namely,
for the naval establishment,
43,000 in a time of peace,
when 14,000 was considered sufficieat in the . time of
Mr. P.t•. lie was sorry to see this extravagance.
The vote wax then agre:d to.
256,760/. were voted for naval yards.
A vote of 9.4,601/. for medicines and medical "stores
was agi e (I to.
_ _

2837881. were voted for miscellaneous naval services.
Sir T. COCHRANE begged to call the attention
of the Cotnm.ttee to the importance of altering the
timed at which steam-vessels started from tint country
to America, from once a fortuig t to once a week. Ho
understJcd that clef] of these vessels took out 1,000/.
worth of lett,:rs, and if the times of starting were ac-
celerated the postage-duty would be considerably iu-
create]. lie uadtrstood that attempts were making to
get up a inc of pacts from Havre to the United
States, and if the ejovernment did not take care the
great bulk of the trade and corleipcndence of the
eonutry would be taken out of their hands.

Mr: HUME hoped the time would shortly arrive
when tl.e postage of letters would no longer be eon-
siticrA a source of revenue.

APer a kw words how Mr. GOULBURN and
Mr. C. WOOD,

Mr T H Olt
Ir. at Intxt run,'

NELY gait] he thought the Govern-

tl.e (,vertin e..t pac'e's to North America. He wished
to r peat a question that ha:l b, en put by the Hon.
Men.bz.q. for Kiiko n', namely, whether the Govern-
ment proposed to adopt electro-telegraphic communi-
cation h iwcen London a :d Portsmouth.
IV-. M. OTERRALL said the Admiralty had
directed their attention to the subjec,, but had 113 t yet
dcterminod upon it.
Toe vcte was ti en agreed to.
On fie vote far 728,6:281. for half-pay of officers
be;n; put,

Captain PEC HELL said he wished to call the at-
tention of the Government to the claims of Purters.
He thought Par,crs, who bad served as Admirals'
ClakF, should be entitled to a higher rate of pay. He
hoped that something would be done to provide better
for men w i
ho set ved n confidential situations as secre-
taries to Admirals, and as pursers, and there was now a
gentleman who l:al served as purser for 19 years,
and as secretary to Admiral Codrington for sight years,
and who was thrown, after those 27 years of confiden-
tial service upon his half-pay of ss. a day as purser.
Admiral ADAMS said that the regulations now in
force had been adopted, in accordance with the Report
of the Commissioners of Naval and Military Inquiry,
and he saw no reason for so soon disturbing them.

In reply tl an bservation from Sir H. nARDINGE,
Mr. C. W 0 said, that two sears tip Captain
Napier (now C. Napier), was re-instated, and
placed upon the full pension to which his -previous rank
entlecd him.

Sir H. HARDINGE hoped, that as this was the
case, 400/. a-year would stand opposite to Sir C. Na-
pier's n in the pension list instead of 200/.
Admir.,l ADAM said that no man had a higher
esteem a:an he had for Sir Charles Napier, but no in-
crease ta 11;s pension could be made out of the accumu-
lated fund until after the death of Admiral Cockburn,
an event which he hoped was very remote.—(Hear.)
Sir H. HARDINGE thought that rewards for me-
ritorious services were distributed in the army upon
much more
ices
(buy
vioet arD.eb e
es
nasaid
the
principlestehrwithlf toa
onrt innsra
e.t
eh t
tt r:)waa‘h;
sya
af
e
.12irCt'hat officer should receive half-pay together Pru
all
tbbiorst
in
with any civil emolument.

Sir J. DUKE wished to know whether it was intended
that n monument should be erected to the lute Sir Syd-
ney Smith.

-Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to answer is
the lairtllatiVe.

Sir J. DUKE gave notice that,
should move, on a future occa&on, that a monumenb
also erected to Lord Exmouth, who had co-operated
with Sir Sydney Smith.
The vote was then agreed to. ,s :__,
The following votes were afterwarowpassed
in that cane, ho
ances.
181,789 i. for civil pensions and.
lePosnvicts.
76,262/. for the conveyance o
190,987/. for the freight of ships
The House ti ,en resumed. a and transports.
A RMY FiS
l T,le
bey
Hon. Gentleman said
IMATES.
Mr. MACAULAY
rose to move- the Army
Estimates for the year.
lher
and concisely as the subject
would do so as clearlyestimates for the last year had
would allow. Tho
sum of 6,163,000!. At the latter
amountA to ti.)o ,
Bho 'sever, he felt it his
duty to call
end of the Sestnonm
i of 22,000/., for the
Bran additi'" sum
recommendationspurpose of car-
rying :...toArect tic of the Military
o that +the whole estimates for
ISSIOI7, S the year
Comm
amoumelt ) 6,185 000/. The estimate which he was
about t 3 present for the present year :would amount to
6,133,0001., showing a decrease of 47,000/. Tire
whole force borne in the estimate of last sear amoun-
ted to 121,112 men. The whole force in the
estimate - of. the present year was 121,121 mei,
showing an increase of only nine trim 01 these 29,070
were employed in India. It would be pe:ceived that
acre was a slight increase in t'Le regiment.l charges
throughout almost every department in the service.
Toe ordinary regimental charges of cavalry which
amounted to 17,001/. last year, amounted to 17,0281.
this }ear. The ordinary regimental cha-ges of batta-
lions of iafantry amounted, last year, to 26,414/., and
these charges would amount this year to 26,4781. The
increase in the cavalry expenses arose from the circum-
stance that the adjutant; ha.. .. received the advantages
recommended by the Navel and
Military Commission,
and which was due to that very valuably class of offi..
cerfl. Ti.e increase in the infantry expenses had arisen
partly from the same cause, and partly from the fact
that it bad been thought proper to make some addition
to the contingent allowances of captains of depot com-
r panics in F n;land. It had been d emed expedient that
•
t Ire elt .11ishments should be kept up as nearly as pos-
sible to the sery highest point, and he believed there
had been no period in the military history of the country
at wliiell tie. 'number of cffectives bad so nearly
appro3 .
ched the. number rated in the 'estimates.
_....(.He"r0 : The consquence of . thdt policy had
been that the depot companies were overflowing, and
i: would be unjust to keep the captains for depot
c 'mpanies on that small contingent al!owance which