The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-09 00:00:00

es'ahlishieeets is 1823 was 93; in 1349 92; end in 1850
only latterBo—thie-
u b"ao ore
rvine r. c.ideraiele diminution in the
• e ,role red with the two former eerieds.
n
✓ of b,rr'elf. e• 1c35-6 was 104,
and 85Q,, 3 - eseoes..ments e
various ith respect to these esteteisame.i.,,
• .-LUCtior., „.,ail+ otle:es NV,`IC also
115 progre„ n ee
Cue question which had been brought under
the consideration of the Government was that of the
numberu of hired barracks, and Government had resolved
dis-
trict with
up six or seven of them in the northern die-
.ith as little delay as possible. To conclude his
remarks
upon this vote, he would only further say, that
inquiry had been made into every establishment, both
abroad and at home. They hal all been written to for
reportsWhae of the exact state of every one of them; and
these report; had been tubmittel to the au-
thorities here he was certain the Beard would be glad at
t°}L,ecy° to
found
with the services of such of teem
as
with. The might with propriety be dispensed
of next vote, No. 5, was fir " Wages
artificers, labourers, and others einploeed at
the several establishments in the United Kingdom
and the colonies." The sum required for this
purpose for the year was 129,0031; in 1849-50 it WIS
i
41'3301.; thus showing a diminution of 12,327/. for the
Pre'nt veer, and, as compared with the year 1848-49,
of 29,564/ The Coitunitt,e haul recommended that the
nunshace,
depor 3rdtininegets to at el of artificers and workmen in the manutacquing
Woolwich nod elsewhere should be fixed
the wants of the service in time of peace,
and thee no additions should be made without the senc-
Xn or the Treasury. Returns had been called for to
bii°,lv„,wh3c was the expense and the state of every este.-
h
"Int and these were now under the consideration
of
the 'rieasury; and in future no increase would be
made to this department without its sanction and ap-
proval. The next vote was " Ordnance stores for land
end sea service," and it was one of great importance. The
uont proposed for the present year was 211,631/,
u ?ilst in 1849-50 it was 323,4181.; showing a decrease
there this vote of 111,7871. This deer.. ase arose from
e.re being 30,0001. less required for the supply and re=
pate of small arms, 18,5601. less for the supply of ironCh
[fence shot, shells, Ste.; 58,327/. less for the pur-
ch ;
15001 CI
ordnance stores, of every description;
. less for the purchase and repair of stores, and
forcarriage of arms and stores at the several out-
:I:Iens; and 3,0001. less for materials for packing. In
the year 1848-.9 the amount of this vote was 502,585/ ;
thereat upon the present year, as compared with that,
had was a diminution of 290,954/. The Committee
recommended that the quantity of stores to be kept
hand should be made to approximate more .nearly to
a regiments of the service in time of peace, and every
exertion had beea made by the department to arrive at
it
conclusion as to what that quantity should be. With
that object an inquiry had been instituted into the actual
n
Ste of all stores, both at home and abroad. In August
last instructions were sent to every department, to fur-
ntiiish an immediate return of its stores, distinguishing
ler° which were serviceable, unserviceable, and obso-
e• And the course which it was proposed to adopt
arts, that these returns should be considered in the
instance by tho principal storekeeper, who would
11:111,""e, his report to the Master General and the
a "u• who would thereupon give their instructions
_S. to the manner in which they were to be disposed
• He had no doubt that there were many obsolete
:Tabroad
r( unserviceable stores in all the establishments
there
i)ingand that this
th e might have arisen from
no demand for m after they had become
thus obsolete and unserviceable. That might be easily
understood; at the same time, however, it was a ques-
tion whether it would be better to get rid of them at no
,:iti
price at all, or retain them there in case they might be
Wanted; in the event of a particular emergency. He
ite agreed with the Committee that it was very unad-
'sable to keep a larger stock of stores than was really
t‘eqUired;!still it should be borne in mind that if they de-
tilarnained upon selling the stores on the spot, or sending
ern home, it must be attended, in the one case, with a
very heavy sacrifice, and in the other with considerable
thpense. They would not produce a twentieth part of
.aeir cost. But circumstances had arisen during the
last ten or twenty years which rendered it necessary to
!end more stores, for we could not have been unprepared
10 the case of alarms of war; and when those alarms had
subsided it became a question whether they would send
those stores back or keep them at the stations
Until they were wanted; and what they now proposed
to do, when they had got the returns of the state
°f the stores at each station, was to decide what
Portion of them was serviceable, what unserviceable,
ser-
viceable, what obsolete; and then, with respect to the
they would determine what portion of them it
'mould be necessary to keep back at the stations. If
there were any serviceable surplus stores they should be
removed to another station that might be in want of
them, Those that were unserviceable or obsolete
ahould, of course, be disposed of to the best advantage.
They had asked this year for a small amount for small
arms. That was a very important question, and they
had been at large expenditure for perfecting the stores
of arms, but those stores were not as large as they ought
to be, for when the kind of arms to be used by the ser-
vice was decided upon they ought never to be without
the quantity requisite for extraordinary service. Various
circumstances, however, had modified their determina-
tion as to the quantity to be stored at present. On the
Continent thew had been various inventions in the
Manufacture of small arms made of late, which were
supposed to give to their possessors a great superiority
over others, and though, as far as he himself was con-
cerned, he was rather sceptical of the alleged su-
periority of those inventions, they proposed, however,
that during the present year the different inventions
in small arms should be examined, so as to enable them
to ascertain whether they were behind any other coun-
tries in that description of arms, or whether they could
compete with tho.e countries on equal terms if they
should ever have the misfortune to be brought into coat-
i/I°a with them. The next vote to which he should call
attention was that for works, buildings, and repairs.
