The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-12 00:00:00

years' service. With regard to medical officers, in 1655
inspectors and deputy-inspectors had an advantage in point i
of time granted towards retirement; staff-surgeons received
higher pay in certain temporary situations; assistant-sur-
geons had an additional ls, a-day, were placed in the ward-
room mess, and had cabins when possible. These has been a
great change made in the condition of secretaries and pay-
masters. They used to be paid by percentage, which led to
great abuses. They have been placed on a rate, with half-pay
of 30s. 6d., and an addition of 2s. on retirement. For as-
sistant-paymasters and clerks there is a new scale, with
half-pay if they are unfit or unemployed. It has also been
determined that pensions shall be given to the widows of
officers who die from disease while on service. With regard
to the marines, non-commissioned officers have been ap-
pointed adjutants or quartermasters to the dockyard bat-
talions; increased retirement allowances have been given to
colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and captains ; the fixed list of
general officers has been placed upon the same footing as
that of the army ; the retired list has been revised ; gra-
tuities and pensions for good service have been extended
to this force ; and in the course of the last year two artil-
lery companies were added to it, the officers and men of
these companies receiving increased pay. But the care of
the Admiralty has not been confined to officers only. In
1853 the pay of all warrant officers was increased from 20
to 25 per cent., and it was provided that special pensions
should be awarded to them in case they were tendered in-
capable of service by ill-health or other causes. In 1819
the petty officers had new ratings in all ships,:and in 1854
they were divided into three classes, with higher pay, gra-
tuities, and pensions. With respect to the seamen, a new
rating has been introduced for leading seamen ; additional
pay has been given at the rate of 2d. a-day to men above
the rating of A. 8.; corporal ptinishment has been abolished
except by sentence of court-martial or for mutiny ; good-
conduct badges have been adopted, and a higher rate of
pay has been given the men who have served continuously
for a long period. Arrangements have also been made for
enabling seamen to allot their pay to persons who are not
members of their families—in fact, to whomsoever they
please. When a ship is brought into harbour to be fitted
leave of absence is now given to the men for a month or six
weeks, during which time they receive full pay, and they
thus have the opportunity of visiting their families and
friends without the less of pay or of time, and they are
not exposed, as was formerly the case, to the risk of being
caught up by crimps. A uniform system of minor punish-
ments has been established throughout the navy, and a
"defaulters' book" is kept in each ship. Some hon: gen-
tleman referred the other day to the clothing of the sea-
men ;_ and I may therefore inform the committee that the
prices of clothing have been revised and 'reduced, and hon.
members will find in vote No. 1 of this estimate no incon-
siderable sum proposed as an annual charge upon the pub-
lic, in order that our sailors may be furnished with good.
clothes at a lower price than their actual cost. The provi-
sions issued to the seamen have also boon improved both
in aihount and quality. A great improvement has been
made with regard to the admission of seamen into Green-
wich Hospital. Formerly, owing to carelessness on the
part of the admitting officers, a great many men obtained
admission into that institution who, I believe, were not en-
titled to its benefits ; but it is now provided that none shall
be admitted but those disabled by wounds, unless they h ave
the recommendation of at least 10 years' good servitude.
Another change has been made, which may seem of little
importance, but which has proved a great benefit to the
sailor. The examinations for pensions are now conducted
at the outports. Formerly all persons entitled to pensions
were compelled to come to London for examination, and
had to find there way here as well as they could. Under
that system great hardships and expense were entailed
upon them from which they will now be relieved. An hon.
member the other night impressed upon us the importance
of introducing boys into the service, and seemed to com-
plain that the subject had not received sufficient attention
from the Government. If, however, hon. gentlemen will
look to the estimates, they will find that the number of
boys introduced into the navy had been increased from
2,000 to 10,000. But I may observe that it is not desirable
to increase too rapidly that branch of our naval force. The
system of novices entered for the ,service is also working
extremely well, and lam sure naval Officeils must observe
with surprise the skill and discipline to which youths have.
