The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-12 00:00:00

THE REVLSBD ESTIVATES.

In the lists of the Royal navy published in cur
columns a few days since, we gave the forces in
commission up to March 1. Now that the navy
estimates for the ensuing financial year have been
revised, it will be as well, perhaps, to bear in mind
that up to the Ist of the present month the num-
ber of ships in commission was about the same, and
the summary of the entire force at home and abroad
on the let of April was as follows :

Station. Ships. Guns. Men.
China and East Indies 7l 894 11,388
Australia
Mediterranean
N. America and West Indies 22 290 3,211
West Coast of Africa
Pacific ll 291. 2,764
Brazils
Cape
10 156 1,869
Particular service 9 39 843
Cdast-guard
Surveying
Fitting out, am l3 388 4,543
Home ports

Total 278 4,796 44,804
The only alterations since the Ist March consist
of the following :—The Agamemnon, screw, two-
decker, 600-horse power, and Gorgon, paddle sloop,
320-horse power, have been commissioned for the
Atlantic cable service, with complements of 361
and 97 respectively ; the Merlin, 3, paddle sloop,
100 men, and 312-horse power, has come home
from the coast of Africa, and remains unappro-
priated; the Shamrock, 2, screw gunboat, 60-horse
power, has been commissioned for surveying ser-
vice ; and the Implacable, training ship at Devon-
port, complement 80, and Alban, 4, paddle 100-
hors 3 power, and 55 men, have been paid off. The
screw and paddle steam fleet, therefore, of the above
force consists of—

Number.
Screw ships
Paddle ships 67

Guns. Men. H. p.
2,806 23,700 29,100
301 2,609 16,240

T0ta1......... 198 3,107 26,370 45,340
It must, however, be remembered that the ships
at home fitting out have not entered their full com-
plements, and are still waiting for volunteers to
complete their crews, which• they doubtless could
readily obtain if the following ships, ordered home
from foreign stations, bail arrived
Guns. Men. H.-p. From
Monarch B4 750 Pacific.
Brunswick (a.)
Nanki❑ ..... 5O 500 China.
Sybille
Pique 4O 350 Chins.
Castor
Penelope (p.) l6 300 650 Cape.
Comus
Raceh, sae l4 1:i0 China.
Himalaya (8.) 6 197 700 East Indies.
Virago (p.)
Bloodhound (p.) 3 55 150 Coast of Africa.
Myrmidon (p.)
Supply (8.) 4 48 80 Mediterranean.
Toial, 14 ... 396 4110 2430

In the revised navy estimates for 1858-59 it will
be seen that the new Board of Admiralty have not
reduced a single man for the active services of the
navy. They have most wisely adopted the esti-
mates of their predecessors, and have endorsed Sir
C. Wood's demand for 44,380 seamen and 15,000
marines. With due regard for the exigencies of
the naval service and the defences of the country,
it was impossible under the most pressing economi-
cal influences to reduce this vote. At the present
moment there are more seamen borne on the
books of the navy than have been voted, bUt the
Admiralty looking to the number of ships that will
come home from foreign stations, and especially
the return of those from China, now that the Naval
Brigade will be relieved from field service in India,
do not feel themselves justified at the present
moment in reducing the number of seamen within
the prescribed figures voted.
It will be seen that China and the East Indies
absorb more than one-fourth of our entire naval
force, exclusive of the extra battalions of marines,
but the home force, scattered as it is amongst
coast-guard ships, stationary ships, ships fitting
out, unappropriated, &c., gives us a respectable
foundation for a powerful Channel fleet. The
coast-guard ships alone stationed at the principal
ports of the United Kingdom give us a force of 26
ships, 633 guns, and 3,576 men ; but reckoning the
men and boys employed iu cruisers and serving
ashore, borne on the books of the district guard
ships, and likewise the number of men to be etn-
ployied on shore and not borne on ships' books, this
home force amounts to 9,000 men. If to these we
add the men in the stationary ships and the fitting
ships, and include the marines ashore, we shall find
a naval force of about 20,000 men available on an
emergency.

Tice only votes on which Sir John Pakington's
Board have made any reduction in their revision
of the estimates aro the following :
Original Revised Saving.
Estimate. Estimate.
Wages to artificers in the
dockyards ... .. 986,921 936,921 50,000
Naval stores, dna., building
and repair of ships
New works and repairs of
yards
Army and ordnance con-
veyance of troops 495,500 410,500 85,C00
Thereby reducing the original estimates by no
less than 318,7561., and yet allowing an increase in
List year's estimates of 613,8451.
By the old estimates it was proposed to increase
the number of men in the dockyards from 10,850
to 12,790. By the revised estimates their lord-
ships do not propose to increase the dockyard esta-
blishments this year. It is to be hoped that an inn'-
proved system will be adopted of continuing good
ships in service that could run three or Ler years
longer without coming into the hands of the dock-
yard for most expensive rentwals and repairs.
For the purchase and repair of steam machinery,
50,0001. less is asked for in the revised estimates,
and with no detriment to the service ; 15,0001. is
struck (If for purchase of stores, and 3000/. for
ships and vessels building by contract. •
The reduction in the new works and improve-
ment of yards' votes is au easy one, considering the
annual increasing demands in this department;
and for the army and Ordnance departments these
branches of the government are doubtless left a
little more margin to provide for themselves.
It will be seen that the reductions in the revised
estimates are in those departments for which irt•
creased votes were asked as compared with last
year's estimates.