The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-13 00:00:00

THE

ceded the present to state that they have taken very im-
portant steps in this direction. It is but due to the naval
administration of the Duke of Northumberland in 1A52 to
say that the better m .nning of our navy occupied no
small share of his attention. He appointed a committee,
composed of the most able and exo,l tenced naval-officers,
one of them of the highest standing—Sir R. Dundas—of
whose services I am happy to add I now enjoy the advan-
tage, to inquire into this important subject. That 1
committee made its report very shortly after the Duke of
Northumberland retired from office, and in that report
were embodied two most important recommendations. The
first of those recommendations was the adoption of a
system of continuous service men—that is to say, of men
1 who should enlist for a longer period of
years than usual
and receiving more than the ordinary rate of pay. The
second recommendation of the committee was that we
should adopt the principle of a marine militia by raisin
and
g a
body of men, enlisting them in the same way as the l
that
militia, upon the voluntary system, an requiring
they should be annually exercised. This force the com-
mittee proposed should form a body of men who, in case
of any national emergency, might at any moment be called
upon to man our ships. Both of those recommendations
were carried into effect under the naval administration
the right hon. baronet the member for Carlisle while in
the government of Lord Aberdeen ; and I think I may say,
without exaggeration, that they constitute by far the most
important steps which have been taken in the direction to
which lam adverting. (Hear.) Another important step
which I believe I may attribute to the right hon. baronet
the member for Halifax, was subsequently taken. I allude
to the placing of ships round our coasts in connexion with
the Coastguard, and the strengthening of the reserve to be
constituted by the Coastguard. By means of the Coastguard
1 and the naval volunteers as they are called--but which in
. .

fact form a marine militia—we have at this moment a re:

serve which in case of emergency might at once be called
out, and I believe I do not exaggerate when I state that, if
necessery, we might, owing to that reserve, within a very
short period—l am told within a fortnight—l certainly
think, at all events, within a month—put to sea a channel
fleet of not less than 20 line-of-battle ships. (Hear, hear.)
They would, however, consist in a great degree of what are
technically called " block ships," which are old 74's, and
which are not fit to cope with th 3 more modern vessels in
point of cannon. The house will moreover observe that
the force to which I have just adverted would be available

only in case of national emergency, and that those volun-
teers could be called out under no other circumstances.

