The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-12 00:00:00

THE IRON CLAD NAVY.

On the motion for tha Speaker leaving the chair for the
purpose of going int') committee of supply on the navy
estimates,

Capt. MACKINNON drew the attention of the house
to certain deficiencies said t 3 exist in the iron-clad fleet.
The hon. gentleman condemned the policy of the Admi-
ralty iu constructing ironclals, which, during the last few
years, had amounted to 10 millions of money, while the
worth that was got for all this great outlay was simply
nothing, because the ships built were useless, and ren-
dered England the laughing stock of the whole world.
Mr. SAI,IUDA then referred to another branch of the
navy estimates, viz., designs for ships of war furnished by
the private shipbuilding firms ou an invitation from
the Admiralty, ,rill to the steps tAken by the
Admiralty in respect of them. The private firms sent in
their designs in answer Jo the request of the Admiralty,
but it was a positive fact that the private
builders were invariably sat aside, and the
plans they had sent in were set aside by an official design
coming from the officer of the chief constructor of the navy.
The present system was most unsatisfactory, because it.had
the appearance at least of official persons getting the ad-
vantage of seeing a plan and then producing something
themselves, which always bore a remarkable resemblance
to the plans supplied by private individuals.
After a brief vindication of the Admiralty by Mr.
CORRY, the house went into committee of supply, and
Mr. CORRY explained the navy estimates. Their
amount he stated at £11,177,290, as against £10,976,253
last year, giving an apparent increase of 401,937, but,
taking into account various transfers of various items to
and from other departments, the real increase, he showed,
over last year was only £9,810 ; and the naval policy of
the year, he added, would be to concentrate on the in-
crease of our armour-clad fleet as much force as was com-
patible with maintaining the efficiency of other Depart-
ments. Passing to details he dwelt for some time on the
first vote—the number of men—and, pointing out that its
amount must depend mainly on the strength of our fo-
reign squadrons, ho discussed at considerable length the
suggestions made last year by Mr. Childers on this par-
ticular. Among other causes for maintaining these squa-
drons he pointed out that if we withdrew thorn or over-
reduced them, in the event of a war we should lose the
command of the sea on distant stations, and our Lomnvrce
would be destroyed; that the foreign squadrons were theh
schools of our sailors, and that in most cases their strength
was governed by considerations of policy, the Foreion-
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France, the
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the value of our trade. But, after making careful inquiries
from the commanding. officers who had recently returned
home from foreign stations, the Admiralty had made some
, reduction in those squadrons, which he explained in detail,

a:nonieting in all to 15 ships and 2,758 men. Looking
therefore, to all considerations - to the state of Europe and
to the importance of not breaking faith with the continu-
ous service man, who numbered 16,751 out of the 13,963
blue-jackets in the fleet—the Admiralty had not been
able to
.propose a greater reduction in the number
of seamen (which includes all ratings) than to 35,700
as against 37,015, the number of last year, but taking
into account an increase of 450 in the Coastguard, and
a decrease of 1,700 Marines, there was a total de-
crease of 2,542 men. But notwithstanding this re-
duction there was au increase in the two votes for wages
and victuals, owing to various causes, such as increase of
allowances, rise iu prices, transfers of accounts, and the
like—in the first case of £85,682, and in the second of
£91,258. Proceeding to the two great votes—No. 6
(Dockyards) anl No. 10 (Naval Stores)—Mr. Corry
stated while on the first there was a decrease of £151,861,
on the second there was au increase of £269,332, of which
£231,941 was for the purchase of contract-built vessels,
showing as a balance of the two votes an increase of
£117,527. After explaining in great detail the shipbuild-
ing programme of last year—which ho showed had been
pretty closely c irried out, particularly in the dockyards,
both as to the number of tons ordered and the expendi-
ture sanctioned, ne.,Corry next stated the programme for
the coaxing year. Besides the work already hegia, but
not eomplsted—amounting to 1,11.6,891 tons —it includes
eight new shitis—viz., two unseenoared corvettes (to cost
this year £12,205) end six armour-clad vessels, three to b 3
built in the dockyardsand three in private yards. In the deck-
yards are to be built the Sultan, a first-class ironclad, the
Iron Duke, a second-class, and the Triumph, of the Auda-
cious class ; and in private yards a sister ship to the
Triumph, a single-turretted Monitor of 2,700 tons, and a
rain of 2,1.37 tons. Of all these Mr. Corry gave full par-
ticulars, and the general result of the programme of the
year is that 7,478 tons of armoured ships will be built in
the year, and 6,931 unarmotire4.l—in all, 14,409 tors; and
that in round numbers £2,000,000 will be spent; in the
dockyards and on private contract work. By this means
at the end of the autumn we shell have a reserve squadron
of seven ironclads, most of which will be employed as
guard-ships at different ports. Having gone through an
elaborate comparison of the expenditure in former years
on the building of ironclads, and holding out hopes of being
able to effect sensible reductions in the dockyards., Mr.
Corry concluded with some general remarks on the con-
dition of the Navy of a very satisfactory character-
The proportion of good-service badges has risen, deser-
tions hav;3 decreased, the number of seamen, gunners%
and trained men has increased, the men make a
much more general use of the Naval savings-banks,
and the sanitary condition of the Navy is excellent.

Mr. CHILDERS complimented the Admiralty on their
success iu carrying on reforms commenced by their prede-
cessors, and on their readiness to profit by the suggestions
of their political opponents. Still, the Estimates, he con-
tended, showed many signs of a disregard for economy,
and to illustrate this he went through them minutely, cri-
ticising some of the items with much severity. Particu.
larly ho commented on the fact that, though there was a
reduction of nearly "6,000 men, the cost of the Admiralty
establishments had increased by £13,000, and on the unne-
cessarily large staff of skilled artificers. He concluded by
moving a reduction of £60,000 in the wages of Marines,
pointing out that though the number of Marines was re.
duced, the number of officers was raised.

Lord H. LENNOX replied on the various points raised
by Mr. Childers, and there followed the customary discus-
sion, which was less discursive than usual, the Chairman
having ruled that it should be confined as closely as possi-
ble to the specific amendment.
The amendment was supported by Mr. M. Chambers
and Mr. Gladstone, and opposed by Mr. Graves, General
Herbert, Sir J. Hay, and Mr. Corry. On a division it was
rejected by 127 to 73.
_ _

ColonelSYKES then moved a general reduction of the
whole wages vote by £20,000, explaining that his particu-
lar object was to reduce .the expenditure on the Slave
Trade Squadron, which he maintained was quite useless
and unnecessary.

Sir J. HAY stowed Colonel Sykes that be bad been
misled as to the strength of the squadron, which had been
reduced very recently, and was acknowledged to be most
effectual in stopping the slave trade.
After some observations from Sir T. F. Buxton, Yr.
Buxton, and Sir G. Bowyer,
Colonel SYKES withdrew his motion ; and votes were
agreed to of
£3,036,634 wages to seamen and marines ;
£1,335,812 victuals and clothing.
The other business was disposed of, and the house ad,
journed at 5 minutes past 1 o'clock.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

YORK RACES—TiIIs DAY.

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