The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-14 00:00:00

WEDNIODAY EVENING, MAY 14 1845,

THE FRENCH NAVY.

The following list of all vessels belonging to the
French navy afloat and building at the present moment,
and ordered to be laid down at the different royal dock-
yards next year, is extracted from official documents,
and forms a good table of reference :

LINE OF BATTLE SHIPS IN COMMISSION.
Names. Guns. Launched.
Ocean
Jeromapes
Inflexible
Diacleme
Neptune
Marengo
Alger
riton
FRIGATES IN COMMISSION.
Names. Guns. Launched.
Iphi4enie . 60
Uranie 6O . 1832
Belle Poule
Minerva
Syrene
Atalante
Andromede
Reine Blanche
Clopatre
Virginia
ThZ as
Charte
Africaine
CORVETTES IN COMMISSION.

Names. Guns. Launched.
Arians 3O ..... ... 1830
Heroine
Berceau
Sabine
Boussole SO
Alcmene
Embuscade
Victorieuse
Triomphante
Creole
Brillante
Niade
Blonde
Coquette
Deligente
BRIGS IN COMMISSION.
Names. Guns. Launched.
Palinure
Cygnet 2O ... 1825
Grenadier
Alcibiade
Hussard
Voltigeur .. ... ............. 20
Griffon
leleagre
'Assis
La Peyrouse
Cassard
Mercure
Genie
Zebre
Volege
Fleche
Argus
Observation
Cerf
Agile
Pandora
Messager
Alvalienne
Alouette
Boulonnaise 8
Tactique
Eglantine 8
STEAM-IRIGATZB IN COMMISSION.

Names. Guns. Horse-power. Launched,
Decartes
Asmorlie
Gomer

STEAM-CORVETTES IN COMMISSION.
20
6
Lavoisier
Pluton
Veloce
Cameleon
Archimede ..... .... 6
Titan
LINE-ov-sivra•LE Will, XxX3IKANTLND
Names. Guns. Launched.
Montebello
Jena
Algesiras
Jupiter
Nestor
Scipion
Couronne ' 82
LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIPS EN COMMISSION DE RADE.*
Souverein l2O .... .... 1819
Friedland
Hercule
San ti Petri
Trident
LINE-01-BATTLE SHIPS EN COMMISSION DE PORT.t
Suffren
Ville de Marseille ......... 82

Cuvier
Gassendi

Generous
FRIGATZI DISMANTLED.
Independent
Melpomene
Didon
A ndromnque
Venus
Calypso
Nereide
M‘dee
•
40
In
E3erige4:°RnPelGeATES EN COMMISSION DE RADE.
moire
Danse ........................ 52
Armide
FRIG.kTES EN COMMISSION DE PORT.
Semillante
Forte ........................ 60
Poursuivante
Psyche ...... •
CORVETTES EN COMMISSION DE RADE.
Danaide
CORVETTr S DISMANTLED.

Arkli use
Cyt,ele
Camill, ........................ 20
Corn,4ie
Peri,. ........................... 16
BRIGS EN COMMISSION DE RADE.

Adonis ..................... ... 20
Ducßedie
P.) lade
BRIGS DISMANTLED.

Alacrity
Fauc, in
Alerte
Acteon
Oreste
Abellle 2O ... ..... 1844
Olivier
Dragon
Euryale
Surprise
Alcyone
Comet,'
Cigogne
Eclipse
Sylphe
I)upetit-Thours ............ 10
Lourier
Bougainville
Lutin
Ro3signol
Leger
Papillon
Malouine 8
Vigie
Chevrette 8
Panthere
. •
•„STEAM-FRIGA.TE EN COMMISSION DE RADE.
Name. Guns. Horse Power. Launched,
Infernal' 2O ...... 450
STEAM-FRIGATES EN COMMISSION DE PORT.t
Albatross
Labrador

Montezuma
Orenoque
Panama 2O ...... 450
Christophe Colomb 20 ...... 450
Canada
Magellen
Ulua
DariPn
Caraibe .... .. ....... 20 ...... 450
Eldorado
Cacive
sTEAM-CORVETTES EN COMMISSION DE PORT.
Caimen
Elau
Espadon 6 ...... 220
Phoque
LINE OF-BATTLE SHIPS BUILDING.
Names. Gun.. Commenced.
Ville de Paris
Louis XI V. l2O
Valmy l2O