Neither could the coastguard for any other purpose be
diverted from its ordinary duties ; and I for one maintain
that it is not consistent with our national dignity or our
national isafety, that we should not have the means
of sending ships to sea for any other purpose than
that for which the reserve has been created. (Hear, hear.)
How, then, are we to deal with this most important point?
I am in hopes we may be able to do so in an efficient man-
ner by the judicious extension of the system of continuous
service men. (Hear. hear.) I cannot too strongly lament
the course which was taken by the right hon. baronet oppo-
site last year in allowing no less than 3,000 men serving on
board our ships, and enlisted as continuous service men,
to be discharged from the navy, and thus lost to the
country. (Hear, hear.) I am unwilling to speak of
the conduct of the right honourable baronet in the lan-
guage of censure, and I am perfectly well
.aware of the
pressure which was exercised upon the Government
lest year by the cry of economy which was raised
throughout the whole of the ee untry. I cannot, however,
help wishing that the right hon. baronet had bad the wis-
dom and the firmness to say, in answer to that cry, that
the great interest of England ought not to be tampered
with, and that the nation ought not to have receded from
the bargain into which it ba I entered. (Hear, hear.) We
had when the right hon. baronet took the step to which I
allude a reserve force of between 23,009 and 24,0,0 conti-
nuous service men. Under the pressure of the cry of
economy, however, the Government signified to those men
that any of them who wished to have their discharge might
obtain it. The practical result wastbat out of 5,000 or 6,000
of them who happened to be in our home ports no less than
3,000 were lost to the country, and that number has never
since been made up. (Hear, hear.) But that is not all.
The worst consequence of the unhappy step which was
taken by the late Government was the moral effect which
it produced upon the men themselves. It was regarded by
them in the light of a breach of faith. They said, " You
have enlisted us for a perio I of 10 years. We are still wil-
ling to serve you; yet you tell us to go about our business.'
(Hear, hear.) The result has been most unfortunate. We
must endeavour to retrace our course, and, if possible, to
regain the position which we occupied. In the attain-
ment of that object we have to some extent succeeded,
inasmuch as the number of the continuous service men
amounts at present to about 22,000. The aim of those
who aro intrusted with the management of the naval
affairs should be, as it appears to me, while maintaining
the minimum amount of force necessary for the pro-
tection and service of the country, to take oare that all
the seamen should be entered for con' i -mous service. (Hear
hear.) There must be a margin, for the committee will
see that circumstances alter calculations, and, for in-
stance, if tho pressure upon us on account of the China war
were to cease, we should be able to reduce the naval forms
in the Indian and Chinese waters to the amount at which
it stood four years ago, and consequently we should be
enabled to reduce the vote which I shall ask the house to
sanction. The strength of the navy must, of course, vary
according to the state of public affairs, and there must
always be a margin which should consist of non-continu-
ance service men, with whom we may deal without pro-
ducing the bad effect which the step taken last year un-
questionably did produce. Beyond that margin the present
Government is decidedly of opinion that the entire force
of seamen should consist of men entered for continuous
service, and this very day I have given directions that
every means should be used to increase the number of men
so entered as fast as possible up to a given amount. I must
now state to the committee what is the opinion of the pre-
sent Government upon another point, in which opinion I
anticipate the concurrence of every member of the homes,
viz., that we ought never to be without a Channel fleet.
(Hear.) I do not think it is consistent with our position,
with our national dignity or safety, that we should have
no naval force at all in the Channel. I remember when
my right hon. friend opposite proposed his estimate last
yearhe said there would be no Channel squadron on account
iof the state of affairs in China. I allow the pressure of
affairs in China at that time was severe, but I venture to
think that no Government should under any circumstances
leave lhe Channel without a squadron. Her Majesty's
Government hold it to be their first duty, without any loss
of time that can be avoided, to establish a Channel squa-
dron, not only for the protection of our shores, but for the
exercise of our officers and men. The hon. and gallant mem-
ber Tor Southwark wid agree with me, I am sure, when
I say that the introduction of steam into our navy is so re-
cent, and our officers as yet so unaccusto etel to its appli-
cation, that it is essential there should be a squadron for
evolutions and practice which shall enable officers and men
to tocome practic.:Ey a7,,tuairited with the 11JW system.
(Hear.) We have an example before us set by our oppo-
site neighbours in France, which we cannot with prudence
neglect. They do not allow their coasts to be left defence-
less, nor do they allow their officers and sailors to remain
without opportunities for practice. On the coetrary, with
great prudence, and with his usual sagacity, the Emperor
of the French has assembled at Toulon a force which will
form a squadron of evolution, and I hope before the pre-
sent summer has passed away that we shall see in our own
Channel a squadron worthy of England and her naval
