The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-20 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief
returned from Portsmouth yesterday afternoon.
During the two days' stay of his Royal Highness
at Portsmouth, in addition to inspecting the troops
quartered there, he also visited every point of the
existing defences and those in course of construc-
tion at Hilsea, Anglesea, and Browndown. His
Royal Highness also visited the crest at Portsdown-
hill, and inspected the sites which are now being
marked out for the proposed forts for the defence
and security of that important position. On the
Duke leaving Portsmouth the garrison saluting
battery fired 21 guns, and the Royal standard was
hauled down from the different forts and bastions
where it had been hoisted during his Royal High-
ness's stay in the garrison.
The s6th (Royal County Down) Regiment ar-
rived at Portsmouth yesterday from Aldershott,
and, embarking on boerd the hired steamers Foyle
and Zephyr, sailed for Warrenpoint, for Newry,
Ireland.

The transport Aliquis, Capt. H. Scowcroft, be-
longing to Mr. G. Marshall of London, chartered
by her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners, under
directions from the Horse Guards, sailed from Ply-
mouth on Tuesday for Madras, with 21 married
men, 172 married women, two lads over 12 years,
14 girls over 12, 94 boys between the age of 1 and
12, 91 girls between the same ages, two male and
three female infants, making a total of 339 souls,
equal to 3011 adults, P 9 computed by the Passen-
gers' Act, under the charge of Surg.-Superintendent
William Arthur and Assist.-Surg. Gregory, aided
by the services of a suitable matron, and a few
married soldiers, who al act as constables du-ing
the voyage. The passengers consisted of the wives
and children of soldiers belonging to the 91st, 18th
43d, 60th (Rifles), 66th, 68th, 69th, 7tth, Royal
Artillery, Ist Dragoon Guards, and 17th Lancers,
now serving in India. Capt. Beard is the military
officer in command. The Aliquis is the last ship
engaged in this special service; she was despatched
by Mr. J. B, Wilcocks.
A series of experiments for the satisfaction of the
Ordnance Select Committee has been made during
the past week, in the Woolwich Arsenal marsh,
with the important object of verifying the advan-
tages of a new electric target invented by Lieut.
Chevalier, Ist West India Regiment. The target,
instead of being made in one solid piece according
to the usual method of targets, is divided into a
number of parts, thus : bull's eye, centre, and two
outers. The ranges of firing varied from 400 to 700
yards, and the instant the target was struck a needle
on the face of the dial indicated with perfect accu-
racy which part of the target was hit. The
spot struck was clearly visible from a distance
by the indication of the needle, and obviated th•
necessity of approaching the target, a circum-
stance which has been attended in many in-
stances with accidents and loss of life. The re-
sult of the experiments was so successful, and exhi-
bited advantages of such important character, that
the Select Committee immediately ordered a num-
ber of the electric targets to be erected at Hythe
and Aldershott, and in a report to the Secretary of
State for War, they have strongly recommended
their immediate adoption for all the purposes of
rifle practice.
The 61st Regiment of Foot, under command of
Lieut.-Col. Rainey-, arrived at Plymouth on 'rues -
day evening at half-past 7 o'clock. The regiment
includes 659 men, 29 women, and 35 children, who
are now quartered in the Western Barracks, in the
Plymouth Citadel.

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GUN AND MORTAR BOATS.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into
the circumstances which have caused the alleged
defective state of a considerable number of the gun
and mortar boats and vessels of the Royal Navy
have agreed to the following report, published

yesterday :-
1. Your Committee have examined the following wit-
nesses :
Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8,, the Con-
troller of the Navy ;

The Hon, Robert Dundas, the Storekeeper-General of

the Nary ;

Mr. 0. W. Lang, the master shipwright of her Majesty's
dockyard at Chatham ;
Mr. R. Abethell, the master shipwright of her Majesty's
dockyard at Portsmouth;
Mr. Luke, inspecting officer in the department of the