* Vessels en commission de rade are fully equipped for active
service, with the exception of provisions, and have one-sixth
of their crew on board. They are ready to take the sea at
twenty-four hours' warning.
t Vessels en commission de port are completely rigged, but
have no artillery or men on board.
$ These steamers are termed transatlantic packet-boats in
the Marine Minister's budget for 1846, but they are in reality
powerful men-of war, carrying heavy armaments, and com-
manded by officers of the royal navy. Two are lying at
Toulon, three at Rochefort, three at Brest, two at Cherbourg,
auct tilreo at 141cfrigizt,

Names. Gins. Commenced.
Tage
Fl-urus IOO
Ulm
Duguey-trouin
Hanihil
Turenne
Henry IV.
Navarin
Austerlitz
Wagram , lOO -833
Eylau
Dugueselin
Bayard
Donawerth
Fontenoy
Breslau
Tilsitt
Hector
Spectre
Castiglione
FRIGATES BUILDING.
Guns. Commenced.
60
60
Vengeance
Entreprenante
Semiramis
Duchesse d'Orleans
Nemesis
Zenobie
Alceste
Pandore
Sibylle
Bellone
Magicienne
Amazona
Astree
Heliopolis
Jeanne d'Arc
Clorinde
Pomone
Algerie
CORVETTTES BUILDING.

Names.
Renommie .
Perseverante

Bayonnaise
Galatee
Artemise
SCHOONERS BUILDING.
Jonquille
Amarante
STEAM-FRIGATES BUILDING.
Guns. Horse-power.
20 .. ...... 640
. 20
, 20
20
STEAM-CORVETTES BUILDING.
Colbert
Socrate
Roland
Catinat
Comte d'Eu
Cassina
Caton
Chaptal
Coligny
Newton
STEAMERS BUILDING OF 160 HORSE-POWER AND UNDER.
Brandon
Solon
Eclaireur ....
Dauphin
Regain
Petrel
Salamander .
Passe-partout
VESSELS ORDERED TO BE LAID DOWN IN 1846.
Frigates. Guns. Brigs. Guns.
Resoale
Isis
Ceres
Janus
STEAM CORVETTES.

Names.
Mogader
Vauban •
Sane
Platon

Names. Guns. Horse-power.
Tissiphore, iron
Tanger, iron
SMALL STEAMERS.

Mouette, iron .
Goeland, iron .
Heron, iron ....

A recapitulation of the above tables gives the follow-
ing results :
VESSELS IN COMMISSION.—Line-of-battle ships, 8 ;
Frigates, 13; viz., 3 of 60, 1 of 58, 6 of 52, 1 of 46, and
2of 40 guns. Corvettes or sloops, 15 ; viz., 7of 30, 6of
24, and 2of 20 guns. Brigs, 27 ; viz., 13 of 20, lof 16;
Bof 10, and sof 8 guns. Steam-frigates, 3 ; viz., 1 of
540 horse- power, and 2 of 450 horse-power. Steam-
corvettes, 8 ; viz., 1 of 329 horse-power, and 7 of 220
horse-power. Other steamers, 42 ; viz., 24 of 160
horse-power, 3 of 120 horse-power, and 15 of 80 and 70
horse-power. Besides these vessels there are 33 armed
transports carrying from 20 to 10 guns each, and 38
gunboats and cutters in commission and belonging to
the French Royal Navy.
VESSELS EN CommissioN DE RADE.—Line-of battle
ships, 5; viz. 2of 120, lof 100, and 2of 90 guns. Fri-
gates, 3 ; viz. 2of 52, and one of 46 guns. Corvettes,
lof 24 guns. Brigs, 3of 20 guns. Steamers, lof 450
horse-power. Armed transports, 1 of 380 tons. Total-
-14 vessels en commission de rade.

VESSELS DE COMMISSION DE PORT.-Line-of-battle
ships, 3; viz. 1 of 90, and 2of 82 guns. Frigates, 4;
viz. 2of GO, lof 50, and lof 46 guns. Steamer., 17;
viz. 13 of 450 horse-power, and 4 of 220 horse-power.
Armed transports, 2. Total-26 vessels en commission
de port.
VESSELS DISMANTLED.—Line-of-battle ships, 7; viz.
lof 90, 3of 86, and 2of 82 guns. Frigates, 10; viz. 4
of 60, 3of 52, lof 46, and 2of 40 guns. Corvettes, 5;
viz. 2of 28, lof 20, and 2of 16 guns. Brigs, 26; viz.
7 of 20, 1 of 18, 1 of 16, 13 of 10, and 4 of 8 guns.
Armed transports, 12. Gunboats, 9. Total-60 vessels
dismantled.

