The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-14 00:00:00

self-evident to be long confined to one mind or to
one nation. _ _

" I have not thought it necessary to show by es-
timate or argument that such a vessel as above de-
scribed may be built and maintained in active ser-
vice at less expense than a ship of war of the same
tonnage and ordinary construction, not only because
it is obvious, but because, were it otherwise, the
steam-ram must be preferred as an engine of war
to vessels of the present -form; as they would be
perfectly useless when opposed to it. They ought
01,
to have fore and aft sails for cruising or steadying
the vessel, and the masts must be made to lower
down on tabernacles when required.
" The adaptation of the description of war en-
gines above described will necessarily produce the
following inevitable results :
" 1. It renders all timber-built vessels utterly
useless for war, except as transports, or packet, or
messenger vessels, which could trust to extraordi-
nary velocity for safety.
" 2. An invasion of the British Islands is next to
an impossibility if protected by such vessels.
" 3. In combination with the Electric Submarine
Telegraph, these vessels render all the expensive
coastworks, military and naval, now in progress,
almost, if not altogether useless, and demand a.
totally new system for coast defences.
"4. To avoid the wholesale destruction of life
otherwise inevitable. (for these vessels, which by
their construction, mode of fighting, and limited
space, cannot make prisoners) an international law
would require to be acknowledged that would regu-
late the mode of treating and considering their cap-
tures.
" All the causes which have heretofore led to the
supremacy of the British on the ocean are equally
effective in the new system as in the old.
"6 G. R. SARTORIUS, Vice-Admiral.
" You can easily conceive how comparatively
unimportant Cherbourg become as a military port
if attacked by vessels of the class here described.
The breakwater having deep water close to it the
fortifications built on it could be thrown down by
laying ships loaded with powder close under the
ports and exploding them. But these observations
are for ourselves.
" September 10. " G. R. S."

DOCK EXTENSION ON THE LANCA-
SHIRE SIDE OF THE MERSEY..

