The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-13 00:00:00

appeal to my own personal position. In consequence of
the forms in making out the patents of the new Board
of Admiralty the present Board did not commence their
sittings until Tuesday last, and it would be idle to sup-
pose that any Board of Admiralty could in three days
make themselves masters of all the complicated details
of these estimates in such a manner as to justify their
pretending to deliver opinions upon them. Before the
four months have expired we shall be prepared, upon
our own responsibility, to state what we think those
estimates ought is be. But in making this statement I
wish to guard myself against two possible misapprehen-
sions. Ido not wish to be understood that lat all in-
tend to hold out to the house that there is now on the
part of the Government any fixed opinion that it is likely
they will be able to propose any reduction in these esti-
mates. (Hear.) I wish to reserveto the Government the
most unfettered diecretion, that they may investigate
these estimates and then come down to the house and
state what they think ought to be done. I deem it
equally doe to the late Government to disavow the least
intention of implying, from having mentioned these
figures, any censure on them, or of leading the house to
suppose, from the limited experience I have as yet had,
that there is the least reason to think that either with
regard to the amount of force or the amount of vetes
the late Government have been negligent of the inte-
rests of the country. With this brief statement, I beg
to submit to the committee the first vote, which is, the
number of men for the navy. The right hon. baronet
concluded by moving that 59,380 men and boys be em-
ployed in the sea and coastguard service for four months
ending the 31st July, including 15,000 Royal Marines.
Sir C. NAPIER was happy to find that the late Go-
vernment bad at last come to their senses, and increased
the number of men in the navy, for he could assure the
house that last year Parliament had too much reduced
that force. The suggestion which he made last year,
and which was then pooh-poohed, to put the blockships
in an efficient state, was now to be adopted. He would
suggest that somechange relative to the coast volunteers
was desirable. There was a distinction between them
and the Coastguard. The Coastguard were all seamen,
but the coast volunteers only entered their names to be
called on for temporary service, and were not fit to man
the British navy. He regretted to see by the papers
that the house and the country were told we could
blookade an enemy's Forts in the course of a week. It
was all very well to talk in that way, but they might
depend upon it we could do nothing of the sort. When
ships were manned they must be disciplined, and in his
opinion coast volunteers were not fit for the service. He
would also suggest the propriety of increasing the num-
ber of marines from 15,000 to 20,000. There was great
difficulty in getting proper soldiers, as was evident from
the miserable children of 15 or 16 years who were en-
listed and were to be seen daily in the streets. He did
not knew why, but the army was not so popular a ser-
vice as the marines. The marines were much better
men, and they could take the seaports, thereby relieving
troops of the duty and being ready at once to go on
board ship in the event of war, when their places could
be filled by the militia. Lord Panmure had said that he
had no objection to give up the seaports to the =oho,
if the House of Commons thought proper to increase the
nnmber. He would not support the hon. member for
Lambeth in his motion for a committee on the estimates,
but he should rejoice to see an address to her Majesty
voted, praying fora commission to inquire in to the manage-
ment of the navy. Until they gave up the system of in-
creasing the number of ships without any cause in one
year, and paying them off in the year following,
it was
impossible they could have a thorough and efficient navy.
Ships were only fitted out for three years, when they
could just as well be fitted out for five years, anclthe
waste of money was not so much upon men and provisions
as upon materials. The First Lord cf the Admiralty bad
10 councillors—five at Somerset-house and five at the Ad
miralty. Those gentlemen, whether from jealousy or some
other cause, seldom agreed, and of the number were re-
duced the work would he done a great deal better, and
at less expense. He would not throw any obstacles in the
way of the estimates being voted ; but, on the contrary,
would do everything possible to keep the navy in proper
strength, because he did not think that affairs at the
present moment were in a state to justify any nezligence.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought the present Govern-
ment were taking too long a time in requiring fear
months before introducing their own estimates. 11l
allowing them to have this vote without opposition, he
wished it to be distinctly understood that when he came
to propose to refer the estimate to a select committee he
did not expect to be met by the argument that the house
had already voted a third part of them. He bad always
been an advocate for maintaining the efficiency of the
navy ; and the conduct of the men under Captain Sir W.
Peel showed they were capable of performing the most
glorious achievements. (Hear, bear.) The expenditure fer
the army and navy alone was 6,000,0001. more than when
the present Government were last in office. Tne number
of officers had increased of late years out of all proportion
with the number of men. For instance, in 1840 there were
only 153 admirals, in 1851 there were 235, in 1857 316,
and in the present estimates there were 341 ; about an
admiral and a half for every ship in commission. Out
of the 341 14 were employed in active service, and
half of them were employed as port admirals or super-
intendants of dockyards. The China war could not
be any great cause of increased expense, for only
a few additional small steamers had been employed.
