The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,---You have admitted several letters on the
above subject lately ; it is therefore possible that
you may find room for a few remarks from one who
has had a certain amount of profeisional experience,
though a former communication of mine on the
fame subject was not thought worthy .of publica-
tion. Since then, howeTer, the report' of the com-
missioners has been published, and confirms in 'part
the principle which I advocated.
There is a great principle involved in this ques-
tion of manning the navy, to which the same laws
are applicable as to all other commercial transac-
tions. It is a simple question of supply and demand,
and must be treated in the same way as any other
article of commerce. If we mice admit that a
sailor is a manufactutcd article, which is never
denied, the common rule applies—as the de-
mand increases we must set to work to manufac-
ture more, so as to keep up the supply. It is no use
the consumers competing when the manufacturers
don't supply the demand, for it only has the effect
of making the article dearer. We cannot have what
does not exist, or; to use an old adage, we cannot
(ret blood out of a stone."

Let any one compare the tonnage of vessels em-
ployed in the foreign and coasting trade over
'series of years. They w•ili find that there is a steady
increase of about half a million in each department,
makink between the two a million tons increase an-

1n aiis.

Then take into consideration the enormous
increase to our navy of late years, and let it beborne
in mind tLat in America the tonnage is increasing
even iu a greater rati,) than our own, and that she
is constantly drawing upon us for sailors, who then
can be surprised at there being a scarcity of sailors
fir Manning the navy, more especilllv when no
'steps have been taken to meet this additional de-
mand?

Cu]. Simmons proposes to do with fewer sailors,
but that, even if practicabl6, would only be a tem-
porary relief. But Cot Simmons is treating a sub-
ject which he is not familiar with. It is just as it I,
as a naval officer,owere to try 'and enlighten the
public mind a on the best mode of building batte-
ries and defending them. His plan will never be
adopted, because it is impracticable. We have a
great example before us. The Russian navy is
manned as Col. Simmons suggests, and is a lament-
able failure, and a failure, because the crews of the
men-of-war arc soldiers, and not sailors.
The only way out of our difficulties is to set to
work as any man of business would do, and as the
demand increases make more of the article required.
Now, sailors can only be made by beginn_nn• with
them as boy; about the age of 14 or 15 is the best,
and fortunately, of these there is an unlimited sup-
ply. It takes about six or seven years to make a
sailor, so that at the age of 20 or 21 we have $
manufactured article ready for use.

There is yet another 'difficulty. We rely very
much upon our mercantile marine to supply the
navy in case of need; but it is notorious that our
merchant ships are so scantily manned that ship-
wrecks- innumerable and losses immense are in-
curred for want of hands to work the ships under
difficult circumstances, and therefore we cannot
draw upon these ships for any portion of theircrews
without disabling them. It would, therefore, be a
positive economy to the shipping trade if Govern-
ment were to require them to carry more men, to
say nothing of an act of humanity in saving the
lives of thousands lost by shipwreck.
But this, it may be said, is only to aggravate the
evil, by increasing the demand. But that would be
only a temporary inconvenience for a permanent ad-
vantage, as it is obvious, when once established, we
might withdraw for the navy in cases of emergency
all the extra hands the merchant ships were required
to carry, and leave them just as efficient as they now
are.

Now for the mode of operation. I have not access
to any accurate account of our mercantile tonnage,
but will assume it to be about 10,000,900 tons.
From my experience I believe it would be a relief
to all the crews ' of merchant ships if tney were re-
quired to carry one man more for every 100 tons.
This accomplished, we should have a reserve avail-
able for the navy of 100,000 men. Our navy is
mainly employed in protecting our trade, so that
'even if this was not an economy in the saving of
ships, who ought to more justly bear the burden
than those who reap the principal advantage ?
Then, in order to keep up the supply, it would
be necessary that each ship should be required to
carry more boys than they do at present. The actual
number required would be a matter of calculation
and detail, which I need not enter into. But the
present sysiem of manning merchant ships is de-
cidedly opposed to an encouragement of the supply
of seamen.

Every merchant ship when she comes into port
discharges all her crew except the apprentices, and
engages a new crew when she goes to sea. The
number the master is allowed to enter is too few
under any circumstances ; therefore he tries to have
these the best and ablest he can find-7-good, sea-
soned, able seamen. Of course he will not take a
boy if he can help it ; so that he is constantly draw-
ing upon this manufactured article without keep-
ing up an adequate supply.
But as it takes at the least five years to make a
sailor. I would allow this one additional hand per
every 100 tons to be a boy in lieu of a man for the
first. five years. After that we should have a re-
-serve equal to any emergency, and be able to man
our navy.
It can neither give weight to nor take it away
from a great principle by. adding my name or not,
but as I have used the name of a distinguished offi-
cer of engineers, I will give him the opportunity,
if you think this worthy of going before the million,
of knowing who has thus questioned his authority
in naval matters.—l am, sir, your obedt. servant,
JAS. A. LEGARD, a Rethed Captain R.N.

DIE CONVICT DR. SMETIIIIIIST.—Therc is no
decision come to yet Whether there shall be a commutation
of the capital sentence. Circumstances have transpired
which lead to a suspicion that there are other cases of a
serious character against Dr. Smethurst, which, we under.
stand, the police have received instructions from the Home
Secretary to investigate.

" On Mqndav last," says the Inverness Courier,
"the Duke and buchess of Manchester left Tonmadown,
in Glengarry, to plrohc:yedsetto voitsritoLnoridoo l\tfaelxupteesebtiuniz
to over-
take at Aeh-
miearry
their ponie., and Were accompanied by a guide. When
about half Way the guide was dismissed, the duke conceiv-
ing that he was sufficiently acquainted with the road over
the hills. Unfortunatelv, however, his grace turned to the
left instead of the right hand, and came down upon Loch-
Loci*, instead of Loch-Arkaig. The journey, however,
was proceeded with, and about eight in the evening the
duke and duchess arrived at Acbnacarrv, having travelled
from 20 to 25 miles of rock, bog, and steep corries—a pedes-
trian feat which probably no lady in the peerage ever sur-
passed."

JOURNEYMEN BAKERS.—A crowded rucetng of
these men was held on Saturday, in the School-room,
George-street, Lambeth-walk, for the purpose of taking
steps to procure the abolition of night Work. in .bakehouses,
and 4 reduce the hours of labour from 18 to 12 per clay. It
was resolved, that the journeymen bakers of Lambeth, sen-
sible of the:privations and degradation the unlimited hours
system has .cntailo4 upon them, are determined to Use ever y
:nouns in their power to procure the total abolition of night
work, and the restriction of the hours of Mbour to. 12 per
day, and in order to bring about an uniform system, the
hours be from four a.m. to four p.m. The speakers said
they did not want to strike, but if they could not obtain their
just and reasonable demands in any other way they would
strike,