After a discussion of unparalleled duration, the dock
board resolved last March, on the motion of Mr.
Rankin, the chairman of the works committee, that,
as soon as convenient after the session of Parlia-
ment just now ended, it would resolve itself into a
committee for the purpose of considering plans of
dock improvement and extension on the entire pro-
perty of the trust, on the Lancashire side of the
Mersey, and the time and order in which it is de-
sirable those improvements should commence, due
regard being had therein to the financial condition of
the trust. The latter words of caution were inserted
to meet the objections of Mr. Bushell, who feared.
the prudence, and questioned the necessity, of
going to Parliament for powers to make more docks
on the Liverpool side, when Birkenhead would
eventually add 100 acres to the dock space of the
port, nearly doubling the existing area ; and whilst
the surplus revenue of the trust would be so small
as not to warrant a large expenditure on the Lan-
cashire shores. Mr. Bushell, at that time, indicated
that the best mode of relieving the pressure on the
Liverpool docks was to secure an extension of the
Customs working hours ; to limit more narrowly
the lay days of ships in dock, and to facilitate the
loading and discharging of vessels. Already Mr.
Bushell has secured a committee to investigate the
question of an extension of the Customs hours ; and
it is generally thought that, so far as duty paid
goods are concerned, an extension of the working
hours will be conceded by the Board of Customs.
This will necessitate the employment of more
officers at Liverpool ; and we learn that that will
not entail further expense on the country, for it is
contemplated dispensing with the services of one
landing surveyor, two landing waiters, and some
clerks, in the establishment at Hull, where the
quantity of free goods is enormous, whilst that of
duty-paid goods is comparatively small. But though
an extension of the Customs hours might do a great
deal towards alleviating the pressure on the Liver
pool docks, and though Birkenhead may, and pro-
bably will to a great extent participate in the ship-
ping of the port, yet it should not* be forgotten that
hitherto the trade of the Mersey has increased
at the rate of five per cent. annually, doubling
itself every fourteen years. Mr. Rankin estimates
that it will go on increasing at the rate of 3 per
cent. annually, and that it will double itself in 20
years. With the opening up of China, and the dis-
covery of gold in British Columbia, there must be
an immense increase in trade, 'and probably Mr..
Rankin was not too sanguine in his estimate of the
future. Within the last fortnight several applica-
tions for dock accommodation for the . railway
and canal companies have been made to the dock
board ; and thus, taking all circumstances into
account, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the
commercial public will approve the resolution of
the board to give, this very important subject their
serious consideration. Mr. Hubback, admitting
that the crying evil at present was the want of
water on the Liverpool side, whilst at Birkenhead
there is to be six feet more water than we have
here, rejoiced at the prospect of the completion of
the Birkenhead works, so that large vessels arriv-
ing in the Mersey at neap tides will be able to
dock and discharge their cargoes immediately-
But he pointed out the great fact that the cost of
land belonging to the trust, and paid for, on this
side of the river, andnot yet appropnated, amounted
to half a million sterling, and then asked whether
this . was to lie dormant, bringing scarcely any
revenue, . until the Birkenhead docks were com-
pleted. Mr: Eyre Evans, who has been a bene-
factor to the port in his unflinching efforts to con-
nect the warehouse and dock systems, is an earnest
advocate for a dock on the Harrington estate, and.
will doubtless, on Thursday week, when Mr.
Rankin's motion' shall come forward for dis-
cussion, enforce the prudence of acting up to an act
of Parliament already in existence for the construe-
tion of a dock on the Harrington property-- :Mr,'
Mackay, until recently a member of the board, drew
attention to the fact that what was wanted at this
port was deep water accommodation, and said no
doubt his firm would send their large Australian
fleet there, which would save an enormous expense
at present incurred by them in loading the ships in
the stream. Mr. Arnold confessed himself no great
advocate for Birkenhead ; but when he found that
there was to be more water there than at Liver-
pool, by six feet, lie was constrained to admit that
it would be a reflection on the community upon
this side if they did not avail themselves of that
accommodation. On the other hand, Mr. Smith
contended that the question was a merchant's ques-
tion, for that, where the best market was, there
would the ships go. At the same time he professed.
himself no enemy to Birkenhead, and desired to see
the Birkenhead docks constructed as speedily as
possible. Mr. Laird, however, took a different view
of the matter, and contended that'no new docks
should be constructed in Liverpool, but that the
system of working the existing docks should be
improved. To show that Birkenhead was increas-
ing in value as a shipping place, and in answer
to the assertion that trade could not go there, he
said :—" In 1851, the coal trade done there was
70,000 tons; in 1857 it was 214,000.. The mahogany
trade for the last seven years was 100,009 tons, of
which Liverpool had 60,000, and Birkenhead
40,000 tons. The railway traffic in 1849 Wag
73,000 tons per annum, and last year it was
695,000. I merely name these facts to show that
with all the disadvantages of Liverpool, as a com-
peting port, the trade of Birkenhead has steadily
gone on increasing, according to the average of the
docks
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of the extent to which firms now using the Liver-
pool docks may transfer their ships to the deep-
water docks at Birkenhead. Mr. Inman, agent of
the very splendid line of screw steamships to the
United States, told the dock board, last March, that
he could not go to Birkenhead with his ships ; and
he had it from the lips of Mr. M'lver, of the Bri-
tish and North American Royal Mail Steam-packet
Company, that the ships of that line would not go to
the Cheshire docks. In this Mr. Inman was con-
firmed by Mr. Rounthwaite, but we have heard, on
what would be • considered unquestionable au-
thority, that the Cunard steamers will go
to Birkenhead, when the deep-water en-
trances are completed, in preference to using
the Sloyne, where, of course, they are much
more liable to receive injuries than they would be in
dock. It is hinted, too, that the Australian trade
will go to Birkenhead for the same reason, and that
the heavier grain-laden ships from the. United
States will follow ; for it is a notorious fact that
the New York liners, when unable to dock for
want of water, lie in the river, and the cargoes re-
ceive considerable damage. Lack of railway
accommodation has been urged against the Birken-
head people ; but we hear that in the next session
they are going for the construction of a line round
the docks and a branch line at Helsby, which will
reduce the distance between Birkenhead and Man-
chester by ten miles. There is a very large number
of considerations entering into the settlement of
this question, and as these are not yet fully de-
veloped, it would be unfair to prejudge the ques-
tion. And all that we can do is to bespeak, for a
question of such magnitude, the calm, careful, and
deliberate consideration of the dock board, than
which, probably, there is no body in the town more
competent to treat the matter on broad comprehen-
sive principles, and to give a just, wise, and eu"
lightoncd clecitiicon.--.Daly kVA