been brought who were but lately at the plouglitail. Great
improvements have been effected in the condition of per-
sons in all ranks of the service, from the admiral to the boy
who has just entered ; and I think the committee will do,
not the present, but former boards of Admiralty the justice
to admit that they have not been negligent in the discharge
of their important duties. There is no class in her Majesty's
navy whose condition has not been improved by the consi-
derate attention of those who preside' over the administra-
tion of that branch of the public service, aided by the
liberality with which this house has met the demands that
have been made upon it. In 1847 all the regulations relat-
ing to the dockyards were revised, and restrictions were
adopted with regard to the admission and promotion of ar-
tificers. The Admiralty uow require from the superinten-
dents of the various dockyards an accurate and faithful
account of the manner in which that duty is discharged ;
and the same course is pursued in the caseof the victualling
yards, factories, and workshops. These subjects have been
carefully considered by a committee appointed by the
Board of Admiralty, and during the last 10 years there is
not a single branch of ' the naval service afloat or ashore,
abroad or at borne, which has not been the object of revi-
sion and improvement. In some instances additional ex-
penditure has undoubtedly been entailed by this process ;
but the HOUS3 of Commons have, in successive years, most
liberally met the demands which have been made upon
them in order to effect these improvements, and I think an
ample return is to be found in the present condition of our
navy. Ido not believe that at any period in the h. story
of this country our naval establishment has been in a state

of greater completeness and efficiency than at the present
moment. Look at the improvement and development of
steam power as applied to our fleet. Why, last year not
a single sailing-chip of war appeared in the Baltic, all were
either paddlewheel or screw steamers. All the line-of-
battle ships whiclk are not screw steamers have been with-
drawn from the Black Sea, with one exception—that of a
vessel left as a depot-ship ; and only three or four sailing
line-of-battle ships are left afloat in our ports, except as
store-ships. This change has, of course, been htteuded
with considerable expense, bat it has added enormously to
the efficiency of our naval force. Look, too, at our officers.
Have they not deserved well of their country wherever they
have been engaged inoperations? Halo they not maintained
and even increased the ancient.reputation of our navy?
The Russian Black Sea fleet, it has been truly said, has
been swept from the sea. It is true there may be 2or 3
steamers at Nicholaieff or in the river Don • but every
Russian ship of war in the Black Sea has been burnt, sunk,
or destroyed by us nr by the Russians themselves. We
have destroyed the vessels that worn employed to convey
Russian stores, and from Odessa to the Straits of Kertch,

and throughout the Sea of Azoff, Vot a Russian ship of
any size remains. Along the entire coast the destruction
of stores by our fleet was enormous, and there were per-
formed in various instances exploits worthy of the proudest
days of the British navy. At one point 200 sailors landed
in the face of from 3,000 to 4,000 Russians, beat them off,
and destroyed an immense amount erf stores for miles along
the shore. One con-equonce of aJ,I this—and that a most
important one—was an exbrbitant rise in the price of pro-
visions to the Russian Government. Only this morning I
received a communication which shows how completely
the means of communication had been interrupted. It is
there stated that while wheat was selling at 15s. per quarter
at Taganrog it was 30s. a quarter at Rostoff, a circum-
stance which can only be accounted for by the impossibility
of keeping up a communication- between the two places.
My hon. friend (Mr. Williams) says the Baltic fleet came
home having done nothing. I believe, on the contrary,
everything was done that could have been reasonably ex-
pected. At Sweabore, to which reference has been made,
I believe everything- that was inflammable was destroyed
—nothing that could be burnt escaped destruction. For
five days the bombardment was sustained, and everything
combustible in the place was reduced to ashes. It is im-
possible to tell exactly how many of the enemy fell, but I
believe that in one exple Bien not fewer than 1,000 men
were destroyed. Indeed, nothing could exceed the gal-
lantry or the precision and skill with which the marine
artillery conducted themselves on this occasion. As at all
the other ports of the Baltic Sea, no Russian ships were
allowed to swim ; public buildings were everywhere
burnt; every vessel that made its appearance, and was
an object of hostility, was either taken or destroyed, and
yet all this was clone with a proper regard to private pro-
perty. I confess Ido not think that these services deserve
the censure which the hon. gentleman has conferred upon
them. (Hear, hear.) 1 think they were most able, skil-
ful, and effective services. (Hear, hear.) It is said, why
was not Cronstadt attacked ? On this point I may state
that we had not, with regard to small vessels, the support
on which we at first calculated. An agreement had been
made between the French and English Governments t
send an equal number of floating batteries to the Baltic.