Controller of the Navy ;
Rear-Admiral Peter Richards, R.N., C. 8., formerly a

member of the Admiralty ;
Vice-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir Maurice Berkeley,
G.C.8., formerly a member of several Admiralty Boards;
Mr. J. T. Fletcher, of the firm of Fletcher, Son, and
Fearnall, shipbuilders, Limehouso ; and Mr. John Laird,
shipbuilder, at Birkenhead, both of whom built some gun-
boats for her Majesty's service in the years 1855 and 1856 ;
Mr. Richard Green, of the firm of Messrs. Green and
Sons, shipbuilders at Limehouse, who built some gun and
mortar boats for her Majesty's service in the years 1854,
1855, 1856, 1859, and 1860 ;
Mr. James Davis, foreman shipwright in the employ of
Messrs. Green ;
Mr. George Penny, foreman of sh;pwrights in her Ma-
jesty's dockyari at Chatham, who had been employed for
one year and 10 months, from May, 1855, as Government
inspector of the boats built under contract by Messrs.

Green ;
Mr. John Treleaven, foreman of shipw,ights in her Ma-
jesty's dockyard at Devonport, who had been employed, in
conjunction with Mr. George. Penny, from October, 1855,
until May, 1856, as Goveinment inspector of the boats
built under contract by Messrs. Green;
Mr. John Watts, foreman of ship,A.:ights at Portsmouth
dockyard, and attached to Haslar ;
2. From the evidence given before your Committee it ap-
pears that, in consequence of the Russian war, there were
built by contract for her Majesty 's service, between the
years 1854 and 1857, inclusive, 286 gun and mortar boats
and vessels, of which 58 were of i-on.
3. That under the specifications for these contracts which

