The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-13 00:00:00

transports, 256 gunboats, &c., 12 steatuere. Total, 330.
The navy of Nor way was 2 frigates, 3 corvettes, 1 brig.
5 schooners, 4 steamers, 4 steam-packets. 132 gun beats;
seamen, 5,000, :rota sixteen to thirty years of age. The
Danish navy was 5 ships of the hue of 84, 1 of 66, 2
frigates of 48, 3 of 46, 2 of 40, 1 corvette of 26, 4 of 20,
2 brigs of 16, 2 of 12, 1 schooner of 8, and 2 of 6, 1
cotter of 6, loi 4,2 of 2. Total, 29 ships, and 996
guns; IS mertar-boats, 15 mortar-barques, 41 gun-boats,
4 gan-shipe, 4 steamers. The navy of Holland wee 2
first-class of the line of 84 guns, 5 second-class of 74 (3
in building), 3 first-class frigates of 60 and 51, 12
second-class (6 in building) of 44 and 33 guns, 2 frigates
of 28 guns, 12 corvettes (3 in building) of 23 and 26
guns, 3 corvettes of 22 and 20 guns, 17 brigs and
packet-ships of 18, 14, and 12 guns, 24 galleys of 14 and
3 guns, 1 corvette for naval instruction, 7 fleet-class
steam-boats (in building), 7 second-class, and 4 third-
class; 1 admiral, 3 vice-admirals, 20 captains of the
line, 31 captains of frigates, 292 lieutenants, 139
midshipmen, 85 medical officers, 50 administrative
officers, 5,692 men and boys, 1,524 marines, 400
seamen, is Java, East Indies. The navy of
France amounts to 226 ships of the line, consisting of
40 ships of the line (10 of the first, 10 of the second, 15
of the third, and 5 of the fourth class), 50 frigates (15
of the first, 20 of the second, and 15 of the third), 43
corvettes (20 of the first class and 20 of the second), 50
brigs (30 of the first, and 20 of the second), 16 trans-
ports, 600 tons, and 30 tenders; 102 steam-ships, 10
frigates, of from 600 to 540-horse power; 20 corvettes,
from 300 to 220-horse power; 30 cutters, 200 to 160-
horse power; 20 cutters, 120-horse power and upwards.
Total, 226 ships of the line and 102 steam-ships-328.
The preceding was the number of ships of war, includ-
ing steamships, which was decreed to constitute the
French navy, by the ordinance of the 221 November,
1846, but the whole number were not yet completed.
By the announcement of the marine department, it ap-
pears that in the year ISSO the French Government
were prepared for putting into commission 23 ships of
the line, 31 frigates, 35 corvettes, 47 brigs, &c ; and
that others were partially ready in the dockyards and
ports. Tho following is the number of officers and sea-
men:-2 admirals, 10 vice-admirais, 20 rear-admirals,
100 captains of ships of the line, 230 captains of frigates,
650 lieutenants, 550 midshipmen, 300 cadets-total,
1,862 officers, and 20,000 seamen of all kinds in the
sea service and in the ports. The five naval ports are
Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort, and Toulon.
