The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-11 00:00:00

BLEACH WORKS.

Major EDWARDS asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether he had any intention to in-
crease the number of sub-inspectors of factories upon the
Bleach Works Bill coming into force
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that he had addressed a commu-
nication to the inspectors of factories askingif there were any
necessity for increasing sub-inspectors, which was not of
an official character to be laid before the house. He had
not yet received a reply to that communication.

THE CONSERVATION OF THE THAMES.
Mr. LOCKE asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, when the annual return of the Conservators of
the Thames would be made, according to the provisions of
the Thames Conservancy Act of 1857 ?
Sir G. C. LEWIS 'said that as the return of the conser-
vators of the Thames was not made to the Home Depart-
ment, he was not in a position to answer the question.

WOODEN VESSELS.
On the motion of Lord C. PAGET for going into Com-
mittee of Supply on the Navy Estimates,
Mr. LIND SAY moved the following resolutions as amend-
ments :-1. That it is expedient to defer any further expen-
diture on the construction or conversion of wooden line-of-
battle ships; 2. That it is inexpedient to incur, during the
present year, the expenditure requisite for the completion
of the line-of-battle ships now on the stocks ; and
that, during the present year it is not expe-
dient to commence the construction of any wooden
vessels which carry guns on more than one deck.
3. That it is inexpedient, without further experience, to
sanction the expenditure of any money for the purpose of
adapting her Majesty's dockyards for the construction of
iron vessels." The hon. member, after some preliminary
observations, entered into a comparison between the navies
of Fiance and England, in order to show that the appre-
hensions entertained by some persons relative to the
maritime power of the former were unfounded. France
had 37 line-of-battle ships, and England had 67.
England had also 20 line of steam battle ships more than
all the other Powers in the world together, and as regarded
screw frigates, France had only 43, while this country pos-
sessed 52. With respect to the large iron vessels, this
country was superior to France, for the latter had only one
, large iron vessel launched—namely, La Gloire. At the
same time, there were two that would be ready to
be launched in France in the course of the year, and three
more were in course of construction. But in this country
the Warrior and Black Prince had been launched, which
were each double the power of the La Gloire, and there
were five more building. The hon. member then proceeded
to argue that it would be most inexpedient to construct
any more wooden ships of war at present, and en-
tered into various statistics in reference to the ex-
pense of France and England as regarded their
respective navies. He said that the expenses of the navy
in this country had risen within a few years from some•
thing over £4,000,000 to £12,822,000 last year. Supposing
they struck off £2,000,000 from that amount, which
went for items not indicated in the French navy
estimates, they would still have a sum for their navy
which was more than double that of France, which
latter did not exceed £5,000,000. They were this year
called on to vote £12,029,000 for navy estimates, and for
what purpose were they to expend that large amount when
they no longer required to build a fleet, and had more ves-
sels of war than all the navies of the world contained ? And
he asked most particularly what necessity there was for
all the timber stated to be required for the navy ?
He next adverted to the superior economy that prevailed in
the management of naval affairs in France as compared to
this country, which was considerably in favour of the
former. 'With respect to the construction of any more iron
vessels at present, he contended that there was no adequate
facility for the construction of such vessels in her M ajewty's
dockyards, and he cited the report of the Dockyard Com-
mission in support of this statement. That report appeared
to be prepared with great care, and it stated that in her
Majesty's dockyards the building of iron ships could not be
carried on with efficiency. It was intended, by constructing
' them in their own dockyards, that they would be
able to keep a check on the accounts of contractors ;
' but the report stated that that object had utterly
failed of accomplishment, for the mode of keeping the
led
accounts was practically of no value. He:contended that
they were worse than worthless, for they mis
as to the amount they NI ere paying for the construction muse
of
the!
these vessels, and he proceeded to show that thap account
that if they could without impairing
was unnecessarily large. He concluded by expressing a hope
i
or endangering its maritime supremacy, they would the efficiency of the navy
con-
sent to the reduction of the navy estimates by /1,000,000
or £1,500,000, Their constituents expected that they

[would do what was in their power to effect necest ;ary re.
trenchment in the public expenditure,, and he had to 'o much
confidence in the house to apprehend that hon. m embers
' would neglect their duty. (Hear, hear.) -
Sir M. PETO seconded the amendments, and refel.red to
the experiments made to test the efficiency, which, after
failure at first, fully established their superiority over
wooden vessels of -war. France had discontinued build-
ing the latter ; and from the new modes of projec-
tiles which had been invented, it was not im-
probable they would be found useless, as they might
be destroyed with facility, as was shown at Sinope. He
then alluded' to the statements previously related to the
house by his hon. friend (Mr. Lindsay) which had been:made
to him by the Minister ofMarineasto theactivity prevailing
in the French dockyards had been considerably exaggerated.'
From inquiries which a friend of his own had made, there
was no doubt that the statement of the French Minister
was correot.

i LEFT SPEAKING.]

EPSOM RACKS—(This' Day.)

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH,
LONDON BRIDGE STAKES.

Crater
Gallus
Avalanche • •

Eleven ran.
CITY AND SUBURBAN.

•• • • ‘")

Cantina
Sawcutter...
Sir William S

Thirty-eight ran.
TWO-YEAR-OLD STAKES.

Express

Estrelda
Barcelona filly

Nine ran.
SCRATCHINGS.

GREAT METROPOLITAN STAKES.—Clydesdale, Umpire,
Satellite, Black Prince, Newcastle, Mountain Nut, Kil-
donan, Henham Lass, Jacintha, Pounce, and Bandsman.
CITY AND SUBURBAN.—RoyaI Sovereign, Mutineer,
Mountain Nut, Industrious, Henhant Lass, Rockley,
Vol-
tella, Balham, Vinegar Hill, Tomyris, Serino, Jacintha,
Pounce, Sister to St. Albans, The Nabob—Brawn, Warrior,
Necromancer, Meyerbeer, Canary, Letty West, and
Monastery.

THE TWO-YEAR-OLD STAKES.--Sweet Jessamine, colt
by Rataplan—Fannie, Coulon, The Tutor, Carrowroe,
Bolero, Cam, Clayerley, Mercia, and Blackeock.

THE HEITHCOTE PLATE (HANDICAP).-Emily, Tiara,
Spicebox, Isthmian, Necromancer, and Ringbone.

THE INYERMAN PLATE.—Miss Julia, Emily, Tiara,
Hal o'Kirklees, Queen Bee, Ladylike, Squire Percy, Ne-
cromancer., Ringbone, filly by Stockwell—Babette, and
Wolsey.