The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-11 00:00:00

NAVY ESTIMATES.

The house then went into committee on the navy
estimates.

Sir C. WOOD, in doing so, said the first vote he should
ask for was an excess of expenditure fur the paz t- year,
which controverted his statement that no expenditure
could take place without a vote of the house.
It was impossible to frame the estimates so
as to meet the precise expenditure of the country..
Sometimes the expenditure was above, and at other
times below, the estimates. This could hardly be called
an excess of expenditure. Amongst the changes made
by his predecessor (Sir J. Cockburn) ou the other side of
the house, was that of a better system of account
for. the navy ; but it Ilad not been properly tested,
before the present war ; the consequence of that had
been to show an excess of expenditure to the amount of
204,000/. S i far from taking blame for this, it arose
from a highly creditable system of keeping the navy
accounts with the accuracy of a commercial house. He
referred to the improved system now adopted for pay-
ing off ,ships, and he eulogised the zeal and assiduity of
the various officer; in carrying. out this improved
system. A further change was proposed by
the Government in the dockyards, by the ap-
pointment of an accountant to discharge the
dd-
ties which at present devolved upon officers
who had other duties to perform of an onerous
nature, which would he the means, it was hoped,
of effecting a great saving to the country.
He now came to the estimates for the year, and it was
true they were framed on the supposition of war con-
tinuing. Although peace was imminent, he considered
he was justified in producing estimates to provide for
the contingency of war continuing. He was of opin•
ion with the member for Lambeth, it was economical
and better for the object they had in view, to be -pre-
pared for war and show the enemy they were better pre-
pared for war than they bad ever been yet. (Hear.) In
the first year of peace no very reduced estimates could
he presented, which it was necessary the house should
bear in mind, as he intended to take the
timatee shortly. The increase of men proposed
for the navy was 6,000, which would incur an
increase of payment of 350,0001., owing partly to that
increase of the number and the increased rates of pay
given to sailors generally. He proposed to take a vote
• on account, and instead of asking for three millions and
odd, to ask but for two millions and odd. Fur provi-
sions he asked for a million on account. In the Admi-
ralty department, even if peace were declared, it would
not be possible to bring up the arrears with a de-
creased number of clerks, and therefore no diminution
could take place there. For the coast volunteers, in-
cluding the reduction that had taken place, the same
vote as last year would be taken. The hon. member
then entered into the greets that would be required for
the scientific departments, the &et• item being an in-
crease of salary to the Astronomer Royal, and another
1,2001. for au. improved equatorial; and 3,0001; fur the
building and mounting necessary for it. In the grant for
the officers of the dockyards no diminution would be asked
for, but an increase. As there were a largo number of
Roman Catholic officers and seamen in the fleet, orders
had been given for providing facilities of worship for
them; and it was proposed to pay in each port a Boman
Catholic priest for the discharge of those religious duties.
He found that on an aaerage the number of Officers and
men who attended worship was 51, at Portsmouth, 120;
and at Plymouth, 223. As to the salaries of officers
and men in the yards at home and nhand, it would
be impossible to reduce the expenditure for the ensuing
year, but lie thought they would have to increase the
rate of wages for the artificers at Constantinople and
the Black Sea. In the stores the Government had
been obliged to have re nurse tee Italian and
Hungarian hemp, which was of au admirable
character to supply Baltic hemp. Baltic hemp
was charged at 661. per ton, and the Goveramenthaving
taken 6,600 tons of Italian hemp at 521. per ton, had
b a't
theeffehcatdo fa double reducingdoule Baltic hemp to 441. The Go-
vernmentsupp] y of excellent Italian
hemp on hand, but nevertheless, they would continue
to make fe th purchases. The hon. member then re-
ferred to the supply of copper, and the number of small
vessels that had been ordered to be constructed, the ex-
pense of which would have to go-into next year's ex
penditure. An increase had also taken place for coals,
, in the Baltic.