The Sun.
London, England, 1810-05-26 00:00:00

common press of business standing for next week:
Sir S. Romilly at length postponed hii motion which
stood for Friday, to which day the Debate was ad-
journed, at four o'cloCk.

The uncommon interest which was excited by the
disemsion of Mr. BRAND'S motion for Parliamen-
tary Reform, on Monday evening, prevented us
from giving more than a very faint outline of the
important debate which took place on the same
evening in the House of Lords on Lord MELVILLE'S
motion relative to the expediency of employing
Ships of War on reduced Establishments for the
conveyance of_Troops.
We cannot, however, avoid noticing, for the sa-
tisfaetion of the country, the very gratifying and
encouraging statements which Lord MULGRAVE de-
livered, towards the close of his speech, of our na-
val affairs. His Lordship, after an animated reply
to Lord, MELvitti's arguments on the particular
question under discussion, observed, that having re-
tired from an office, productive -certainly of the
greatest anxiety and the most laborious.duties in
the State, he felt a proud consolation in reflecting,
and he owed it to the able and intelligent men
with whom he had for three years at:led, and whose
kindness and valuable assistance he had 'ever expe-
rienced, to state to their Lordships, that the Naval
Force of the country entrusted to his care .had not
been wasted or misapplied. In contrasting the pre-
sent situation of the Navy with former periods, he
found, that towards the close of last war the num-
ber of line of. battle ships-And frigates in commis-
sion was very much the same as at present, thongh
the number of smaller cruiters had 'increased very
greatly. But by maintaining a vigilant- blockade of
the enemy's pOrts (that cheapest and most eff ctual
of all protections to trade)', and at the same time
covering the ocean with our cruisers, we had not
,only annihilated the very name of the enemy's
trade at sea, but, in spite of his privateering systeria,
bad afforded ample proteelion to oit own com-
merce, though increased in an unexampled pro-
gression.

By returns on the table it appeared, that in 1797
the official value of our Exports was'not two-thirds
of what it is at present ; the tonnage of the coun-
try had increased in the same deg;.ee, and we have
150,000 tom of transports requiring constant pro-
teelion, but notwithstanding- these east additional
calls on the services of the Navy, it would be found
that the rate of insurance had gone on trout year to
year diminishing, being, in the Mediterranean and
elsewhere, less than halt of what. it was formerly—
but it had, owing to recent causes, increased in the
Bnlt ic.

i• Notwithstanding, however, that the narrow chan-
nels in this quarter were infested with privateers,
convoys of not less amount than 3000 sail -had re-
turned in the course of the last season, without the
loss of a single ship ! In 1808, the Admiralty
sent, under protection, to or from foreign ports, a
total of .10,78 r ships ; in 1809,. a total of 14,828 ;
and in the first three Months of 1810, a total of
1784 ships, There sailed in 1809 alone 260 foreign
convoys, besides 36 dtstinct convoys established be-
.tween Halifax and the West Indies. In addition
to all which, there was a double line of stationary
miser, from end to end of the channel, Within
four leagues of each other, to' enable. the coasting
trade to pass unmolested.
By these means, such .is the opinion entertained
by the Merchants of our security at sea, that only
within the last six months application had been
made to the Admiralty to grant licenses to sail
without convoy to foreign parts for no less than
2223 running ships. , Other services of the most
important nature were also to be performed by the
fleet. We had rescued from the power of the ene-
my the gallant ROMANA, and his army of 10,000
men. In the Adriatic, we had captured all the Se-
ven Jslands, except Corfu, and restored the septin-
sular flag in that sea; and in the West Indies, such
has been our success, that now, for the first time
in our history, the enemy's flag had entirely disap-
peared in that quarter. We had, besides, delivered
from, the tyranny of 'the enemy the Royal House of
PORTUGAL, its fleets and treasure, vs Well by our
squadron were safely conveyed to their other domi-
nions. With ten sail of the line we had delivered
our army from its perilous situation at Corunna.
We also' fitted out the immense naval• force of 37
sail of the line, and altogether, 277 men of war
for the Scheidt—a force, theprignitude of which is
not to be paralleled in our annals. But he neverthe-.
less trusted it would be .evisleat to their Lordships
that the present establi hment of the Navy was not
carried beyond' the calls of the service,. when for
the relief of Caclizi.and the,equipment of the fleet
in Cadiz liarbot;r, it lyld been absolutely necessary
to send on that -service the flag-ship oi the Com-
mander in Chief of the. Channel-Fleets,- and also he
flag-ship of the Admiral second in command. Not
withstanding, however, that such various and ex-
tensive services were required of our the un-
exampled security afforded to our commerce, and
the proud and triutilpha3t attitude of the country,
from a cdntest with which the enemy had in despair
retired for safety to the inmost recesses of his ports,
yet our naval- achievements, daring the last three
years, by the astonishing enterprise of our seamen,
would equal the most splendid periods-of our his-
tOry , and in this statement he disclaimed the idea
of assuming merit to himself,' for he spoke it hum-
bly for himself, but not humbly -for those with
whom he acted. In the" years. 1797, 1768, and
1799, by far_ the most successful of the last war,
and in which the glorious battles of Camperdown;
of the Nile, of St. Vincent's,. and the surrender in
pledge of:all the Dutch fleet's, took place, the total
loss which the enemy sustained by ships of war,
captured, destroyed, or rescued from his power,,
was—

Of the line - - - 41
Frigaies - - - - - 62
Sloops and under (excluding privateers) 123
Total , -

226

In the years 1804, 1885, 1806, in which, the
ever-memorable battle of Trafalgar was fought—
and also the ailiuns -of Sir ROBERT.CALDER, Sir
RICHARD STRACHAN, and Sir JOHN DUCKWORTH,
10 the total loss of the-ttlemy, in captured, de-
stroyed, or rescued; was—

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