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

sal "• HOUSE Or COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
THE IRON CLAD NAVY.
On the motion for tha Speaker leaving the chair for the
purpose of going into committee of supply on the navy
estimates,
Capt. MACKINNON drew the attention of the house
to certain deficiencies said to exist in the iron-clad fleet.
The hon. gentleman condemned the policy of the Admi-
ralty in constructing ironclads, 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. SAM-UDA then referred to another branch of the
navy estimates, viz., designs for ships of war furnished by
the private shipbuilding firms on an invitation from
the Admiralty, and to the steps taken by the
Admiralty in respect of them. The private firms sent in
their designs in answer to the request of the Admiralty,
but it was a positive fact that the privet°
builders were invariably set asi.le, an i 010
plans they had sent in were set aside by an officiel desig n
coming from the o.l._te.r of the chief eonstructor of the oat y.
The present system was most unsatisfactory, because it had
the appearance at least of of ial person; Atertring the ad-
vantage of seeing a plan and then produc.ns sonlethieg
themselves, wLiell always bore a remarkable rosemblaueo
to the plans supplied by private inlividuals.
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 £201,937, 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 cur fo-
reign squadrons, he 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 them or over-
reduced them, in the event of a war wo should lose the
command of the sea on distant stations, and our commerce
would be destroyed; that the foreign squadrons were the
schools of our sailors, and that in most cases their strength
was governed by considerations of policy, the Foreign-
office being iu reality more responsible than the Admi-
ralty. He mentioned, too, that while the cost of the
French navy was 6.35 per cent. of the value of the trade
of France, the cost of the British navy was only 2.73 of
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,
amounting 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 men, who numbered 16,754 out of the 18,963
blue-jackets in the fleet—the Admiralty had nut been
able to propose a greater reduction iu 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 mon. But notwithstanding this re-
duction there was an increase in the two votes for wages
and victuals, owing to various causes, such as increase of
allowances, rise in 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) and No. 10 (Naval Stores)—Mr. Corry
stated while on the first there was a decrease of £151,861,
on the second there was an 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 he sho ned bad been
pretty closely carried out, particularly in the dockyards,
both as to the number of tons ordered and the expendi-
ture sanctioned, Mr. Corry next stated the programme for
the coming year. Besides the work already begun, but
not completed—amounting to 1,116,894 tons —it includes
eight new ships—viz., two unarinoured corvottee (to cost
this year £42,206) and six armour-clad vessels, three to be
built in the dockyards and 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
ram of 2,137 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 unarmoured- -in all, 14,409 tons, and
that in round numbers £2,000,000 will be spent iu the
dockyards and on private contract work. By this means
At the end of the autumn we shall have a reserve squadron
of seven ironclads, most of which Iv 11 be employed as
;nerd-ships at different ports. Having gone through an
elaborate comparison of the expenditure in fojener years
on the building of ironclade, and holding out hopes of being
thle to effect sensible reductions in the dockyards, Mr.
Morey concluded with some general remarks on the con-
dition Of the Navy of a very satisfactory character.
no prop rrtion of good-service badges has risen, deser-
tions have decreased, the number of seamen, gunners,
And trained men 11111 increased, the men make a
touch more general use of the Naval savings-banks,
and the sanitary condition of the Navy is exerlkut.
Mr. CHILDERS complimented the Admiralty on their
success in carrying
on retort-es 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 ho went through them minutely, cri-
ticising some of the items with much severity. Particu-
larly he commented on the fact that, though there was a
reduction of nearly
5,000 men, the cost of the Admiralty
establishments had increased by £13,000, and ou the live-
cessarily largo 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 f allowed the customary discus-
sion, which was less discursive than usual, tho 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,J.Hay, and Mr. Corry. On a division it was
Sir
rejected by 127 to 73.
Colonel SYKES 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 showed Colonel Sykes that he Lad 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, Mr.
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-
ourued at 5 minutes past 1 o'clock.

°""--z7u radii ra;t3iidL Lan.

MAILS DUE.
&ustraltr, and New Zealand, via eouthanipton.....May Z 3,
Ditto, via Mareellka l3

Ditto, via Panama clay 2J
BrazDllilwilii,ebnyoisertynore:p,
50x0t..., awl lout Video J uue .1
M ty 2:
(jape Verde, by Brazil !motet . ._. . juae I.
°ape of Good ll.)pe. Alcoadion. and st. Helena _Juno 12.
Mina, Penang. and dingapore, via Souitiatuptea ttiay 23.
Ditto, via Marseilles .......
Ray 1,
Falkland Islands ...... ...... .... . .
Gibraltar, via Boutbattpton ....... ... May 16.
india,via SoutuamptOn ...... ..........
..... May
•.0

. _
Ditto, via Illarseil.es• ......... ...
. —Hay ti
Malta, Egypt, ct o. .• ......... • •• —O. 31ay 16.
Ditto, Marseilles.• • ................ May -•.
Mauritius, Cape of Good Mope, and .Natal, via

Southampton ............................... ..

Ditto, - Marseilles )fay ! 8
Newfoundland ................. • • • ..... May 23
eortagg .......... • .............. . Juno t.
Ditto, by p riv Lie ship to Oporto
Ditto cltto to Lisbon
United States, t anada, California, &0.. by British

packet .............................. Stay 16

Ditto, by 1. Lited States packet _
Ditto ditco (New York; ..... .........
Ditto ditto New York)

tabaldexlieenoearnitri;Balta-
Liii; dittt (Baltimore)
Ditto, by Canadian packet ty
15
WW:estt ClnodaisetsoainAid ritiis/0 May 17
ed
xe icreap,

mas)
Cuba aud Alexia) ............ . .............. 23.
131ha.nas, via New Y
Bermuda, vla Halifax . . • •... ..... Juuo 4.

A NEW llAllt-DYE.—Dr. McCall Anderson, in a
recent paper, say, the treatment I accidentally
discovered what promises to be the most perfect black dyo
for the hair which has yet been seen. After having used
the bichloride lotion for some weeks, I changed it for the
lotion of hyposulphate of soda ; and the morning after the
first application the hair of the part, which before was
bright rod, had become nearly black. One or two more
applications rendered it jet black, while neither the skin
nor the clothing were stained. I saw this patient a couple
of weeks later, and there was not the least deterioration of
colour, although, of course, as the hair grows the new
portions will possess the normal tint. Ho was by -occupa-
tion a Turkey-red dyer, and was much interested in the
discovery, though rather grieved to find, what medically
must be considered one of its greatest advantages, that it
did not dye the linen, and as therefore unavailable fok
his purpow."-,-.Yrittoli dlichcsai ki2utnal.