The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-07 00:00:00

HR. ROEBUCK'S SPEECH AT SHEFFIELD

The late speech of Mr. Roebuck, in his self-im-
posed character of " Tear'em," has drawn forth
some remarks from the Siecle, which are worthy of
notice. Our contemporary denies altogether the
-boasted superiority of the English navy over that
of France, and maintains that, extraordinarily
numerous as are the vessels of England, they are
not proportioned to the immense extent of her
various colonies. Passing then to a consideration
of the naval strength of France, the article says :
" The French navy, on the contrary, is in perfect equili-
brium with the wants of the country. In the hypothesis
of a naval war, we have not thousands of points to protect,
and we can devote all our energies to attack. It is
not sufficient, it may be truly affirmed, to possess
immense resources ; they should always be on the point
that is menaced, as Bonaparte clearly demonstrated to
the Austrians in his memorable campaigns in Italy. The
English, besides, in their reasoning on maritime matters,
always commit an error, which we have already pointed out
on several occasions. In a war, a power ought not to
expect to have only one enemy—several should be
looked for. But England regards exclusively on the side
of France ; thinks only of France. But she has another
enemy, Russia; who presses her in the East, in China, in
India, and who menaces her in the Baltic, where the
Russian fleet, from being excluded from the Black Sea, is
forced to accommodate its forces. Suppose, then, for a
moment that an understanding was come to between
France and Russia, the French fleet holding firm against
the English vessels whilst the Russian fleet should convey
an army to disembark in England—suppose that, and the Cos-
sacks might easily be seen in London. Unite, on the contrary,
the Russian and English fleets, and the junction would be
perfectly indifferent to us. From our ports, with our army
and our maritime populations so eminently warlike, we
repel every attempt at landing. Therein lies our superiority;
we support our navy by an army, that which England can-
not do, or at least what she has not been able to do up to

the present time."
Our contemporary then refers to the yachts and
merchant vessels of England, and while admitting
that they constitute a considerable accession of
strength, seems to treat them lightly, for the
curious reason that the taste for maritime matters
is rapidly increasing in France :
" Blind would be the man who does not perceive how
France is in every manner tending towards the sea. Ten
years back the families who visited the sea in the fine

✓-
season were some hundreds ; now, they are counted h
thousands. When, under the Restoration, the naval schoOl
at Brest was founded, it was necessary, in order to have
pupils, to pay them; but at present, the number of appli-
cants for the naval schools is so great that a considerable
amount of information is necessary in order to procure
admission. Formerly, the naval career was a sort of excep-
tion, and a young man ought to be a native of Dieppe, or
Dunkirk, or St. Male, or some other port, to even thank of
it. But, in the present. day, it has attractions for every
province, and the navy is no longer the exclusive appanage
of any particular district."
The project of making Paris a seaport is then
alluded to, and our contemporary dwells with. great
complacency on the effect which such a metamor-
phosis " in the brain and heart of France" would
produce among the French public in general. Such
reasoning is simply puerile, andscarcely merits even
a casual notice, when treating. of so grave a ques-
tion. What follows is more practical and more in
accordance with the plain common sense which
generally distinguishes our contemporary when'
discussing the passing events of the day :
"The English must make up their minds to the deve-
lopment of maritime ideas 'in France. Admiral Napier
has recommended them to bring us to an arrangement,_
consisting of each power consenting to have a limited navy.
We, on our side, advise them to draw closer all the
bonds which attach them to France, to attempt
con-
the
greatest number of enterprises they possibly can in
junction with us, and to look with suspicion on those senti-
ments of jealousy which have so long animated them
against France. It is not to diminish the French forces
that they ought to endeavour, but to so manage that a war
with us should become utterly impossible from the multi,
plicity of relations and friendships existing between the tm.
countries. When an end shall be comp to of spurring
the two populations against each other, when they shale be
persuaded that their alliance strengthens them reciprocally,
they will no longer dread the force of one or the other in
such or such a branch of the service."

major-General Peel, Sir Henry Storks, and Major
Jervoise, the engineer officer attached to the War Depart-
ment, are making official visits to the coast, with a view to
arrange a system of coast defence. Among other places,
tn n
Portsmouth.a has not been forgotten, and in due time there:is
no doubt, from the steps that are now taking, a good and
efficient plan will be devised, and a practical system organ-
ised.—Court To

- - -
WILLS.—The will of the Right Hon. Amelia
Viscountess Falkland, was administered to by Viscount
Falkland, G.C.H., P.C., the executor and sole legatee.
The grant was limited to the property left to the countess
under the will of his late Majesty King William IV., bear
ing date May 3, 1837, over which her ladyship had a pol,
of disposal. The will and codicil of Lieut.-Gen. Sir Fred
Ashworth, formerly of Chichester-terrace, Kemp-town,
Brighton, but late of St. George's-place, Knightsbridge,
were proved in London on August 26, by Lady Ashworth,
the relict ; a power being reserved to the Marquis of Done-
gall and Mr. David Lyon, the other executors. He has
bequeathed to Lady Ashworth a life interest in his estates,
and at her decease to be equally divided amongst the chil-
dren. The personalty sworn under £25,000. The will is
dated 1854, and the codicil 1847.;, Some obliterations were
made in the will by the testator in. 1851, but being unal-
tered, the will was taken as originally, written. The will
of Sir John Key, Bart., Chamberlain to the City of Lon-
don, was proved in London by his son, Sir Kingsmill Grove
Key, Bart., and Mr. George Parbury and Mr. Edward
Hilton, the sons-in-law, the joint executors. The per-
sonalty is sworn under £40,000. To Lady Key, his widow,
he has bequeathed all the furniture in his residence, Manor
House, Streatham, as well as all right and interest he pos-
sessed in the Stationers' Company, to be enjoyed by her
for life, the residue to her children. The will is very short,
and was made on July 14, 1858 ; the signature is most re-
ing a few thick hiarks.-1/instrated News.