The city of Canton had been taken by one regiment a xl
a, few marines ; in fact the French claimed to have had
the most important share in it. 'Looking to the result
wrnteti wbi.v.inea Liao f
molls ; there must be the grossest corruption or mis-
management somewhere He had received letters from
persons in the dockyards, in a position—whose names,
of course, he was not at liberty to disclose—to know all
about these matters, which showed a disgraceful sys-
tem of waste and an entire absence of all superintend-
ence. No less than 7,000,0001. had been voted for
stores and dockyard wages since the termination of the
French war, and not a single ship had been destroyed
in that period by an enemy. If the present First Lord
would look well into this particular matter he would
render most essential service to the public. He was
bound, in justice to the late First Lord to say that these
estimates were thoroughly intelligible, but he pitied the
gallant Secretary for War who had to deal with the
army estimates, for a greater mass of coeieeloe he had

never seen.
Sir C. WOOD thanked the hon. gentleman for the
compliment—though he could not take to himself the
oredit for the undoubtedly clear and intelligible shape in
which the estimates had been laid on the table. He
quite approved the course which the Government pro-
posed to take with regard to the estimates. Of course
it was quite impossible that the right hon gentleman
opposite could have had time to make himself acquainted
with all the details of the estimates or even to form an
opinion on his own responsibility of what they ought to
be. The estimates for the year ought certainly to be
brought forward on the fall and clear responsibility of
the Government, and under the circumstances they had
done quite right in proposing only a vote on account at
the, present moment. For the estimate', as they
at present stood, he held himself responsible, and
when the estimates for the whole year were brought
forward he should be happy to give the Government
all the as-istance in his power to pass them, always
supposing that they were such as the knowledge which
he had acquired told him were necessary for the
public service. He hoped, however, that they would be
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always been willingly granted on occasions when the
country demanded a similar increase. (Hear, hear.) At
this moment our force at sea was unworthy of our pre-
' tensions to be the first maritime Power in Europe.
Without doubt our docks and harbours presented an
imposing array, and we had stages with gunboats jost-
ling each other, a magnificent fleet, comprising sailing
and screw ships of unrivalled strength, capabilities, and
speed ; yet we had been lately unable to furnish trans-
ports for a few thousand troops without having recourse
to the merchant navy. It was only last year that he had
recommended as indispensable the maintenance at sea of
not less than 12 sail of the line, fully manned and offi-
cered, in the highest state of efficiency and preparation,
because it would afford the immediate means on the most
sudden emergency of supplying twice that number of
ships for the service of the country, independently of
frigates and smaller vessels. At a period when scieece
was making fresh advances, hitherto unexampled, and
other maritime Powers were strengthening their navies
in proportion, no caution could be too great in a timely
consideration of the construction of our ships before they
were commenced. The position—one of the highest
importance and responsibility—of the Surveyor of the
Navy, demanding as it did the display of great ability,
and a judicious expenditure of the public money, re-
quired that it should be accompanied by a seat at the
Board of Admiralty, by which opportunity and authority
would be afforded him to represent his opinions with
freedom and cogency. The navy, from its peculiar cha-
racter, required a far-seeing policy and a generous system
of rewards. They should encourage those officers who
exhibited z 3al in acquiring the knowledge of their profes-
sion and in the discharge of its arduous duties, and merit
should constitute the only claim to promotion. To
insure fidelity in the seamen they must show a scrupul-
ous adherence to every promise and discrimination with
liberality in reward. Economy and retrenchment must
be employed in careful forethought before incurring ex-
pense, and only as they were compatible with the integ-
rity of the national defences. The navy of England
could never be reduced with impunity. Neither gunnery
nor navigation was the acquirement of a few months,
and the landsman was only by long experience ripened
into the practical seaman. If the fleet were undermanned
there would be risk, and if there were ignorance of their
profession on the part of the officers there might be a
sad reverse. Here he might remind the committee that
in order to fit out the Baltic fleet they had to strip the
Coastguard service of men, and when they bad turned
the landsmen into good tailors they turned them adrift
on the Harde at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Chatham,
to carry their energy, their zeal, and their .vigour, it
might be, into the service of any other nation which
would find them employment. We wanted, not ships,
but the living hearts of oak—the gallant tars, to quicken
the mighty mass ; hut poor Jack was disregarded when
he was not wanted, and he was di-couraged when they
should have hidden him hearty welcome in the name of
England. (llelr, hear.) Ile warned them to be wise
in time, an I to show a more generous consideration, a
wiser policy, and a more far-seeing system as regarded
the
unidavyisy. reqiiired imperatively one reform ;
anobleheet borf_g,ag.niedbotighntoeuFrairbsite Lord of the Admiralty's atteu-
t,cn while he pressed it. He alluded to the dishearten-
Int.; iulpressinn prevalent in the navy that no officer uu-
looped by iefie ctaeionr
a unablereasonableamb
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