The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-19 00:00:00

THE SUN; LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY

kind of force and never would b e efficient. The militia I
were not as efficient as they might be, but if placed
on a proper footing they might be made efficient.
As to the volunteer force, it was perfectly useless,
and no general officer would command it.
Mr. C. COWAN said, he was quite aware that the
volunteer force could not expect to cope with the
Line, but it appeared to him that the spirit that
had been lately evoked throughout the country
was such as they ought to be proud of ; and he
thought it would be a great advantage if the youth
of the land, in any system of national education
that might be adopted, received that physical train-
ing and development of body which would improve
their efficiency when they came to be called out for
the defence of their country.
Sir J. G. BAIRD said, he was glad to hear this
statement from the Commander-in-Chief in Scot-
land, knowing the sentiments he entertained on the
subject, but he begged to say that the volunteer
movement had not arisen from any doubt of the
efficiency of the army and the militia, nor from any
motive of rivalry with them. But they all knew
that, if a time of danger came, a great portion of
their army would be defending the British posses-
sions abroad, and the militia garrisoning their
towns, and, perhaps, their colonies, and they would
have little else than the volunteer force to depend
upon for the protection of the country. He was
happy to think that, as to the efficiency of the volun-
teer force, many officers of high rank held very dif-
ferent opinions from the-noble lord. He believed
that the patriotic spirit of the people was such that
it would lead them to rush to meet any invading
foe, whether disciplined or not, and surely, there-
fore, it would be far better to discipline them, and
make them an efficient auxiliary to any army in the
field. t

Mr. G. WAucllorE thought the volunteers should
not be condemned till they were tried. He thought
the movement a most glorious one, but, perhaps,
his noble friend would have more approved of it if
it had a little more red tape about it.
Sir W. G. CRAIG said, there was no fear whatever
of the volunteer movement interfering with recruit-
ing for the army, for the volunteers were generally
taken from a superior class who would never be-
come soldiers. He believed that with the best blood
of England and Scotland coming forward in this
way, and being properly drilled, they would prove
a most powerful and formidable auxiliary to the
regular forces.
A committee was appointed to consider in what
way the county could most advantageoasly give its
support to the volunteer movement.
A letter-press artillery corps has been formed in
Edinburgh, consisting of 130 enrolled members, and
it is to be associated with the City of Edinburgh
Volunteer Artillery. Mr. Robert Clark has been
chosen captain, and Mr. Robert Brydon first lieute-
nant. A meeting has been held to promote arrange-
ments and to stimulate subscriptions.

suit of the studies of chemistry and geology, which
continued throughout his life, and even to within a
few days of his decease, constituted a substratum of
scientific and practical knowledge which-few have
obtained, and fewer still have the ability properly
to' apply. One of the distinguishing character-
istics of his professional career was, that however
bold he was in the conception of an idea, as, for
instance, the Britannia Tubular Bridge, yet no one
with whom I ever came into contact watched
with more anxiety the completion of these enter-
prises than did Mr. Stephenson. His mind was
ever occupied in anticipating how and in what
shape failures might arise, and no doubt it
might appear to many that the precautions he took
were often superfluous. Of his successful profes-
sional career—his uubounded generosity, the libe-
rality of his views, and the dignity and urbanity
with which he filled this chair, you are all wit-
nesses, and it will be long before the place is ade-
quately filled which his decease has rendered vacant.