Afterwards the French Government changed its views as to
the best mode of carrying on the war, and they sent their
floating batteries to the Black,Sea ; but, although we had
the number intend° I, yet the whole number originally
agreed upon was not sent. In every other respect, how-
ever, what we meant to execute was performed, end I may
state that throughout the most perfect cordiality existed
between the navel commendersin-chief of the two coun-
tries. (Hear, hear.) They rivalled each other only in
their desire to discharge all the duties imposed upon them
end in their zeal for their respective services, the only
jealousy—the only difference —beiug which of them should
be foremost in any undertaking which they had to accom-
plish. (Hear.) I can assure the house that the Government
was, most anxious to provide ample means for carrying on
the service much more vigorously and efficiently than pre-
viously, and, therefore, as soon as I received the report to
which I have already alluded, I gave orders, in ac-
cordance with the vote of-thre House of Comment; to-spre---
vide a larger number of vessels of small draught of
water. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen must see how great
the advantage is to have such a force employed in shallow
waters, and, therefore, I ordered a very large number
of vessels with a light draught of water. In 1851 there
were constructed on our wharfs :4 gun-boats. This
year we have constructed in this country 152, besides
others in the Mediterranean, so that if peace is not con-
cluded we shall have about 201 gun-boats of one kind or
another ready for service. The construction of these gun-
boats has answered remarkably well, and in the Black Sea
they performed most effective• service. A naval officer told
me that he could compare the movements of these gun-boats
to nothing so well as to the graceful evolutions of a skilful
skater on the ice. I had' also taken measures to provide a
sufficient number of mortar-vessels, having given orders for
the construction of 100 of these, end likewise 8 floating-
batteries, so that, if it is necessary to undertake another
campaign, the number of vessels which the Government
will be able to send will be suchas I think will enable us to
take measures for carrying on the war oven with our own
resources in such a manner as will be perfectly adequate to
cope with any enemy that may meet us. No one is more
anxious than lam that peace should ha established for the
sake of Europe and ourselves, but if we are to carry on the
war I think the committee will agree with me that measures
have been taken for doing so with the greatest vigour and
efficiency. If, unfortunately, peace should not be made,
we shall be ready as soon as the sea shall allow us to com-
mence operations with 350 British pennants floating in the
Baltic, and 100 is the Black Sea. (Cheers.) So far as hu-
man means can do so, we have taken measures to insure
victory. We know well that victory is not always to the
strong, and God forbid it should he so in an um ighteous
cause ; but in a struggle undertaken from no selfish motive,
in a war waged against the grasping power of Russia and for
the protection of an ancient ally from the domineering ag-
gression of a powerful neighbour, I trust we may appeal to
the Almighty Disposer of Events to look clown with favour
on those human means which it is our duty not to neglect,
and I hope and believe that He will bless our arms with
success. (Cheers.) The right hon. gentleman then moved a
vote of 204,0221. to meet the excess of expenditure on the
sum voted for the year ending the sth of April last.

Admiral WALCOTT had listened to the statements of
the right hon. gentleman with mush interest. He had at
all times been of opinion the Baltic fleet had acted with
credit and honour to itself and the nation, and that it Wai
composed of those who were ever ready to emulate the deeds
performed in the palmiest days of our naval history; and
he believed that the neit fleet that sailed to the Baltic
would conduct itself in a way that would redound to the
licknaur of the setae pd the glory tf the illation 0 lerge,