The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-10 00:00:00

NAVAL DOCKS.

Mr. 'MACGREGOR rose to address the House on
his motion for, a Select Committee to inquire late our
naval docks,&c., but the arguments and details of the
Hon. Geacicman were wholly inaudible in the gallery.
The Hon.Ventleman commenced by saying that in
bringing for Ward this motion he was not actuated by
any factious or-ffililevelent spirit, but by an anxious
desire to impress upon the House the fact that the ex-
penditure of our dockyards might bo very greatly re-
duced without at all impairing the efficiency of the
naval power of the country. Much greater economy
might be exercist d in respect to the building and repair-
ing of our chips;- indeed it the seine system which bad
pervaded her Majesty's dockyards were pursued in a
private dockyard, the only result must be utter ruin to
the parties. He admitted that lately very great and
lasting improvements had been made in respect to the
dockyards of Woolwich, Portsmouth, and Sheerness.
But the ships of the late Surveyor of the Navy
had entailhd upon the country an immense ex-
pendituri• in alterations and repairs. The hulls
alone of ships of war, built and building by the late
surveyor, had cost nearly 1.500,0001. It appeared that
the ships built and building by the late surveyor included
28 ships of .the line, 25 frigates, 5 corvettes, 35 brigs,
and 13 smaller vessels. And he said nothing about 50
steams ships on a corresponding extravagant scale. The
vessels which he had alluded to were built at the cost
he had stated, on the late surveyor's plans, without
regard to expense. The ships the Queen, Albion,
Superb, and Vanguard, had all falsified the statements
as to their respective displacement of water, &c. Then
there was the Retribution steam-frigate, which cost the
country 100,000/., fitted out at Chatham in October and
November, 1845. This vessel, when she sailed, was
found to swim so much by the head that her coal was
started, and her armament was modified. She was 200
tons short of the required flotation. The Union, 98-gun
ship, built on the hues of Nelson's favourite ship, the
Victory, was sacrificed to the Surveyor of the Navy.
The estimated cost for the repair of this ship was 45,000/.
A sum of 14,0001. was expended on her, and many alte-
rations made, after which she was pulled to pieces. Some
time ago it was considered desirable to cut down several
of the old 74's ar.d convert them into " screws."
This had bee❑ attended with great expense, and had led
to great controversy. The same remark applied to the
dockyard at Devonport, the expenditure of which would
be little short of 300,0001. That scheme had been
conceived in the same spirit of extravagance as many
others which had been loudly and justly complained of.
Considering the system of extravagance whioh had been
pursued in the naval dockyards, and the declining reve-
nue, he felt bound to bring the matter before the House.
He considered that a great saving might bo effected
with regard to the contracts. He felt great confidence
in the Board of Admiralty, and hoped they would
practise a rigid system of economy, which they might
carry to a considerable extent without impairing the
efficiency of the navy. He was afraid the Noble Lord
at the head of the Admiralty was too much occupied to
pay sufficient attention to the details of the dockyard,
which were shamefelly mismanaged. Hardly a ship of
war was turned out without having to be re-docked and
altered at a great expense, and even her Majesty's yacht
was no exception to the general rule. After some
further remarks, impressing on the Government the
necessity of economising, the Holt. Member concluded
by moving for the appointment of a Select Committee
to inquire into the expenditure of the naval dockyards
of the country.
The motion having been seconded,

Mr. WARD said 'he felt bound to oppose the motion
of his lion. Friend, not from any want of sympathy with
him as to the necessity of enforcing the most rigid sys
tem of economy in all matters connected with the naval
force of the country, but because a weaker case had
never been submitted to the House to induce it to insti
tute an inquiry into a great branch of the public ex-
penditure. The Hon. Member laboured under some
strong hallucination if he supposed the subject had not
been previously considered: A Committee had now
been sitting on the Navy Estimates fur six weeks,
making a most minute examination into every branch of
the subject, and he believed in the course of a short time
they would lay a report before the House, containing
the most valuable information. Not one portion of the
naval expendidure had escaped the researches of that
Committee, which was composed of the most able
men, and men cf the greatest experience. A great
deal had been said at different times with re-
spect to the conduct of Sir W. Symonds—
some persons approving of what he bad. done,
and others censuring him in the strongest manner, but he
believed the truth rested between both parties. Sir N.
Symonds had introduced many valuable improvements,
and on the other hand some things had certainly been
done with a great disregard to expenditure ; but he
trusted that in future they would profit by past experi-
ence.—(llear, hear.) Every possible precaution had
been taken by the late and present Boards of Admiralty
to prevent any rash and precipitate charges, and that
cutting down ot ships which had cost so much money.
Before any order was issued ample inquiry was made,
and the matter was fully considered by the surveyor, by
the board, and by a committee of master builders. In
short, the present board were fully alive to the neces-
sity of preventing anything like an improper expendi-
ture. The Honourable Member had alluded to what
he considered another proof of bad management—
the controversy which had recently taken place in the
papers with regard to the basin at Devonport.
(Hear, hear.) Now, no stronger proof could be ad-
duced of the vigilance of the Government. The
plan was originally adopted without any doubt as to
its probable success. But the board had felt it their
duty to institute a most searching inquiry, when a pro-
bable saving of 190,0001. had been pointed out. They
had not yet come to any decision, and no decision would
be come to without calling in the aid of some of the first
engineers of the day, whose opinions would be conclu-
sive on the subject. The Hon. Member imagined that
a wasteful system of expenditure prevailed in the dock-
yards, and that if the board had sufficient time to
examinei,;. into it, a great diminution might be effected.
had been
.faulrivteehllaanrdgetodmiwmatisneution, amounting to 600,0001.,
account
been promised in the estimates for next year, on
be uaulertloilethde efficiency of the steam navy, and every
member of the board
substitution of S asntixiilogursetsoteerxrteednude
ttihoensp.romTihsee
rwrwa:sios,dl,hed the dockyard at Devonport to
Sheer-
ness nor at would probably recommend the
found. Probably
at Chatham, but ithweelnledss.
expense,
wihtbiloehriailtrwe,oarns
nmotigahttabliedoebstiarainbeled
additional
de.o.ueld
aßtautetnpdrneodepietwrhietrhaat substituteS heebre-
ifthexrespect to the examinations in the deck-
rgirheeeWoboard had doneofevoeffiryctehing they possibly
s s ideil es connected rs wthe:apt
saving
With e
their fill
there-
spectivelf.ii,rrebguairlddintgosh
ships,
itvisilT told be
y toit consider-
ablerdn csd,ue
choiguilld
atondensruesrpeoanssiubclee
contractslVit
recollected that there was a great difference between
e a
ted in situations.
te
war-steamers and inerehaet-.steamers. The Hon.
Heinen had alluded to the Terrible That steamer had
been eminently successaful. With regard to the Fury,
thqt vessel had steamed all the way out to the East
Indies without repairs. Ile had no doubt that in future
all matters connected with war-steamers would i
that there would be less dsappont-
regulated, and
ibe better
the system ot building by
Gentleman had alluded to
builder would, on the
inept with respect to their qualities. The Honourable
contract. But
the dockyards there
of well-seasoned timber. In
chance of a conwtrhaactt,
were at present 66,000 load,' of timber, all seasoned
pkreievpateon hand a sufficient stock
necessary,
for :116e, a preparation which Was highly