In approaching the subjects which ought to be con-
sidered the main object of this address, I would
venture to remind you of the custom of our society,
which is, that although we publish all that is said,
during the discussions and in the addresses of our
presidents, yet it is always with the distinct under-
standing that the remarks are not intended to re-
present the collective opinions of the institution,
but only of the individuals who utter them, and
that they are not to be entitled to any more weight
than the intrinsic value of the opinions themselves,
or that which the position of the speaker may
secure for them. The object, therefore, of my
address will be to allude to subjects which
have not hitherto prominently occupied our at-
tention, or afforded ground for our discus-
sions, with the express intention of inviting your
consideration of them, and the design of securing
their discussion at our meetings. This institution,
which may be regarded as representing the objects
of the profession, now embraces among its members
those who are engaged not only in the construction
of roads, railways, harbours, &e., but of those also
who are occupied in the construction of engines and
machinery adaptable to every conceivable purpose
—in the building of vessels, in the erection of gas
and water-works, in the laying down of electric
telegraphs, and in the drainage of towns and rural
districts. Among the objects which appear prin-
cipally to demand our present consideration are
those questions most referable to hydraulic engi-
neering. The points of the utmost importance upon
which to arrive at a clear understanding are as to
the relative effects of the scour upon our rivers and
harbours, arising from the action of tidal or of land
waters. lam free to admit that lam one of those
who attribute the smallest effect to the action of
land waters, whilst I do attribute the most impor-
tant effects to the action of tidal scour. This con-
viction has been forced upon me by a general view
of our rivers and estuaries. Looking, for instance,
to the river flowing past our doors—the river
Thames. Can it be supposed that the mere driblet
of water falling over Teddington-lock, even in sea-
sons of the highest floods, can give any effectual
aid to the tidal currents in preserving the channel
from the sea to the Nore and up to above Graves-
end ? Looking also to the fact that when any
great change or improvement has taken place in
any of our rivers we find them always to result
from some new arrangement of the tidal currents—
as, for instance, at Lynn, in the Clyde, and in many
other cases—on the other hand, where has any
marked result attended either the increase or the
abstraction of the land waters ! Upon the solution
of this question depends the reclamation of large
tracts of land now lying not only waste and abso-
lutely useless, but in their present state exercising
' a most pernicious influence upon the population of
the adjoining districts. The time has arrived when
the effects of under-draining—now every year more
actively pursued—upon the condition of your
rivers, should receive most serious consideration.
There is another branch of the profession, which is
now becoming most important—the extension of
the submarine telegraph cables—by which our
most remote passessions are being brought into
almost immediate contact with the home Govern-
ment. The experience up to the present time has,
however, been very unsatisfactory—whether we
consider the condition of the cables laid across the
Atlantic, or of several of those submerged in the
Mediterranean, and as regards their duration after
being laid down. It was the opinion of the late Mr.
R. Stephenson, whilst presiding over the affairs of
the Electric and International Telegraph Company,
that a cable could not be anticipated to last more
than 10 years, and he therefore insisted on an an-
nual provision being made for this decay. On the
other hand, there are other companies possessing
submarine cables who will not make any such pro-
vision. This anomalous state should not prevail in
a commercial community such as ours. I have much
pleasure in sta4king that on this subject the Govern-
ment have taken a very judicious and liberal course,
in which I am convinced the opinion of the coun-
try will support them. A commission has been ap-
pointed to investigate the question, s ith the most
ample scope for their inquiries. It is, no doubt,
owing to the want of such a preliminary inquiry
that so large an amount of national capital has been
wasted in such operations, and especially in laying
that across the Atlantic. This subject will, I trust,
receive your attention. There are many questions
which, it appears to me, we may discuss with ad-
vantage, in connection with our national defences.
It may be contended that this subject scarcely comes
within the strict limits of oar professional pursuits;
but seeing how important a part must devolve upon
steamvessels, upon our harbours generally, and espe-
cially those of refuge, upon the railwayaccess to the
coast, and upon our artillery—the preparation of
which has now been admitted to have become part of
the duties of our profession, inasmuch as the recent
great improvements have been accomplished by Sir
W. Armstrong, Mr. Whitworth, and Mr. Ander-
son, all civilians and members of our profession—l
do not hesitate to advert to this subject, to which
the public attention is so much attracted, especially
as I do not know any other arena where such sub-
jects can be so advantageously discussed as in this
institution. There is no assemblage which com-
mands more general intelligence, and certainly
none which contains so much mechanical know-
ledge. Applying our minds to this question, the
first consideration is, what are the peculiar re-
sources and what is most
essential to be attained ? As to our resources, they
wiiieh England
Possesses,
consist chiefly in our enormous and accumulating
wealth, our boundless mechanical ;skill, and tho
genius to apply them. The object to be attained is
the maritime supremacy of the narrow seas. We
cannot, indeed, like the Continental nations, main-
tain large bodies of regular troops, nor have we,
like our neighbours, a large reserve of seamen at
Before, however, I ap-
cpolynamthaensed generalibremergencies.