By the orders of the 16th of June, 1849, the
following number of ships were directed to
be in commission:-10 ships of the line, 8
frigates, 18 corvettes, 24 brigs, 12 transports, 24 ten-
ders-total, 96 sailing-vessels. The steam-ships ordered
to be in commission wore 14 frigates, 13 corvettes, 84
packet-boats-total, 1 11 steam-ships. The naval expen-
diture of France, which includes that of the colonies,
amounted in 1851 to the following sums:-Central ad-
ministration, or Admiralty, 868,500f.=34,340/.; scien-
tific expenses to 404,100f.-----16,164/.; colonial expendi-
ture (not including Algiers) to 17,902,000f.=716,0801.;
for extraordinary constructions and other works,
3,955,000f.=-158,2001. The total expenditure amounted
to 106,449,413f.=4,257,9761. 135.; which sum includes
the whole of the ordnance of the naval department of
France. The interest of the debt of France is
391,154,760f.=-15,646,1901. 103., and the total expendi-
ture of France for 1851 amounted to 1,434,634,047a=
57,385,361/. 18s. 4d. This includes the expenses of col-
lection and 80,000,000 f. of drawbacks, reimbursements,
and premiums, allowed for various exemptions, which
reduces the amount by 3,200,0001., leaving a net expen-
diture of 54,185,361/. 18s. 4cl. for 35,500,000 of a popu-
lation. The whole of the expenditure of England for
the year 1850 amounted to 55,480,7851., and the interest
of the public debt to 28,323,961/., the same being
derived from the produce of the industry of not more
than 21,000,000 of the people; for, in fact, as
Ireland pays neither an income-tax nor any as-
sessed taxes, the revenue of that country does not
amount to its expenditure. They therefore find that
while the public debt of France is a tax of 9s. Si. per
head upon the inhabitants, that of England amounts to
265. 51, being nearly three times the burden of the
former country, or about 20s. per head, if Ireland paid
the same proportion as Great Britain. The navy of
Spain was-2 ships of the line of 74, 5 frigates (1 of 52,
1 of 45, 2 of 42, and 1 of 32 guns), 6 corvettes (2 of 30,
1 of 24, and 3 of 16 guns), 8 brigs (1 of 20, 1 of 18, 3
of 16, and 3 of 12 guns), 15 steamers from 40 to 350-
horse power, calla ing 6 to 12 guns; 3 galleys, from 1 to
3 guns; 2 packet-boats of a gun each; 1 lougre, 1 fe-
lucca, 1 balanceale, transport ships, 1 frigate, 4 brigs, 3
guard-ships, 7 steam-ships, 140-horse power; 3 trans-
port ships; and 3 brigs to carry 16 guns were ordered
to be built in April, 1850. The navy of Portugal was-
-2 ships of 80 guns, 5 frigates of 50, 1 of 54, 8 cor-
vettes, from 20 to 24; 11 brigs of 10 to 20, 7 schooners
and 2 steam-ships. The navy of Sardinia was-4
frigates, 4 corvettes, 3 brigantines, 1 brig, 6 steamers,
&c.-in all 60 ships and 900 guns; 1 commander-in-
chief, 2 admirals, 7 captains of ships, 6 captains of
frigates, and 2,860 seamen. The navy of the Two Si-
cities was-1 ship of 80 guns, 5 frigates of GO and 44, 1
corvette of 22, 2 bombehips, 5 brigantines of 20, 2 gal-
leys of 14-total, 484 guns ; 6 steam-ships of 300-horse
power, 2 carrying mortars and 4 cannon ; 1 steamer of
6 guns, 1 of 180-horse power, 1 of 120, 2 of 50-horse
power, 1 of 40-horse power, 2 of 300-horse power (in
building), 113 officers, 76 surgeons, 100 pilots, 12 ship-
builders-total, 301 ; 3,468 marine constables, 1,650
marines, 70 labourers, 24 mechanics, and 150 telegra-
phists. The navy of Greece was-2 corvettes of 26
guns, 2 steamers of from 1 to 6 guns, 1 packet-boat, 3
brigs of 12 guns, 10 of 2 guns, 7 schooners of from 2 to
10 guns, 2 of 6 guns, 1 of 2 guns, 5 cutters of from 2 to
4 guns, 1 yacht, 12 sloops, with a total of 22 guns, and
2 barques of 2 guns each. The Turkish navy was-2
ships of the line of 120 guns, 2 of 100 guns, 3 of 90
guns. 1 of 84 guns, 1 of 80 guns, 1 frigate of 56 guns, 1
of 44 guns, 3or 4 sloops, and 4or 5 steamers. The
navy of Brazil was-2 frigates of 54 and 30 guns, 5
corvettes in all 98 guns, 2 brigs, of 18 guns,
10 brig schooners of 68 guns, 3 ketches of
13 guns, 2 schooners of 4 guns, 5 gunboats, and
6 steamers. Disarmed-1 frigate, 2 nutters, 1 barque,
2 steamers, and 6 transports. He had made these
statements-(Laughter)-for no other purpose than
to show that they were in a powerful condition, and
fully able to compete as a naval power with the other
countries of the world. Ile believed that they would do
wisely if they did not lay down any new keels in their
dockyards for two or three years, in order to be enabled
to take advantage of the great improvements that were
making every day in the machinery of ves-
sels, The time had arrived when they should
look narrowly into the management of their docks.