VESSELS BUILDING.—Line• of battleships, 23 ; viz.,
3of 120, 11 of 100, and 9 of 90 guns. Frigates, 20:
viz., 6of 60, 9of 52, and sof 40 guns. Corvettes, 3of
30 guns. Cutters, 2of 6 guns. Steamers, 22; viz., 1
of 640 horse-power, 1 of 540 horse-power, 2 of 450
horse-power, 5 of 320 horse-power, 5 of 220 horse-
power, 6 of of 160 horse-power, 1 of 120 horse• power,
and 1 of 80 horse-power. Ten of these vessels are to, be
launched this year ; viz., 2 40-gun frigates ; 2 cutters ;
1. steam frigate of 540 horse-power ; 2 steam-corvettes
of 320 horse power; 1 steamer of 220, and 3 of 160
horse-power. Twelve more are likewise ordered to be
launched next year, viz., 3 30-gun corvettes; 2 steam-
frigates of 450 horse-power; 3 steam corvettes of 220
horse-power; 2 of 160 horse-power; 1 of 120 horse-power,
and 1 of 80.
VESSELS ORDERED TO BE LAID DOWN IN 1846.
Three 40-gun frigates; four 18-gun brigs; two steam-
corvettes of 220 horse-power, and three iron steamers of
80 horse-power. These last three are to be launched fn
1846. In conclusion, it may be as well to remark that
the French Royal Navy afloat is composed of 299 vess( is
of all classes.

QUICK-MARCH.

—Morning Post.

SCOTTISH POOR-LAW.
(From the Times.)
The course taken on Wednes.lay night with the Bill
for amending the Scottish Poor-law may be considered
somewhat ominous. Bills are now rapidly approaching
their sickly season, and if those which are likely to elicit
awkward disclosures and inconvenient discussions can
only be staved off until then, they may, in the hurry
and impatience incidental to that season, slip quietly
through unnoticed. In many cases such an event would
be a matter of indifference, but this question is essen-
tially one of fact; we have the th• ory already. The
Lord-Advocate declared, on the first reading of his Bill.
that " the existing law made full prevision for the sup-
port of the poor; and it put into the hands of those who
had the administration of the law the po,ver of assessing
to aey extent necessary for the purpose." The question
then is, how ha( this " pow‘. r of assessing" been ext-r-
-ciseil. and this " full provision" to: the support of the
poor been acted on? These most essential parts of the
subject his Lordship did not find it convenient to en-
large on.
We admit, in reference to the course taken, that it
may not be reasonable to expect a high public func-
tionary to lay bare the leprous sores of his country before
the public gave and to exhibit in detail her cankerous
members—except where the question raised is on the
proper treatment of these very cankers, which cannot be
fairly treated in the dark, even though a jury of matrons
may have already fumbled over the case, and sagely re-
ported thereon. Such a decision not being final, and the
whole question having been transferred to another tri-
bunal, a hose voice will be heard, whatever acts may be
practised to elude its vigilance or smother its indignation,
we have a right to expect as many of the facts of the
case as may be necessary for the due information of
those who are deficient in local experience.
It would, in most cases, be absurd to attempt to draw
any strong line of distinction between the prevailing
feelings of the inhabitants of the north side of the
Tweed and those of the south ; but in this particular
case the line hes been drawn by the constituted autho-
rities of our northern neighbours themselves. They
have somewhat ostentatiously claimed the distinction of
managing their poor on the most approved principles of
political economy, as embodied in the concise declaration
" that a provision for the poor creates much of the
misery which it relieves, but does not relieve all the
misery which it creates." They have referred to their
own practical illustration of this doctrine as a stupendous
effort of wisdom, and it must be admitted that they have
worked out their theory with a frightful consistency, un-
appalled by those destructive consequences which would
have induced philosophers of any other school to revise
their creed.

Without keeping the foregoing prominently in view,
we may seem almost without a motive in urging on
English Members of Parliament that this, although a
local question, must mainly depend on their advocacy
and support. Not that any lack of humanity among
heritors and Kirk Sessions is to be assumed : the Lord-
Advocate tells us the contrary. He says that the exist-
ing state of things " was not owing to any absolute or
hard-hearted refusal to give relief—it was not from. an
unwillingness to disburse for the maintenance of the poor
--;-there was no general indisposition to a charitable feel-
ing in Scotland."
Thus there is an abundant stock of humanity
among those in authority there ; but then it is the
humanity of political economists, as expounded in
Edinburgh more than seventy years since, in the follow-
ing pithy sentence by Lord Karnes, in his Sketches
of the Progress of Man in Society :"—" If by neglect
or oversight any happen to die of want, the example
will tend more to reformation than the most
pathetic discourse from the pulpit," Here is a sound
exposition of economical humanity! and no deficiency
of such can be alleged at the present day, either in
theory or practice; it is, therefore, a question of quality,