rcgoennsnidieear.ations, I must advert to
the fact of the small amount of novelty and of im-
provement in naval architecture which have origi-
nated in our own Government dockyards, espe-
cially having regard to the enormous total expen-
diture recorded. It is the fashion to visit the short-
comings upon the statesmen in power, but in point
of fact they are as little in fault as we are who are
sitting in this room. In a constitutional Govern-
ment carried on through the agency of the House
of Commons, the Government has not the power of
selecting the best mode of carrying on the public
departments, but is compelled to adopt that which,
underiadta
then circumstances,ge is exposed to the fewest
d reference to the uncertain
sv as.naying
tenure of office, it is therefore unreasonable and
useless to complain of statesmen ; the more patriotic
course is to suggest practical remedies. The main
reason of so little improvement emanating from the
public department is the total want of that com-
petition which exercises so irresistible an influence
on all our commercial relations. I cannot help
thinking that discussion at our meetings on
many of the subjects within tho scope of the
public departments will be reflected upon these de-
partments, and-will work for the general good. I
repeat—why should not the skill, talent, and prac-
tical knowledge which has so rapidly improved our
artillery and has been resorted to by foreign Go-
vernments for their navies be rendered available
for our national objects ? The Governments of
Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, Austria, Turkey, and the
Brazils resort to our commercial shipwrights to form
their navies, whilst Russia has recourse to the
United States, the British Government alone de-
spising the resources offered by the native genius of
the country. As to our national defences, the
all-important point is, as before stated, the mari-
time supremacy of the narrow seas. It appears
that, for this object, three conditions are essential :
—lst, That we should possess the fleetest boats, for
conveying intelligence, instructions, and informa-
tion as to hostile movements ; 2d, The strongest,
swiftest, and most powerful rams for running
down ; 3d, Armed ships of the most efficient de-
scription. As to the fast despatch-boats, they are
to be had in abundance from our commercial and
to ;et
mail services; especially such as those now
aosuld
con-
structing for the Holyhead and Kingstown line.
theysersioh investigation.heeonstrueted
simply
As regards the rams, there are many points de-
manding
whether The first is,
as rams, or be provided with an armament, and com-
bine the two conditions? and thus, Is hether in
attempting to combine both objects in one vessel,
the actual efficiency of both may not be impaired?
That is to sly, whether giving to the
ram its ade-
quate strength may not interfere with its proper
armament, and whether the provisions required for
the
the armament may not defeat its
object as a ram ?
It would appear to be obvious that •t* a vessel were
built solely for running down, and her sphere of
action were restricted to the Channel,
her form and
the system of construction would
not be essentially
different from that which would be adopted if her

19, 1860.

operations were to be more extended. It must
Rl,O - be remembered that the er iv cd
to work her solely as a ram would be
very small as compared with the additional
number of men required to work a powerful
armament ; and upon the perilous service to which
they would be applied we should risk but few lives,
which cannot be replaced, in addition to the pro-
perty which'we can so easily re-establish—and thus
a powerful Channel fleet could be kept afloat at a
small current charge. These are surely points of
sufficient importance to demand careful discussion
and development. The points to be considered rela-
tive to the fighting ships are, whether they should
not, like the rams, be specially constructed for ser-
vice in the seas surrounding our coasts. Our men-of-
war are now all constructed far carrying the Bri-
tish flag into distant seas, and for this purpose they
are adequately masted and sparred, to economise
fuel on their passage to their destination. In a gene-
ral engagement the spars and rigging not only re-
quire the special attention of a large part of the
crew, but their destruction endangers the means of
propulsion, and thus, on an emergency, not unfre-
quently leaves the vessel a helpless log at the mercy
of the enemy. Now if a special class of vessels was
solely applied to the Channel service, there would
not be any object in so fully equipping them and in
burdening them with such cumbersome top-hamper.