This veal a most important vote, and one on which Lion.
Gentlemen were likely to form an opinion without that
deer) consideration which it required. The amount re-
quired this year under this head was 440,0641., whereas
last year the vote was 486,5364, thus showing a diminu-
tion in the estimate of the present year of 46,4721. This
diminution arose thus:—Under the head of uew works at
home there was a decrease of 52,4971., and under that of
new works abroad a decrease of 25,7034 making altoge-
ther a diminution of 78,2004 on the present year as cone-
Pared with last. But then under the head of repairs at
home they required 35,0901. more this year than they did
fast year, while under that of repairs abroad they required
3,362/. lees than last year. Modified thus, the total dimi-
nution of the present year as compared with last year
was 46,472/. In the year 1848 the total amount of the
Ordnance estimates was 617,4021., fur the present year
the amount was 440,064/., showing a diminution for the
present year of 177,4181.; a very considerable reduction.
This estimate had been most carefully considered by the
Master-General and by her Majesty's Government, and
!although it was large in amount, the House would see
howsmall a sum was asked for new works and fortifi-
cations either at home or abroad. But this reduction
Zas consequent on the large amount of money which
ad been expended in former years oa those works. It
!as needless fn• him to point out the state of
r° evf degrade-
in which our works of defence had been in the last
years. Our means of protecting our shores from
%Fgressors were totally inadequate in the year 1835, and
they had been permitted to continue until tho year 1845,
?'hen frequent complaints having been made on the sub-
leet, and the aspect of affairs becoming more threaten-
'ilgv the necessity of a remedy became glaring. At
t
time our fortresses were almost entirely disman-
tledat home, such as Portsmouth, Plymouth,
the Thames, and Pembroke, and he believed had
ati squadron of steamers chose to make their way into
ny of those places, they might have committed any
amountcome
of aggression they pleased. Hal they chosen to
Virile up the Thames, they might have insulted her
ajeaty's arsenals even there. The evil became so serious
.4,11 that year, that, on the attention cf the Right Hon.
Jae (tronet (Sir R. Peel) and the late Government being
Proposed
to it, they immediately set about a remedy, and
firoeosed to the House to grant a sum of money for im-
L.theving the national defences. That course was followed
considerable
by the present Government in succeeding years to a
the extent, so that the result was one of which
la° country might be justly proud. At the present mo-
lejnt Portsmouth was in a complete state of defence, and
ah-Yasa.outh, also, was as perfectly defended as need be;
iin the Thames, likewise, great improvements had
on Made. They had also commenced some proceed-
lugs at Pembroke, which was one of the most important
~,,arhouts in the world; and he had no doubt the House
ould assent to any demands which might be requisite
1;)r Preserving the entrance to that and to those other
attlrhoure. It was all very well to say there was no
from of a war; but it was impossible for a person,
Cu' One year to another, to know what would really
alVen, Besides, they must consider the advantage
Lesulting from the feeling of security the country would
Rave when they knew our shores were protected from
11114 re• ssibh. He admitted thet no demand should be
the
for new fortresses without the whole of
" expenditure being fully considered and esti-
W”ed• and the probable time or number of years in
htch the work could he finished. It was one of the
egresfest faults formerly committed, that they never
t1,3,,11td soy when works would be finished. According to
h,,, recommendations of the Committee, close attention
had oeen directed to the expenditure to be incurred for
new works, and he thought he might say no ill-advised
'lPenditure had taken place in h been under-
take
11 by the Government, bothwhat at ho ad
me and abroad.
lonian with respect to the latter, the expenditure at Corfu, the
Islanos,
Bermuda, and the Mauritius, the en-
dhtnre
hail been well and carefully considered. In
"r`u, no sum had bean taken for defensive works this
alae_ar, with the exception of what was asked for the
LuPletion of the bomb proof barracks in the citadel—
;_Work which would be completed in two years. With
Peet to the Mauritius, the Committee recommended
thea..ra consideration of reduced expenditure there—a rc-
auutnnaendation that would be attended to ; but a small
For was requisite for the compleiou of the Keep of
tacitg. George there, a most important point in our dis-
possessions. During the last war there we: e prizes
g,l into the Mauritius to the value of six or seven
millionsd,,o
i sterling. In Bermuda, also, similar recommen-
EZ Os had been attended to, and accordingly they had
ialt,alfied from taking a flesh vote for works of chfeece
taa'::.at place; and the only amount in tee present esti-
wee a sum for the completion of the naval store-
-1„ "'es in those islands, the whole expenditure for which
::1114 be about - •
%-.{Q 10,36eL, of which sum they proposed to
170:55 vit,ll.ll:stiliyewera:rsas 3,5001. On On the next vote which was
the scientific branch, there
re .e t its year of 3,9451„ the whole
it was b quired beingwhile last year
94,859/. This increase arose Irons the large r
ntobent
they had they incurred for the survey. Of late year,
•laet year „itak"il 60,000/. annually for the survey, but
tqb:eierukaii.yp.i: Committee recommended that the engraving
ofas the large towns should be iteeomplishen
POSt•ible ; and as there was a large accn-
to mutation "1 the surveys which the • had not force enough
engrave, it had been thought that 5,0001. more should