rath,r than of quantity, which is to be submitted to the
th,termivation of Parliament—the question, whether the
philsophical humanity of Lord Kames, as exhibited in
lull operation by heritors and Kirk Sessions, or that of
a Christian code, is to influence the Legislature in enact-
ing laws for the relief of the poor in Scotland?
We shall commence our extracts of facts, to elucidate
the practical operation of the economical school of hu-
manity, from the returns to two addresses of the House
of Commons—of " the number of the population in
Scotland at the last census," and of " the management
and support of the poor from 1836 to 1841 inclusive,"
ordered by the House to be printed June 20. 1843. The
first of these returns includes the counties of Argyll,
Inverness, Ross, and Cromarty, Sutherland, and Caith-
ness, with a population of 340,926. The amount of
contribution for the relief of the poor is returned under
the following heads for the year 1841:

s. d.
Legal assessment of heritors 1,077 3 4
Voluntary assessment of heritors 1,178 7 0
Collections at the kirk door 3,337 1 1
Funds from other sources which
pass,d through the hands of

the KirkSeasron..

2,090 3 4

Total £7.652 14 9
The number of " impotent persons on the books
of the Kirk Session legally entitled to relief" is re-
turned at 8,463, but there seems to be more than treble
that number equally destitute. Among the latter class
the sum of 1,1731. 16s. 6d. was divided, and among the
former, 4,7971. 18s. 2d., being on !he average about
2d. a week for persons entered as " impotent," and ad-
mitted to be " legally entitled to relief !" In addition to
this allowance, they are granted, by the Kirk Session.
" the privilege of begging from door to door." A few
extracts from the notes atTended to the parochial returns
will show the working of the system :
....

" PARISH OF DUROR.—The minister writes,—' The
poor obtain their additional support by begging from
door to door. Such of the paupers as have humane r,—
latives get some pecuniary relief from them ; hut such
as have not, and are unable to bag, are literally starving,
or next thing to it. Slavery is condemned, and justly
condemned ; but I am persuaded that the slaves are
far better fed than our paupers. I trust, thet efore, that
prompt measures will forthwith be adopted to ameliorate
their wretched condition.' "
" GentLocH.—The minister writes, ' Their mode of

living in general is but seldom far above starvation point,
especially from the latter end of vi inter till harvest ; and
the consequence is, that few of them survive an attack of
any-serious malady, and many of, them labour under
severe chronic ailments. There are always a great
many applicants waiting till a vacancy occurs, in order
to be put on the "
" I)utumisll.—ln the new statistical account the
minister states, that • Those (of the poor) who received
the highest allowance from the Kirk Session did not get
more than 10s." There is no regular provision what-
ever made for the poor ; they beg from place to place.
and are always liberally assisted both by the tacksmen
and by the crofters, who have anything at all to spare ;
but at the same time the condition of those who are
bedrid is a very wretched one ; while some of those who
go about, though they receive food, are miserably ill off
in regard to clothing. "
" STRoNTIAN.—The minister writes, ' Till about three

years ago the poor here were in great misery generally.
but during the last three years Sir James Riddell (an
heritor) has distributed some meal amongst them during
the summer months.' Their neighbours and relations
contribute the rest of their scanty supplies, the small
farmers and crofters being exceedingly charitable to their
destitute brethren. At present many of them are in
great need of clothing and shoes, but bring only a quoad
sacra minister, I have no power to remedy their wants,
otherwise than by representing their case to tne heritor's
factor, and urging him to supply them. I may mention
that, owing to the absence of Sir James Riddell and his
family (they being abroad), and the removal of some
respectable families from the parish, the church collec-
tions were much reduced this last year, so that we had
only is. 6d. to distribute to each person.' "
KILLEARNAN.—The minister writes, How the poor
have been supported is to me a wonder. The only
ostensible means of support they have is begging from
door to door, and what the kindness of their neighbours
supplies—a meal a day often, and that of the poorest
fare, merely a few potatoes. Were it not for the Chris-
tian kindness of the middling classes, they would assu-
redly starve.' "
" AssvNT.—The minister writes, ' The amount of pe-
cuniary aid afforded the poor is astonishingly small.
The truth is, almost our whole population is poor, and it
is extremely difficult to select the psorest. Of course,
the miserable annual pittance granted does little or
nothing towards their support; consequently they are a
burden on their poor relatives and neighbours, rendering
them nearly as needy as themselves. We have no
wealthy people residing amongst us. The sole neritor,
the Duke of sutherland, does a good deal towards alle-
viating distress, by remitting arrears and rents.' "
KIRMICHAEL AND CIILLICUDDEN.—The minister
writes, "That whilst ss. is the average annual sum which
those on the poor's-roll in this parish receive from the
poor's-funds, their other means of support throughout
the year I really cannot 'very well describe. They live
in wretched hovels, and are supported by the charity of
their more immediate neighbours, and thus contrive to
eke out a miserable, half-starved existence. For their
hovels they are charged with rent either by the landlords
or by their tenants ; at least most of them are. He then
states that none of the heritors contribute anything to
the poor-funds, except an occasional small contribution
on the Sabbath."

