The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-12 00:00:00

NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, ADELPHI.—
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster,
THIS ET-ENING, AN UGLY CUSTOMER. Messrs. J.
L. Toole, C. Selby, and Warde ; lilies K. Kelly, and Miss E.
Thorne.
To he followed by the new drama, MAGLIORE, THE
PRESTIDIGITAIOR. Messrs. B. Webster, J. L. Toole,
D. Fisher, to.; Miss K. Kelly, Miss H. Simms, tc.
Alter which, OUR GAL. Miss Julia Daly, Mr. Romer,
Mr. Eburne, and Mr. Warde.
Doors open at halt past 6—Commence at 7.

CANTERBURY-HALL CONCERT S !!
Westminster-road.

Proprietor......,.C. Morton.
A Grand Selection from Verdi's new Opera,
IL CORSARO,

(This opera has never been produced in this or any other
country, except at these Concerte), having met with that de-
cided success which charactise; the most popular works of
this ,great Master, will be performed EVERY EVENING ;
together with a Selection from LA FIGLIA DEL REGGI-
MENTO, by Donizetti,
Principal Artistes—Miss Russell, Madame Maria, Miss
Tyrrell, Mr. H. Herbert, Signor Tivoli, H. Drummond, and
C. W. Bernard. Director, Mr. F. Jonghmans.
The Comic Department comprises Messrs. E. Marshall, A.
B. Hollingsworth, J. Blanchard, F. Bell, W. H. Welland, and
the Brothers Conrad.
John Martin's Three celebrated Pictures will remain on
view a short time longer in the Fine Arts Gallery of the
Establishment.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIC DAY.—Morning, 3h. 10m.—Afternoon, 3h. 26m.
To-m08.11.01P.-Morning, 3h. 39m.—Afternoon, 3h. 54m.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, Azan,ll2, 1861.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHAD).

.57—highest since noon yesterday.
42—lowest this morning and during the night.
58—this day at noon.
BAnolurrEn-30.40; falling.
WlND—Northerly—light; with very fins weather.

Mr. LINDSAY'S three resolutions have been
withdrawn, but the impression of the debate cannot
be withdrawn, or effaced from the minds of income-
tax payers. The resolutions appear, indeed, to be
but the supplement to the report of the Dockyard
Commissioners ; and, though abstract, resolutions
are naturally looked upon with disfavour by
Government, and it is easy to give almost any
resolutions that name, yet the country will think
those proposed by Mr. LINDSAY, and seconded by
Sir MORTUNT PETO, are of as practical a kind as
might be expected from two of the most eminent
business-men in the House of Commrmg.
It was made clear in the discussion that we have
already a navy which needs no increase in point
of number of vessels. It is almost double that of
France, and as large as that of all the world, should
all navies combine against us, which we need not
say is about as likely as that we should purposely
commence a quarrel with every nation which pos-
sesses a ship of war. France, for instance, has 37
line-of-battle ships in all, England has 67. We
have 22 more steam line-of-battle ships built and
building than all the world! In number of fri-
gates, and still more in the quality of them, we are
agaia decidedly superior to France. Once more,
of ships mounting 20 guns and upwards, France
has 75 ; all the world 139 ; and England at this
moment 145 ! These are Mr. LINDSAY'S figures,
collected with great care, we have no doubt as cor-
rect as they can possibly be, and if they do not
decide the question that we have got as large a
fleet as we want this year, and that we have but to
snake the best use of it, we know not what will
satisfy the routine mild.
But even if we had not so large a fleet as we
want, what madness would it be to go on throwing
away our millions under our present dockyard
management P The country is at least agreed that
we need no more wooden ships. The figures we
have quoted surely settle that point. Whatever
is needed, it is in the pre-eminently British line
of iron. And, in regard to iron ships, the Dockyard
Commissioners honestly report against any being
undertaken by the Government establishments.
The Government itself seems to be half aware that
private yards could do better ; but the pretext
for asking a large sum of money from the country
to create a useless plant under their own superin-
tendence to build one iron ship was, that they might
test the prices charged for the work in the private
yards ! The Commissioners disposed of this pre-
tence very summarily by showing that the Admi-
ralty accounts were kept with such costly minute-
ness, clumsiness of system, and inaccuracy, all com-
bined, that it was impossible to ascertain the cost
of any ship built, or any work done in the Govern-
ment yards. If we are to have iron ships, as have
them we must, the great private yards of our ship-
builders must build their hulls, and responsible
private engine makers must put in their engines.
We think we express the public judgment best
on this debate in asking that nothing beyond what
is absolutely necessary should be done in regard to
the wothien ships begun, but that iron vessels should
be proceeded with at a moderate rate—at such a
rate, we mean, as to allow of first settling one or two
mechanical points relating to the best mode of
building them for purposes of war. The wooden
ships in progress, seeing we have so many fit for
""lee, will almost certainly, if completed, have to
be altered
at a great expense, in order to give
them the _
new coat of mail. It must, therefore,
be folly to
build, just to incur the cost,
SO common
at th© Admiralty, of pulling
to pieces again.
There can, however, be no
doubt that ships will soon be built entirely of iron.
Plating wood with
iron increases the danger of
decay in the wooden Part. Dry lot and the
leakage be tween the wood and iron will, it is too
justly &aro prove fatal enemies
to this kind of
off the iron plates to
since stripping
construction,
decayed wood, the plat
get at the ea being dove-
. tailed together so .strongly as they are, will be a
work of imunevse
difficulty. On the other hand
as Sir TosEni PAXTON observed—indeed
we
had occam ion to advert to the same fact,
when the Warrior was launched had the
twenty-two inches of teak been exchanged for
additional ' iron, we might have had iron-sides
3even inch es thick, without additional displacement

51/)Al'i-Ard
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THE SUN.
LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1861.