The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-19 00:00:00

statement with which he introduced the estimates

collectively to the notice of the House of Commons
—previously to their being separately submitted
to the votes of Members in Committee—that
Economy had been carried as far as—but no fur-
ther than—the exigencies of the country justified.
The First Lord of the Admiralty adding to this
announcement a few words, in apposite reminder
of the wholly indisputable truth, that the late
war had afforded us a solemn warning as to that
most perilous mistake of leaving the empire with-
out adequate preparation for any such possible,
laud even probable contingency ! Wholesome
economy, we are rejoiced therefore to learn, has
not in the present instance degenerated into irra-
tional niggardliness. Retrenchment there has
been to a certain extent, but not disbandment..
Thrift but not Parsimony. Evidences of which
discriminative medium course, we take it, are suffi-
ciently apparent in some of the principal items of
the Naval Estimates yesterday submitted to and
adopted by the popular branch of the Legislature.
It cannot be deemed extravagant, for example,
that England requires some 53,700 men for her
full maritime complement. Particularly when it
is considered for a moment that these 53,700
men include amongst their number—seamen, and
marines, and coastguard. It is but a reasonable
calculation, again, which has estimated the wages
of over half a hundred thousand sailors at
1,349,3331. And precisely the same may be
said of the estimate coming immediately after-
wards, that namely of 533,9221. for the
expenses of the victualling department. For the
Admiralty-office it is but the ordinary fact in
these estimates to find some 84,217/. required.
While, according to similar usage, less than
120,0001., to be exact, 118,1501., are demanded
and at once granted for the salaries of Coast-guard
and Volunteers. For establishments "at home"
close upon 100,0001., iu fact precisely 92,2241.
For establishments " abroad" a very little over
15,0001., otherwise, to give the very numerals of
the estimates, 15,4231. For artificers' wages "at
home" in the above establishments, 584,3901.
For the same " abroad" also in those previously
mentioned establishments, 33,3831. Supplementary
to all which we find for New Works a sum of
378,4151. another sum of just 33,0911.
for the Scientific Branch of the Maritime
Service—and 20,0001. for purposes relating to
its medical department, in reality for drugs and
all the et eeteras in the stores of the apothecary.
One additional item, in these Naval Estimates,
yet remaining to be particularized : viz., the
good round sum of exactly 895,4501. for Naval
Stores and Steam Machinery.
The last-mentioned plea for so very consider-
able a disbursement of the national wealth re-
minding us of almost the only point, in all these
large Maritime Estimates, to which we are in any
way disposed to take exception. But to this we are
disposed to take exception ; and to this we at
once take exception accordingly ! Allusion is
here made, of course, to that particular service,
with regard to which the steam machinery at the
command of the British Admiralty, is proved to
be about the most usefully employed. To be
plain—Sir CHARLES WOOD, in introducing the
Naval Estimates last evening, observed that
they had been fully considered in the early
part of last year, and that nothing had
since transpired necessitating in them any mate-
rial alteration. For—he added in the way of
corroborative explanation with reference to
naval purposes it would not be necessary to ask
for any additional vote because of the new war
with the Chinese. Adding—that the only fur-
ther demand would be in respect to the transport
of troops ! Aye—the TranspOrt of Troops !
" There's the rub !" " That is the question !"
Here precisely is the very point in regard to which
we would forthwith and most earnestly enter an
exception ! The Transport of Troops ! How-,
for the most part, has this been hitherto accom-
plished by the British Admiralty t By the em-
ployment of their own MammGths of the Deep
—l3O gun sea monsters, and the like ?
That were irrational They, forsooth, are
only made for show—gigantic structures of
timber and metal floated off upon the ocean to de-
monstrate by their unwieldy magnificence the
grand extravagance into which genius, skill,
money, labour, and industry can " run " the re-
sources of naval architecture ! How then t By
the appliance in some less exaggerated way of
other portions of the steam machinery placed, year
after year, at the disposal of the Admiralty ? No
—literally and actually, for the most part, our
troops are transported from coast to coast, in pe-
riods of warlike emergency, in ships found else-
where, and chartered at an immense expenditure
—vessels picked up from mercantile companies—
vessels built in the yards of private
shipbuilders. THIS is the kind of extravagance
we protest against in the system long in vogue
with the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
A system which contrives to erect gigantic ships
of war, of no use whatever when War does come.
And which compels us then to go a-begging for
useable transports, for applicable steam machinery
—to go a-begging with millions of gold in our
hands for the loan, or purchase—seapigs bought
in seapokes—of ships that turn out to be tubs,
or what chances in the latest instance- of the kind
to be literally the same thing—MAßE'S
Nests ! So that our troops recently get a Tran-
sit that provides them with very poor and
precarious transit indeed—suggesting to Punch's
whimsical fancy (by a leak, and slack rigging, and
an evident predisposition to founder) the waggish
application of the words, "Sic Transit," arc. We
have had enough of this—Rather too much,
JOHN Bun', thinks, while he hears the First Lord
of the Admiralty making a "further demand "
Open the old system), "in regard to the trans-
port of troops"—while, at the same time, he
(JOHN BULL) is plunging his hand into his capa-
cious breeches pocket to bring up a fresh " trifle "
in the shape of 895,4501. for naval stores and
steam machinery

DEATH OP DR. H. STEWART.—The Belfast papers
announce the death of Dr. Horatio Stewart, Professor
of Materia Medina in Queen's College, Belfast.

DEATH OF SIR E. If AGGERSTON, B&ET.—We regret to
announce the sudden death of Sir E. Haggerston,
seventh baronet, of Haggerston Castle, Northumber-
land, which happened at his residence, near Hexham, a
few days since, in his 60th year. He bad long been in a
ailing state of health.