reputation assembled for the same praiseworthy object.
Having told the committee the number of men which we
shall ask them to grant, I will now proceed to explain how
we shall dispose of them. I have said we ask for 2,000 ad-
ditional men, in order to complete the manuing of our
ships. Of those 2,000 men 1,621 are already on board ship,
leaving 379 to be obtained. I have explained that, in order
to complete the harbour ships in commission we want
1,318 men more than we have. Deduct from that number
the balance of 379 to be gainee out of the increased vote,
and there will remain 939 more than the increas el esti-
mate, supposing all the ships to be fully manned. For the
Channel squadron, which we hope to fit out in the course of
the summer, we shall require 1,500 more men and also 1,000
for reliefs, which must be effected during this year. That
gives 3,4:39 mon more than the increased vote for which
we ask, but within the next three months there will arrive
.toantdheo tehmetrehstta3ti,o4nBsB ships
whose ere ,vs will be men.
from China, the Mediterranean,
Therefore, after having provided for the requirements of
the ships now in commission, for such additional ships as
we hope to have soon in the Channel, and 1,000 for foreign
reliefs, we shall have a balance out of the vote we now ask
for of 49 men remaining in England That is the explana-
tion I have to give of the vote, which is a 'alga one, I admit.
I wish I could consistently with my duty have proposed a
lower amount, but I trust the explanation I have given
will convince the committee that it is not unnecessarily
large in order to maintain the navy in a state of efficiency.
I hope the policy of this country will ever be, while adapt-
ing its force to the varying circumstances of the time, to
maintain the navy in an effective condition, to keep up an
effective Channel squadron, and further to have a reserve
of available seamen to man our ships upon an emergency,
without therecurrence of so humiliating and unsatisfac!ory
a state of things as we have lately witnessed at our ports.
(Hear, hear.) With this explanation I shall now proceed to
the second vote, for victuals to the fleet, which is
1,027,157/ , being an increase of 165,1591. upon the vote of
last year. *The committee will at once see that the amount
of this vote depends upon the preceding one, for if the
number of men bo increased the amount of charge for their
victuals also increases. We do not propose to make any
change in reference to the votes intervening between votes
2 and 8, but I have to request the attention of the com-
mittee while I explain the intentions of Government as to
the vote No. 8, and the reasons why we have deviated from
the plan of the late Goveinment, and propose a smallervote
than they intended to Embroil. We have not arrived at that
determination without most anxious consideration. I have
endeavoured to impress upon the committee the necessity,
of maintaining our navy in a state of efficiency, and I be-
lieve they will agree with me when I say that that should
be done with the utmost practicable regard to economy.
(Hear.) With my short tenure of office I have no right to
imply anything that might appear to be a censure upon
preceding Administrations, but I must own I have an
impression that our dockyaris are not conducted with
that strict regard to economy which is desirable.
(Hear, hear.)
ns e Ii
as thinkffair
intrusteda it
w i
ti
ha one
twh iet
hi
most
o ot
h.tteh
le. a
i.firsti affairse o
oodnfuottmihe
the
hope the committee will under-
stand what I mean.thho
with efficiency. (Hear, hear.) Extrava-
gance thatno fa
vani yst oM
consistentiui conducts te iw
.
(Hear, hear.) I do not
does not promote efficiency,
intend to imply that in proposing 12,190 men for the ser-
vice of the dock . ards, the late Government laid them-
selves open to a charge of extravagance. I am unwilling
to propose without the clearest conviction of its necessity
a vote which has no precedent in our naval estimates. I
system,Geat
greatly respect the desire of the hon. member for Lambeth
for economy, but I think his idea that we can now go back
to the n sval estimates of the timiemoefritchael.Du(kßeeoafr Welling-
cechthen in our naval)
changes
Welling-
ton or
haveofLordtaGker
former days. Let mo remind the
naval establishment of .
and I am perfectly convinced that we cannot go back to the
neypilsaccleusiitn°
change
hon. gentleman ant
ze of our men-of-war. (Heal%
made in late years in too s:
i the committee of the wonderful
Caledonia, Britannia,
battle ships, such as the No
Ptunalt the grandest over
hear.) It was only the other day that our large
Britannia,
battle
St. Vincent, which wo thong
Wellineton, Marl-
our first-rate ships now ? The Doke of
launched, were only 2,60) tons, but what the tonnage of
borough, Royal Albert, and the ship
tocks 4t
3,800 or 4,000 tons. I saw last week on the 8
Portsmouth a new ship, the Victoria,
• • which will greatly
lately la-,anchc.l are
exceed them. At this moment there is a 32-gun frieete,
the Diadem, which is 2,500 tons—that is to say, withio
103 tons of the size of our three-deckers some years ego.
These great changes in the size of our ships must necessarily
be accompanied by a prdportionate increase in the extmt
and expenditure of our dockyards. . Next, we must bear in
mind the
introduction of steam into our navy. A few years
i ships are steamships. I believe ago a steamship was the exception, but now all our new
agirveetnu
return'
theeh the committee is scarcely
I m steamy handhasgogfr Eegnagtleand.l hold in
aware of the enormous power which the introduction of
o witionygalt hnaevya
our :lips in a series of years. In. 1044, onlyl4 horse-power o
that power was 23,379. in 1852, the last y-ear Legrsec.fla°e' j