Neither would such capacity be required for provi-
sions, water, and fuel for long voyages. Under these
circumstances it is worth consideration whether an
entirelynew class of vessels might not be constructed,
with less draught of water, sharper lines, more
power, greater speed, and heavier armament—all
essential elements in future warfare—and thus
secure for the nation a fleet of vessels strictly applic-
able to defensive purposes, which no other nation
would have the means of opposing, and insure in
future for this country that which it has hitherto
possessed—the maritime• supremacy of the narrow
seas. Besides these points there is the question of
in what way the mechanical skill of the country and
the constructive genius of commercial shipwrights
shall be rendered available for the improvement of
our national marine. Another branch of the sub-
ject is, the most facile method of concentrating
forces upon those points accessible to an enemy.
It has been suggested that a littoral line of rail-
way should be constructed. This proposition
could only have emanated from those who were un-
acquainted with the physical features of our coasts.
Shakspere's Cliff, Beachy Head, the iron-bound
coasts to the west of the Isle of Wight, are familiar
to all. But, in point of fact, looking to the exist-
ing railways, the problem admits of an easier solu-
tion than has been generally supposed. The South-
Eastern, the East Kent, the South Coast, the South.
Western, with its branch to Dorchester and exten-
sion to Exeter, the Great Western, Bristol and
Exeter, and the West Cornwall, the South Wales,
and other railways, either directly approach every
accessible spot on the coast, or admit of easy con-
nection by branches. The only points remaining
to be considered are the defensive works at those
places. This should be discussed. It is admitted
that nothing can be more unsatisfactory than the
state of the fortifications around our coasts. Lord
Grey has graphically described those at Plymouth.
A short railway journey, and a cruise down the
Solent, past the fortifications at Hurst Point, will
prove that neither scientific investigations nor mo-
dern experience have, as yet, had any beneficial
effect upon that department which charges itself
with the control of such works. As a natural
sequence to the preceding objects, we are led to the
consideration of the proceedings which have taken
place with regard to what are termed our harbours
of refuge—as it must be obvious that one main ob-
ject of these works has reference to the operations
of our naval forces—and I believe I am justified in
observing, from what transpired during a recent
discussion at this institution, that neither mechani-
cally nor financially can they be considered to be in
a satisfactory position. According to the present
system of conducting such works; it is obvious that
the principle of construction employed at Dover
and at Alderney must necessarily restrict their
adoption to a very limited extent. Whether we
look to the time or to the cost, the results are alto-
gether inadequate to the sacrifices required. The
protracted time is, to a great extent, owing to the
system of voting the funds annually by driblets,
the result of which is, that neither the Government
nor Parliament fairly appreciate, at the commence-
ment of a work, the full extent of the responsibi-
lity involved, either as to time or cost. Can it
be supposed that Government or Parliament, when
adopting the recommendation of the commission to
construct a harbour of refuge at Dover, imagined
that the works would involve an actual cash outlay
of five or six millions, without interest, or of 30
or 40 millions, including interest, and that 100
years, at least, would elapse, before the full effi-
ciency of the works would be secured ; or that after
an expenditure of nearly half a million sterling, and
the lapse of upwards of 10 years, the constructive
resources of Great Britain would be exhibited, to
the foreigner landing at Dover, in the shape of an
incomplete jetty, with two incommodious landing-
places. These, and other results of a similar cha-
racter, may be fairly attributed to the system
adopted, and must not be laid to the charge of any
individual, or department, and certainly not to the
eminent statesmen who guide the helm of the
nation for the time being ; for in matters of this
description they possess no interest, political or
otherwise, apart from that of the country at large.
