The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-09 00:00:00

4- tcenins .mains

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1845.

The more pacific character and generally-modified
tone of the last intelligence from the United States are
indications of a wholesome aspect in the relations of that
Government with our own, on which we heartily congra-
tulate our readers. In the recent Convention between
England and France for the repression of the slave-trade,
as well as in many of the discussions of the Chambers,
we perceive the grounds of a well-founded presumption
that the serious misunderstandings which of late years
have gone so near to precipitate a hostile collision be-
tween the two monarchies, are becoming day after day
less probable, or at least less dangerous. Yet still we
adhere to that fundamental maxim of an insular policy,
that the best guarantee for peace is a condition prepared
for war. And it is, therefore, that we give the Govern-
ment due credit for the unremitted exertions they are
making in the dock and building yards, and in the
manning of our ships, to get up the navy to that pitch of
efficiency which the periodical statements of Sir CHARLES
NAPIER, Captain BERKELEY, and other naval authori
ties, backed by the remonstrances of the Press, have
shown to be indispensable to the security and greatness
of this empire. We are willing to hope we shall hear
no more of such absurdities as the sending out ships of
war with peace complements, as they are called; the ab-
surdity of which may be thus illustrated: that if in war
time it takes so many hands to work a gun of a given
calibre and weight, and to handle sails of such and such
dimensions, and to work a ship of such a given tonnage,
in time of peace it will require no more than one-half of
the same hands to perform the same services and go
through the same work. An admirable device of the
Board of Admiralty to secure the loss of such ships
when gales and hurricanes take it into their heads to
blow, just the same as if they, too, were on a peace esta-
blishment, and for disgusting sailors in peace with the
double work which devolves on a ship's complement, re-
duced by one-half, that they will scarcely be tempted to
enter voluntarily in war time, when they must naturally,
though it be erroneously, even anticipate increased de-
mands on their physical energies. But it cannot be too
often insisted upon —first, " that in the event of a
war, its issue must be determined, so far as this
country is concerned, by the maintenance of a de-
cided superiority in that main arm of maritime power,
our steam navy ; and, secondly, that of all other de-
scriptions of naval force this it is which it is least
possible to provide and organise on a sudden emergency.
It follows that it should be a paramount object of any
English Minister's solicitude to be at all times prepared
with a fleet of war steam-vessels and ships that in point
of size and construction, of number, equipment, and effi-
ciency, shall be available for active service at the shortest
possible notice. Now, as to the requisites of size and
construction, we may reasonably hope that the awakened
vigilance of Parliament and the public, acting upon that
department of the national service which is more pecu-
liarly charged with the superintendence of naval affairs,
will have very shortly reformed past errors, adopted
all tried and successful improvements, and brought
to bear all the zeal, perseverance, and industry
of a Board entrusted with enormous funds, and respon-
sible to a watchful and jealous people for their adminis-
tration in a manner to uphold the vital interests and
vindicate the honour of the country. With regard to the
essentials of equipment and efficiency, they may be, and
are, in reference to the number of the vessels, compara-
tive only. It is enough that there should be a nucleus
of first-class steam ships of war of the strongest force
and most formidable armament, fully manned, and
worked by the most powerful and best protected
machinery, provided you have the means of increasing
your steam fleet at the first outbreak of any hostile col-
lision, or in anticipation of its immediate advent, at a
very few days' notice. From recent revelations in the
House of Commons, it is to be concluded that we have
already something more than such a nucleus to boast of,
in a state of complete and effective preparation—and by
the time that the other large war steamers, already built,
shall have had those alterations and improvements com-
pleted of construction, position of engines, and adapta-
tion of the screw and the propeller, to the immediate adop-
tion of which Sir G. COCKBURN has pledged himself in the
most emphatic manner, we shall have a force of war
steamers superior to all the combined steamer fleets that
other maritime powers could bring against us. But if
we look at the number of armed steamers which England
at any moment would be in a condition to take up for
war service, whether on the high seas, or on the coasts
or up the harbours and rivers of an enemy's country, her
own superiority in this supreme arm of naval power is
manil:stly incontestible. The history of nations, per-
haps, does not present a parallel to such a cumulative
force.

A return, which was moved for by Admiral Dum)As
on the 18th of March last, and was ordered to be printed
on the 2d instant by the House of Commons, is now before
us. It is entitled " A Return of the names and descrip-
tion of all steam-vessels registered in the ports of the
United Kingdom, when and where built, tons, horse-
power, length, breadth, draught of water, and what
armament capable of carrying." We believe that this
valuable document is mainly owing to the in-

quiries of a Commissioner, dispatched some year and a-
half ago by the Government to the principal eutports,
with the view of ascertaining how many of the larger
steamers engaged in the passage, or carrying, and the
coasting trade, could be converted in an interval of a
few days into vessels of offensive and defensive arma-
ments. The statistics of this paper are eminently satis-
factory in relation to those very important subjects of
inquiry. We have devoted some time to extract a few
results that may, in part, compensate for the want of
arrangement and simplicity which are to be complained
of in the preparation of the " return." The only clas-
sification attempted in it is of ports. But there are no
added up aggregates to guide the judgment of the
reader, or rather to facilitate it. We have summed up
a total of upwards of 800 steamers of all tonnage and
dimensions ; and the deductions to be made for disabled
or laid-up are so few, that they would scarcely infringe
upon that number. There are not twenty reported as
engaged in service abroad ; and of those the ma-
jority are serving in Egypt or in India. the whole
return is entirely exclusive, of course, of all steamers in
the QUEEN'S service, of whatever kind. For the port of
London are reported between 250 and 260 ; and of these
no less than 109 are armed, or capable of carrying the
armaments respectively assigned to them. These arma-
ments would comprise, of swivel guns, 2,3, and 4-
pounders, and " small guns," twenty-five; of 6-pounders,
ninety-four ; of 8,9, and 10-pounders, twenty ; of 12-
pounders, thirty-five ; of 12-pounder carronades, thir-
teen ; of 18-pounders, forty -five, and of 18-pounder
earronades a like number ; of 18 long pounders, thirty •

one ; of 24-pounders, two; of 32 long-pounders, fourteen;
and ditto carronades, fourteen ; of 68-pounders, two
guns. One steamer is pierced for twenty guns ; fifteen
wiP carry what are designated heavy guns, to the
number of about seventy ; and another will mount
ten guns. For Liverpool forty-two steamers are re-
ported; adapted for an armament of eight 6-pounders
to only four 12-pounders; twelve 18-pounders, and four
32-pounders, on 28 vessels. Bristol returns 27 steamers;
among them the Shamrock, of 301 tons; the Rose, of
340 tons; the Osprey, of 228 tons ; the Great Western,
of 679 tons, and the majestio Great Britain, which
" may be fitted for carrying 40 guns." Of these 27
vessels, 12 are armed, or capable of carrying armaments.
Hull returns 26 steamers, every one of which comes
mber of 146 steam-vessels, a
the intwe respectable category. Newcastle re-
superior dimensions and
proportion of them
large
twu irtnhsi
of
ch nine are entirely
nthe astonishing nu
capabilities. Glasgow 61, of Wlf I