However repulsive such statements may be, we im-
plore our readers to master them ; the task cannot be
more loathsome and humiliating to them than it is to
us ; but there is a solemn duty to be performed towards
thoe neglected starring creatures, who are left to
prey upon one another until all within their
sphere are involved in equal destitution. Tak-
ing these cases in the order they stand, we see
" that such of the paupers as are unable to beg are lite-

rally starving ;" that tg their mode of living, in general,
is but seldom far above starvation point ;" that
" there is no regular provision whatever made for
the poor ;" " they beg from place to place, and
the condition of those who are bedridden is a very
wretched one ;" that the Church collections were so
much reduced from the absence of a landlord and

his family, and the removal of some respectable families,
that " last year there was only Is. 6d, to distribute to
each poor person;" that "the only ostensible means of
support they have is begging from door to door;" that
" the miserable annual pittance granted does little or no-
thing toward their support—consequently they are a
burden on their poor relatives and friends, rendering
them nearly as needy as themselves;" that b. resident
minister " cannot very well describe" how " they con-
trive to eke out a miserable half-starved existence ;"
but that, in this case, " none of the heritors contribute
anything to the poor funds, except an occasional small
contribution on the Sabbath." _

---...—..
It is— by such masses of facts occurring under the
existence of a law for the relief of the poor, that
the Lord-Advocate's proposed measure for amending
this law is to be tested, and not by his unmeaning
assertion, that the condition of the poor in Scotland " is
not what it ought to be." A measure, to justify any
expectation of its being effective, must not be founded
on such a trumpery mincing negative, but on th, damn,
ing facts of the case—on toe positive existence of a
huge, monstrous, foul series of national crimes, com-
mitted with impunity on the helpless, under the sanction
or metaphysical ,economists, and impiously defended
under the cloak of religion,
We leave these facts for the present without fur-

ther remark, as examples of that horrible accumu-
lation of suffering and criminality, which calls for the
most unflinching scrutiny. The question now raised
.not. as tQ. the .character .or, these disgusting pro-
ceedings, but whether the remedial measure pro-
posed by the Lord Advocate is sufficiently strin-
ent to deal satisfactorily with such enormities. This
requires an induction trom a still more copious selee-
ton of facts, with which we shall endeavour to supply
the public, as the course taken in Parliament inetyttro-
vertibiy proves, that it is to the Operation of the fa.2t,4 ,if
the case on the public wind that wen stiould chiefly rely.
for humanising this stupendous embodiment of sordid
cruelty and cold calculating fraud.

COURSE OF EXCLIAI
.4.mderdarn CF. 12 8i
Ditto, at sight l2 6i
Rotterdam 2U. 12 9
Antwerp 26 15
Hamburgh M.B. 14 0
Altona

I GE. —(YESTEIWA .)
Gibraltar . .
Leghorn .....,. 31
Genoa ... . ..... 25 10
Naples . . 39/
ealsrupo, ,•• 0z... .19
Lisbon... 521
Oporto .... 53
Rio Janc,!,, ..... 23t
13ahia • ... ......
Buenos ry,rs
NewYotk :..dysaight
Philadvl,l4
MUCK, ,SULL(ON, (ER OZ
14'oreigt!..;..:J,bars. E's 17 9
Portu6a. ':1‘)1d Coin 3 :7 5
New Doubloons..... 0 0 0
New );...•mrs 0 4 9;
Silver gars 4lo'

Paris, 3 days' sight 25 90
Ditto, 3 xaonths 26 10
Marseilles 26 10
Bourdeaux 26 15
Frankfort on Maine 123