No doubt one of the inconveniences of the present
system is that of having to apply to Parliament
annually for grants—the amounts of which, and the
chance of obtaining them, depend upon the finan-
cial state of the country, and the temper of the
House of Commons, even although the period of the
session may be selected when the Government has
the best command of the attendance in the house.
No doubt that, having regard to these circum-
stances, the original plans of the works have often
been conceived on a limited and narrow basis,
adapted to the proposed expenditure, but totally
inadequate to the objects supposed to be attained ;
the ultimate result generally being an extension of
the design, an enlargement of the estimates, and a
final completion of the works, in a form which de-
fies investigation to affiiliate. Thus money is wasted,
time is sacrificed, and full efficiency is not attained.
The remedy for this defective state would appear to
be that, antecedent to any application to Parliament,
the Government should prepare full and detailed
plans of the entire extent sf the works intended to
be executed, and obtain tenders from competent
contractors for the execution, stating the time of
completion and the terms and mode of payment.
These plans should be deposited at fixed periods at
the Private Bill-office, for the inspection of all who
are interested. Thus, before the vote was taken,
there would be ample time for full criticism on all
points; and though additional labour might be
thrown upon the public departments in preparing
the documents subjected to such investigation, the
House of Commons and the members of the State
would have the means of coming to the debate fully
informed on all pints connected with these addi-
tional works. In a financial point of view the gain
would be considerable, because a work which is exe-
cuted within a reasonable time is always more eco-
nomical than one which is extended over an indefi-
nite period; and also for direct financial considera-
tions, which may thus be exemplified. Suppose a
work estimated to cost £1,000,000 is made to ex-
tend over 20 years, the outlay being restricted by
the annual grant to £50,000 a year. The ultimate
cost of this work to the country, supposing the Go-
vernment to raise the money at 3 per cent., involves
an additional annual charge of about £42,000 per
annum—whereas, if the work was executed in five
years, by annual grants of £200,000 a year, the
annual charge to the country would only be £33,000
a year—thus, irrespective of all other advantages,
saving £9,000 a year. These observations only ap-
ply to works of real utility, and do not apply to
undertakings of so useless a character that their
execution cannot be too long protracted—such, for
instance, as the pier at St. Catherine's, in Jersey,
and others of a similar character. I cannot but feel
asured that, were the principle adopted which I
have enunciated, the defects now admitted to exist
in the harbours of Holyhead and Alderney would
have been avoided, and the blue book mystification
at Portland, respecting the expenditure upon the
convicts employed on the breakwater works, would
not have occurred, and the nation and Parliament
would have had the satisfaction of realising, on all
these works, the full value of the outlay incurred.
Ministers by taking at once from Parliament a grant
for the full amount of the expenditure, would avoid
the annoyance of the annual appeal and the re-
curring waste of the public time in redis-
cussing all the features of these undertakings.
Before concluding my address, I cannot avoid con-
trasting the progress of Government works with
those undertaken by private enterprise. There is,
within a short distance, an iron bridge, scarcely
even partly completed, across the river Thames.
There is no doubt that this bridge will be substan-
tially and skilfully constructed, but it cannot be
said to involve any feature of mechanical difficulty;
it is constructed in Loudon, and thus commands, in
respect of labour and materials, the resources of the
whole empire. Another iron bridge, spanning the
river St. Lawrence, in Canada, is entirely completed
and is open for traffic. This bridge extends for nearly
a mile and a half across a stream, having a current
varying from 7 to 10 miles an hour; it has to resist
the pressure of ice accumulating, occasionally, to
the depth of 30 or 40 feet. The severity of the cli-
mate is such as to restrict the actual period of work-
ing
to a few months in each year; the iron work
and the great proportion of the skilled labour were
derived from England ; and a severe monetary crisis
had also to be surmounted, which latter, however
comparatively unimportant in Gomm/nut
_ _9ppra-