They ought not to keep up their establishment at Dept-
ford, but dispose of it for the commercial purposes of
the Thames. Woolwich could be altogether dispensed
with. Next year they would be compelled to take the
finances of the country into their most serious consider-
ation, and to show that they were determined not to
waste the money that was taken from the industry of the
people. In regard to the construction of ships, ho be-
lieved that they could rely upon the private dockyards
for building their ships more rapidly and at less expense
than in their own dockyards. There never was
a greater premise of a long continuance of
peace than they had at that moment, and he believed that
the Grand Exhibition in Hyde Park would do more
to cement the nations of the earth together, aided by
that intercourse which steam would secure, than any-
thing that had ever before happened. There was nothing
whatever to dread in the shape of hostilities, for, with
the exception of Prussia, all the continental countries
were in a state of financial embarrassment. There was,
therefore, no excuse for continuing this enormous ex-
penditure.
Admiral BOWLES was afraid that they could not
place as much confidence in the continuance of peace as
the Hon. Member for Glasgow appeared to possess.
They had on a former occasion seen almost all these
foreign powers coalesce against them, and it was pos-
sible that such a thing might occur again. The ques-
tion, then, was, whether they were to be prepared to act
upon the defensive in case of the contingency of war?
He begged to ask those Honourable Members who argued
in favour of a reduction of these establishments, whether
they had read the history of the war of 1792? The same
thing was then stated of France as was now stated-
that it was impossible that she could go to war, and yet
the very next year. England found herself engaged in
hostilities with an enemy much better prepared for war
than they were. After a great loss of their merchant-
men, they were ultimately able to protect with effect
their coast, their colonies, and their commerce.-(Hear.)
This fact should be considered now when such proposi-
tions as those of Hon. Members opposite were made.
What happened to them in the Cape last year ? They
brought home half of the garrison that was there. What
was the result? By the reduction they tempted the Kafirs
to attack their forces, and this country was now put
to nearly double the expense to repel their encroach-
ments than what it would have cost them if they did not
diminish their garrison there so much. In respect to
the stores, it was given in evidence before the Com-
mittee that for three or four years there was no work
going on in the dockyards. But it should be recollected
that it was absolutely necessary to keep up their stores
for several years before they could be used. The con-
tractors in the Baltic had at one time failed to supply
them with 1,000 tons of hemp contracted for, and when
they were compelled to fall back upon the London
market they could only procure 200 tons out of the
1,000 they were deficient in. There was Keyham Har-
bour, which was commented upon as being of little ad-
vantage. He, however, considered that that harbour,
with its dockyard adjacent, was ono of the most im-
portant and valuable to keep up. In respect to many
newspaper articles that had lately appeared, and which
Bheritati
were calculated to disparage the state of their navy in
the eyes of the People, who were formerly so proud of
it, so far as his opinion went, and he could speak from
hisfew own
exceptions,experience,
thesome
bettervery
tshtaeteneowr moreships etffihecyienwtetrhe nhsbhouiuintlgdawhiv thought, that
was
never with
in a
nags atw echos temv
every
moment; and
de-
cidedly superior to those which they had formerly built.
He also thought that we should have committed a very
grave error if some of the proposals he had seen had
been carried into execution; and if, instead of endea-
vouring to rival the ships of foreign nations, which had
iecrea-ed amazingly in size and armament, we had con-
tinued to construct our slaipss after the old models, with-
out an attempt to introduce improvements thereon.
Sir G. PECHELL insisted on the necessity of „0.,
onmy. The impression of the country was that greater
economy might be carried out in the dockyards, and if
it could be shown that that impression was erroneous let
it be done, and the impression at once dispelled. He
himself was decidedly of opinion that the masting of
vessels, for instance, might bo much more economically
conducted; for ho understood that sixteen out of twenty
ships masted at Sheerness and Chatham had been found
useless. Those which were made of Baltic timber were
perfect, whilst sixteen of the twenty made of Ameri-
can timber were very bad indeed.
Mr. HUME said that the First Lord of the. Admiralty
seemed to thick that he (Ur. litune) had forgotten that

THE SU N,