were prepared by the department of the Controller of the
Navy the contractors engaged to build the wooden vessels
"in a substantial and workmanlike manner, and with good,
sound, and proper materials of every kind, to be approved
by such officer or officers as should be appointed to super-
intend the same."
4. That to each private yard in which gun or mortar
boats were built for her Majesty's service, a Government
inspector was appointed to superintend the con sti action of
the boats.
5. That a general supervision over the whole was exer-
cised by Mr. Luke, an officer in the department of the Con-
troller of the Navy.
6. That certificates of the inspectors were required as to
the due fulfilment of the contracts before instalments were
paid to the contractors, and that certificates of the master
shipwrights at the Royal dockyards where the contract-
built vessels were delivered were essential to obtain for the
contractors the final settlement of their cleims. It does not
appear that in any case these certificates were withheld in
consequence of any supposed breach of the conditions of
contract.
7. That the multiplicity and variety of the duties per-
formed by the inspecting officer of the Controller's depart-
ment were such as to prevent his exercising anything be-
yond a very general superintendence of the vessels while in
course of construction.
8. That the number of inspectors was so small in some of
the private yards, in proportion to the number of vessels
built under their inspection, that it was difficult for them to
secure the due performance of the contract, considering the
necessity that existed for the works being executed with the
utmost possible despatch.
9. That by a paper (No. 1) deliveredin by Sir B. Walker,
dated June 13, 1860, it appears that the vessels contracted
for in 1854 were 53 in number, for which there wore rine
Government inspectors; that in 1855 223 vessels were con-
tracted for, and that for these there were only 28 inspectors;
that in 1856 there were 10 vessels contracted for, and that
for these there were four inspectors ; and, lastly, that in
1859 32 vessels were built by contract, for which there were
16 inspectors. By paper No. 2it appears that there are 130
gunboats, either in commission, in the steam reserve, or
hauled up at Hasler, and in good condition ; that 14 are at
present under repair, and that the remaining 14 are waiting
further inspection.
10. That it is manifest that the number of Goverement
inspectors employed in 1854, 1855, and 1856 was quite in-
sufficient, for in the year 1!54 each inspector had from five
to six ♦essels to supervise, and in 18:55 between eight and
nine ; and it is stated in the evidence that the amount of
work which devolved upon these inspectors ware so exten-
sive that it would have been utterly impossible for them to
be entirely resnonsible either for the quality of the work-
manship or of the materials. And, in point of tact, it ewes
not appear to have been the intention of the Government
that the responsibility should rest exclusively upon their
inspectors, or that by their presence the contractors should
be in any way relieved of their responsibility either as to
materials or workmanship; nor does it appear, from the
evidence of the builders, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Laird, or Mr.
Green, all of whom offered themselves as is anesses, that
they entertained such an opinion.
11. Sir Baldwin Walker informed your committee that
it would have been impossible to augment the number of
competent inspectors without seriously crippling the esta-
blishments in her Majesty's dockyards.
12. The evidence brought before your committee shows
that a considerable number of the gun and mortar boats
were found, on examination, more or less defective. In se-
veral boats unseasoned and sappy timber had been exten-
sively used, end in a few of them short bolts were driven,
and some bolts were unclinched which ought to have been
clinched. Nevertheless, highly improper and contrary to
the stipulations of the contract as these departures from the
specification undoubtedly were, the dockyard authorities
have expressed an opinion that none of the vessels exa-
mined, except the two mortar boats, Nos. 30 and 32, that
were broken, were actually unseaworthy. The Cherokee,
Coquette, Caroline, and Mackerel are reported to be in
the worst condition of all those boats examined up to
this time. It is stated by the witnesses that these vessels,
and all, indeed, .against which the most serious complaints
have been made, were built in the winter, and in very bad
weather, the men frequently working after dark, and that
the vessels were planked and covered in while the timbers
were wet. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising
to ysur committee that decay should have appeared in many
of these boats.
13. Defects, however, were discovered which reflect
discredit upon those who were responsible for the proper
construction of the vessels—viz., the presence of sappy
timber, of unclinched bolts, and bolts too short for their re-
spective positions, all being breaches of the contract.
14. With respect to the fist of these there is discrepancy
in the evidence. In some private building yards it is alleged
that two descriptions of sap are recognised—viz., ordinary
sap, and maiden or incipient sap, the latter of which some
builders do not consider objectionable, whereas the officers
of the Government yards proscribe any description of sap,
not only as being objectionable in itself, but also as being
contrary to the specifications for the contracts.
15. In this latter conclusion your committee concur, and
indeed it would appear that the builders submitted to the
frequent rejection of sappy timber by the inspectors, al-
though occasionally complaining to Mr. Luke, the inspec-
tor of the Controller's Department, of the severity of the in-
terpretation of the contract on the part of the inspectors.
16. As regards the second class of defects—vis., the use
of short and unclinched bolts, this breach of contract can-
ma. L teo qoverely condemned. Year committee believe
that it occurred at a time when a strong temptation was
offered to the workmen to use any bolts that came readiest
to hand, whether of the proper dimensions or not, partly
owing to the supplies of bolts from the Admiralty coming
in slower than the demand, and partly owing to the system
in which the vessels were built in many of the private yards,
—that is, by gangs of workmen taking portions of the vessels
at piecework. It must be evident that as each workman's
share of profit depended upon the time taken to complete
the section on which he was engaged, the greatest induce-
ment existed to finish the work in the most perfect manner.
17. The manifest evils of such a system can only be met,
if they can be met at all, by the most vigilant and rigid
supervision ; and the evidence shows that there was net in
some cases a sufficiency of inspectors and foremen.
18. It must be borne in mind that, at the time the gun
and mortar boats were built, in 1854, 1855, and 1856, there
was no possibility of constructing them in the Government
yards, and that recourse was had to the private builders as
a matter of necessity, although it was known that neither
in their yards nor in the timber market was there an ade-
quate supply of seasoned timber ; and there is evidence to
show that the stock of seasoned timber in the Government
yards was too limited to admit of any quantity being sup-
plied to the contractors. The matter, however, was urgent,
the services of these boats being immediately required, so
that a degree of haste was necessary hardly compatible with
sound and durable work; and, in order that no obstruction
should be offered on the part of the Government to the
punctual fulfilment of the contracts, the inspectors were in-
structed not to press too rigid a construction of some of the
requirements.
19. Your Committee have to report that in general the
gun and mortar boats were not built under cover, and that
they were much exposed to the weather, so as to aggravate
any original defect in the timber. Mr. Laird constructed
roofs on purpose to protect the materials and workmen, and
as yet no complaint whatever has been made against the
vessels supplied by bim ; it would therefore seem desirable
that on any future case of emergency of the like character
a preference should be given to those builders prepared to
construct the vessels under cover.
20. A bonus of 30s per ton was paid to the contractors
who finished their work within a certain period, in cone-